It feels like ages have passed since I last posted when in reality it's only been a couple of days. Third year so far is an absolute whirlwind! I'm taking cardiorespiratory diseases of small animals, musculoskeletal diseases of small animals, neurological & opthalmologic diseases, surgical exercises in companion animals, diagnostic radiology, food animal health & diseases, equine health & diseases, clinical techniques and two electives (intro to exotic pet medicine and principles of integrative medicine). Some classes seem like they'll be really easy for me (exotics, clinical techniques) while others are making me nervous already (radiology). Our one integrative medicine lecture was boring as all get out but I'm hoping it picks up a bit. Seems like it should be a relatively easy class, if not super-stimulating, and worth sticking out for the elective credit.

I'm also president of lab animal club and treasurer of pathology club. Our past president in LAC was a bit disorganized (or maybe super busy, I'm coming to think...) so we didn't get as much done as I would have liked last year. I have high hopes for this year, of course, so hopefully I can get them all to pan out and everyone has a good time. Not to mention that the more cute animals I get to hold the better.

While I'm sure the chaos is likely due to re-establishing a routine for school, I sure hope it settles down soon. If this semester keeps going at 200mph (or kph, for my Canadian friends) I'm going to keel over from exhaustion like, tomorrow. To help myself calm down and feel more organized, I'm going to spend the evening cleaning my house up - I've been here less than a week and it's a mess, ugh - finish unpacking and start on some to do lists. Once everything at least gives an outward appearance of organization, my brain will have time to process everything. Amazing what we can trick our brains into thinking.

In the time between now and lasting posting, so much has happened.

Perhaps most importantly, I put my beloved dog Ella to sleep. She was old, in kidney failure and just not having a great life anymore. I think I was mentally prepared for it to happen (and I knew I would do "it" before going back to school as its a long and stressful journey for her even when healthy) but it's immeasurably sad to not have her around any more. Many people have asked if I will get another pet and the answer (for now) is no, both because the loss is still too new but also because it isn't really fair to any animal I would get (especially a dog or cat) to go through me not being there for long periods during rotations, or being away from home frequently for classes. I've considered a small animal (bird, fish, rat, guiena pig) but right now I think I just need time to feel sad.

On a different note, I moved back up to the island this weekend (Danny tagged along and helped with the drive) and started school today. It's great to see everyone again and I'm glad to finally be settled in instead of having it looming ahead of me constantly. I am ridiculously disorganized right now - and conveniently have 2948348351 things to do - but I think time will go quickly with so much on my plate. Among other things I need to get my parking pass, put together a display for the lab animal club's table at club day (Wednesday), set up my printer, print out notes, put away my clothes, put away my food, do the dishes and get the house to a more liveable state. Whew. I think it's time for a to-do list...

I promise to post more about classes and school as we get going, but I've got a coffee date tonight!

With the new blogs I've been adding and my friends from school re-surfacing on Facebook, I feel hyper-aware of the fact that summer is winding down and school is starting in one week.

Friday was my last day at work. I got a really nice card from everyone and I can't wait to see them all again over winter break in December. I'm going to stop by sometime this week, though, and give my supervisor her caramel popcorn that we got this weekend when we went on our mini-vacation in Ocean City with some friends.

We drove over Saturday morning in minimal traffic. Since we were a bit early for check-in to the bed&breakfast, we stopped for lunch at Danny's favorite pizza place downtown. It was an absolutely perfect day - sunny but not at all hot or humid - so we sat outside under the umbrellas. Pretty sure we all mentioned at least once how there was no way it could really be late August and so nice out! After lunch, we checked into the B&B (friends of friends so we got a nice rate) and then went out to have fun. We went go-kart racing, putt putt golfing and wandering on the boardwalk and beach, capping it all off with fast food at midnight on the porch and just hanging out. We had to be out by 11am the next morning but not before the inn keepers provided an amazing breakfast. Traffic was not so good on the way home (probably because of the pouring rain) - it took us four hours to get home. Danny and I were exhausted when we got back and took a nap before dinner. We got Monsters, Inc. on Netflix, which Danny had never seen, so that was a nice way to finish up the weekend. Now the real work begins - packing!

Not much to write about lately... My sister-in-law (who recently moved to West Virginia from Texas to go to WVU for her last two years of school) came to visit us yesterday. I usually just get odds and ends done on my day off so we didn't have a lot going on, but we puttered around and got to catch up with her, which was nice. Today was an absolute marathon - two meetings, one of which was over two and a half hours long! - and I'm exhausted. Tomorrow is my last day at work (one last meeting aughh!) and my parents will be home from vacation a day early, so Friday when I get home from work I need to scramble and get everything straightened up and nice looking. Danny and I are headed to the beach with friends for a day and night on Saturday. Next week I'll be running around trying to get laundry done and pack and all that jazz.

