The year in review

At the stroke of midnight on the 31st, I welcomed in 2008 on the 8th floor resident's lounge with my husband on the phone. He was at home with his pizza. Other than missing my New Year's kiss and a quiet evening with Marc, I didn't mind. I was lucky enough to have Thanksgiving and Christmas off, and as an intern, no room to complain. New Year's has never been a big deal to me. I might have been to 2 or 3 parties my whole life, the rest of the years have been spent with family and sometimes friends at our house or theirs. This year around 7pm I had a moment of "oh my goodness, this year is really over and a new year is about to start and how the times goes on and I need to reflect and what am I going to do different in 2008 and what do I hope this new year brings?" I felt like I needed time to slow down long enough for me to have a thorough examination of 2007 and to figure out what I'm going to commit to in order to make 2008 even better.

I'll start with my year in review:

1. Jan 07- I received news that not only did I match in ophthalmology, but I did so at my deep down first choice, Loyola. I was so overwhelmed and relieved that I cried off and on all day and had to put a bag of frozen vegetables on my face to reduce the swelling. The interview process and awaiting the results was one of the most anxiety ridden situations I've experieced. God was so good to open that door for me.

2. June 07- I graduated from medical school. What a momentous day. I was proud and moved and had it all to share with my family and Marc. How could I have done it without them? Even though I had been studying and working hard for years, I felt as though my professional life began that day. I said good bye to my med school friends who are now scattered all over the US in their residencies. It took a while to get used to Oak Park without them, I only know my life here with them in it. Some memories. I miss them. Even though we're not together in location, we can still understand each other's lives these days better than anyone else.

3. June 07- Marc and I celebrated our one year anniversary. They say the first year is the hardest, and if that's true, marriage has been very good to us. I am so blessed to have Marc as my husband and there are moments when I look at him and I am so filled up with love that I can't tell him how much so. It makes me silly sometimes. We also took a belated honeymoon cruise to the Mediterranean, well worth the wait.

4. I started intern year of my residency. I wore a long white coat with my name embroidered on it. I introduced myself as "Dr. Landes." I carried pagers that actually went off, a lot. I stayed up all night long on 30 hour shifts. I was responsible for lots of details and getting patients home. I intubated. I amputated. I participated in codes. I watched people die. I delivered bad news. I connected with patients. I became irritated with patients. I found medicine to be very frusterating. I found medicine to be very exciting. I met some cool fellow residents who are often the highlight of my day at work. I made it through half of my intern year.

5. Marc, my very very talented trumpet playing husband, decided to pursue another career and went back to school to fulfill pre-requisists for optometry. He rocked his first semester and made me and everyone who knows and loves him very proud.

6. My brother, David, also went back to school to work on his pre-recs for dentistry. He passed all of his classes and is working so hard. David seems older to me this year. He's going to be a fantastic dentist someday.

7. My Mom, Dad, and David went to Ecuador and my parents also went to India. Both trips were medical missions with our church in Hudson, OH. I admire my parents for their willingness and passion to serve.

8. Marc and I made some really awesome, quality friends at church and have so much enjoyed hanging out and studying with them. We were hoping and praying for friends like them through our first year of marriage. We love you guys!

9. I was able to watch tv. At college we didn't have tv's in our rooms. In med school all I had tme for was Alias and Friends. Now that I'm not studying for exams all the time, I have been introduced to a whole new world of entertainment and laziness.

10. My best friend Amy and her husband decided to return home to the states after their second academic year of teaching in the Philippines is over.

11. My best friend Amanda got married and moved to Nairobi with her huband.

12. My best friend Emily got married. I went to spend a weekend with her in the spring and approved of him with all my heart. They have a Cinderella story and had a picture perfect wedding. They are perfect for each other and I am so so so happy for her.

13. I was reunited with my childhood best friend who I had been missing for many years. I felt like part of me wasn't really alive anymore, and when we got in touch that sad part of my heart was revived as memories and inside jokes and the joy and freedom and comfort of having a friend you can completely be your dumb self around flooded in.

14. I seriously became obsessed about getting a dog, and then I got unobsessed.

15. My best college girlfriends gathered in Chicago for the best girl weekend ever. We stayed up way too late talking- about all things including what we want to name our children- ate the biggest piece of chocolate cake you've ever seen, and went on a mad shopping marathon. We had SUCH a great time together. I realized again how special and intimate these friendships are.

16. I started a blog, joined facebook, and bought an iPod. I'm catching up.