January - February Rundown

Alright, alright. YES, I know it’s been forever since I’ve last written to give you all an update on life in the capital city. Things have been busy around here, enough so to where I really don’t have much free time, something that’s surprised me in post-grad life. I was thinking there’d be a bit more time to chill in adulthood.Then again, I’m not really complaining. I like to keep busy.For one, I’ve been working a lot lately.Emphasis on, “a lot.” I’m going on several trips in the next six months, so having enough money to continue living in a high-cost city such as DC as well as funding some rather extravagant trips has proven a bit difficult. Nonetheless, I’m finding ways to make it work.Yet despite working all the time, I can genuinely say that it’s work I enjoy. I think I’ve finally found a daily work routine that’s working well for me. I’ve also grown incredibly close with the team that I work with each day which is a good thing, seeing as we spend upwards of twelve hours a day with one another. We all get along and somehow find ways of making the most atrocious of situations better - something that can sometimes be hard to do in a warzone such as our emergency department.Yet while I work a lot and while a good percentage of my few off days are spent recovering from those exhausting twelve-hour shifts, I’ve also been hanging out with lots of new friends. While it’s been a challenge being so far away from loved ones since moving here last July, the friends I’ve made the past eight months have made it all the less challenging, to the point where this city has become home. It’s what they always say in that friends are what make a place home, not the home itself.I’ve also been making small trips to different places in and around the city, giving me a chance to get out to clear my head. It’s been hard not having a car to allow me the easy ability to just pick up and go, something I miss being able to do. Back in Ohio and Indiana, one of my favorite things was to just pack up the car and go, whether it was for a day-trip somewhere or just driving around for hours on end jamming out with friends to whatever was on the radio. So trips like the ones I’ve taken the past couple months to Baltimore, Muncie and other suburbs around DC have been nice. There’s only so much time you can spend in one place before you need a break from it.I’ve also been preparing for some big trips coming up in the next couple of months that I’m really looking forward to. In a week and a half I’ll be leaving for Puerto Rico with some close friends for a week of beaches, food (and of course booze), and lots and lots of sunshine. We’ve got a couple of excursions planned, one being renting a catamaran for a day and taking it to several deserted islands around Puerto Rico to go snorkeling. Kayaking the bioluminescent bays is also a must-see on the list of places we hope to visit that week. I’ll be sure to report back with all the travel tips for anyone else hoping to hit up P.R. sometime soon.As well, it’s long overdue to let the cat out of the bag about a trip I’ve been planning for five months now to visit Europe. At the end of April I’ll be traveling for two weeks across western Europe to the Netherlands, England and France to see and explore all places I’ve always wanted. I’ll be visiting the Netherlands during their peak tulip season and will be hitting up all the hotspots in France and England. Stay tuned for blog posts in the coming weeks about how I’ve planned and saved up for the trip. I’d also love to hear any and all tips and advice of places to visit in any of the three countries from anyone who’s ever been!So in looking back over the past couple of months, really I can’t complain much. Even though adulthood is a weird phase of life to get used to, I’m growing more comfortable with it with each passing day. And while I loved every minute being back in Muncie this past weekend for Dance Marathon ($677K raised for the kids - WOW), it was also a weird feeling being back in a place that was (and still is) my home for the past four years. It was nice seeing friends who I hadn’t for months and being there to support an organization that gave me so much throughout my undergrad years. Seeing all the friends that I did reminded me of all the love and support I still have from people living all the way across the country. It made coming back to what’s quickly becoming another city with a special place in my heart a little less tough.I’ll be sure to keep you all updated in the coming weeks with a recap of Puerto Rico and how I’m preparing for my upcoming trip to Europe. Until next time - peace, love, and Oreos.