Basically one week left before I go back!

As I brought up this window, I realized that I don't actually remember the last time I posted! Summer is, of course, slipping away as it always does. Somehow I'm always surprised by how quickly time flies - it sounds so cliché to say that but it's so true. I don't exactly feel like the start of summer was yesterday (I feel like I've been married for ages!) but I also feel like it should be me trekking up to the Great White North for the first time, not the incoming first years. How in the world did I make it to third year?!

My last week of work starts today. I think I will have completed pretty much all of the project I was set to work on this summer. Everything will be a rough draft (other people have to go over what I wrote, confirm it's all correct, make adjustments, etc etc) but every time my boss or supervisor mentions just how much help I've been by getting all this work done, I feel awesome. This group of people were like my family in undergrad, and they're like my family now. I'm really going to miss them. Need to figure out a card or a little gift to get them all to thank them for everything.

I leave for school in 11 days. Danny and I have the house to ourselves as my parents are out of town this week, which is like a vacation for us. Not that my parents are awful by any stretch, but being alone is peaceful and relaxing when so much else is happening or getting ready to happen. I need to make my to do list (and which point I will need to work on my to do list!) but it's a lot easier this time around. I don't feel nearly as stressed as I did that first (or even second) year - or at least not about the actual packing part. But I'm going to be leaving a lot behind and that always gives me pause. Fortunately, I've been able to visit my friends a lot more this summer as there's not a bunch of wedding stuff to get done.

Perhaps a bit of a jumbled post, but I feel a little jumbled right now. Not quite ready to leave but not much left time to stay - these last few weeks of August are always a weird limbo.

Confession: I really enjoy reading medical student and pre-med student blogs. I'm not sure why - I'm living a similar lifestyle, after all - but somehow they're more intense and it's riveting in the way that reality television can be riveting (for better or for worse).

Lately, everyone is focusing on starting their first year and I've seen the same things happening on the pre-veterinary forum where the class of 2017 is getting ready to start. I remember the summer before first year - it was hectic! Not only did I have to pack up my apartment and move, but I was moving to a new country, alone, and had to deal with all of the trappings of that circus. I remember how anxious I felt, how heart-sick to be leaving everything behind. And guess what? I still feel a little twinge when I realize that I have three short weeks before heading back for my third year.

You probably realize what I'm gearing up to here: advice. In general, I try to stay away from being one of those blogs that are aimed at helping pre-whatevers get into whatever school. Not because I think that's a stupid idea, but because I feel like I barely managed the process myself! Fortunately for you, I'm in the sharing mood and I hope someone somewhere finds some shred of comfort or confidence in what I have to say from the half-way point.

• Stop comparing yourself to others now. Everyone in vet school had to work their rear end off to get in. They all went through the same grueling applications, the nerve-wracking wait and the joy of acceptance, just like you. Some of you barely need to study to get an A. Some of you could hit the jugular vein with your eyes closed. Some of you have utterly non-vet-related skills that many blinkers-on pre-vets never had. The point? You are all different. You all have your strengths and weaknesses (even those who seem perfect!). And yet, you are all in the same boat. Many people are moving. Some of you are leaving behind loved ones. Most of you will have to work on your relationships (be it romantic, family or platonic) no matter the distance. Every single one of you is excited and nervous about school and making friends. So fight the urge to wonder about your orientation group's grades or experiences. Stop telling yourself that you alone are going to be lonely and sad and failing. Embrace your differences and work hard for yourself and no one else. And when the first grades come out, don't share what you got. Work harder if you need to, remember what it took if you did well.
• Don't obsess over grades. Admissions is brutally selective and you've been conditioned to get the highest numbers you can achieve but you're in. Some of you are brushing this off because you want to do residency and guess what? Grades are important for that. But don't let grades rule your life. If you do poorly, find help and find a different way to study. If you do well, be content with that. Chances are there will always be someone who scores higher than you - don't let that poison your mind. 
• Find balance. Sometimes I think that people like to complain about how grueling vet school is. And yeah, it's hard. But don't let vet school become your entire life! Find other things to talk about with classmates. Keep up with your hobbies or pick up a new one. Find some way to remain active, even if it's just a walk before dinner in the evening. Get that amount of sleep that you know your body needs as frequently as possible. You may have to prioritize certain things, but make those decisions ahead of time so that you aren't deciding last minute if you will sleep an extra hour or make yourself dinner that night. Give yourself time to do things that have nothing to do with vet school and I guarantee you will be happier.
• If you need help, ask for it. This not only pertains to the classroom but to your mental health as well. It's a big transition period for everyone. Remember Pieces of Advice #1, 2 and 3? Some of you won't follow them and you'll end up burnt out, homesick as hell, lonely and miserable. And it's all downhill from there. If you ever get to that point, find your school's counselor and make an appointment to talk, or even just talk with a supportive friend or family member from back home. Know your support system and utilize the heck out of it.

