Argon n Jawjuh

Nope, it's neither Spanish nor English! I'm not in "Argon" anymore, so I better start talking like dey do in "Jawjuh." This list of Southern words should be a good start...thanks Scott!

Tubing on the "Hooch"

I got out of the city on Saturday to float down the Chattahoochee River. After years of singing "Way down yonder on the Chattahoochee..." I finally learned that the song is about a river in Georgia...who knew? I thought it was about some redneck part out west! My friend Becca (pink shirt, far right) organized the trip for a bunch of the girls in my class. We drove about two hours north of the city to Helen, GA--a really cute tourist town made to look like an alpine village. After loading into our big tubes we headed upstream in the stylish bus seen in the photo, then floated down for a couple hours. The river was pretty low because it's been so hot; we got stuck on rocks a few times. Although it was no comparison to Oregon's North Umpqua River, the "Hooch" was still pretty cool. Plus, we even got to go on the waterslide for free...the advantage of traveling in a group of ten girls (the young, male, lifeguards let us in). 

Fox Theatre

Finally, live theater! Again, I had a 2-year drought during my time in South Texas. Luckily, Atlanta has lots of live theater options. PT buddies Laura, Haley, and I attended "Bombay Dreams" at Fox Theatre, a beautiful historic theatre in downtown Atlanta. The play was about India's "Bollywood"--very funny, especially because our anatomy professor is from India! Live theater, yet another advantage of being in a big city!

First Time in Over 2 Years!

I went to my first official ballet class today since college. I took a couple classes my senior year at Willamette, so it's been awhile! My friend Megan invited me to join her for the Contemporary Ballet class at a nearby adult dance studio. It was fun (and challenging) to dance again! I'll definitely be sore tomorrow. The studio has a large variety, so maybe I'll get adventureous and try Latin jazz next time. Living in a city has so much to offer!

Java Monkey...my 2nd Home

I've converted! I'm a coffee shop (study) addict now. I tried Emory's Health Science library for the first few weeks, but it was too quiet, I couldn't eat my snacks. That is particularly problematic for me, the perpetual grazer. So, then I tried out several area coffee shops. Finally, I found my favorite-Java Monkey. This local shop is just a short drive (or bike ride when it cools down a bit) from my apartment in downtown Decatur. Their food, wine, mango tea, hot tea...it's all tasty! Oh yes, and I study too!

Mexico Trip

I celebrated the end of the school year with a week of travel in colonial Mexico. I had to take advantage of living so close to the border before moving "north." My good friend Greta and I enjoyed exploring numerous historic cities (San Luis Potosi, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Guadalajara, and Zacatecas). Greta and I met through Teach for America summer institute in Houston (we were team teachers) and we've stayed in contact since then. We stayed in cheap hostels and ate lots of yummy street and restaurant food along the way. All of our travels were by bus, although not always fully successfully (we ended up taking mini-detours along the way). As the sole Spanish speaker in our group, I felt responsible for any minor mishaps. Greta got food poisoning...poor thing! But, we had a fabulous time speaking (learning) Spanish and enjoying Mexican culture. We took an overnight bus back to the border in time for my last school/teacher meeting about a special needs student. Then, Greta and I drove together to Houston for the evening, before heading to her parents' place in Mobile, Alabama. In Mobile we split, after spending over 9 days together and I drove to my new home in Atlanta. You can enjoy all of the pictures from our trip to the interior of Mexico.

Roommates and Running Buddies

Kate and I have a lot in common, including our love of long-distance running. She's training for the Philly Marathon and I'm (contemplating) training for the Atlanta marathon. So, we go for 6am morning runs before class. It's early, but we like to beat the heat. Kate and I push each other and it's great to have a running buddy again! By the way, Kate and I met at our Emory interview, then met up again during my Simmons College visit in Boston. We knew we could be roommates if I decided to attend Emory...and here we are!

Atlanta Hiking

I recently bought a book at REI entitled "60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Atlanta." I convinced some girls to join me for a little hiking adventure. I was excited to climb a mountain...even if it was only 950 feet, that's 950 feet higher than I've been around in the last two years! Jessica, Rachel, and I are posing by a lake we found. These ladies have been church-hunting with me too. 

A Night in Virginia Highlands

I've been enjoying the big city. It's been quite a change from the Mexico border!!! Here I am with Kate, Kristen, Meg, and Megan at a bar in the Highlands. 

MS 150 Atlanta Challenge

I'm training for a 150-mile bike tour near Atlanta in September. The tour's goal is to raise money for multiple sclerosis research. Luckily, the ride is spread out over two days...but still it's going to be tough. I'm riding in honor of my Aunt Charlene who was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I even convinced my classmate, Nguyen Vu, to ride in it with me. But, he's already reached the $250 pledge minimum. You can help me make my pledge goal by clicking here.

80's Party

My classmates host a myriad of fun parties on the weekends. Here are Kate (my roommate) and Kristen posing in their rocking 80's outfits. We raided the local thrift store for our stylish dresses and shoes.

Service of Gratitude

After we finished our anatomy course we had a special service to honor those who donated their bodies. This service was held with just our class in an on-campus chapel. Friends read poems, sang songs, danced, and played instruments to celebrate the contributions our cadavers made. I joined four other girls in choreographing a dance for the service. Two of our friends accompanied us with guitar and drum. It was so fun to dance again after not doing it for nearly two years. I look forward to performing again in the near future. 

