Being There

Hey, everyone!

This is my first post of my last semester of college. Wowza.

Classes started up again on Wednesday, and my first class of the semester was "Biology of Cancer" taught by a professor who also happens to be my biology advisor. I've been looking forward to taking this class for a while because I want to eventually work in the medical field. I see this class as an opportunity to get a head start on learning about this still-mysterious disease.

The class has already proved to be informative because of the misconceptions that my professor dismantled when he gave us some statistics from the American Cancer Society about what causes cancer (the two biggest causes are diet and tobacco use). He also gave us a history of the field which showed that for a long time, people didn't really know what to make of cancer. I'm already looking forward to learning more.

On Thursday, I was supposed to meet my other three professors, but one professor was out of town so he cancelled class. That's my other biology class for the semester, "Endocrinology," which I'm also looking forward to. These upper level bio classes tend to be great because they're focused on one area, and you get to know that area of biology very well over the course of the semester.

My other two classes are "Medical Sociology" and "Our Bodies, Our Politics." I'm taking these two classes just for fun, and I'm already loving them. The first looks at the human side of medicine, and the second examines the influence of the outside world on sex and sexuality.

I've also been working on redoing my resume in the last couple of weeks, and my Macaulay advisor has been so helpful in the process. Advisors are one of the best things about Macaulay so definitely make use of their wisdom and connections while you can. I will definitely miss having that guidance when I graduate.

Last Thursday, I celebrated my 22nd birthday. I hung out in the city with my friend during the first part of the day and then, had dinner with my family at night. Great day overall. :)

Atlas

LOVE in Midtown 

My dad bought me 22 roses!

Cake!

As this semester gets off to a start, I'm trying to remind myself to be as present as I can and to just breathe not matter what happens. We tend to rush from one thing to another without experiencing each moment, and when we stress, we forget to breathe. As the work piles up and as I have to wrap up my undergraduate life, I just want to be there for it all. Both the amazing and the difficult moments.

S.

For this last semester, I've decided that I'll just share one cool/interesting/thought-provoking thing that I happen to run across during the week.

Here's the first:

Via Pinterest

Advice for High School Seniors

Hey everyone!
As my Winter break comes to an end and my Keurig usage hops into full swing once again, I just wanted to say hello to all of the prospective Macaulay at Hunter students on the page!

Recently, I was asked by my high school to speak at their annual Alumni Day, where both old alumni come back to speak as professionals and their work experience and recent alumni attending college or graduate/professional school come back to speak about their college experience. Because so many of you high school seniors are scoping out the MacBlog, I just wanted to offer some advice and things I've learned in my first semester as a college student:

• First things first, don't forget to enjoy your senior year! Time with your classmates is winding down, and senioritis is kicking into full swing as you enter your second term. Spend time with people that you love and take lots of pictures. Write letters to your favorite teachers before you leave about how much of a difference that they've made in your life. Tell your friends in their yearbooks about just how much you're going to miss them sitting behind you in your dreaded Calc class. Have a dope prom and afterprom, you deserve it. Congrats for getting through high school and all of your accomplishments!
  
• After Senior year, you will lose some friends -- and that's completely okay. People change and grow apart, and it's simply a fact of life. In high school, many people focus on popularity, who they know, and count their self-worth by the amount of Instagram likes that they receive. As I matured a bit and entered college, I've learned that it's definitely better to have a few tight knots than a hundreds of loose ends.
  
• Have an open mindset. Personally, as a high school senior, I applied to mainly 0-6 Pharmacy programs, dead-set on going to a Pharmacy school, with only a few schools -- including Macaulay at Hunter -- as exceptions. I went to Macaulay at Hunter because it not only provided me with irreplaceable opportunities, but it didn't lock me into a major. I wanted to be open to explore other career options. I had cold feet, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I've found interest in several different fields, such as Urban Studies, Sociology, Economics, and Community Health, all of which I wouldn't have thought of myself being interested in as a senior. Be open to new things, even if you definitely think that you know exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life. And yes, I am still Pre-Health, even though I've found interest in other fields.
  
• Try things out! Volunteer, shadow, or try to find an internship in a field that you're interested in. Don't think that these things are restricted to college students. I really wish I did this in high school.
  
• Challenge yourself and compete with yourself to be the best version that you can be. 
  
• Don't forget to utilize the resources that your high school has. For example, my high school's Alumni Association is large and well-funded, and I found a shadowing opportunity through it recently by just contacting the Alumni Director and telling her what I was looking for in shadowing.
  
