Lessons Learned

Ok, so I have been on winter break for just over a month now and I have to admit... it's been pretty awesome. After the whirlwind that was moving across the country, beginning my first term of medical school, and surviving that first term all while trying to set up house (I still have a box or two... or three...), meet new people, learn a new city, and generally create a life for myself, I felt like a month off was just what the doctor ordered. (Ok, so I may have been the "doctor" in this instance but it still counts.)

It was a good month. I laughed, I cried, I laughed until I cried, and spent a lot of time with a lot of amazing people... all in all, not a bad way to live life.

As I sit on my living room floor preparing both academically and emotionally to start classes again tomorrow and think about all the lectures I'll sit through and all the information that will be launched in my general direction, I can't help but reflect on all the changes in my life in the last few months and all the lessons I've already learned.

1) My car can haul an 8ft kayak... or a ridiculous amount of Ikea furniture.

I feel like no further explanation is necessary.

2) Gluten is public enemy #1.



For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats grown in soil contaminated by wheat. Our bodies sometimes have adverse reactions to this protein and a diet containing gluten takes the blame for a lot of gut related issues like leaky gut syndrome and celiac disease. However, the finger is also pointed at gluten in some autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto's thyroiditis and even autism. Being "gluten-free" is definitely "a thing" here in Portland and is as prevalent an alternative diet as vegetarianism. However you have no idea how hard it is to actually be gluten-free until you try to plan a meal. Gluten is in EVERYTHING. Think about it... anything that has any wheat or flour in it contains gluten. Any breads, or pretzels, or cookies, or pancakes...soy sauce even has gluten. Hence the need for entire aisles at the grocery store committed to products manipulated to be gluten free.

3) My kitchen doubles as a medicinary.

So... I have a Master's Degree in Human Nutrition and I firmly believe in the healing power of food. I feel like some of the best things I do for my health and overall well-being happen in my kitchen. That said, I discovered another way my kitchen is suspiciously similar to a medicinary... elderberry syrup. Elderberry syrup is an herbal remedy for cold and flu that I make in my very own kitchen. It's quick, it's easy, it's medicine, and it's delicious... Robitussin better watch its back... just sayin.

Check it out: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/15080016/

4) Greet the sun.

There is nothing more beautiful than Portland on a sunny day. I think that's probably why it rains so much here... if it didn't, everyone would be trampling one another trying to move here and there would be fights over land and angry words exchanged and everything would be chaos. Rain is the universe's way of keeping Portland a secret. That being said... it does rain... a lot. It's easy to get caught up in the drearyness of it all and become a part of the seasonal depression statistics. The remedy? Greet the sun... literally and figuratively. Upon waking, just give a quick shout out to the sun and see how you feel. Greeting the sun each morning is the catalyst for a mental and emotional shift. I find myself welcoming the day and can't help but be grateful and excited for all the potential it holds. It also makes those days when the sun is actually out that much more special... the sun greets me too.

5) It's all about people.

Naturopathic medicine touts treating the whole person, not just the disease or symptoms. Because of this we focus a lot on learning about the whole person and what exactly that means... which becomes an exercise in learning about people. And I have to say I am surrounded by some of the most amazing people all day every day. My classmates are incredible. You would be honored to know them.  They are humbly brilliant individuals, and yet, so completely supportive and fun. I cannot express enough what a lifeline their sense of community has been for me.

For our cadaver lab midterm we took the test in two shifts. I was in the first half that took the test while the second half waited in that hall. While most of the first-halfers left to complete other tasks I waited around for the second-halfers to finish so when they came out of the lab they would have someone to congratulate them. Roles were reversed for the final and I took the test in the second wave. This photo was taken after my cadaver lab final. I was surprised to find most of my classmates waiting for me in the hall with giant smiles and handmade "Congrats, you did it!" signs. They said my presence and cheering had meant so much to them after the midterm and they wanted me to know they cared. I was moved and humbled... it really is all about people.

6) You can have it all.

Life is what you make it. With some effort and perhaps a little bit of luck you can have everything... you can have your proverbial cake and eat it too. My life is busy and I work really hard but I love every moment of it. I am overwhelmed by all the opportunities I've been given to learn and grow in every way possible and I'm excited to see where this journey takes me.