Eleven things of 2011 (A Year in Review)

2011 was a year of many changes, and many exciting events.

In no particular order (except maybe somewhat chronological?), my top eleven moments of 2011!

1) Interview at my dream school, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy


My first time flying, renting a car, and checking into a hotel all by myself. The trip was extremely stressful, but it was wonderful having the chance to visit the pharmacy school on the top of my list. Even though my interview was in January, I didn't hear until March while I was in Waynesville for Spring Break. It was definitely worth the wait!

Outside of one of the ESoP buildings.

2) Spring break in Waynesville, NC 


First road trip with friends was to a quaint mountain cabin in Waynesville. It was a wonderful trip filled with snow, nature trails, fireplaces, and time with friends. Even though spring break is normally spent on the beach, the trip was truly one to be remembered.

Our friend's log cabin

3) Dance Marathon at UF 


After an exhausting year with my partner, Megan, Phi Sigma Pi raised $14,000 for Children's Miracle Network at Shands Hospital. Brothers and friends stood on their feet for 26.2 hours in honor of the Miracle Children and University of Florida raised a university-record of over $700,000. It was an amazing experience filled with teamwork, inspiration, and many successes.

I miss being a part of the DM fun, but understand that my time has passed and I know that PSP DM flourishes without me :)

The 2011 PSP dancers, plus 2 guests! 

UF Dance Marathon 2011 grand total 

4) Became a Phi Sigma Pi Alumna


Six semesters of tears and laughter, and finally came senior meeting and Banquet. The drama associated with PSP is enough to have its own TV show, but we truly do great things when we work together towards one goal.

And I finally got a paddle :)

DM chairs of 2011 :) 

Opening my very own beautiful paddle 

5) Graduation from UF 

Four years of many ups and downs, good grades and bad, new friends and old friends, and memories that will last a lifetime. I got to graduate with my boyfriend and with family and best friend watching in the stands of the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. It was a beautiful day filled with lots of joy!

Family at graduation. So glad they sported the orange and blue! 

6) Family trip to Vegas 

One of my mom's cousins lives in Las Vegas, and we have visited them a number of times, but this was my first trip being over 21. Vegas is great for all ages (despite what people think), but DEFINITELY a ton more fun when of legal drinking/gambling age. Lucky for me, their daughter was 21 and showed me the party side of Sin City. Also played lots of Blackjack with my dad :)

We also took a little side trip to Zion National Park and saw beautiful sites! I also attended my first Food Truck Festival... YUM.

One of the yummy food trucks! 

Cactus flower 

7) Summer trip to Atlanta, GA


Errol and I attended our first wedding together in Alpharetta, GA. It was a beautiful ceremony and fun reception. We also went to the Aquarium! Highly recommended :)

Wedding couple 

Whale shark at the aquarium 

8) Moved to Chapel Hill, NC 

Last summer in Gainesville was HOT, and spent lots of time working and letting my brain recharge. Got to say goodbye to great friends and experience all of my favorite spots one last time. Finally, the day came to say au revoir to the Swamp, and hello Tarheels. The packing took FOREVER and the drive sucked (not nearly enough sleep and had to do it all alone... separate cars), but we made it alive. We made a stop in Savannah, GA for lunch and got to see Paula Dean's store!

My new roommate is my boyfriend of almost 4 years; a temporary move for him during his year off. The big step in our relationship was rocky at first because I was spending a lot of time making new friends and he didn't have a job yet. But once he started working, he started making his own friends at work too! Now it's better than ever, and I am going to be very sad when he leaves next summer.

Car packed to the rim. 

Outside Paula Dean's restaurant

First breakfast at the new apartment with makeshift tables 

9) Started pharmacy school


It's been quite an adjustment, and I've never been more busy than I am now, but I'm loving every minute of it. I take everything I learn from school and try to apply it when I'm at work; hopefully that helps things stick! I got to conferences all over the state and region, and learned a lot. I've put myself out there and met a lot of great people! The environment is great, and I can't wait to see what is in store for the next few years.