• When applying to and deciding on colleges as a senior, keep in mind your future plans -- including graduate school and professional school. One of my friends who also attends Macaulay at Hunter told me that her cousin is $800,000 in debt after completing both her Undergraduate and Graduate degrees. I don't think you want to be that person, and if given the opportunity to attend a program like Macaulay, jump on it.
  
• In a program as rigorous as Macaulay, take school and your GPA seriously. I wholly support indulging in senioritis while it lasts, but just be aware of the workload that you're going to have when entering college. Don't think that because you took hard classes in high school, you can continue to slack off. You'll definitely be in for a rude awakening upon entering college.
  
• Surround yourself with people who are just as motivated as you are. You will build off of each other's momentum.
  
• Don't compare yourself to other people. Just because something works for another person -- in terms of study habits, finding experience and outside opportunities, etc. -- it may not work for you. Input may not always equal output, and you have to learn how to be okay with that. Just because you know one person who doesn't have to study at all to get an A in the class, doesn't mean the same method will work for you. Don't even try it.
  
• Although grades are important, they definitely aren't everything. Trust me. This is coming from someone who ended high school with a 98.75 GPA. Networking, gaining experience in your desired field, and building up your resume are just as important. Don't sweat if you got an B+ instead of the A you wanted in a class.
  
• (This is kinda tangential but...) Speaking as a Macaulay at Hunter student specifically, I have become so grateful that I live in a single dorm with no roommates. As I caught up with friends from other colleges, I've heard some good things, and I've heard some horror stories. Regardless, dorming WILL teach you lots about independence and how to live without your parents and home-cooked meals all the time.
  
• Because college is an investment, you should spend it doing things that you enjoy, stepping out of your box, and finding things that you're passionate about. Read: Don't invest your time into something that's not important to you. You'll thank yourself. 
  
• When you get to college, enjoy it while you can. It'll be a journey, and as stressful as it sounds, don't forget to have some fun. At one of the days of Orientation Week in August 2014,  Macaulay at Hunter provided a breakfast for us before joining the other Macaulay campuses for a workshop. One of the alumni speakers said something I definitely agree with, "It's okay to stay up a little later on Sunday because you were doing other worthwhile things on Friday and Saturday night. Live a little. You only get these four years once." 

As a freshman, I'm following this same exact advice I'm giving you. Although I've survived a semester, I still have a long way to go, and I'm constantly reminding myself of these things. 

Finally, congratulations to you high school seniors for making it this far. The Macaulay Honors College is extremely competitive, and just the fact that you applied to (or, if you are a junior or underclassman, are considering applying to) Macaulay at Hunter means that you have some great tricks up your sleeve and lots for the world to offer. 

I wish you all the best of luck.

- Katherine V., Class of 2018

Mistaken Love Letters, Effort, and an Improved Edward Cullen

Dear god, this is my third post in 2 weeks. Have I no life? The answer to that question is yes. I have none. I'm about to be a second-semester senior in exactly 9 days (my 40-day break is ending. I am so sad) and I am terrified. Since the school year started I've been crossing my fingers, saying "hopefully" and things like "that's the plan," and praying that the year just goes smoothly. I'm almost there, and yet, I just want to get across the finish line.

I've noticed that as the years go by, I'm becoming a lot less devoted to my school work. School is all I do, though, so it's a shame that I feel I'm not putting 100% effort into it. My relatives still groan at me for carrying around my textbooks with me to social events, but at this point they're just for a peaceful psychological state of mind. I used to be so on top of everything! Effort was my best friend! But now, I'm a week away from a huge pharm test that I am genuinely cowering from, but I have bizarrely chosen TO NOT STUDY YET. I am avoiding it even more than I avoid MRSA, Victoria's Secret, vacuuming and threading my upper lip. And I really avoid those things!

I think the root of the problem is that I'm going to need to be on top of my nursing game this semester, and it's going to require a last burst of effort. Also I have to figure out the Nursing yearbook. This is serious stuff. This is people's lives and a license. And also people's senior pictures (this is debatably the scarier thing to handle). And since I have an inherent terror of being serious and doing serious things, it's a little scary. I'm proving to be terrible at dealing with scary things! For example, Battle Royale is scary so I just wimped out on watching it! Even though I loved the book!
But I can't wimp out here, so I'm procrastinating instead.
Scarlett O'Hara was a master procrastinator ("I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy." "I'll think about it tomorrow, when I can stand it." "...Tomorrow is another day!" Girl was in love with the concept of tomorrow!), but she still worked hard and like, probably got Rhett back in the end. If she could succeed so can I!

