I moved to the wrong city.

I should have gone to school in Connecticut. Problem is I LOVE PORTLAND. There is so much to do and see here. There's always something going on. People get out, play, and are involved in the community. My sister texted me the following the other day, "Do you ever study?" Seems like I've played a lot lately eh? It's true, I have, but I've had a low key class this week. It's back to the hard core studying this week. I gotta get it all in while it's still summer though! It's actually been super hard for me because I love to play and I love to be social, so turning invites down has been a killer...... 2 more weeks and it's officially summer for me (week break). Like I said, just 2 more weeks......

Kayaking the Tualatin River

That title might be a misnomer. We indeed had kayaks and even went down a mini waterfall, but "floating" the river might be more appropriate. Wait, not even that......"paddling" the river is more accurate. Most of the river was stagnant and not really moving. Man, was it an adventure though! I loved it. There were 2 of us to a kayak, but mine and Brittany's decided it wanted to start deflating on one side only. We were wondering why we couldn't paddle straight.....haha. It finally got so low that 3 of us all piled onto one kayak while Kate maneuvered the flat one. Turns out we miscalculated time to go 5 miles. The stagnant water may have had something to do with that. Basically we were paddling half the time in the dark. It was awesomeness. I love adventures such as these.

P.S. Don't you just love my bright pink life vest??

White Coat

This week we had our 4 day long Geriatrics course. 4 days is nothing, and even though I don't think I'm interested in Geriatrics, I was excited for the course as that is who I'll be working with when I go to Nicaragua in December. We got lots of practice interviewing a few elderly patients in a group and then going to an assisted care facility and interviewing an elderly person on our own. I got to interview Mr. Williams who claims to have done the following when he was younger: road construction, bull rider in the rodeos, Baptist preacher, civilian worker on army base, paramedic, blacksmith, volunteered at prisons, veterinarian, small airplane pilot, and truck driver. Hmmmm......not sure what to believe.....if so, he had a great life. He even said the same thing himself! It was fab to finally get out into the real world and practice some of the things we have been learning in school, PLUS it was our first occasion to wear our white coats.

Tiiiiiimber!

Tuesday night I went to the Portland Timbers MLS soccer game vs. Argentina with my classmates. They've only been professional for 1 year and in Portland for 1 year (previously Portland had a minor league baseball team). Fans are hard core though and are all decked out in their green Timbers gear. Such a rowdy and lively crowd too. I hear this is the best place in the whole country to witness a soccer game. I can see why too.....such high energy. Games are always sold out.

The first half was exciting with two goals by the Timbers within a few minutes of each other. I sat here in the upper section with the whole two rows of my classmates.

Second half I moved to midfield on the 4th row......amazing view!

Good thing I moved closer too, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten my picture with the mascot! Another reason the Timbers are so cool is because of their mascot. Except he's not just any old mascot......he's Timber Joey, a lumberjack. He literally walks around the stadium with a ginormous chainsaw that's actually ON and it's REAL. Every time the Timbers score, he cuts off a chunk of a log, which is then awarded to the player who scored at the end of the game. Best mascot EVER. Unfortunately you can't see the ginormous chainsaw in the photo....

To build breast cancer awareness, the Timbers and Providence (local healthcare group similar to IHC) were trying to set the world record for the most fans wearing pink gloves in the "Pink Glove Dance." Yes, we sported them. Yes, we danced. Yes, that green man is my classmate Zach. No, he did not make it on tv. Yes, the fans around us loved it.

And here is Providence Medical Center in Portland with the "Pink Glove Dance" for your enjoyment. This is a MUST WATCH....you will get a kick out of it.

Who says the medical profession is all work and no play?

Service in the Park

A few weekends ago there was a YSA conference for all of Portland with a movie in the park Friday night; speaker, lunch, service project, dinner, and dance Saturday; and combined church (about 7 wards) Sunday. Erin, Matt, and I opted for the service in the park where we plucked off all the old flowers off the bushes so the new ones can grow in come Spring.

I Have the Secret to Life

That's it. End of story. Sorry, I'm not sharing....... Well, ok......

Do you want to be healthier, but more importantly live longer?

In class today we discussed the different theories on aging and how to prevent it. There's a LOT of them too. Apart from discussing the location of the Holy Grail, one theory stood out in particular. It's simple. Anyone can do it and it HAS been proven to improve your health and longevity. All you have to do (drumroll please)................is eat less calories. So basically if I don't eat anything and work out every day, I'll outlive all of you? No, that's not what I'm saying. Of course, you need a certain amount of calories to live, BUT the less calories you intake, the lower your blood glucose levels, lower accumulation of carbohydrates, body works less hard. Thus, you live longer. Don't believe me, just google "cross-linking theory."