First Dose of Franklin at The Library 

10) Trip to Asheville, NC

My very first fall, Errol and I took a trip to one of the best places to see the leaves: Asheville! Went to the Biltmore, where we made it just in time to see the Christmas decorations. Also did my first wine tasting, and confirmed my preference to rose and white wine, and distaste for red wine. Went to an apple orchard and had some apple cider doughnuts and fed apples to some beautiful horses.

North Carolina fall is definitely something I could get used to :)

At the apple orchard! I wanted to buy everything in there 

Outside the Biltmore Estate 

My first wine tasting at Biltmore 

11) First drive back home from NC

The long drive is infinitely better when split with someone. Errol and I drove home for the first time since July, and it was so short but very sweet. I got to see my newly remodeled house and spend the Christmas with my wonderful family! Unfortunately, I won't be able to spend New Year's with them (first time EVER... stupid work), but I'll at least be with Errol.

Brand new kitchen! Next on the list: update appliances... 

Family and Godparents 

What were your top moments of 2011? 

I hope that everyone's 2012 is great! 

Semester One Complete

It's Christmas Day and I have been home since the 22nd. And unfortunately, I'm driving back tomorrow morning :(

All of the 12-14 hour days of studying paid off in the end, with A's on all of my finals!

First semester report card:
Health Systems - A
Physiology - A
Pharmaceutical Care Lab - A
Pharmaceutics 1 - B
Biochemistry 1 - B

Final GPA: 3.6

I'm proud of my grades; there's always room for improvement, but I feel that half of the battle this semester was figuring out my study method. Plus, it's still early so my GPA is still in the high-fluctuation stage.

Next semester is promising to be much more difficult, so I'm glad I ended fall semester strong and with the momentum and drive to do well!

Merry Christmas, everyone. I hope Santa gave you all what you wanted :)

Studying...

Spent the last 12 hours in the pharmacy building. Have been doing that every day since last Wednesday.

In 9 hours, I will be done with my first semester of pharmacy school!

And now... Time for rest.

Finals week!

Tomorrow begins my first finals week.

Line up includes:
Monday - Physiology
Wednesday - Pharmaceutics
Friday - Biochemistry

Been sitting on my but 12 hours a day since Thursday. Can't want to do it for 5 more days!

Good luck to everyone else with your finals!

Blogger has an app!

Maybe now I'll post more...

Wow...

It has officially been over a month since the last post :(

So I'll just take what little time I have to make a spitfire list of what has happened in the month of November (and end of October), in no particular order!

-Went to Orlando for APhA-ASP Midyear Regional Meeting and got to see family and friends along the way! AND go to HP World!
-Carolina Association of Pharmacy Students (CAPS) Member of the Month
-Went home to Melbourne for Thanksgiving for the first time since JULY! That's a record!
-Saw fall leaves with Errol in Asheville. Got to see Christmas decorations up at Biltmore Estate!
-New favorite show on TV and Netflix: Gossip Girl
-Found out my summer rotations for the next 2 summers will be in the DUKE area (Includes UNC and Duke hospitals)!!! So I get to stay in my apartment!!
-Have 5 finals coming up in the next 2 weeks!

AHH!!

I keep promising myself to be better about this updating. :(

SHAC Clinic

SHAC stands for "Student Health Action Coalition".

It is a student-led clinic that provides free services to the underserved population of Carrboro and Chapel Hill, NC. Every Wednesday night from 5:30PM until the last patient is seen (generally 11PM), volunteers from the health profession schools run the clinic, including medical, pharmacy, nursing, public health and social work. 

A little bit of info about how it works: 

A patient will arrive at the clinic either by appointment (preferred) or walk-in and will be put into the system by a nursing student. He or she will get vitals checked (blood pressure, height, weight, heart rate, respiration rate) and then the nursing student will go into the room where all of the volunteers are and a pharmacy student will take the chart to see the patient. 

Once the pharmacy student has the chart, he or she will see the patient and ask what the patient's chief complaint is (regular check up, fever, earache, etc.). The pharmacy student will also ask the patient what regular medications he or she is taking, ask about any medical allergies, and ask if he or she would like to get the flu shot (administered by other pharmacy students). 