Anyway, senioritis creeps up on everyone, but I hope it goes away, because I have more schooling to go to get to where I want to be. Prospective freshmen reading this: I hope my drudgery hasn't scared you. You shall be fine, and work really hard up until your senior year, at least. I pat myself on the back every now and then thinking of all the papers and projects I did in college. Tip I would give you though: limit what social media you can. I think adding up the hours I spent on fb, etc, in college would be a shameful, horrendous amount of time that I'm sure I could've used to learn another language.

This week, whenever I was on the subway or watching a patient sleep, I wrote notes and thoughts on scraps of paper to occupy the time. Then I promptly dropped one. Now, I know what you're thinking: Cute guy finds it, reads the note, finds it hilariously entertaining, enjoys my writing, connects to my soul, etc etc, we fall madly in love (I realize I'm vaguely describing part of the plot to The Sky is Everywhere) and get to tell the cutest, most original anecdote of our serendipitous meeting for the rest of our lives. Alas, I am not living the life of a rom-com, no matter how many I've watched this week. The housekeeping staff member who found it thought it was a love-letter (It was not, despite my convincing flowery handwriting. I don't think she believed me, though, because she grinned at me and said it was a pity she hadn't had her reading glasses) and the nurse who found it said, "It was a little strange. I was concerned." I was actually wildly embarrassed and am hoping I get floated around because I can't go back to this unit right now. (Whatever, nurse! Sorry for you that you don't appreciate my creative exercises in dialogue-writing and possibly useful notes on the sounds of snoring!)

Update on the gym: I went twice this week with my brother. Turns out I'm bad at working and gymming, but progress is progress, and I went like 4 times last week. So I'm pretty sure that covers me for like, a month. At least, it should. Today I had a great workout anyway because I tried to hack into the ice cream container before letting it defrost. It took me about 3 minutes, and I ended up with 2 scoops (a good thing, in retrospect, as it was late and I did not need that much sugar) and sore upper body muscles after digging fruitlessly into the ice cream.

Lastly, and obviously most importantly, things I've watched:
-Breaking Dawn Part 2 : My sister and I have waited years to finally sit down and heckle this movie as it deserves, but it turned out being the best of the bunch and we actually enjoyed it. R-Pat looked his best, and acted well (once they took out the "Oh Bella. I am so angsty that I cannot function unless I hover around you solemnly all the time and use every moment to declare love for you in a forced American accent," and "Jacob! You dog. Come let us snarl at each other!" lines, he was nice to watch. Calm, relaxed, and sweet, he took away all the comedy in these films by acting normally).  Kristen Stewart breathed and stuff and said Edward's name like, a little bit less than usual! Charlie's character/actor are easily the best in the series.
-Hart of Dixie : this is all I want my life to be. I'm halfway there, she's from NY and moves south, I'm from NY and could move south
-Legend of Korra: awesome, awesome show. It totally is all about inner growth and maturation. Subversive ending indeed.

Here are two lovely poems I read this week (ugh, ok, I got them from Untold instead of being cool and just having my own awesome poetry collection)

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;

I am not there. I did not die. 

- Mary Elizabeth Frye

and

Warm summer sun shine kindly here

Warm south wind blow kindly here

Still and always burns your light

Good night, dear heart, good night, good night. 

-Robert Richardson, adapted by Mark Twain, I think, and found in the book Unmade

Interviews and Paddington

Hi, everyone!

I checked the blog's stats, and we've had an exponential growth in views because of the Macaulay interviews that happened this past week (and will continue till the end of the month). I hope all of you are finding the blog helpful in getting to know this great program and its students, and I encourage you all to read a variety of posts while checking us out. Read the first posts from 2009 or look at finals weeks posts (which tend to have great tips on how to manage life during a stressful time) or just click on a random year and month and read over our descriptions of classes and trips and introspections (and the photos of yummy food like in Erica's post below!). Feel free to ask questions, and leave comments. :)

Danielle Haley wrote an awesome post about Macaulay interviews last year, and it has received a huge number of hits this week. She offers a number of helpful tips so definitely make sure to read it.

Danielle was comprehensive so I won't give you a whole new list of things, but here are a few things that I think are helpful to keep in mind.

- Take deep breaths as you're walking to the interview table to calm your mind and to relax your tongue so you don't speak too quickly or stumble over your words.

- Don't eat right before the interview. This avoids the whole stinky breath/cracker stuck in your teeth issue. :p But do make sure to grab something after your interview. You've earned it! Plus, Macaulay always orders yummy things.

- Smile! It puts everyone at ease and makes you look like you're happy to be there.

