I da' ho!

We drove from Seattle to Boise, ID yesterday so that I would be here and ready for my surgery rotation at the Boise VA Hospital. We stopped several times to taste wine from Yakima to Walla Walla, and particularly enjoyed the wines at Steppe Cellars, L'Ecole 41, Isenhower Cellars, and Reininger Winery. The very best dessert wine I have ever had came from Tertulia Cellars! I don't think I get to buy any wine for the next year or so...

We also found an alpaca farm in Walla Walla, where I was able to meet some beautiful alpacas and then purchase a bit of their fiber! I sent it home to Seattle, though, so I won't be _too_ distracted! I don't need it anyway, since my very thoughtful friend Beth gave me a care package for my adventure...


Since I am all alone out here, I should be able to get a ton of knitting done (or studying, yeah, that's it...) She also thoughtfully included ear plugs (yay for wierd sleep hours!) and heat packs (yay Idaho winter!), and emergency chocolate and tea!!! I might make it afterall...

The VA campus is beautiful here, with an expansive lawn and tall trees... Right behind the campus is a park with hiking/bike trails through the hills. A river runs through town, so there is a green strip down the middle of the windy, brown valley.

Med and pharmacy students share an old brick dorm with a new kitchen and laundry. I got all set up in my room today, and am very glad I brought my own sheets!

I also brought a lot of food, just in case my schedule keeps me from our assigned meal times! Anybody who knows me knows I can't live without study snacks!
Now I just need to make sure I get enough sleep tonight, so I am ready to go for orientation tomorrow...

3-month update?

Knitting: I got my invite to Ravelry! Now I just have to find some time to post! I would love to get some advice on some ongoing projects (rainbow sweater, the elusive lace sock) once I get them up online. I tore out a lace sock last week because the yarn kept striping without permission, and now I am without a lace sock pattern/yarn combo that makes me happy... Perhaps I should break my cardinal rule of yarn buying and get something that is only one color??

School: One rotation down (Family Medicine) and one nearly finished (OB/GYN). Turns out that I love OB/GYN! Who would have thought? I have also been loving working in the OR during GYN surgery. Perhaps this is a good sign for my upcoming Surgery rotation? Almost all the nurses on Labor and Delivery knit, so it feels safe for me! Even more so when the Attending shows up in handknit socks... :-)

Delivering a baby is one of the most incredible experiences that I have ever had. I have never had the same feeling as I had when I delivered a baby while looking into the mother's eyes -- a patient I had seen every week for 6 weeks. It sent chills down my spine, and I cried for hours afterwards just due to the overwhelming sense of connection and purpose. Wow.

As soon as my big exam is done this week, I head out to Boise ID for Surgery... Since I will be staying IN the hospital for 6 weeks, I expect a bit more knitting and posting time in the near future. Hopefully I can finish a project for once!