Week 5

February 21, 2015

I am sitting in “my place.” 

Favorite Caribbean song: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEG4qNW33mA

I have a place on the island that is where I can breath easy, study effectively, feel at rest and retreat to when needed at any time. I have my area that the people around know I come to often and even know my table-no one sits at my table! I feel home here… and that says a lot because I have always associated with a gypsy sort of mindset-I prefer to go to new places and never stay in one place…but given the circumstance, having found a place that is special to me in the midst of school, is nice. There are no people from the university here so I can take off my “blinders” that I wear on campus-you know the things draft horses wear that partially cover their eyes when they are walking with the carriage? Sometimes, I have to metaphorically put those on at school because it is easy to be influenced by other’s attitudes with school-in a negative way. I am learning how to have tougher skin and let things that really do not matter not penetrate my mind so easily. I think it would be accurate to say I am a resilient person in general-but I am in no way immune to chaos and challenge and subsequent struggle and negative thoughts. On a side note….the song on the radio: “bullet proof” just started playing…haha…good timing!

When I am here in my place, I do not have to be constantly filtering what people say about school-because no one talks about school here…and that is so refreshing.

Lastly, I made some big changes over the past 2 weeks and more so over this past week…these changes were a result of tough decisions and tough conversations with a variety of people whose insight and opinions matter to me. Ultimately, I made some decisions that I feel confident and at peace with regarding study strategy and how to best use my time. 

Quick summary of the week:

Visited the wet lab everyday besides two days this week-learned in a tangible way all of the stuff that I have been studying. 

Met an amazing visiting professor whose teaching style gels well with my learning style.

I asked him to come in this morning (Saturday) to the lab to review and 3 hours later…I can take you through the thorax, forearm and heart muscles and innervations!!

Been swimming in the mornings-no better to wake up at 07:00 than jumping into the ocean and swimming to a nearby reef/island! I have collected some cool shells and met other swimmers. 

Found resources for anatomy that have been so helpful. My new best friend is the Essential Anatomy app. We spend a lot of time together. 

Good verse that I read today...

Ezekiel 36:26 

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

-M.H-