- Make eye contact. A sign that you're not intimidated.

- Make the interviewer remember you for the right reasons. Share something unique about yourself. It doesn't have to be anything out of this world. Just something that will stand out in the interview as a cool fact about you.

- Lean in, and look interested.

- Shake hands when you greet them and when you say good-bye.

If you had the chance to do your interview already, I hope it went well, and if you're still waiting to do yours, I wish you the best of luck!

What have I been up to? I went to see Paddington with my mom today. haha We both love bears so it was a fun couple of hours.

Downton Abbey has been back for a couple of weeks now, and the characters (and their clothes) are as fabulous as ever!

Less than 2 weeks till my last semester of college begins. Ahh! I hope to make it a memorable one.

S.

Quote of the Week

“Don't keep forever on the public road, going only where others have gone.”

~ Alexander Graham Bell

Florence Study Abroad, Part II: Food and Fun

I've been in Florence for about two weeks and things have been so crazy here. Time is moving so quickly and I haven't gotten around to posting. This post will be full of information and pictures of all the stuff I did that first week (that I can remember).

So last week, after I got settled in, we started exploring a little bit. I didn't know anyone on this trip, but I quickly linked up with a large group of girls who all knew each other. It's really easy to make friends on study abroad if you don't know anyone. Everyone always wants to do things and you can tag along for adventures anytime you want. It's also nice, because you're together for a month so it's some intense, speed bonding. I've gotten to know the majority of the 22 people on this trip fairly well after just two weeks (which has felt much longer and much shorter at the same time?).

The first couple of days, we walked around and got acquainted with the city, shopped and tried out some food places. I struggled a bit with the food here at first because it wasn't at all what I expected from Italian food. American Italian food is actually a mixture of five different cuisines from regions throughout Italy that have nothing to do with each other, all thrown onto one menu and labelled "Italian" food. Tuscan Italian food is WAY different: I had a really hard time finding chicken and fish, until I went to the supermarket (more on that later). Portions are much smaller here. Most places have only pasta dishes and pizza, which are staples and all I ate for about four days straight; all of those carbs really make you crave some protein. Here's some of the things I ate that week:

Dinner the first night; margherita pizza!

Lunch the second day; cheese gnocchi with bread (and spicy olive oil)

 Dinner the second night; pesto penne

Dinner the second night; fresh bruschetta

This week, finally, I went to the supermarket and located the hot food counter where they were selling breaded chicken cutlets and potato croquettes (spiced mashed potato, breaded and baked into little tubes--think mozzarella sticks but with potato and less/no cheese). This was the first time I had had chicken in nearly a week and a half. My diet at home consists almost entirely of chicken with occasional fish, so I nearly cried when I saw this counter. Even better, the food was very cheap in comparison to eating out all the time (just under 5 euros for two pieces of chicken and three croquettes!). Suffice it to say, I will be returning for lunch here often, since it's cheap, close, and delicious. 

Another weird thing about eating here is the actual set up of the restaurant paying system. Water is not free like it is in the US; you can only get bottled water which is about 2 euros per bottle. They basically don't understand if you ask for tap, even though I'm pretty sure the water here is potable. You usually pay for bread for the table, by the basket. There's also usually a cover charge per person for sitting down at a restaurant (can range anywhere from 1,50 to 3 euros per person). However, there is no such thing as tipping here, since it's included in the price of your food and I guess in the cover charge (coperto in Italian). 

The first week was basically dedicated to getting to know the city. Sunday and Monday we explored the city and shopped. Tuesday, our class took a trip to Santa Croce, a Franciscan church right near our hotel, where we observed the beautiful Giotto frescoes on the walls. Right after the trip, we went over to the Duomo to see the Epiphany parade. Epiphany is a national holiday in Italy on January 6th, basically the equivalent of Three Kings' Day. Afterwards we got gelato.

Santa Croce

Courtyard of Santa Croce

A really cute street

The Three Wise Men at the Epiphany Parade (riding horses!)

(I'm short so this was a difficult picture to take)

Mango and berry gelato

On Wednesday my friend and I climbed to see Palazzo Michelangelo, which has a beautiful and picturesque view of the city of Florence. The climb took us about 30 minutes.

The view from Palazzo Michelangelo

As you can see, the view is beautiful. You can basically see the whole city from this point, including the Arno, Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore (far right), and the belltower of the Duomo. Bonus points for beautiful mountains in the background.

