BY WEDNESDAY I WILL....

I'M GOING HOME!!!! CURRENTLY 4 DAYS LEFT ON THE COUNTDOWN!!!

That being said, I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO!!

Home Stuff
I need to re-spray for bugs. (Everyone here thinks I'm insane, but there will be NO BUGS when I come home.)

I need to re-clean my apartment. Mainly, to help the bug issue (which has been non-existent since I sprayed last time) is the reason I want to re-clean. It's pretty clean now, but I think vacuuming and a quick scrub of my bathroom and kitchen will help. Bugs in Georgia have caused me to be a tad OCD in my apartment, lol.

I'm buying a present for Michael that I know he won't be expecting, so I need to go get it before I leave. Probably on Tuesday I'll go get it.

I'm trying to finish the book The Book Thief because I would like to go to the movie with my Grandma Connie, Aunt Tracy, and my Mom who have all already finished the book! I need to get it done by Wednesday!! I'm hoping that I can listen to the end of it on the plane and in the airport on Wednesday!

School Stuff
Mainly, I need to get my homework done!!

-One of my assignments is for my cooking class. I need to create a meal for a family of 4, that includes (Main dish, Beverage, and a Dessert) all for $8!! So far, I'm trying to get it under $8, but right now I'm at $8.68. I'm working on it! I also have to do our post-lab assignment before then! Thankfully they are very easy!! Speaking of my cooking class, we had a test on Wednesday last week and I GOT AN A!!! (I was so excited when I finally checked my grade because I thought I did really bad because it was really hard!!)

-My psychology class has been split into different groups and each group has to do a presentation. My group goes the day after Thanksgiving break, so we are trying to get it done before we leave for Thanksgiving! We are working tomorrow at noon to get it all done!

Once class is out on Wednesday at 1pm, Christy, Cliff, Randi Jo, and I are getting in my car and driving to the airport!! Yay!! I'm so excited!!! I can't wait!!! I'm parking my car at a place about a mile away from the airport and they give you a shuttle ride to the airport. I'm not sure if I will be dropping Christy, Cliff, and Randi Jo off at the airport first because their flight leaves 2 hours before mine and they probably want to get checked-in right away due to the busyness of the day. So I might meet them after I drop the car off, unless they don't care then we will all get on the shuttle together.

Anyway!! Off to go finish my homework and read my book!!

Week 6!

It's been another week at Life! A lot didn't happen during the week until this weekend!

 

All week I've been studying for ANOTHER test that I had!! I feel like that's all I do!! I was starting to get apprehensive that I wasn't going to do well on my test. I'm trying to do my best at school, and I want to do well so that me coming here isn't a mistake. After a very encouraging phone call with Michael, he reminded me that if I didn't do well on my test, he and my family and friends would still be proud of me. AAAANNNNNDDDD, I got an A! Yay!! I know Michael kept reminding me that I was studying my butt off and that there was no way I wasn't going to do well, but I was really nervous! I'm glad all of my hard work paid off!!

 

That just means that I get to start studying for my next test which is on Wednesday!! Hah, oh well, that's my life now!

 

After my test and extreme lack of sleep, I just wanted to something for me that was fun. So I've been thinking of chopping my hair off, and I decided to do it. I heard about a salon called Headrush from school and that it was cheap so I decided to go there. The owner, Abid, cut my hair and he was very nice and was telling me about Atlanta and where to go for different things. My hair needed to be cut and have a conditioning treatment, and now I'm glad that it looks great and it's healthy!! So here is my new hair!!

 

 

Yay! So excited about my new hair!

 

After getting my hair done, I came home to a care package from my wonderful Aunt Tracy!! She sent me so much stuff and I am so grateful! Always makes me feel great to get something from someone I love. I'm excited to start listening to all of the books she sent me on a jump drive from Audible.com!

 

Since I've been so homesick, I talked to my mom and we came up with some things to do keep me busy so I don't feel so lonely all the time. The reason my homesickness is so bad is because my Friday class is over now, so now I only have class Tuesday-Thursday this quarter and I have A LOT of free time to myself. This helps me study more, but it also makes me notice how alone I am! I looked up the quilt shop by my house and they have a few quilting classes on the weekends, normally Fridays and Saturdays so I have something else to keep me busy! They also have some easy quick quilt kits so that will help me pass some time!! So thanks mom for all of the great ideas!!

