Ah! The southward migration from my life as a grunge chick in Seattle was successfully completed, and I have managed to install myself as a MEDICAL STUDENT here at Stanford! Quite a change! In the midst of the crazy-busy schedules I have managed to think a bit about how I might integrate the things that are important to me in the next phase of my life, namely, at this point: my family, my friends, academics, social justice, and good ol' fun!
My family is settled in the East now, but Mom traveled West to aid me in the migration down from Washington to California. The route along the coast was spectacular, stimulating wonderful conversations about my darling siblings, Peter and Anne-Marie, who are also beginning new phases of their lives at Johns Hopkins Medical School and Yale University, respectively. To see some pictures of these great folks, click here.
Some of my homeys from Stanford have kept the Bay Area warm for me, and I moved into a beautiful house in Los Altos with Bizey, Star and Oz, aka Becca Crocker, Angie Cheney, and Michael Oswall, as well as, of course, our mischievous mutt, Marley! The medical school scene has offered up some amazing folks among students and faculty, many of whom have already been inspiring as to the most creative and adventurous ways to live one's life...!
Seattle homeys Scott, Laura, and Treep helped nourish this adventurous spirit during a spectacular jaunt out on the Olympic Peninsula (Adventure Report IS HERE!))
In addition to enabling fantastic interactions with many friends, Seattle also was the location of a foray into the world of social justice. As a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, I worked as a Youth Counselor for children of homeless families at Seattle Emergency Housing Service. I learned many things about children and from children at the shelter, and hope to continue working with underserved kids in my medical career. Exploring the options from here, I've found a preliminary list of international nonprofits which I hope to take advantage of!
In the rest of my spare time here (haha) I have been exploring the beauty of the deep blue SCUBA diving in Monterey and beyond, trying to remember the wildflowers of Jasper Ridge, dedicatedly surveying the latest antics of The Simpsons and, of course, dancing like a grunge chick to The Presidents.