On Thursday, a group of us went to the Jewish Museum and Synagogue which had a beautiful, Moorish design on the inside. The majority of the church's Jewish congregation had fled from Spain during the Inquisition, so they were mostly Sephardic and the temple was set up in the Spanish style. One interesting thing we learned was that the temple was designed in the image of a church, since they had no other models to base a Jewish synagogue on. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the temple.

By Friday, we were all wiped but my friend group had decided to go to Rome that weekend. I'll save that trip and the subsequent week for another post since this one is already packed with pictures and information! Hopefully I can get around to blogging in between all the stuff I've been doing here.

Ciao! (I'm seriously so Italian).

Repartee, Curry Powder, Hulu Plus, BBC Dramas

This lovely Monday evening finds me attempting to binge-watch Hart of Dixie/Jane The Virgin, but Hulu Plus has foiled me, and just when there was a huge cliff-hanger, too! Or maybe it didn't foil me and the latest episode is just not out yet...must check on that.
I finally went to work, and did a one-to-one with a patient where I followed him around all day as he attempted to convince all the staff to discharge him. If I was unsure of my patient-trailing skills, I am sure now. I can slip between carts and computers and hordes of health care workers like it's nothing! I also am excellent at fetching cookies and milk and juices from the pantry! Also, my patient and I watched a blurry version of whatever movie was on TCM today, so all in all, not a bad day. This week of January has been blustery, which I haven't minded except the snowy roads make it difficult to get to the gym. Fate knows that staying home and eating chocolate chips is better for the soul than struggling with the shoulder press, it seems.
When school starts back we Nursing kids have to take a pharmacology exam that shall deem our worth in this world. I am pretty terrified, and am pretty sure this is related to me not having studied a pinch for it yet. Labetalol, anyone?
Since this is a MHC blog it makes sense to mention that Macaulay interviews are coming up, so best of luck to you kids! The best advice is stuff you already know. Be yourself and be confident! Also, dress well. Alas, I shall never know this new class, probably, but I wish you all the best and am confident that my words have wisdom about varying TV shows have soothed your minds as you have applied to Macaulay.
This week I also applied my smarts to the stove. I toiled away at making rice that did not sog (not a word. I could use sag, but does rice sag? Fine. Rice that wasn't soggy), spinach that remained an appetizing green color, and dal (split pea soup) that was...liquid-y and not clumpy. I also made shrimp curry, and added dye and curry powder instead of curry powder and masala. I had thought it was a very suspicious orange color. I will have everyone know that I prevailed in the end, despite my father asking what was burning every so often, and us realizing later that the curry was missing the main ingredient. Psh. People need change every so often.
Saw the Golden Globes where Tina and Amy debate Colin Farrell vs Colin Firth and DIEEEEDDDD le sigh. I have been trying to watch more BBC dramas but none can top Pride and Prejudice. North & South is by far my favorite besides P&P because hello, Richard Armitage is dreams. He is even dreams as Thorin in the Hobbit. Also, it's a great story and has great acting, that too. Daniel Deronda was interesting, with actors I like. I was surprised at the ending, but pleasantly so. Downton Abbey is not BBC but it is related (uppity British actors and all) and I must say that after season 3 I have lost the will to continue on. -SPOILER ALERT -You kill off the best people in the show, and you expect us to keep watching, you think we'll just put our hearts out there again so they can be ripped apart, well TRY AGAIN, JULIAN FELLOWES. It's true that the season 5 premiere had super high ratings but I think Julian better watch out because as much as I love the drama, Tom and Mary should've been spared this misery and I will not reward their pain. (Fine, I DID WATCH SEASON 4 EP 1 BUT I WON'T GO ON).
I also watched Outlander and I'm sorry but if you do not appreciate Jamie/Sam Heughan you may need to leave everywhere and everything. That Scottish accent! Those dreamboat red curls! That sword-fighting! The book was quite good- the plot was intriguing and refreshing! Afraid to read the other 8 novels, though, since they'll only be full of new ways to separate Jamie and Claire and I'm not about that. Outlander also resonates perhaps a bit too deeply because Claire is a badass nurse yeeeess! Since she's transported back to the 18th century, she only has herbal medicine and leeches to work with, but that stuff works well, yo. I see how they survived in those grimy times. Also, I read that putting vanilla extract on your painful wisdom tooth can ease the pain, AND IT TOTALLY DOES! #allnatural (it is, right?) #soherbalthatIbelonginanothercentury #JKReadtoomuchOutlander

To end on a note of ridiculosity (also not a word. I shall continue using words that are not real. If they could do it in Frindle I can do it too), here is a confession-of-love line that I think everyone should use at a critical time:
"My love for you will always be inflamed. Like the pus that runs from a never-healing open wound, it is constant and deep." #NursingstudentOUT

