Well, after almost 4 long years, I'm back. It's a little weird coming back to this blog; I started it five and a half years ago to after I graduated college and before I started medical school to chronicle my world travels. I thought of the title for the blog because I was living between thing for a year, on the borders of two significant life events. Then I thought I could the blog to write about my travels in general, and I returned to write about my trip to Ireland with Kevin but I have since been absent. Now, after 4 years of being very much in the midst of a traditional life-path, nowhere near a border of any kind, I find myself once again living between things.
But I am getting a little ahead of myself. Let me backtrack, since a lot has happened since leaving Ireland (I wish I hadn't). I've traveled to a number of new places since then. I went to Panama with Kevin. I went to Greece after taking Step 1 of the Medical Licensing Boards. I went to Wales for two weeks before studying medical ethics in Oxford for a month. And I went to Morocco on my honeymoon. Ah yes, I also got married to the most amazing person (hi Sima), graduated medical school, decided to go into family medicine and matched in a great program at UPenn, moved to Philadelphia, got a dog, and, back in Greece, survived a 20 foot fall into a gorge and the following night that I was stuck in the gorge, before dragging myself out again; it was a harrowing and traumatizing near death experience. But, that is a long story for another time, though I think it is the source of the reason for my returning to this blog.
Last week, I sent in my letter of resignation to the aforementioned residency program, leaving the traditional medical path of pre-med, med school, and residency. I am not sure what I will be doing next, but I am now, once more, between things. The difference is, last time I was comfortably situated on the borders of two very secure states of being; I had just graduated college and had a medical school spot waiting for me. Now, though I can see the border behind me, I cannot see anything in front of me.
This isn't a new feeling for me, both metaphorically and literally. Over the years that I have been gone from this blog, my life has changed in some pretty immense ways, ways that I do not understand. What I would like to do on the blog is retrace my steps, explore some of the life events that got me to where I am, and hopefully tell some good stories in doing so.
But I am getting a little ahead of myself. Let me backtrack, since a lot has happened since leaving Ireland (I wish I hadn't). I've traveled to a number of new places since then. I went to Panama with Kevin. I went to Greece after taking Step 1 of the Medical Licensing Boards. I went to Wales for two weeks before studying medical ethics in Oxford for a month. And I went to Morocco on my honeymoon. Ah yes, I also got married to the most amazing person (hi Sima), graduated medical school, decided to go into family medicine and matched in a great program at UPenn, moved to Philadelphia, got a dog, and, back in Greece, survived a 20 foot fall into a gorge and the following night that I was stuck in the gorge, before dragging myself out again; it was a harrowing and traumatizing near death experience. But, that is a long story for another time, though I think it is the source of the reason for my returning to this blog.
Last week, I sent in my letter of resignation to the aforementioned residency program, leaving the traditional medical path of pre-med, med school, and residency. I am not sure what I will be doing next, but I am now, once more, between things. The difference is, last time I was comfortably situated on the borders of two very secure states of being; I had just graduated college and had a medical school spot waiting for me. Now, though I can see the border behind me, I cannot see anything in front of me.
This isn't a new feeling for me, both metaphorically and literally. Over the years that I have been gone from this blog, my life has changed in some pretty immense ways, ways that I do not understand. What I would like to do on the blog is retrace my steps, explore some of the life events that got me to where I am, and hopefully tell some good stories in doing so.
