First Two Months

Hello All!!! I figured it's been long enough for me to write you a book, but I'll do my best to keep it short!

Lets see.... Well September was a good month, mostly because it was my birthday!! WOOT WOOT! Ashleigh came out for my birthday weekend to keep me company and take me on a birthday adventure. We got massages, walked around a sculpture garden and had a big kid dinner. It was the first time I have bought wine and a fancy dinner, I felt really grown up. It was a great weekend! We drove around and I tried to show her sites that I have seen and we went to Minneapolis for the first time since I've been here. On Monday I left her at my house alone hahaha, and went to class. We decided to go to a Twins game before she left and I'm sure I smelled amazing after 3 hours of cadaver lab! Anyways, we took the light rail to Target Field which was really nice, minus the fact that they didn't have Rockie's Dogs :( , oh and the Twins suck!  I dropped Ash off at the airport on Tuesday morning and went back to the daily routine.

I also received some lovely cards and gifts from family. Sienna and Ryder sent me a card with their handprints! My mom and Ron sent me a cake so I could have something to celebrate with. Amy and Vince sent me some cookies and candy! Uncle Gil and Aunt Elaine sent me a card, as well as my Grandma and Grandpa, Lou and Betty, and my awesome little brother!!!!! Always nice to feel missed and thought of!

School has been going pretty well. I just got a test back today and got 100% on it, so I was super excited about that. Already need to start studying for the next one, due to the fact that I have to basically memorize 50 pages of notes and half a book full of insertions, origins and actions of muscles. It's definitely challenging, not only academically but also emotionally and mentally. The work is vigorous and very necessary because of this school's high success rates on board exams.

Emotionally and mentally it has been stressful. It's my first time being away from home and it's beginning to hit my heart. Hard to be away, even though I know that it's something I need to be doing and focusing on. I talked to my mom and told her how hard it is for me to be so selfish with my time. I find myself ignoring more and more calls because I'm in the library or in class. It's hard for me to do that because I care so much about what's going on with my family and friends, but I suppose calling people back when I have more downtime is a bit more thoughtful :)   I miss everyone so much and can't believe I missed Sienna "Munchin's" first steps. She and Ryder "Monster" are just growing up too fast!!! It's also been hard with Lou being in the hospital. I love him and I know it's been stressful for everyone, but I'm glad he's doing better.

Making friends was little harder than I thought it would be. I usually see myself as a very outgoing, friendly individual. A lot of my peers are from Minnesota and have a lot in common, and many of them attended undergrad together. So.... it was hard to break into people's friend circles and step out of my comfort zone. I did make a few new friends and found that studying with them is SOOOOOOO much better than just talking to my spine, "Albert." He's a great listener, but he doesn't say much or laugh very often.

What else can I tell ya? I got my first chiropractic adjustment! The first time I went in, I was seen by a T7 and we just went through a couple tests and patient history mumbo jumbo. When he went to take my blood pressure, I had to roll my eyes. I told him that my BP runs pretty low most of the time (normally), but he read like 130/86 after placing the baby cuff on my arm. I kinda just laughed and shook my head. Hopefully, when we all have to learn how to take BPs I will ace it, after learning that in high school. They were hesitant about adjusting my neck, since I had never been seen, and asked me how I usually handle pain or muscle tension. I told them that I self medicate by popping my neck and back very frequently. The intern just kinda laughed at me and the chiropractor that oversees him shook his head in anger. He told me that he didn't expect me to quit "cold turkey" but to limit my popping to once a day. After they adjusted my neck, they asked me how it felt and I told them "Honestly, I could pop it 30 times more." But, of course we all know that that is bad for you because you have no idea where you are placing those joints after the air has been released from your synovial fluid.

So... to sum it all up, school is going pretty well and Minnesota isn't too bad afterall (I bet I'll bite my tongue when it starts snowing). I am learning a lot, although I feel like my brain is swelling out of my skull with information. The teachers are very informative and try to appeal to us on a more personal level, keeping us awake when we have to sit in the auditorium for 9 hours straight. I miss everyone and I heard/saw that it snowed yesterday. I'm a tiny bit jealous because seeing snow on Long's Peak is one of my favorite parts of winter. I am super stoked to come home and eat a lot! I've lost about 30 lbs since this summer and am ready for some chile, stuffing and familiar loving faces!!!