Travel Plans!

Can't stay put for too long....I'm always itching to travel! Here are adventures I'm looking forward to:

End of March....Rio Grande Valley, Texas!!!
-My good friend and classmate, Megan is traveling with me during our mini-spring break to the "Valley" I can't wait to show her the Island, Mexico, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, my school. She'll get to meet my former students and great friends there! And....tacos, lonches, raspas, migas, ceviche, coronas, aguas frescas....mmm...can't wait!

End of May.....Perth, Australia!!!
-My brother is studying abroad in Western Australia, a great excuse to go explore another part of the world. Plus, there are always good times to be had when the Northcraft siblings are together :)

August....Roseburg, Oregon!!!
-Nothing quite like going home :)

South Georgia Farmworker Health Project

This project has been my most recent undertaking! I couldn't "just" study and go to classes....gotta have a big project! :) During one of my study sessions at Java Monkey, my favorite neighborhood coffee shop, I started talking to a PA (physician-assistant) student from Emory. I started telling him about my interest in offering quality rehab services to low-income Spanish-speaking populations (of course, a normal first conversation topic....for Lori!). He told me about the South Georgia Farmworker Health Project, two weeks of free medical clinics organized by Emory's PA school. Why couldn't PT students be involved too?--he suggested. A perfect fit...I was immediately determined to participate in the project! That was in November--since then, I met with the organizer at the PA school, spoke with the PT school director and faculty, arranged a lunchtime info. session for my class, and.....got approval for a pilot program this summer!!! PT faculty is allowing 2-3 students to go to Valdosta, GA in mid-June for a few days to offer free rehab screenings, injury prevention clinics, and rehab services (under proper supervision, of course) to migrant (Spanish-speaking!) farmworkers. I am ecstatic, of course...this project was seriously made for me and my passions! The BIG goal: The South Georgia Farmworker Health Project can be integrated into PT curriculum, offered as a 1-week addition to students' long term clinical rotations. First the baby steps...finding a PT willing to supervise Emory students this summer and securing funding for hotel expenses. I am soooo thrilled about this interdisciplinary, cross-cultural health service opportunity for both myself and future Emory PT students. Here's the link to the South Georgia Farmworker Health Project.

Former Roomies Reunite!

I'm so blessed to have such awesome, inspiring friends! Amber and I had a fabulous time meeting up during my TFA recruiting trip to California. Keep up the hard work in med school, my friend! :)

Real Mexican Food!

Amber (my great friend, former college roomie, and XC and track teammate) is in med school at Loma Linda University in Southern California. When I excitedly told her about my trip out west she said, "Lori I can't let you be that close and not meet up." So, Amber and I took a study break and met up in a random city halfway between her house in Loma Linda and my hotel in San Diego. My job: find a Mexican restaurant for dinner, while she was stuck in traffic. I drove around to a couple, but they were too Americanized. Then, I found "Alberto's Mexican Food"--actually connected to the Shell station. I took one glance at the big pictures on the menu and knew this was REAL Mexican food....imagine my excitement! I spoke Spanish with a cute old man in line and he advised us on the best meal on the item. Check out the size of that homemade flour tortilla that Amber's holding in front of her face...incredible! I think we each made a total of four tacos out of it! And we had aguas frescas...horchata and jamaica...my favorites! Not only did I get to eat REAL Mexican food and speak Spanish....I also got to catch up and share laughs and funny stories with Amber! It was a delightful reunion in Southern California :)

San Diego

Wait...there aren't palm trees in Georgia! Nope, but January 28th and 29th I wasn't in Atlanta, I was in San Diego! A Teach for America recruiter said I was her top choice to participate in an Alumni panel at University of California-San Diego. How could I say no...a free trip to CA?! And, I only had to miss 3 hours of lecture. So, it's quite crazy to fly across the country early on a Sunday morning, recruit all day on a college campus on Monday, then fly back to the Southeast on a red eye to make Tuesday's 8am class. But, in Lori-style, that's just what I did. It was a quick and fun trip! My highlights were meeting 3 fantastic TFA alumni, talking with some motivated college seniors, relaxing in my fancy hotel room all by myself, and meeting up with Amber for dinner!!!