Amirah

P.S. I forgot to mention that I watched Wuthering Heights (1939) and woah, Lawrence Olivier is smokin' hot. Cathy is terrible, and I suppose Heathcliff is also terrible, but I understand better now why their love is passionate and...terrible. Cathy was dumb though. She had it all! She could've just put aside her vanity and wish for worldliness and upper-class-stuff for true love! Isn't that the life lesson of EVERYTHING EVER, CATHY?! DID YOU LEARN NOTHING FROM BOOKS OR MOVIES?!
I also saw Love Story, which I had seen clips of and thought it silly because the tag line of "Love means never having to say you're sorry" didn't make that much sense to me. However, I have re-evaluated upon watching it and loved it. That acerbic wit! Their young love! Harvard! Lots of scarves! Her supporting him through law school! Parents not agreeing! Sad tragedy that killed a beautiful relationship! You know. Sigh. I used to hate the movies where they didn't end up happily ever after, but am trying to be mature and see that the point is that they valued their time together. "Better to have loved and lost.." etc etc.
P.P.S. I should have, long ago, left off these posts with quotes that were meaningful to me (as Slavena does, which is supa-cool)! Instead, I will just leave quotes from a fiction book that I find hilarious for today.

"Why are you putting on lip gloss, my daughter?” Dad asked. “Trip to the library? Trip to the nunnery? I hear the nunneries are nice this time of year" ...“Is this true, Kami? Are you going out on a date?” Dad asked tragically. “Wearing that? Wouldn’t you fancy a shapeless cardigan instead? You rock a shapeless cardigan, honey.” - Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

“Don't feel bad, Angela," Kami said. "You know guys, they only want one thing. Repartee. I can't count how many times men have admired my well-turned phrases.” - Unspoken
(^KILLS ME)

Florence Study Abroad: The Long and Winding 18-Hour Road

So I finally made it to Florence, after 18 hours in cars, planes, trains, buses, and taxis. I'm exhausted to say the least.

Friday morning I woke up early and packed the remainder of my baggage. I got to the airport at around 3:30 for the international flight and my parents hung around to send me off, being all proud and parent-like. I've never been abroad, or flown alone, so it was a simultaneously scary and exhilarating experience.

The flight was 8 hours overnight, so I basically lost a night of sleep because we arrived 8:30 AM European time. Italy is 6 hours ahead of New York, so it was 2:30 AM at home, and I didn't sleep on the flight. I got one hour of fitful rest, then was woken by breakfast on the plane and a breathtaking view of the snow-capped mountains bordering Milan. Looking out the window literally gave me chills. It was like a postcard, unbelievably stunning. There were small ski towns nestled in the dawn darkness between the white mountains, and as we flew in, we saw the rising sun. I was reminded of the Sylvia Plath poem, "Ariel":

Into the red
Eye, the cauldron of morning

Once I got there, I waited at the airport to meet up with my roommate and some other people coming in on a flight after mine. We took a bus to the Milan train station, then a train from Milan to Florence (2 hours), then finally a taxi from Florence train station to our hotel. The trains in Italy are unbelievably advanced, far better than the ones in New York. They are high speed and very modern, but quite expensive. My ticket from Milan to Florence was 50 Euros. Another problem is how sketchy the train station is; there are pickpockets and shady characters around every corner, waiting to "help" you with your luggage or buying a ticket at the machine. But I have one thing to say about Milano Centrale: it's beautiful.

Milano Centrale

Once we navigated that craziness and boarded our train, I nearly passed out from exhaustion. My suitcase was bigger than me and had to be stored above the seats in racks. I was way too small and weak to do this, but a nice Italian-speaking man with his family was kind enough to help me get it up there and then get it down on my way out. Normally, I'd refuse this kind of help, since it could easily go wrong. But he seemed genuinely kind and helpful. And I definitely needed help with that bag.

I nearly fell asleep on the train, since it was so quiet and smooth riding. Luckily, I got off at the right stop and we hailed a cab for the four of us to our hotel. At that point, I deserved a good meal and a night of sleep. Three days later, I'm still not recovered from that trip or the time difference. At this point all of the days are blending into each other.

When I have more time, I'll post more about what I've been doing the last couple of days.

