Orientation

So...when I first planned my expenses for moving in, I neglected to take into account things like buying water filters, cleaning supplies, and cooking utensils.  I'm scared to type down my expenses on a spreadsheet.  To be fair, I did splurge on unnecessary items like a coffee table and two lounge chairs for comfort.  I could have waited, but I wanted to make my studio look a little more "home-y." I finally ventured out downtown to find the nearest Marshalls today, and walked away with a colander and two matching mugs that were way cheaper than if I went to Target.

Orientation was long.  I think that my school goes about things in a rather unorganized way.  Documents (like our itinerary for the next 19 weeks) get uploaded but no one ever actually goes over where to find these documents, but we spent over an hour being introduced to aspects of campus that I think are superfluous, like the bookstore. Pretty sure every college bookstore is the same, no matter where it is in the nation.

My fellow students are an interesting bunch...I've come to accept the fact that I am an introvert with a very deadpan sense of humor, which makes it difficult to chat up people in a social setting.  Oddly enough, I'm comfortable networking in a professional setting.  A lot of my classmates fall within the 22-25 age range, but the majority of them are 23/24. They feel young, which is probably odd for a 26 year old to say.  I tend to overhear a lot of conversations that make me think, "Uh....really?"  They come across as inexperienced [to me], and to be honest, I don't think living life for one year out of college creates opportunities to have much life experience.  Perhaps that is due to my metropolitan upbringing, too.  San Francisco/the Bay Area has a lot of diversity and I've been fortunate enough to work with people who have come from various backgrounds, which in turn makes me think and see things differently.

A number of my younger classmates are also engaged, or have a significant other that was able to pick up and follow their med student-partner, which horrifies me.  In the same breath, a lot of people seemed equally horrified when I informed them (after being asked about it) that I was in a long distance relationship.  (Also, a lot of my single classmates are VERY interested in others' relationship status....or maybe nosy in general - more signs that they are immature).  I don't know if I would ever ask someone to follow me to medical school, even if I had been with someone for 2-3 years.  My bf (L) has a pretty successful career and it would be wrong of me to ask him to follow me unless he himself was ready to look for new experiences in life.

I think my line of thought is more common among people who currently live/work in major cities.  San Francisco has a very high concentration of young, single and ambitious professionals who are very career-oriented.  A lot of my friends/acquaintances also put career first before relationships, because now is the best time in our lives to build a career.  My M3 friend only just asked his girlfriend of 4+ years to move in with him.  I guess we just move at a slower pace than others.

In a way, I think a LDR suits L and I best.  Neither of us will get into too many arguments about "always working, never spending enough time with me at home" because we'll both be working.  I'll be studying a lot, and L will probably go back to his routine of putting in 50, 60, sometimes 70 hour work-weeks in addition to a commute that will only get worse as holiday season approaches (he works in marketing).

At any rate, I have a lot of interesting stories about people that I've filed away for a day far into the future....And by interesting, I mean forehead-smacking.

And now back to reading my study guide :(

Medical Monday - Start of Medical School

After a long hiatus, I am back!

The last three months have been very fulfilling

I completed three runs - the 12K Bay to Breakers, the 10K Camp Pendleton Mud Run, and the 26K San Francisco marathon:

The super steep Hayes Street Hills

Bunch of Marines prior to the mud run

San Francisco Marathon starting line!

The sunrise that morning

The half marathon was a good run overall, but I was definitely starting to feel the burn during the uphill climb at the 10-11 mile mark. 

I started a new relationship over the summer, which is now a long-distance relationship. We'll see how that goes.

Annnnnnd since it's Medical Monday, I'm lukewarmly proud to say that I've now moved into my studio apartment to begin my first semester of medical school.

Woowooo!

I feel lukewarm about the whole matter, if only because I have underestimated the cost and difficulty of moving into a new place without a car. I'm tired of cleaning, or assembling furniture, of making frequent walking trips to the nearby (thank goodness it's nearby) Target, and scouring the internet to find the best deals on furniture. I still have a lot of things I need to buy - spices, a skillet, cooking utensils and more groceries so I am not eating the same things every day. There are also things I want to buy: rugs, another lamp, and a computer.

Ugh.

The stress and workload of moving into a new place has overridden my excitement of having my own place.

Orientation is this Wednesday. The current second years have organized several welcome week activities for us, so I'm looking forward to that as well. I built my desk, so I'm happy to finally have a table (instead of standing/sitting at my kitchen counter).

More updates to come!