Wow, so I was going to write this post the day I finished my last final of my first semester of medical school. Now it's the last day of vacation before second semester. Time does fly. So here's the big news: I passed all my classes! All of them! Even before any curve! Even Neuroanatomy (which I needed a B on the final to pass) I did it! I made it through my first semester! I am so excited!  Now my goal is to improve my grades. I think I can do it- I learned how to learn last semester, now I hope I can apply that this semester.

The first semester of medical school is kind of like the first time you get hit by a car, only stretched out over 20 weeks. It's not a lot of fun. Someday it will be worth it, though. Thanks to the training I'm getting now, someday I'll save lives for a living. That will be worth any amount of work I have to put in.

Now for what's happened since the test. The day after the test I went with Max, Dan, and Caleb (and Max's friend Cam) to Snowshoe, WV to go snowboarding for 3 days. It was awesome! I got over my fear of the terrain park that's plagued me since I broke my ankle 6 years ago. I did the boxes, the rails- including the rainbow rail, the ramps, the table top, and even the big air ramp! I'm cured! It was a lot of fun, but I was excited to get home to April and Suvi.

Since the WV trip I've stayed up late every night and slept in. And on the days I can't sleep in because Suvi gets up- I take a nap. I read 4 novels, watched movies and TV shows, gone walking and running and skating with April and Suvi, played video games- it has been amazing. And to top if off Celeste got to come for Christmas! It was so nice to have family here for my favorite holiday, we even got to skype with April's family and saw Isaac and Sarah who are still on their missions! Then Jennifer Shafer came to visit. She just went home this morning. I have really needed this vacation. I just hope my brain reset itself enough to get into a higher gear for learning this semester. I'm actually getting kind of excited for school to start up again. Don't tell me that I said that when the first round of tests gets here though. I'll deny it.

Ok, this post has had no flow or order or theme or organization to it, but I guess that's how it's going to be. Maybe I'll be able to keep up better once the new year starts, or maybe I'll just find a way to get April to do it. Either way I hope we have more consistent updates from now on. Merry Christmas and happy New Year to everyone!

Almost There!

Yesterday was the last day of my first semester of medical school! Wahoo! It turns out that medical school is really hard. Definitely one of the hardest things I've done. My brain feels like it's been training for an Iron Man triathlon and been helping a professional boxer by being a punching bag at the same time. It's been pretty cool though- I'm definitely smarter now than I was in July. It's a strange feeling. I have learned a LOT this semester. Looking back I realized that we covered as much of glycolysis in one hour that we covered last year in biochem at BYU in like 10 lectures. It's pretty intense, and from what I understand it only gets harder from here on out. BUT! Someday I will be a doctor and I will save lives for a living. That will make it all worth it. Ok, I promise a nice long reflective post after finals, but right now I need to cram for finals. So I bid you adieu!