The Oregon Coast

I finally went to the coast, after two months of moving to Portland. And let me let you, pure bliss! I don't know why I waited so long. Those of you who know me well know that I LOVE the beach. Living on the beach in Spain for a year was a dream come true. Yearly beach visits to Mexico just doesn't cut it. I'll have to start going to the coast here more before fall sets in.

First stop: Tillamook Cheese Factory

After watching huge blocks of cheese being cut into smaller blocks for packaging to retail, we got to sample about 8 different kinds of cheese. My favorite - colby jack. After which, we enjoyed some delicious ice cream.

Next stop: Mo's

Where we ate THE BEST fish and chips EVER. SO GOOD! I will go to the coast again just to eat at Mo's. They are known for their delicious clam chowder, but the last time I ate clams my head looked like a giant helium filled balloon. No clam chowder for me.

Final stop: Cannon Beach

For you Goonies fans out there, this beach is in the movie. The big rock on the beach is known as Haystack Rock. I remember stopping here as kids when my family drove from Seattle, WA all the way down the 101 to Californa and back home to AZ. It was an awesome trip.

The beach here is definitely not like the beach in CA or Mexico, BUT it was still FAB. The wind was blowing and was a little chilly, but that didn't stop me! My roommate kept telling me I probably wouldn't want to change into my swimsuit. But it was actually warmer than I thought it'd be. I soaked up some sun while listening to a little Bob Marley and Jack Johnson.

Everyone always says that you are crazy if you swim in the ocean on the Oregon coast because the water is so dang freezing, especially when the wind is blowing too. Just try me. I've been swimming in Canada quite a few times and now that is freezing. This actually felt refreshing and I wasn't even that cold. Nor after I got out of the water. I know......shocking, right?

360 degree view of Cannon Beach:

Boat Dance!

Disclaimer: my arms look awkward here, yes. That's cause I was trying to show my tattoo.

Didn't work very well.....

Yes, that's right. Friday night we had a regional YSA dance party.....on a boat. We cruised up and down the Willamette River, past downtown Portland. The theme was pirates, but only a few people actually dressed up. I wanted to, but didn't have anything good. My friend Brittany drew this AWESOME tattoo on my arm, which we used to complement my friend Landon's outfit. We danced the night away until 1:00 am. I love dance parties!

Voodoo Doughnuts

Yes, Voodoo is very inappropriate in some of the donuts they sell and slogans they use, basically what they're all about is inappropriate. It's a famous stop for both Portlanders and visitors however. A place you must visit at least once. You can take a looksy at their menu here. There's definitely a ton of options. Very tasty too.

My New Study Strategy.......

.......DOWN the wasabi (green stuff served with sushi) covered dried peas by the HANDFUL. Every time I feel myself drifting off or my mind wondering, I just throw a bunch of those suckers in. Wow! They're bound to keep you awake. Burning in the sinuses and watery eyes are enough to get me back on track. A MUCH better alternative than loading up on peanut M&M's and Dr. Pepper.

Warning: do NOT try this at home, eating MOUTHFULS of wasabi peas anyway. You will definitely regret it. Study strategy only......

Post time: 2:02 am

Status: WIDE AWAKE

I'M GOING TO NICARAGUA!!

So my name got drawn out of a hat this last week at school to be 1 of the 4 lucky students to go to Nicaragua. NICARAGUA! Apparently I was the 4th person drawn, so I really got lucky. In December, Pacific University is taking 4 students from each health profession to work as a team together in Nicaragua to provide care for the elderly (geriatrics). Thus, there will be PA's, dental hygienists, physical therapists, pharmacists, dental students, ophthalmic students, etc. And the best part is I get to use my Spanish! I mostly excited about that since I can now broaden my Spanish skills to the medical world, which I'm pretty clueless on right now. It will also be a great opportunity to prepare for rotations come next May. The only downers are costing a few thousand extra and cutting into my 3 week Christmas vacation. I'll be gone for 10 days, but still home for Christmas! The only stipulation: I MUST pass all of my classes, otherwise I have to stay for one week of Extended Learning and I get nixed. NEVER!

