HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Seems fitting that I'm ringing in a new decade with friends that have been behind me for the entire 10 years (most of them for almost the last 2 decades!). I'm looking forward to all the laughs to be had this evening!

Pictures of my wonderful Christmas break are on their way!

D.O.N.E. done done done!

I finished my didactic year of PA school today. It feels like just yesterday we were in the triple digits of our countdown... I never thought the day would come! YAY!

The past 6 months...

It's been awhile since I've updated but here are a few highlights of the last 6 months of my life.

In August, Kara and headed to Atlanta for the Brett Dennon and OAR concert, quick trip to Six Flags, Big Ten Bar Crawl (where I caught up with Erica and Amanda, two of my fellow Spartan Athletic Trainers) and a Braves game. All in about 36 hours... it was a wonderful escape from reality.

The last weekend in August, Will joined me to meet up with Mike and Danielle and Mike and Heather for a weekend of camping and relaxing. It was wonderful to get together with some of my Michigan friends!

My family, including Aunt Jan and Corey and Jacob, came down for Labor day weekend and Boomsday. We had a lot of fun just relaxing around the pool, hanging out in Knoxville and, of course, watching the fireworks on the river.

After quarter 4, Kara and I hopped in the car and were Gainesville bound for the Tennessee v. Florida football game at "The Swamp". It was INCREDIBLY hot but, a great weekend. I was able to meet up with Tom and go to the game with him and his friends from UF. On Sunday, Kara and I continued our trek south to her hometown of Bonita Springs. We stayed with her grandparents, laid on the beach (and got incredibly sunburned one day. Her back. My front.), and hung around town until I boarded a plane back to Knoxville midweek. Then, I drove home for 10 relaxing days in Michigan. My dad and I attended our annual UM v. MSU football game in East Lansing. We tailgated with my fellow Hartland Spartans then made our way to the game. It poured for most of the game but the sun began to peak thru just as time ran out for another Spartan W. Dad and I have been going since 1990, when I was in kindergarten and we've only missed the game one year since then. Such a fun tradition. After such a WONDERFUL break, I headed back to Knoxville for my 5th, and FINAL, quarter of PA school.

 In October, Melissa and Paul were able to come down for a weekend. We were able to hang out with my PA school family one night and attended the Knoxville Brewer's Jam for the day on Saturday with a lot of my class also. It was a very fun, muddy, mess.

I spent Thanksgiving in North Carolina with Mike and Heather, Mike and Danielle, Steve and some of Heather's friends from college. It was amazing to be able to get away and relax for a few days with some of my best friends. Dinner was absolutely amazing and our non-traditional Thanksgiving evening beer pong in the garage was tons of fun.

On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, I got in the car with Nicki, my favorite Tar Heel, Rob and Will (our pseudo-fans) and we were on our way to Chapel Hill (about 5 hours) for the MSU v. UNC National Championship rematch. Though my Spartans didn't come out on top, (or barely at all for that matter) I had a blast exploring Nicki's old campus.

 

Now I'm 1 OSCE, 1 Ethics Quiz and class, 1 surgery class, and 3 finals away from being done with my didactic year of PA school (that's only 5 more days too!). Clinicals start January 4th and I can't wait!