As a COT-graduate, I had been entirely too sleep deprived. Right after the graduation festivities on Friday, everything still felt rushed with the campus bustling and people all over Morehouse Hall exchanging goodbyes and luggage. Andrew and my dad helped me pack my belongings into my dad’s car (well, the car that said “Distinguished Visitor” on the license plate – I learned from one of the administrators that the Air Force views SES as equivalent to 3-Star Generals and the Army generally views them as the civilian equivalent to 2-Star Generals. Makes me proud!).
I had the opportunity to show my dad and Andrew downtown Montgomery when we grabbed lunch in The Alley near the Riverwalk. I scarfed down a bacon cheeseburger like nobody’s business. My dad bought wine, and we celebrated my accomplishments/survival. I mostly celebrated the ability to see my family and go home and sleep (you’ll notice this theme of SLEEP will come up frequently). After lunch, we picked up Charlie (my 2006 Honda Accord) from the shop with her new battery. McGriff’s Auto Shop proved to be a great spot right next to Maxwell AFB (suggestions for future COT-goers who have their batteries die…I heard of a number of individuals with this problem, probably because we had to leave our cars unattended for a few weeks). Beware of politics if you mention you’re in the Air Force though. The guy working at the auto shop certainly had his opinions about “Barack Obama negotiating with terrorists” and I prefer to steer clear of such conversations with strangers, namely to avoid political affiliations with the military. Remember: whoever the President is, he/she is your Commander in Chief!
Once we got back to base (I’m beginning to rock the car salute), we all decided to take a power nap in the Fairchild suite my dad and Andrew were staying at. Originally, Andrew and I planned on driving to Nashville after dinner as a pit-stop on the way home – we both have friends in Nashville and have never been to Tennessee. However, this power nap turned into a 4+ hour affair. Neither my dad nor Andrew wanted to wake me up, and I am grateful they didn’t! After waking up, showering, and having a cup of coffee, I was finally ready for dinner. At this point, it was sometime after 9pm, and we set out back to The Alley. My dad and Andrew were both very impressed by Montgomery, and I attribute that to my tour guide skills of downtown. Enjoyed some Mexican food, some margaritas, and some good old-fashioned conversation.
Blurry photo of Andrew at El Barrio in Birmingham, Alabama
My dad’s flight went out Saturday morning, and Andrew and I headed for Nashville a couple hours after. Because of traffic, our 4-hour drive turned into an 8-hour drive (somehow there were 4 accidents on the one highway we were taking). We managed a pit-stop in Birmingham, Alabama, and to the suggestion of my Alabammer flight mate, we went to El Barrio, a fantastic Mexican food place in the downtown area that had A+ breakfast burritos. Very cool ambiance. Several hours later, we made it to Nashville! Andrew treated me to the Marriott with a view of Vanderbilt Stadium.
View from our hotel room
Soon after, Ben – a William and Mary friend who I knew through Project Phoenix (a tutoring/mentoring organization), APO (a community service organization), and math/science classes, currently getting his education degree at Vanderbilt – picked us up for a driving tour of Nashville and dinner at Five Points Pizza. If I was a Yelper, I would have given fabulous ratings. I never realized what a small city Nashville was, and it has so much Southern character. After dinner, the three of us went to Andrew’s friend’s place. His friend is managing a band in Nashville, a great city to kick start a music career. His friend, also named Andrew, took us bar hopping and gave us a variety of scenes – from underground bars to Broadway street. Music was everywhere. The streets were absolutely packed. I have never seen so many bachelorette parties in one location!
Broadway Street in Nashville, Tennessee
After our half-day in Nashville, Andrew and I had to make the drive back home Sunday morning, which was really painful due to traffic and poor pit-stop experiences, including a gas pump in Knoxville that kept going after my tank was full, resulting in gas spilling over onto my feet. Eating at Cracker Barrel eased our hanger – don’t judge, I’m a huge Cracker Barrel fan.
Once we made it back to Northern Virginia, I had this brief existential moment when I realized I had changed. COT definitely had a greater impact on me than I expected. I have this huge appreciation for being home as well as being with the individuals I care about. I also appreciate time to sleep (which I should hold dear to my heart before medical school really picks up). It’s time to prioritize what I value most in life. Spend less time on the things that don’t matter and more time on the things that do. I’ll try to maintain the school-life balance to the best of my ability, but I want to be a qualified physician and will do what it takes to get there. Wish me luck 🙂
I have been attending USU orientation for the past three weeks, the first two designated for Military/Brigade Orientation and the latter week for Academic Orientation. Military Orientation was a little like COT 2.0 with more direction and without the screaming. We had some lectures relevant to the military and mostly filled out paperwork and completed online training programs. Orientation provided ample free time to get life in order. It was a fabulous time to catch up on my social quota with friends and family in the area and to catch up on much-needed sleep. Academic Orientation this past week introduced us to the USUHS curriculum, mostly focusing on the pre-clerkship period in the next year and a half. We had a lecture for our first module, Fundamentals, which basically provides a foundation for the rest of the modules and is Pass/Fail (no honors, unlike the other modules).
I’ve been spending lots of time with my fellow USUHS Bravos and the one amazing USUHS Alpha (I’m clearly still in COT-speak. We have been staying in touch with our fellow Bravos – a few of us went out to U Street when a Bravo from Philly visited last weekend. And our flight commander sent us a final Bravo Bombers morale memo to motivate us for the next stage of our careers). All in all, my classmates seem awesome. Everybody is friendly and always willing to help each other out. Faculty members thus far seem fabulous, both engaging and caring for their students. I am a balance between excited and terrified to embark on the next stage of the journey. Somehow I am already swamped with readings, an essay, online quizzes, and a massive to-do list. First day of medical school is tomorrow! Although I feel quite unqualified, I see my first patient this week and am doing a home visit with a classmate on Wednesday. And so it begins. Ready, set, gooooo!
Born with Wings 