Belly Laughs

On Saturday evening I went out to dinner with a friend and had a good conversation that I thought was blog-worthy. I should probably preface this anecdote with the fact the conversation took place at a Thai restaurant where I was eating Thai food, babbling in rudimentary Thai with the waitstaff, and giddily reflecting on my experiences in the Southeast Asian country I called home for six months. When I was in Thailand, I had moments of pure happiness, little euphoric surges that can only be described with cliched expressions like "I felt like I was on cloud nine." I felt extreme contentment with where I was and what I was doing in my life; with great conviction, I knew I was in exactly the right place. This feeling came over me several times in Thailand when I least expected it: on my walk to school, on a bus during my weekend travels, etc. Later, I was worried that I would lose this feeling when I went back to the States. I was worried that I wouldn't feel the same way in medical school. However, every once in a while, I will get that same feeling (when I bike along the Bayou to/from school, when I walk back to my car after studying late at Baylor and the lights of the Texas Medical Center glow around me, when I'm hanging out with my study group friends, when I'm dissecting in anatomy lab). It's an amazing feeling, and I hope you can relate.

Over the past week, I had a smattering of activities related to Brandi's wedding: I picked up my bridesmaid's dress (gorgeous!), and I attended a bridal shower thrown by her family and friends. On Wednesday, we practiced abdominal exams just after lunch and couldn't help but crack up after hearing ferocious bowel sounds for the first time. On Friday, a comedy trio performed for the Compassion and the Art of Medicine elective I take- quite entertaining. On Friday evening, the second-years showed a hilarious and skillfully constructed two-hour film that made me smile until my cheeks hurt. Afterward, I danced at the after party until my feet hurt. :) It was a great week filled with laughter, friends, and even (believe it or not) some studying!