A Crazy Semester and a Wild, Book-Filled Break

I haven't been on this blog for so long that I nearly got kicked off (rightfully so) BUT NO FEAR - I'M BACK - BECAUSE THIS SEMESTER IS OVER! I do understand that the point of this blog is well, to blog during school time, but unfortunately I was unable to do this because I had a massive nursing exam every week. If it wasn't pathophysiology tests, (I throw around this class like it's intimidating and hard, which it is, but I love it to death..hah! I know a lot of the pathways to death now, speaking of it) it was Psych Nursing or Medical Surgical Nursing tests. I feel like after a semester of holding my breath in and trying to manage everything, I can finally let it out. Breathing is great! A lot of things have happened, my senior year of college:

-I am now so literary that I carry short stories in my coat pockets (Did I buy short stories of my own interest to carry around? No. Did my professor give me a printout of one to read on the subway? Yes. Does being able to pull out a short story as needed at any given moment make me extremely literary? Duh)
-Speaking of english, I have realized that it's hard to write fiction, how do writers not base everything on their lives? Also, my professors have tried to make me more concise. If they read this blog, they would know they failed. But considering being concise is the first step!
-I drew blood! Successfully! I squirmed and laughed hysterically while a classmate drew mine, but like, I could do it to other people.
-I aspire to be someone who attends work holiday parties. I think, to accomplish this, I will have to get a job. Indeed, I have one, but I should probably just work more...
- Planning club events at Hunter is totally great and SUPER ANNOYING (no offense college associations. It's just a lot of paperwork).
-Being president of the nursing students' press is awesome! It means I get to be a supreme dictator, come up with cheesy headlines and think of categories for the yearbook ("Most Likely To Marry A Doctor?" "Most Huggable Nurse?" "Best Active Listener?" "Best Vein-Identifier?") It also means I pull all-nighters doing layout. However, I shouldn't complain about things I like doing.
- I gave up on cooking and subsisted on my mom's food. #senior #responsible #independent
Whatever. I'll cook over the intercession.
-Speaking of the intercession (dear god, why am I calling it that? I am actually old) I'm taking an online nursing class (I keep forgetting about this class), probably working, studying for the GRE and NCLEX (lol), trying to go to Florida (note the "trying." Dreams are the first part), attempting to transition between teen fiction and adult fiction (though, I did read Gone Girl way before everyone started reading it on the subway, like a year before, so whatever, judge me for my teen fiction, subway goers, cuz I'm judging you), trying really hard to reduce the use of parentheticals in my writing, and trying to work on myself (I was going to say friendships, but they've been reduced to a few people I actually care about. Sad news flash: not everyone cares about you. Put effort into the people who do, even if it means leaving the ones that you still care about. Resist the urge to yell at them, over text, too, even if you have a really good, bitter one-liner).
-I guess the most different thing about this semester was how much time I spent alone. I think I'm more on the extroverted side than introverted? But I also prefer being alone a lot to watch beloved shows and read books or write? But then again those are alone activities...look, I have some introvert in me. But speaking of this, there is definitely a lot of introvert-love/extrovert-hate on the internet. We're not all just superficial people! Anyway, it just happened because of the workload this semester. But it was fine, I just talked to myself a lot. I spent so much less time with friends, and I was thankful for commuting to/from Hunter with friends because it allowed for convenient hang-out time! My nursing buddies became my closest group of friends, and I think that's how it is. I'll miss 'em come May (if things go as planned). I tried consciously to manage my time better, as in get up to go for a 5:35 class at 4:35 instead of 5, which worked out sometimes. Toward the end I was still dashing around school like a maniac. Let's pretend I cut a mysterious, interesting figure. Boys probably wondered, "Where is that girl going so urgently? How does she run so gracefully with a bulky coat and huge bags? Will her glasses fall off her face?" I'm sure of it.

This was a draft, and now as I continue it there are a few more updates:
Deep thoughts I've had:
-What more is there to life than lying in bed since you are an invalid from sudden wisdom tooth pain and reading YA novels all day and not having anything else to do? (Answer this and you win something. Not creative enough to think of what it would be)
-Why have I not put in my schedule for work yet? (Answer: work, or read books, THE DECISION IS TOO AGONIZING)
-Why are macarons so tedious to make? Why are there recipes that tell you to use egg yolks and some that say egg whites for the filling? WHICH IS IT?!
-My GRE book has dust on it, and yet, instead, I reread a Jenny Han book that I thought would be dumb but surprisingly wasn't too dumb at all (To All The Boys I've Loved). 
-I have realized that my favorite song-genre of Bollywood (right now, in case I ever need to take this back) is black-and-white songs. They are really quite good. Also, I've been thankful that I've done nothing all break than sit around with books and movies, or with my relatives and DJ music, play cards, and eat a lot of baked goods. Sitting around is good for the soul, I tell you!
-I went to the gym a couple of times (yay me!) but then stopped and started back again (boo me! Where is the routine in my life?) But now that I'm an invalid because toothache I'm basically wasting away, so I mean, whatever (JK, I am compelled by my nutrition nursing class to take this back).
-I wrote a poem about pathophysiology for my creative writing portfolio and my professor asked for a corrected copy to keep! I'm basically published, everyone!