Megan-My Anatomy Study Buddy

Megan and I were fortunate to find that are study styles mesh well. So, we spent countless hours together studying....in the lab, at Panera, Starbucks...we're hardcore! Megan was a tremendous help in catching me up after my weekend wedding excursions, she's a great teacher! Since anatomy has ended we have been missing each others' company-even though we still have class together every day. Nerds at heart! :) 

Atlanta Roomies

After my back-to-back wedding weekend trips, Kate and I decided to host a wine and appetizer party at our apartment. We had about 50 people over throughout the evening for scrumptious food and great wine. We even bought a folding table for the occasion...a big addition to our "simple living" apartment. FYI--it's impossible to keep an Atlanta apartment cool with such high occupancy, despite the AC on full blast. 

Wedding Farewell

Helen and Jon's wedding would not have been complete without kazoos and bubbles. Here Lotus and I are posing with our "honorary" roomie Jon. We enjoyed getting to know him during his weekend visits to the "valley" from Houston. Helen and Jon are so excited to live not only in the same city, but the same house! :) 

The Beaming Bride

In the two years I have been close friends with Helen, I have never seen her so giddy! She giggled during the entire wedding ceremony. I am so thrilled for Jon and Helen---it has been fun to see the many stages of their relationship...long distance dating, year-long engagement, wedding planning. They too are an extremely inspiring couple...their relationship is a true testimony to the work God has done and will continue to do in their lives. They both encourage me to stay strong and keep my expectations high! Love you guys! 

Frosting!

Surprise, surprise...I was addicted to the homemade frosting. Lotus and Zahra gave me this gift during the reception, a to-go container filled with frosting. I, of course, was thrilled and immediately began my frosting consumption! 

Zahra and Her Amazing Cupcakes

Zahra, another great friend from Teach for America, played an integral role in Helen's wedding. She made the fabulous cupcakes for the wedding. Of course, I tried all flavors: pistachio, chocolate, and vanilla. While in Texas, Zahra had made some sketches of the cupcake tower...the real thing looked just as wonderful! Great job Zahra--they were yummy! 

Lotus and Lori

I gave Lotus hugs all weekend. We had to stock up because she's heading to Macedonia for the Peace Corps in September! Lotus looked so cute...in pink (of course, Helen's favorite color)! :) 

Texas Roomies Reunited

Wedding weekend in Ohio! Lotus and I were thrilled to help our dear roommate Helen celebrate her big day. We arrived Thursday night in time for a family dinner, then a lingerie luncheon, wedding set-up, rehearsal dinner, and the big celebration (complete with lots of dancing). Here we are outside her parent's house in Alliance, Ohio. It was great to spend time with Helen and her family after getting to know them so well over these last two years. 

Carol-Ann

Here's the excited, beautiful bride all ready to walk down the aisle! It was so fun to be a part of her special day. 

Making Friends with the Kiddos

To be expected, I quickly formed friendships with some of the younger girls at the weddings. These are two of Carol-Ann's cousins (Madeline and Hannah). Hannah (on the right) was the flower girl...during the wedding festivities she would run up to me and give me kisses on the cheek. They both kept me out on the dance floor! :) 

Willamette University Represents

Here's all the Willamette folks that were supporting Carol-Ann on her big day. Most of us became friends through Campus Ambassadors, a Christian fellowship group. It was great to see many of them for the first time in a couple years! 

We Clean Up Well

Amber and I all gussied up for Carol-Ann's big day. The beautiful wedding was held outdoors at SouthHills Church in Eugene (where Carol-Ann works).

Ethan and Carol-Ann

What a cute couple! Here they are posing with a wedding gift from Carol-Ann's brother, Andrew. He wood-engraved a picture and Bible verse on Alaskan cedar. I really enjoyed getting to know Ethan better during the wedding weekend. I realized that he is such a suitable partner for my dear friend. Their relationship is firmly founded in Christ, an inspiring example of priorities in line. At the ceremony, the pastor discussed the importance of authenticity in relationships, they clearly demonstrate this quailty. I left their wedding reminded of the truly important aspects in all friendships and relationships...thanks Ethan and Carol-Ann! 

Former Roomies...Reunited!

Amber and I were roommates at Willamette after we returned from studying abroad (Africa and Spain, respectively). Additionally, we were teammates for four fabulous years. Since graduating, Amber began med school at Loma Linda in Southern CA. We see each other every 6 months or so. Of course, I was super excited to spend some quality time with Amber during my time in Oregon for Carol-Ann's wedding (we were both part of the wedding party). I flew out after classes on Wednesday, made it there in time for the bachelorette party, ran wedding errands, helped with the reception set-up, ate yummy food at the rehearsal dinner, and fully enjoyed the entire day of wedding celebrations. Since Amber and I both love hiking and miss the Pacific Northwest, we managed to sneak away to hike for a few hours. My trip to Oregon was worth every minute of class missed (I even flew through the night to make it to Monday's classes)....I had a wonderful time with great friends Amber and Carol-Ann. 

Scrubs

Here is my usual attire during the first six weeks of Physical Therapy school. We took human anatomy and spent much time (3-4 hours/day) in the cadaver lab. I worked with five other students dissecting "Marvin" and "Gloria." It was great hands-on learning! After all that lab time, my coat is definitely not as white as in this picture. And, I got an A in Anatomy! :) 

My New Room

My first three nights in Atlanta were spent on the floor on my backpacking sleeping pad. I was very grateful to meet some nice people on Craig's List who sold me their bed (for cheap), delivered it, and helped me set it up in my room. After six years with the same college dorm bedding, I much enjoyed my shopping marathon at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. A down comforter, down pillows, and new soft sheets...now, if I'll just find some time to sleep! 

Moving!

Believe it or not, this (and more) all fit in my little car. I even had my bike strapped to the back! My friends were impressed that I could see out the back window and didn't have to ship anything.