Welcome Back

It's been a little while and although I have been home for over a month now, I still feel like I am in the midst of one of the most major transitions in my life. The only other event in my life more life changing than this year I believe has been my arrival in the U.S.

If last year was all about accomplishments (Becoming a US citizen, getting a scholarship to do PGS, getting into Med School, being Virginia Tech's Undergraduate Woman of the Year, completing a half marathon...)
this entire year has been nothing but grandiose transformation. From finishing classes in Blacksburg, to spending a semester in Europe, to Graduating, coming home, and leaving again for (what appears to be thus far) Penn State to start medical school, there seems to be a lot of things that I have to adjust to then readjust to.

Many days I feel like I have a hard time with it. I miss my close friends from Riva and the ceaseless flow of adventures. I'm anxious about my ability to do well in medical school yet am also excited about the prospects of starting a new life in which I will be actively pursuing my life profession.

This is also my first time living in an apartment, thus shopping for my new space was initially a frightening prospect, but ever since we bought my mattress last night, I have been feeling more excited about creating that new space of my own. I'm trying to become excited about living in Hershey by looking up fitness centers and things to do there (although I'm sure I will hardly have time)

Today I also made a decision for myself. Some might be more aware than others that I've been struggling with my weight since middle school. I think it went as far as me developing an eating disorder junior and senior year of high school. It seems that although I adapted to a healthier lifestyle last summer and fall, that the stresses of study abroad life and my lifestyle there caused me to gain a whole heck of a lot of weight I didn't anticipate. What I also don't really talk about is that I've persistently been suffering from stomach problems ever since I returned from Peru 4 years ago. Although I have tried exercising and eating healthier I don't seem to be getting really good results. After a conversation with my doctor and a few weeks of deliberation, I have decided to go on a pretty restrictive diet for the next 30 days in hopes that it will reset my metabolism and my natural flora. I start on Tuesday, July 1st.

I'm hoping to make this next month the healthiest month of my life because I want to start new health habits for the rest of my life. I truly believe that's the type of doctor I want to be.

In other news, I move into my apartment in Hershey in 16 days.