 

On Friday, I went to Dr. Caroline's office and she adjusted me and it was awesome! She told me that Dr. Kevin (he was in town for a seminar I went to today) and her husband (David) were going to play tennis together that night and her, and a bunch of other students were going to watch them play. I told her that I would come because I had no plans for the night, so why not?

 

I got a text later that night about where to go to meet for dinner before hand. I got to the restaurant and met Christy, Cliff, and Randi Jo there. Unfortunately Atlanta traffic is HORRIBLE, and everyone else was stuck in traffic, so we ended up deciding to go to a restaurant close to the gym where Dr. Kevin and David were playing tennis. We all got in Randi Jo's car so we wouldn't get lost. On our way there, (should be a 15 min drive...w/traffic almost 40 min....) I asked them what they were doing on December 7th. They said they had nothing going on, so we are running a 5K together! I've been getting emails from Run or Dye ever since I did the Run or Dye 5K, and I noticed that there is a Run or Dye run on December 7th in Atlanta! So we are going to do a team run, and a bunch of other students are going to join our team! I'm excited because it gives me something to train for (another thing to keep me occupied) even if it is really soon!

 

Then on our long ride in traffic, we started talking about Thanksgiving and our plans for going home. We all fly out of Atlanta on the same day, they just leave 2 hours before me. So, since I'm driving to the airport 5 hours early after my class, they're going to ride with me to the airport! Then I'll have someone to hang out with at the airport until their flight leaves. Awesome, because I just figured I was going to be SO bored alone! Speaking of home, 11 days until I come home!! I'm so excited!

 

We finally got to the restaurant and didn't have much time until we were supposed to watch them play tennis, so we quick grabbed dinner and went to the gym. We watched them play tennis for 2 hours and then when we left it was 11pm! Dr. Kevin and David were hungry so then we went to Marietta Diner for dinner for them and dessert for the rest of us! Got home at midnight and I was not looking forward to getting up for a seminar in the morning!

 

The seminar though, was AMAZING. Dr. Kevin and Dr. Ed are so inspirational when they talk about chiropractic. They talked about things that hold you back and things that can only move you forward.

 

The most important thing I got out of the seminar was this: I didn't realize that driving to Georgia and moving to the other side of the country was a big deal. Obviously I knew that driving far away from my family was a major decision, but I didn't realize that it said something about me as a person. I didn't know that it was a brave or courageous thing. I just didn't understand that. At this seminar, we had to talk to people in the room that we had never met and tell them all these wonderful things about themselves. Some of the people I did actually know, and they kept telling me that they were amazed at how I came here by myself to become a chiropractor, and that I inspire them to know that anyone can do this, even if you're all alone in a big city. So it was really cool to hear what other people who barely knew me thought of me!

 

Here is a picture from the seminar of us telling other people how they are great!

 

 

Tomorrow I'm meeting with my Psychology group to work on a presentation that we have the day after Thanksgiving break so we can get it done and not have to worry about it on break! Then, it's back to studying for the next test and getting ready to come home for Thanksgiving!! I can't wait!!

Week 5

This week has been very boring! I feel like I haven't done much of anything! It's probably since there were so many tests last week, that nothing really happened in school this week!

I can't believe I have another test THIS WEEK on Thursday because I feel like it's too early for that! I guess that's what happens when your on a quarter system and not a semester system! Everything goes SOOO fast!!

In case you were wondering about the test I didn't find out about last week, I FINALLY found out, I got a B. Yay! So that was 2 A's and 1 B and then this past Friday I got another A on another test I had!
So happy to have everything going well in school because I have never felt like a great student. I guess since I'm actually interested in learning all of this stuff, that probably is what is the big difference is. I always have felt like school is something I just "had to get done" whereas now, yes, I still need to "get it done," but I'm actually enjoying getting it done.

On Saturday, I went to a church that I had already been to on Sunday, but on Saturdays they have a contemporary service with a band then. I really liked it, and I'm probably going to go there next Saturday.
I've been wanting to find a martini bar, so I googled martinis and Marietta. I found a bar not too far away. So after I was done with church, I went and checked it out. An hour later, Amanda and Adam joined me for drinks! Here's a picture of me and Amanda out on the town!



