Moving forward.

So, here I am.

Currently, I'm living at my great-aunt's house, waiting to start my new job as a physician shadower on Monday.

For the next three weeks, I will be following around physicians in various specialties, such as surgery, cardiology, gynecology and obstetrics, and radiology. I was also told that I would be spending several weekend nights hanging around the ER. THAT will be crazy. I am interested to see what kinds of unique cases will come through, but then again, emergency room medicine is pretty much on the bottom of my list of preferred specialties.

Anyway, during the week, I will be working from 8 AM 'til 4:30 PM and will be expected to wear an oh-so-stylish uniform of collared shirts, khakis, tennis shoes, and...MY VERY OWN LAB COAT. Can you tell I'm excited about that? Now, if only we could wear scrubs...and if I weren't so poor, maybe I could have bought those silver and white mesh Nikes in some random shoe store that I pointed out to my mom as "doctor shoes."



However, I am currently storing all of my clothes, neatly arranged on a hanging rack, in my car. I am sleeping on the couch here at my great-aunt's, and have no room of my own. I was also pretty nervous about living here in the first place, considering this is the first time I've really met her. When I first arrived today, I was my typical, socially-awkward self and was having trouble holding conversations with the random assortment of my aunt and uncle's children and grandchildren flitting in and out of the house. After a few hours, though, things definitely got less tense for me and I was talking easily to people AND eating one of my favorite dinners they graciously cooked for me...cheeseburgers and fries with ranch. I don't think it will be so bad here.

In other news, one of my best friends is getting married in July and I went to a bridal shower of hers today. I love bridal showers. I love the food, checking out everyone's pretty outfits/shoes, seeing how happy the bride is when she opens up kitchen item after kitchen item...and today, I won the bridal shower game and got a $25 Wal-Mart gift card. How much does that rule? I'm thinking of writing the hostess a thank-you note just for providing my broke self with some extra grocery money. Also, I'm just so happy for my almost-married friend. After going through some pretty rough times in life and love, she's found someone that loves her insanely and would never leave her and vice versa. It gives me hope that I will find a similar thing one day. I know it's out there, but I don't have the strength to find it right now. However, I know that it will come with time...and that one day, I will be receving breadmakers and salad spinners and looking glowy at my own bridal shower. And even better, I will know that I am marrying the right person for me...or one of the right people for me, anyway. I believe there are several people in the world for everyone...not that I advocate leaving one for another. Ha. I'm a pretty big fan of monogamy, and committment, for that matter.

I'm off to do a little reading and watch TV from my place on the sofa-bed. It's my last day to sleep late before work on Monday, and I plan to make the most of it.