Since these winter posts are always accompanied by a list of books/tv shows I've been watching, here they are:
Outlander (book and TV show) - I'm sorry but if you do not appreciate Jamie/Sam Heughan you may need to leave everywhere and everything. That Scottish accent! Those dreamboat red curls! That sword-fighting! The book was quite good - the plot was intriguing and refreshing! Afraid to read the other 8 novels, though, since they'll only be full of ways to separate Jamie and Claire and I'm not about that. ALSO loved that she's a badass nurse! Since she's transported back to the 18th century, she only has herbal medicine and leeches to work with, but that stuff works well, yo. I see how they survived in those grimy times. Glad to read that horse dung is useless even in the 18th century. Also, I read that putting vanilla extract on your painful wisdom tooth can ease the pain, AND IT TOTALLY DOES! #allnatural (it is, right?) #soherbalthatIbelonginanothercentury #JKreadtoomuchOutlander
The Office - it's been four years and I still haven't seen it all, which is great, because quality TV time forever!
The Mindy Project - I rewatched all of the episodes for the joy of hearing great lines and catching references I missed before because I have no life and Danny Castellano is everything.
I'll Give You The Sun (quality YA, Jandy Nelson, her writing is just as good and cool as her first name), The Silkworm (JK Rowling is the best! Crime fiction is the best! Cormoran Strike is too cool!) and I'm not remembering the rest.
Here's to a great winter break to all those reading this!

Amirah

New Eyes

Hey, everyone!

I was supposed to post yesterday, but I completely forgot to. haha Too many things on my mind.

But here I go with my first post of this new year. It's already the third day, can you believe it? The older I get, the quicker time seems to go. I think it has something to do with being way busier than I ever was when I was younger. I remember how days used to stretch on forever, and now, it's all happening so quickly.

I'm always telling myself to be present in the moment and not rush through it all. It's not a race. There's no big banner at the end and no big award. The award is the journey itself and all of the moments (both big and small) that make it up.

Last Saturday was fun because my second cousins and their mom and grandma came over to our place. I hadn't seen them since December 2002! They live in Michigan and don't come here too often, but they came to visit because one of them now lives and works in New York. It was so great to see them again and to get to know them a bit better. Hopefully, we can keep in touch as we continue to grow older and have our own families.

New Year's Eve was great as always. Good food, watching the ball drop, and staying up late to chat with family and friends.

Cake!

Today, my baby cousin and her family came over. She's 10 years younger than me so I've watched her go from a baby with chubby cheeks to an 11 year old who loves to dance and is infinitely curious. Because we were lucky to spend a good amount of time together over the years, she feels like a sister to me. Whenever we hang out, I revert to my childhood self. We get silly and make jokes and I forget about being 21.

S.

I have to think about what I'm going to feature at the end of each post next semester. Hmm...Maybe a quote in graphical form like I did in my last post? I still have a few weeks to decide.

For now, I'll continue with "Quote of the Week" with the theme of newness.

Quote of the Week

“The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

~Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time

Hey everyone! I hope your break is treating you well!

This first semester has certainly been a ride, and I’m thankful to have come out of my very first semester of college alive. It’s been such a roller coaster experience.

There’s been the ups: the overwhelming rush of transitioning into college, finding new interests, and making new friends. On the other hand, there’s certainly been the downs, like finding out that input doesn’t necessarily equal output, or when my grandfather died during the middle of the semester (which is the reason why I haven’t been posting very much on the MacBlog, and I apologize).

Regardless, I am very thankful for what this first semester has offered me, and I am even more thankful that’s it’s all over (for now, anyway).

Here was my Finals Week, summed up in a few gifs, some of which can be found on Buzzfeed's The 33 Stages of Finals Week:

Disney. Buzzfeed, "The 33 Stages of Finals Week"


Buzzfeed, "The 33 Stages of Finals Week"

Sometimes a few reminders were needed to keep myself from veering off-track...

Disney, found on tumblr.com

Disney. Buzzfeed, "The 33 Stages of Finals Week"

 

Nickelodeon, tvfort.com

But now that it’s all over…

Nickelodeon

Here’s to the Holidays and 2015 and the surprises that await us! 
...And the next Finals Week in May.

- Katherine V., 2014