NPR

K so it really bugs me when people talk about what they heard on NPR followed by....."Yes, I listen to NPR." Like it's shameful to admit it and even nerdy, yet they're proud to admit it because it means they're smart and by all means cool. We all know that NPR is not a music station.......Does it make you "old and nerdy" to listen to it in the car? Most definitely NOT. Like my PA professor always says, "Name it and claim it." Own up to it people! Quit acting like you're embarrassed to listen to NPR when really, you're not. That's all I'm going to say. It's your call whether I listen to it or not......

The Breakfast Club

Yesterday morning was spent cooking up a storm with new friends. Menu: Chocolate chip waffles with strawberries, bananas and whip cream drizzled with chocolate syrup. Fried potatoes with green peppers, tomatoes and onions. Sausage. Bacon. Scrambled eggs. Orange Juice. Milk. Was it overboard? Most definitely. Was it delicious? Heck yes.

Lolich's Family Farm

On the way home from school I stopped at Lolich's to pick up some hand picked cherries to treat myself for my successful week at school. They are DELICIOUS too.

The total for the cherries came to $2.34 so I gave the girl a $5 bill and 4 pennies. So she gives me back the change for the $5 AND the 4 pennies. Her response....."I didn't know what to do with the 4 pennies." Really...?? Are you serious? Our math system is failing on us. We rely way too much on technology. We need to start using our own heads a little bit more. That's a challenge people!

The Craziness of School

I had a HUGE test this week. We spent two weeks on about 10 different subjects: cardiology, respiratory, renal, arterial pressure, acid-base, endocrinology, immunology, the autonomic nervous system, pharmacology for all the previous mentioned items (included knowing effects of alpha and beta blockers). It was a LOT of information for just 2 weeks. That monstrous exam should have been a semester final normally. Let's just say I didn't sleep much this last week. I started working in close collaboration with a certain Dr. Pepper.....maybe you're familiar with him. Drank a 2 L bottle in 3 days. Oh yeah!

Test day came and I really was not feeling comfortable with all the material. That's just how it's gonna have to be from here on out. Like I said it was a huge test, 86 questions in 90 minutes. Well 80 minutes rolled around and I started freaking out. I had saved a number of questions for the end to review that I had either left blank or wanted to review one more time. As I was working on them, the teacher announced 5 minutes left and then I literally started panicking. I still had way more questions left to answer/review than I had time for. And at that point I could not even think clearly enough to be rational since I was panicking about the time. That was the end. I knew it was over. I had failed. I didn't have adequate time to perform well. I was doomed......

We all had to sit around for an hour to wait for the tests to be scored. I logged in to check my score........I HAD PASSED!! Couldn't have done it without my group though. We take a group test after our individual test. We all rocked it together. Thankfully I didn't have to spend my whole weekend studying to retake the test again Monday morning.

Do you see how crazy this is though?? I signed up for it though, and love it. Yes, I know......

4th of July Weekend

My roommate, Abbey, got married last Saturday and so I flew to UT for the wedding. Elder Holland performed the ceremony. Bonus. It was AMAZING to be sitting there in the same room as him AND in the temple no less. It was a beautiful ceremony (Salt Lake Temple) and he had some really amazing things to say. I'm lucky I got to be there. Plus he said "hi" to me. Oh yeah!

The wedding was perfect timing as it was July 4th weekend. Double bonus. I love the 4th in UT. Celebrations started early on Saturday. My roommate, Amy, and I started off the celebrations with some shave ice (LOVE it!), followed by a rockin' pool party and BBQ. I got to see a lot my peeps from my old ward (MISS 'em!) and then we played some basketball in the pool. Yes, I showed all the boys up. It was a lot of fun.

After the pool party I met up with Elise & Erik for the Stadium of Fire. First time for all of us. And boy was it sweet! My favs were the sky divers that landed IN the stadium, Brad Paisley, and the fireworks. Oh. My. Gosh. The fireworks were AMAZING. Best finale I've ever seen, partly because they shook the whole stadium and my sis and I were going crazy. Just ask Erik. According to him we were screaming and shaking like crazy. Bahahaha. K, I admit it. We kind of were.....

Sunday night was a midnight BBQ (aka annual 1st BBQ of the 4th). It was SO much fun. Sariah, Amy, Dave and I were sparkler-ing it up. Take a peek.

After going to bed at 2:30 am, I woke up at 5:30 am to go to one of my fav parts....the balloon launch! Except they ended up not launching them due to weather. Bummer. Talk about disappointment. Didn't matter though. Anything with Sariah is guaranteed to be a blast.

I hit up the parade afterwards with some friends and then topped it off with a picnic up the canyon with my family. It was one of the most fun weekends ever. I miss UT tons and all my family and friends. Guess I'll just have to go back soon is all.