Anyway, 16 days on the countdown until I come home for Thanksgiving! I was very homesick this week. The countdown is getting so close to coming home and it's making it very hard for me to not stop thinking about coming home. (Speaking of homesickness, shout-out to Sara and all of her friends in Australia praying for me!)  I miss my family so much, and I can't wait to go home!! That being said, I am doing my best to stay focused on school and not take for granted this incredible opportunity that I have! Well, I better go to bed so I can get up for class tomorrow!!

LIFE-Changing Week Number 4!!

This week all I did was STUDY!! I had a test in every single class this week. I was so concerned about getting good grades on my first tests, that I was constantly studying. I felt like such a hermit just staying in my apartment studying. So here's what happened, they all went really well. I got an A on the 1st and the 3rd test!! YAY!!! The second test....I have no idea, my teacher still hasn't posted grades, and it's really annoying, I wish she would post the grades!!

 

After my final test, I met with Christy, Cliff, Randi Jo, and 4 other students from Life on Friday morning and we got in two rental cars and drove to Detroit, Michigan for a chiropractic seminar lead by Dr. Kevin and Dr. Ed from The New Renaissance. The 5th student, flew to Detroit, so we met him there.

 

I was very apprehensive to go on this trip to this seminar. 1st, I've never been to a seminar, so I did not know what to expect. I didn't know if it would be worth it since I'm a student or if it would be boring, or what. 2nd, I haven't really gotten to know that many students, so I was afraid that I would feel like the outsider since the rest of them were so much closer with each other than I was with them.

 

So we started out on our drive, (1 girl car and 1 boy car) and the other 3 girls were talking about things because they knew each other, and I would randomly join in on something. We stopped for dinner in Ohio and over the course of dinner I told these girls A LOT about my life and that really helped me open up to them and not feel like the 4th wheel. We got to Detroit at midnight and found our hotel room (The Westin--it was beautiful, I could get used to the lifestyle of a doctor) and we went to bed. We woke up early and had breakfast in the lobby with some of the chiropractors. Again, I was nervous because I didn't know what to expect for the day.

 

The seminar started and I instantly felt welcomed and comfortable. Well, until Dr. Kevin had all of the students come on stage and talk about how they chose to become a chiropractor and decided chiropractic school was right for them. I hate public speaking, but I made it through it, lol. Then, they discussed so many things that I didn't know I could do when I begin my own practice. I'm so excited to start my practice when I graduate and get everything out of it that I want.

 

Then we watched a bunch of chiropractors practicing how to talk to new patients. Then, Dr. Kevin asked me to pretend I was a chiropractor and practice talking to new patients. Great, back to the fear of public speaking....so I took my turn and said my whole schpeel about talking to new patients, and I said "umm" A LOT, but I made it through everything I was supposed to say. Then, Dr. Kevin, gave me some coaching on how to talk to patients, so then I tried again, and it was amazing how just a little advice made me so much more confident about talking about my love of chiropractic. The way Dr. Kevin talks, just completely inspires you to know that the only thing holding you back is you, and you really can have all of the dreams that you want out of your practice.

 

After the seminar was over, I was so inspired and so excited to go have dinner with the students and chiropractors. It was just a great time to talk about chiropractic and get to know the other students more. Then by the end of dinner, we were all so exhausted from the day and the fact that we were sleep deprived from getting to Detroit so long so we went to bed around 9pm.

 

We got up before the sun this morning and hit the road at 5:45am to drive back to Atlanta. We got back tonight around 5pm and now I've just been lounging around and chilling now that I'm back home. The only thing that would have been the cherry on top of such a wonderful weekend would be if I had had someone at home to tell about my trip. I just wanted to be able to hug someone and say, "I am a changed woman, and I had such a great experience and I can't wait to be a chiropractor and I'm going to blow you away when I'm a chiropractor!!" Unfortunately, Skype with Mike and FaceTime with Mom and Dad was all that was really possible, but that's okay. Only 24 more days until I come home for Thanksgiving and then I can get the hug that I wanted besides all of the hugs I want because I miss my family.

 

Anyway, I'm just relaxing now and enjoying my Sunday and looking forward to resting up tomorrow on my Monday off of class. What a great week!!

 

Here is a picture of all of the students from Life and Dr. Kevin and Dr. Ed!

 

From Left to Right

Back Row: Dr. Ed, Randi Jo, me, Cliff (Christy's husband), Christy, Chase, Daniel, Dr. Kevin

Front Row: Dave, Colby, Lizzie