 It's a wild ride, but you can do it. Good luck 2017!

Today is quite literally one of the most beautiful days I can remember, especially for August in DC. It's just over 70F, not at all humid, sunny with a light breeze...I'm in heaven. We went to a nearby farm that sells their own as well as local produce and stuff and picked up some nectarines and two dish towels with chickens on them for a wedding gift for friends (they raise chickens). Now Danny is out hacking back bushes and mowing the lawn (after he spent yesterday washing all of my parents windows, which is not an easy feat considering they have twenty-two floor-to-ceiling windows that make up the back part of their house!) I'm going to hop out there in a little while and prune my tomato plants which are, to put it simply, out of control. They're bushy and healthy and I'm getting more of the fist-sized ones instead of the cherry ones which my parents prefer to use, so that's nice. I got all excited last weekend and started planning out how next year I want onions and squash and peppers but then I realized I won't really be here next year since rotations will have started. Boo.

Speaking of vegetables, you're probably wanting to know how the vegan thing is going. One word: awesome. In the few short days since I made the leap, I have made a bunch of new recipes (I made falafel last night for the first time ever - everyone liked it!), lost three pounds and just felt good in general. My first real challenge was last night: my dad made an awesome chocolate cake for my grandmother's birthday dinner last night. I was able to resist pretty easily last night but when I sat down to eat lunch today a big waft of chocolate amazingness came floating up to meet me and it was so hard not to reach over a swipe a glob of fudgey icing off the plate (don't worry, I didn't.) I've been trying to focus my recipe searches on things that are either already vegan or easily made vegan. I think once I'm completely "over" animal products, it will be easier to swap in vegan meats and cheeses; right now, when I remember what a good steak tastes like, I think I'd just be setting myself up for disappointment if I tried to make something Really Not Vegan taste like Something Vegan, if that makes sense. I have had frozen vegan burgers, but I've always liked them so I don't think that's as big a deal.

Anyway, it's a glorious day outside - not going to spend it in front of the computer! Happy lazy Sunday :)

Today is the first day of a new month, which means its resolution time. Lately I've been a little lazy in my brainstorming and I think my productivity has reflected that. However, July's resolution - to broaden my horizons - was so successful that it creates the perfect segue ("seg-way" - I know, I didn't know how to spell it either) into August's resolution:

I'm going to go vegan for the month in the hopes that I can go vegan for the foreseeable future.

Whoa, right? I've mentioned that I stopped eating pork in my first year of vet school. I've talked about becoming a vegetarian, and I was really successful (and happy!) with my resolution to eat less meat earlier in the year. I felt better physically, mentally and "morally". But now, to leap into veganism cold turkey (or should I say tofurkey or turk'y)?

Let's break it down.

First, what does it mean to be a vegan? Generally speaking, a vegan does not consume anything that came from an animal. This includes meat, dairy and eggs but extends to products like gelatin and leather. But that's the simple version. I see vegans in a few distinct categories - those who do it for dietary reasons, those who do it for the morals and those (a subset of the second) who take it to the extremes.

Next, why do I want to be vegan? I would consider myself a mixture between the first two categories. Having been nearly vegetarian for a month, I felt great eating less meat and I lost weight. But I'm definitely in the second category, too. I don't like how a lot of livestock are raised: small cages for poultry and pigs, pushing animals - especially dairy - to their limits to their detriment, unenriched environments, etc. I particularly don't like how there are so few (and then only loosely regulated) regulations on transport to slaughter and slaughter. There is so much room for error and I hate the idea that an animal that I consume (or a product of an animal that will one day go to slaughter) could have been one that was ineffectively stunned or injured badly on the trailer or whatever.

The funny thing is, a lot of people look at lab animals like this and while it is largely untrue, there are always instances that crop up that make you sad due to human error. So how can I possibly be OK with animal research? I'm going to be there, working my rear off to make sure that every single creature under my control is treated with the utmost care and respect. I feel like my contributions to the problems outweigh any moral qualms I might have. In addition, I think the field of lab animal medicine is a lot more progressive than that of production and that makes me feel as though a lot of positive steps can and will be made. I don't feel that same assurance with the food industry.

So what will I eat? No meat, dairy or eggs, of course. But if I examine my reasoning for wanting to become vegan, I've decided that I will allow myself to eat animal products that come from local producers that raise their animals in a way that I feel happy with (free range chickens, for example) and slaughter their own livestock. As they have far fewer animals to process and do not have to ship to a far-away slaughter house, I can feel more confident that the animals will undergo a humane death. If people want to bash me for that, that's fine. It's about doing what I believe is morally acceptable.