After that, the pharmacy student leaves the patient and goes back to the room to find a medical student team. The med team assesses the patient and writes a SOAP note. Depending on the situation, a prescription may be needed. 

If a prescription is needed, the med team will confirm with the on-site Attending, and after approval they will have the pharmacy student write the prescription. The Attending signs the script and the pharmacy student goes back to the patient and counsels him or her on how to correctly take the medication. If the medication is part of the SHAC Formulary, then it can be dispensed on site for free (something new this year made possible by a grant the Clinic received). 

Finally the patient is able to go home! 

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Last night was my first time volunteering at the clinic. There are only 6 spots per Wednesday night for pharmacy students, and 3 of them are for PY1's. Needless to say, the sign-up fills up quickly! 

Normally there are 3 PY1's and 3 PY2/PY3's and are put in pairs throughout the night. However, last night 2 of the PY2/PY3's canceled, leaving just 1 veteran volunteer. This gave the PY1's more opportunity to do things on our own. 

I was partnered with a PY2 seeing my first patient and she did all of the talking. The second patient, I spoke but the PY2 was there to watch and make sure that I was hitting all of my points. My third patient, I saw all by myself! It was a great experience to talk to a patient and figure out what he or she was coming in for. I felt like a real pharmacist! 

Along with speaking to the patient for the chief complaint and flu shot, there were a few prescriptions that were written last night as well, and I got to write one! It was hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic to help control hypertension (high blood pressure) by reducing the total blood volume. I also got to counsel the patient on how to correctly take the medication :)

It may seem simple to counsel, and it generally is, but you just have to make sure you say everything clearly and understandably. 

Just for example, I'll demonstrate: 

Because hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic, it will make you go to the bathroom more than you do now. It is recommended that you take this in the morning instead of at night so that you're not waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. This particular script was written "1t po qd", or "Take 1 tablet by mouth once daily". If you miss a dose, take it once you remember, but if you remember close to the time when you would have been taking the next tablet (say, a couple of hours), then just take 1 and keep to your normal schedule (don't double up). 

Your blood pressure should lower after the first couple of days, but you won't be able to feel a change. It's important to regularly monitor your blood pressure either by your own home-machine or you can go to any local pharmacy and they will have monitors there you can use. Because it lowers your blood pressure, you may experience some dizziness if you stand up quickly. This should go away after a couple of weeks, so in the mean time just be sure to be careful standing or sitting up quickly. 

What questions do you have for me (open-ended questions!)?

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Overall, the experience was very valuable. The patients were great and very informative of their issues. Working with the medical students was interesting and I enjoyed the discussions with the Attendings of the patient assessments and prescription recommendations. I also convinced a patient to get her flu shot.

SHAC Clinic was the first of its kind in the country, and from what I hear many schools will visit to try to develop their own type of SHAC. It makes me very proud to be a UNC student to be part of such a great organization! I was able to sign up for a couple more nights this semester, and I can't wait! 

Hard Work Pays Off

Normally I hate discussing grades and I hate looking at my tests afterwards because normally... my grades aren't great. Most people think that I'm smart just because I'm Asian, plus I'm really good at taking notes. But the trick is actually studying the notes, which normally I'm either too busy or too tired to study.

My first mini-wave (test on a Monday and another on a Wednesday) of tests didn't go so great, and I had a LOT of catching up to do. I like to blame work and extra curriculars, but there's really no one to blame but myself. But hey, I was getting used to a new way of learning!

Anywho, this second REAL wave [that took off 10 years of my life from all the stress] was the true test of my intellectual capabilities. And self-coping capabilities, might I add.

This time, I had to seriously prioritize my time, create a study schedule, and not be lazy. In undergrad, I never had this kind of load even during finals. But maaaaaybe I just didn't try as hard as I should have :)


Overall, the end result was something I could be proud and satisfied with. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it definitely ended with a BANG!

1) First came physiology. I really like this class because I feel like it's right up my biologically-trained alley. Even though physiology is a required pre-req for pharmacy school, there seems to be a LOT more information in this class than at UF. Also, it's the class that we get our first introductions to basic drug therapy.

