Beginning Medical School

I have taken a break from studying histology and biochemistry to write about my first three weeks in Houston. It has been an amazing journey thus far. I have met some fantastic people and had some great experiences. 

But first, here are some of my first impressions of the city: 

• It is more humid than I ever could have imagined. A five minute walk outside means needing to change into a new (and dry) shirt.
• Everyone here speaks spanish.
• The roads in Houston are terrible. My Pontiac has been taken a beating from all the potholes. 
• It is SLIGHTLY more diverse than in Provo, Utah. 
• Texans really do speak in y'alls and all y'alls.
• Everything really is bigger in Texas, and Texans really are proud to be Texans. 

Three weeks ago, my amazing mother and I arrived in Houston after a grueling twenty-four hour drive.  We listened to several audio books, ate lots of trail mix and sunflower seeds, and enjoyed the scenic views of New Mexico and northern Texas (not really, it was actually baren with the occasional sighting of a tumbleweed). The picture above was taken fifteen minutes into our journey. We were all smiles and didn't know what laid ahead. But fortunately, the G5 took us smoothly there without any major problems. 

My mother was amazing enough to spend the next three days unpacking, shopping, cleaning, and organizing my apartment.  I was shocked on several occasions to see how much money lots of 10-dollar items from Costco can add up to. Thankfully, the project was made infinitely easier because the condo came furnished.

I am grateful I have such an incredible mom who was willing to spend nearly a week helping me move (not to mention, she flew here to search for condos while I was in Thailand). Without her, I would probably be living in an extended stay hotel right now, and certainly wouldn't have towels that match the shower curtains and three different kinds of rags with which to clean. A "shout out" to my Dad would probably also be appropriate, as he spent this time by himself at home (or rather with Kayla and Isabelle, our dog and cat), eating buttered noodles for four straight nights. Love you Mom and Dad!

Well now to the reason I came to Houston- school! The auditorium to the right is where I spend at least four hours a day trying to soak in lectures of anatomy, histology, physiology, and biochemistry. It is then expected that, by the next day, we will have internalized that information, as well as material from any required readings or labs. It truly is like trying to drink from a fire hose. We cover in one hour what it took half a semester to learn in undergrad. It is intense, but I love it! It is exciting to learn material that one day, I may actually be able to use to help somebody in need. We have a great mix of professors, some that are organized and straight forward, and others that are scattered and find ways to make learning about cell staining microfilaments the most interesting thing in the world.

Despite how great the past three weeks have been, what would moving and starting school be like without a couple bumps in the road. Here they are:

• I missed the overnight retreat that kicked off Baylor orientation week because I came down with terrible flu-like symptoms. What made it worse is that while I was at home throwing up, my family was in Newport Beach (a vacation I was missing so that I could attend orientation). It felt like the ultimate slap in the face not being able to attend either! When I finally did recover, the Dean of Student Affairs made me come in front of the class of 180 and explain why I missed the first part of the week! At least people knew who I was, even if it was as "the kid who missed the retreat."
• A mysterious drip started forming in the ceiling of my bathroom yesterday, supposedly from the air conditioning unit of the apartment upstairs. The joys of home ownership!
• It has been fairly lonely without a roommate. If James wasn't coming soon, I think I would have to get a cat or something to keep me company.

I have only been in Houston for three weeks, but it feels like I have been here a year. I have met so many amazing people, both in the Houston Ward and at the medical school. It has been such a blessing to have Jon, Liz, and their family living only three short miles away. It makes all of the difference for me to have family close. It is scary moving to a new location and out of my comfort zone. It is a definite leap of faith. But I am so glad that I chose to come to Baylor. I know it was the right decision for me. It has been a great start to what I know will be an amazing adventure. I am excited to see what the next four years will hold!