My Roommate's Birthday

Kate's birthday was only a few days after mine. Our apartment was again a place of celebration. We enjoyed homemade pizzas and ice cream cake for her birthay dinner. Then, in typical PT-class style, we went out on the town. Kate chose "Andrews Upstairs"-a fun bar in Buckhead because they had an 80's cover band. So, lots of our classmates came out to join in another fun birthday celebration!

My 25th Birthday

I'm now officially a quarter century old! I celebrated my birthday on the second day back to school! When I got back from my morning run, I found a "happy birthday" banner and "birthday girl" crown sitting outside my room. Then, Kate made me oatmeal, put a candle in it and sang Happy Birthday to me. Of course, I wore the crown to school all day and out later in the evening....she knew I would wear it (the crown has since been passed around for 5 other classmates' birthdays...and we changed it to say "Birthday King" for Kate's boyfriends recent b-day). Anyway, after school 20 friends helped me celebrate by gathering at "Taqueria del Sol" a cute taco place in downtown Decatur that I'd been dying to try. I received lots of thoughtful cards and gifts from my friends. And the best part of my birthday is that I get phone calls and emails from family and best friends across the country all in ONE day. I enjoyed hearing from my well-wishing friends in WA, OR, CA, OH, VA, IL and TX....thanks!

Ringing in 2007: Atlanta-style

My brother stayed in Atlanta a few days after my parents flew back to Oregon. We got to celebrate the New Year together with some Atlanta friends before he flew out early on the 1st. 

Northcrafts Spend Christmas in the South

My family decided to spend Christmas break in the South this year. It was so great to be all together again for the first time since last Christmas, besides 1 hour over Labor Day weekend. First my parents flew in and got to meet my Atlanta friends at my "Milk and Cookies with the Northcrafts" party. Then, my brother arrived and we headed to Savannah, GA, a historical Georgian city 4 hours southeast of Atlanta, on the Atlantic Ocean. Savannah highlights included a historic bus tour and eating at Paula Deen's restaurant. Then, we dipped our toes in the Atlantic Ocean before heading back to the big city. In Atlanta we visited the Atlanta History Center, Georgia Aquarium, World of Coke Museum, CNN Inside tour, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. We enjoyed watching Cirque du Soleil (amazing!) and Atlanta Thrashers professional hockey game. My parents were happy to get out of the city craziness for a day and enjoy the fresh air in the North Georgia Mountains. Of course, we had some great food...southern buffets, sushi, Ethiopian, fondue, and home cooked ham. My mom even brought Christmas cloth napkins and placemats for a true Christmas dinner. There was no First Presbyterian Church candlelight service this year, but we did enjoy my church's Christmas celebration. We ran in a holiday fun run (minus my dad), explored Atlanta's many quaint neighborhoods, walked around Emory's campus, and, of course, relaxed. Our last big adventure was a trip to Nashville, TN...we line-danced, visited the TN state Capitol, Oprey Land, and TN History Museum. Fun southern adventures for the Northcrafts! You can see pictures of ALL of our travels by clicking here.

Christmas Cookies and Champagne

Our apartment was at max capacity (70 friends!) and ugly Christmas sweaters were in full force at our Christmas cookies and Champagne (aka Ugly Sweater Party). The girls I babysit made awards that I distributed to various lucky attendees. Good times...awesome sweaters....lots of laughs! Only 2 noise warnings! 

Roommate Love!

Kate and I enjoy fun times eating ice cream cake, running through Emory park, laughing at our professor's jokes, making yummy salads, studying kinesiology, neuroscience, physiology...and more and more, driving to school in crazy Atlanta traffic, cleaning up our apartment after a streak of tests, drinking wine, and living life to its fullest in Atlanta. We're going to live together again next year! :) 

Celebrating the End of Finals!

With my lovely PT ladies: Kate, Kate, Becca, Meg, Megan, Julie, and Lindsay. We had a big post-finals celebration at an Atlanta bar! I was doubly excited...because my parents were flying in the next day :) 

PT Christmas Party

Here's we are still smiling in the midst of Finals Week! We had a class secret Santa gift exchange and holiday feast. A good break from our studies! I received the Mexican bingo game "La Loteria" and a pretty maraca...the perfect gift! As one of my classmates stated, "Lori, we pick up on the not-so subtle clues that you love Mexico and anything Spanish." Unfortunately, my students couldn't be wrapped up!