This was the first test of the semester; it only has one midterm and a final - YIPES! This test consisted of endocrine and cardiovascular systems, and hematology. In addition to all of the hard-core facts, we learned how to read lab values applicable to hematology (white blood cell count, red blood cell counts, hematocrit, and how mean corpuscular volume relates to the types of anemia), different drugs that affect the nephron (different types of diuretics act on different parts of the nephron to yield different results. COMPLICATED!), and the various ways to regulate blood pressure (high blood pressure medications work directly on the heart, or indirectly via the nervous system or blood volume with kidney regulation!)

Ended up with a high B on the test, but with the quizzes and assignments I'm still pushed up to an A. Phew.

2) Three days later was pharmaceutics... What is pharmaceutics, you ask? Hmm... how to explain this in a better way than hell... I'm kidding; I actually find it very interesting. This was the second test of the semester, and it was about solids, gases, and solubility. Amongst other things, we learned about how drugs are formulated to increase their solubility. You would think that all you would need was a drug that dissolved easily in water, right? But it's actually a delicate balance of water solubility and lipophilicity (dissolvable in lipids, aka cell membranes). It's also difficult to create drugs because your it has to travel through vastly differing environments from your mouth to the extremely acidic conditions of your stomach!

But anyway... this was a test I wasn't very happy with, but I wasn't the only one! I knew this ish like the back of my hand, but silly trick questions got me. I got a few points above the average, and I heard that the class is curved overall so I'm just going to move on and try even harder on the next one...

3) Two days later was health systems. We learn about Medicaid, Medicare, uninsured, different health care models of the world, the health care team, etc. I think it's interesting, but class is so damn BORING and it's a 2-hour block right after lunch. Not a good combination for paying attention.

Good thing all you needed to know what was exactly on the slides, and BAM, just made the A mark.

4) And finally... Monday was the big kahuna: biochemistry. I had all weekend to prepare, and that I did.  About 16 hours each day! This was the test I reeeeally needed to do well in because if I didn't, let's just say I may need to re-take it.

Coming out of the test, I felt pretty good. I was able to answer each question and felt confident in the questions that required lots of calculations. I felt nervous because I heard other people talking about getting different answers to some questions I was iffy about. But I braced myself for B (don't get me wrong, I would have been very happy with that!).

During the LAST class today, the last day of school before fall break, grades went up.

I never brag about my grades, but I felt like proclaiming this to the world because I was about to cry from happiness. 96%!!!!!!


The main reason I'm so happy is that I am now confident that good grades are possible. Our professors aren't trying to fail us, but are genuinely making sure that we know the material and to be better pharmacists for it.


And now, it is Fall Break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even though I'm working 4 out of the 5 days, the mental break is much needed.

PHEW.

Cilantro-lime rice with Fajita Chicken

I was craving some rice from Chipotle, so I decided to try making it myself! And what goes better with rice than some fajita chicken?

Cook 1 pound of chicken, cut into small pieces...

...until no longer pink!

Add some seasoning mix, per directions. 

Cook rice in whatever method you choose. 

When cooked, melt/mix in 2 tablespoons of BUTTAH.

Add in some chopped cilantro... about 1/3 cup.

 Add the juice of 1 lime.

And eat up!

First quinoa experience!

This is quinoa. 

It is rich in calcium, iron, and PROTEIN!

It is one of the few grains that provides all essential amino acids.

It is also an excellent source of fiber and starch.

I'm trying to get it to replace my rice intake. 

Baby steps...

Here's what it looks like up close!

"If you can make rice, you can make quinoa."

That's what people say, and I am here to confirm it! So easy!

After 15-20 minutes... nice and fluffy!

Sunny-side up eggs and rice are a breakfast staple for me, so why not try this out?

It's fried so there's a crispiness on the bottom that is quite a refreshing texture! 

I also sprinkled some shredded cheese on top :)

This was a yummy dish! Quinoa has a different texture and will take some getting used to. But it's so versatile and HEALTHY, I just can't pass it up!

KE Flag Football/Second Dose of Franklin

October 14th was the 3rd Annual Kappa Epsilon Flag Football tournament! It was a lot of fun to watch fellow PY1's play against PY2's, PY3's, and PY4's/Faculty/anyone-at-UNC-hospitals.

