My last update was the morning after the first blizzard -- not two days later, we were hit with another storm, that dropped another 20 inches of snow on our already-crippled city. It was too much; 40+ inches in one week is absolutely unheard of in these parts. We heard some locals talking about the "Storm of '96" that brought about 25 inches of snow -- the fact that they actually remember a storm from 13 years ago that brought a mere 2 feet indicates how rare it is for blizzards to hit this region of the country. So to get 2 blizzards, and in one WEEK, Baltimore was completely shut down. We were in a "Level 3 State of Emergency" which asks that all civilians remain off the roads and in their houses... it was a tad bit ridiculous, if you ask me. But they were able to bring in some snowplows to help clear some of the main roads to bring some traffic back into the city. Unfortunately (yes, UNfortunately), Johns Hopkins University decided it would be best to close school for the entire week, and as fantastic as it was for the first couple days, I hit a wall on Wednesday and was struggling to keep sane. Cabin fever hit hard. Amy, Britte and I decided to venture out into the middle of the blizzard, just to get some fresh air, and here are some photos from our adventure:
Our excursion into the frigid weather definitely helped relieve some of the pent up energy that we had from being cooped up inside for a solid 5 days. And to add to our stress, we found out that the hours we missed in clinical would have to be made up the following week -- 16 HOURS. And we already had 2 exams and a project that needed to be completed... apparently they assume that we don't have lives outside of school. Granted, I know that it was necessary to do some supplemental/replacement work for the hours missed, but I think that they could have been a little more lenient or offered alternatives. But that was not the case. Needless to say, my life outside school was non-existent last week. But I survived! And at the end of the week, I had completed my clinical rotation in Adult Health!! I don't quite remember those 32 hours I spent on the unit over the course of the final 3 days of last week, my memory seems to be quite the blur... but as I look back over the past 7 weeks spent on that unit, I recognize how much I have learned and grown with the experiences that I have had, and I am that much more confident with my knowledge and abilities as I move on to my next rotation: PEDIATRICS! My first day of clinical is tomorrow, only once per week due to our 12-hour shifts. I have been assigned to work on the adolescent unit at Hopkins, not my first choice, but the more I think about it, the more I am excited to work with this specific population. Thankfully I have some experience working with teenagers, so hopefully the transition will be a bit smoother... but I will keep you updated with my thoughts and perspectives after I spend my first shift on the unit.
[Halsted 8 Adult Health Clinical Group]
After the next 7 weeks working in pediatrics, we will begin our Public Health rotation. Each year, Hopkins takes 3 different clinical groups to 3 different sites (Haiti, St. Vincent, and St. Croix) for a clinical experience abroad. It's a highly selective program - only 8 students are chosen for each group, and a large majority of our class applies. With recent events in Haiti, that site was unfortunately removed from the list (although I think it could have been an amazing experience to travel there and help) so that left 2 sites, with 16 open spots. I applied, not really confident in my chances to be chosen (we have many returned Peace Corps volunteers in our program who had also applied) and to my great surprise, I received an email this past weekend informing me that I had been selected to travel to St. Croix! We have yet to have our informational meeting, so I will fill you in with further details after that date, but I am THRILLED (to say the least) to have this opportunity. I have a general idea of what our responsibilities will be while we are down there - mostly related to health screening, health education, and health promotion. It is going to be an amazing opportunity, and a great insight into the world of global health (something I intend to contribute to once I am a midwife). So I will be traveling to the small Caribbean island at the end of May for about 10 days with a small clinical group and our instructor -- thankfully I know a few of the girls who are going, and I'm excited that we will be able to share this experience together! Not to mention that I'll be able to escape Baltimore and relax on the gorgeous white sand beaches... something to look forward to...
[St. Croix]
Only a couple more months... haha. Until then, however, I have much to focus on, so I can't get ahead of myself! Thankfully, I was able to escape "Charm City" this past weekend -- Greg came to visit!! It was a somewhat last-minute trip, his last guaranteed "free" weekend before he starts his job in California. He arrived out here last Thursday, wish it could have been a bit of a smoother trip... but he made it nonetheless. Friday we enjoyed our time in Baltimore before taking the bus up to New York City on Saturday! It was a whirlwind adventure, but we thoroughly enjoyed our time spent together. I was just so grateful to have my little brother out to visit, and so excited to share one of my favorite cities with him! We were able to see all the highlights of the city, including Downtown (Wall Street, Ground Zero, SoHo), Midtown (Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Fifth Ave) and Uptown (Central Park, The Met, the LDS Manhattan Temple) and everything in between. I'll post a few of my favorite pictures in a separate entry. We walked EVERYWHERE, thankful that the weather was cooperative for the few days we were there! We were able to enjoy a delicious dinner atop the Marriott Hotel in Times Square -- it's a revolving restaurant, that affords incredible views of the city. We spent over 2 hours there, admiring the spectacle that is New York City, and appreciating the time we had to spend together. As excited as I am to be moving back to Utah this summer, I will surely miss having him around... it won't be the same in the SLC without him! But I wish him all the best as he ventures off to begin the next phase of his life in California!!
And if you're wondering why the title of this blog says "just another 33 days" ... well, I'll fill you in on my current goal. I challenged myself to 30-straight days of hot yoga, and was able to fulfill that goal (amidst the blizzard, which did force me to rearrange some of my schedule) and loved the rewarding sense of accomplishment. So, I have set a new goal/challenge: 40 DAYS WITH NO SWEETS. This includes chocolate and baked goods. Amy (my roommate) and Britte (a friend) both gave up sugar for Lent, and I decided that I wanted to test myself, to see if I could meet the challenge -- it's actually been quite empowering, to say NO to sweets when offered. Even in this first week, it has really helped me see how easily I can give into temptation just to please that other person and not turn them down. Quite a lesson, I must say. I will keep you all informed as to my progress... this could get ugly in a few weeks as my level of chocolate reserve runs low... but hey, at least I'll be appropriately prepared to lay out on a beach in May! Even if my skin is ivory white... haha. Anyways, I have to get going... yoga in an hour, then its back to the books! Big day tomorrow... I'll be sure to fill you all in on the world of adolescent med-surg nursing soon!
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