Battle wounds:

This was an AWESOME interception (PY1's in grey!) 

Shaking hands with PY2's (red) after we defeated them :) 

CRAZY-FAST technician from UNC Hospital on the PY4/Faculty team:

The whole week there was lots of smack talk between the classes:

PY1 = PYW1N

PY2 = PYLOSE

PY3 = VICTORY

Those are just examples. There was a TON of smack talk from the PY3's because they won last year; and I admit they looked good, but the PY4's/Faculty/anyone-from-UNC-hospital won overall! (probably because of the 3rd part of that team!!!).

It was a ton of fun to watch, and next year I definitely want to play! 

Afterwards, I pregamed before the Second Dose of Franklin at a classmate's house and was introduced to Slaps, which has to be the best drinking game ever invented. No idea why I never saw this in Gainesville, but it's so fast-paced and so much better than beer pong!!!! 

The Dose of Franklin was a blast, and I ended up staying out until 3AM which was a new thing for me. ALSO, it was my first time out like that without Errol, who had work at 8AM the next morning so couldn't join. I would say it was a successful independent night out :) 

Hopefully more to come! 

Segway Tour of Downtown Raleigh

Errol has always proclaimed that our "half" anniversaries are more fun than our year anniversaries, and I think he might be right.

September 27, 2011 was our 3.5-year anniversary (I know, I'm behind in my posting...) and we spent it taking a Segway tour of downtown Raleigh!

And I must say... it was AWESOME.

Our tour guide:

Errol on his Segway:

Both of us!

North Carolina governor's mansion:

We had to arrive at the place 30 minutes early to get trained riding the machine. We practiced going forward and stopping, turning in figure 8's, etc. It was a bit of an unnerving feeling at first because you really can't stay still since you're on wheels. But I would compare it to riding a bike. The machine balances for you, unlike when you're stationary on a bike, but the comfort of riding feels the same. I quickly was comfortable enough to move very gracefully around :)

I would recommend taking a Segway tour in the next large town you're in. 

They're a blast!

Past another hump.

The last 10 days have been been pretty rough for all PY1's.

4 exams, 3 quizzes, and 2 papers.

But it's finally over and I got through it with just a few scrapes and bruises. It seems that once the extracurricular craziness got out of the way, academics came with full force.

Now I know what our professors and the older students were saying when they advised us to work ahead as much as you can, because you'll to the point where you'll be fighting to stay above water.

It's an interesting dynamic having everything so concentrated in one building. You can always tell who is having an exam because you see them in the library and it's plastered all over Facebook. But it's great because I feel like we are all supporting each other. I'm not used to that because I was never a group studier and never knew anyone in my classes at UF.

The weather is quickly changing in Chapel Hill, and you can definitely tell it's fall. Today was the first day since September that the temperature went above 80 degrees, but Thursday the highs will be in the 60's with lows in the low 40's/high 30's!

Here's a little taste of fall in North Carolina...

Doesn't it just make you happy?

Life.

Last time I posted, it was almost a month ago. It's sad that it doesn't even feel that long.

I guess as one gets older, time seems to squish together to the point where months feel like weeks, and weeks feel like days. Yet somehow each day seems to drag on forever. Quite a conundrum; where's Einstein when you need him?

It has dawned on my that in the past couple of months, I haven't stopped to smell the roses. Or in this case, the fresh, clean air of North Carolina. The first month of school was so heavy with extra curricular introductions, running for leadership positions, and work. Now, school has caught up and I am drowning in my studies for exam after exam after exam, while still trying to maintain the extras.

It's to the point now where I can barely spend time with my boyfriend, whom I LIVE WITH.

Sad, isn't it?

Any older student I talk to tells me to enjoy this first year because it's the easiest. What does it mean that I'm finding it difficult already?

Don't get me wrong, I'm loving North Carolina and the new culture and atmosphere. I love all of my classmates and everyone I have met so far, as well as the experiences and learning I have gotten so far.

But man, juggling it all sure is difficult.

Should be an interesting 4 years...

Just Some Friendly Competition???

Post has been deleted to protect privacy. 

One Decade Ago

I was sitting in Ms. Woodbury's class an hour before school started along with a childhood friend. (Yes, I consider 8th grade still to be childhood)

We were working on articles for the school newsletter and layouts for the yearbook.

All of a sudden, there was an announcement over the intercom from the Principal saying to turn to the news (the clock was on TV in the classrooms, so they were all normally on the same channel).

We quickly changed the channel and saw the smoke coming out of the North Tower. I must admit that being so young, I wasn't quite sure what exactly was going on, and I would learn very quickly what the impact would be.

A few minutes later, we witnessed the next tower hit... then during one of my classes... the first tower fell... and then the New York City skyline was changed forever.

I heard word of the Pentagon being hit as well. One of my mom's best friend's husbands was actually inside the building when it happened, however he was thankfully on the other side of the enormous place.

And of course, we cannot forget those who lost their lives on Flight 93 in Shanksville, PA.

I feel lucky that I was not personally affected by the tragedies on September 11, 2001.

But that doesn't mean I don't feel a deep sadness from all that happened.

Every 9/11, this wonderful country is reminded of a day where we have never been so proud to be an American.

First week of school!

Well, the first week of school has come and gone already!

Let's go day-by-day...

Day 1: Wednesday
According to any older student I spoke to, the seat you get in the first week or so is the seat you'll have for the rest of the year (and some say for all 3 years!) Consequently, that means you have to get to class VERY EARLY. Taking this literally, a few others joined me in arriving at the building at 6:50AM. Waking up before the sunrise is not fun when you've been sleeping until 3AM every night of the summer...

I got the seat I wanted! Third row, where there is a stair for my height issues, and not too close to the center to be in direct vision of the professor, but not so far to the side that I can't see the board.

[8:00-9:15AM] First class is Basic Pharmaceutics 1 with Dr. Moo Cho. He's a petite Asian man with a thick accent, but he seems nice. This class is what I'm afraid of most, so I'm guessing I won't like him for long. I shouldn't jinx myself, though!

[9:30-10:45AM] Then comes Biochemistry... which apparently will be exactly like BCH4024 at UF. Doesn't mean it will be any easier, but at least I'll have been exposed. The first few lectures are orgo reviews... fun!

[11-11:50AM] Third, is Physiology. Three years ago, it was taught in conjunction with the medical school across the street, but then the pharmacy school decided to bring it "in-house" and now it's taught by a UF Alumnus! Dr. Andrew Persky is super awesome (obviously, my adjective handbag has thinned out a bit).

Common hour is 12-1PM. No classes or review sessions are allowed to be scheduled at this time. These are usually when meetings are for organizations... quite convenient! On this day, there was an informational session/lunch provided with Kappa Epsilon, the all-female pharmacy fraternity. Met some great girls and seriously considering pledging :)

[1-2:50PM] FINALLY, came Health Systems. Besides scientific courses, part of the curriculum are courses that teach you about the other aspects of health care. This particular class will teach some practical things, including: structure of the US health "system" (in quotes because ours is so fragmented, it can be hardly called a system... ask me about it!), Medicaid/Medicare, health reform, medication therapy management (MTM), and public policy.

Despite the class being right after lunch and the end of a long day, the discussion-driven style keeps you awake, plus it's refreshing to talk about things that have real-life applications.

Wednesdays are the LONGEST day for PY1's. Schedules aren't regular (MWF, TR) so this just happened to be the day that all classes meet. It was nice to experience that first so that the initial exposure was rough and all you can go is up!

Day 2: Thursday
Since Day 1 was so long and started early, I was able to sleep early again but there was no need because my first course didn't start until 1PM!

[1-5PM] Pharmaceutical Care Lab. I think I'm really going to enjoy this lab. It's structured into Medical Terminology, Top 200 Drug List, Compounding, and Self Care. Each we we'll have lists of terms and drugs to learn and be quizzed on. Some days we will compound, and others we will have presentations of assigned over-the-counter/herbal remedies. We will also learn how to use blood glucose monitors and how to check blood pressures so that when our patients ask us, we can instruct.

We also must dress professionally to each lab. Love dressing up! Although this means I will have to buy some new wardrobe...

That night was another KE event, a dinner with the girls. Met even more great people!

Day 3: Friday
Fridays vary in length because some classes are canceled and the others are optional review sessions. This particular Friday, it was just a physiology review on the renal system.

During Common Hour, Senate sponsored a lunch to have with our mentors. My mentor is amazing! But I won't get into too many details :)

That evening was the CAPS Back-to-School Picnic where interested students got to see what they are all about. I'm stoked to be a part of it and all that they do. Among many things, they have numerous patient care projects including: Generation Rx, Operation Immunization, Diabetes, Women's Health, etc. It's a great way to be involved in the community and in campus.

Overall, great week! Can't wait to get into the meat of the classes next week and experience a full week plus work.

Cheers!

Orientation Day #2/First Dose of Franklin

Second day of Orientation was on Friday and was much shorter (9AM-12:30PM). Met a lot more great fellow classmates :) I think my favorite part was listening to the presentation about "Getting Involved" from 2 school leaders. It both inspired and intimidated me; I'm not sure if I could ever follow in the footsteps of those guys!

Afterwards, I treated Errol to lunch for dropping me off/picking me up from both days of Orientation. Thank goodness for his GPS on his handy-dandy Droid because we can just type in what we're craving and it will lead us there. I was craving some pad thai noodles, so we were led to Thai Palace on Raleigh St.

It was very delicious! I had my usual (always try out the noodles every Thai restaurant I go to) with thai iced tea and Errol had some curry with rice noodles. Not the biggest fan of curry, so I didn't try his plate, but mine was so good! The portions weren't large; we finished both of our meals (which is very rare for me) and the prices were very reasonable.

That night was the first Dose of Franklin at The Library on Franklin St. The "Doses" are sponsored by Student Senate as a social/fundraiser ($3 cover before 11PM went to Senate). Beforehand, a fellow PY1, Errol, and I joined in on some pre-gaming with PY2's. Had some delicious shots and was introduced to the games, "Boom" and "Last Word".

The Library was a lot of fun! It was packed with fellow students and it seemed like I could approach anyone and just introduce myself. Had some Rx Shooters, Washington Apples, Apple Sauce, and another one I don't remember. But all were yummy! Met a lot of new people and hung out with ones I met at Orientation.

Overall, great day!

Orientation Day #1

I survived my 40-hour work schedule last week with only minor injuries to my sleep cycle. Woo!

Then, at the end of the week we had visitors from Michael (Errol's roommate for 3 years) and his girlfriend. They were visiting his grandparents in Burlington and stayed with us for 3 nights.

We spent those days exploring restaurants like Allen and Sons (best BBQ around, apparently). Carolina BBQ is supposedly a very serious discussion between Western and Eastern Carolina. East vs. West, tomato-based sauce vs. vinegar-based sauce, etc. etc. There are even historical books about Carolina BBQ! It's very important up here.

Then my roommate of 3 years, Stu,  joined us on Sunday on his way back from his summer internship in Rochester, NY. It was such a great reunion, even though he just stayed for a few hours! We went to Top of the Hill, which I like to compare to The Swamp in Gainesville. What's cool about Top of the Hill is that they brew their own beer! I don't like beer, but it was a cool site.

Literally at the same time Mike and Lauren left Tuesday morning, we received our final visitor! An adorable 9-month-old, pug-retriever named: Codeine.

It was my first experience taking care of a dog, and I must say it was a great one! It was just for 24 hours but I already miss him now that he's gone. He was potty-trained, didn't bite, didn't lick, and stayed where he was supposed to be (aka out of the bedroom). He was so great!

Having all of the visitors was perfect timing because I'm very impatient and it was good to have all of the wonderful distractions while waiting for Orientation.

Speeeeaking of Orientation (Day 1)...

It was a great day! Albeit long (10AM-5PM), it was a great first interaction with the PY1 class and older student organization leaders. At the end, there was an organization fair where I got to indulge in what all 14 groups had to offer. I'm so excited to get involved; I'm very, very ready!

Day 2 tomorrow will be shorter (9AM-2PM), but I'm just as excited!

Cheers!