Last Days

My last day at work was Friday, May 4. It was actually very bittersweet. I met with Dr. McCarthy and received feedback from my 'clinical experience' and also had goodbye's with patients. It was difficult to think that I'm not going to see these patients to the end of their treatment... I really want to know how they are doing and improving (or avoiding their exercises). There is a special patient-therapist bond that you can't really understand until you have gone on rotation. I love it.

Last day with Jami and Dr. McCarthy was very sad. Jami definitely took us under her wing and showed us the true Hawaii and all it's beauty. Dr. McCarthy pushed us to strive both inside and out of the clinic. He offered words of encouragement when I struggled on the swim and hike as well as helpful pointers and advice in the clinic.

The experience has been wonderful overall. It's difficult to think that I have changed in six weeks, but I know that I have. I am connected with nature and want to experience all sorts of travel and outdoors activities. I have really come to value the relationship I have with true friends at home, as well as my relationship with Johnathan. This is the longest amount of time that we haven't seen each other, and it was not easy. I appreciate him more now than I ever could, and my appreciation and love grows every day (I know, it sounds corny, but it's true).

So my bags are packed (sort of). One is zipped and I am not unzipping it for anything in this world. I had to sit on it to make it close. It's a tiny little suitcase, but I sure hope it doesn't weigh over 50 lbs! I also had to mail a few boxes home... but I was smart and did "flat rate boxes". Instead of carrying my textbooks back on the plane, I decided to give myself a break and just mail them back. Good thing I did flat rate box ($8.10 no matter what weight), because the clerk told me that box ALONE would have cost $36 to mail home because it weighed so much!

I didn't do anything too exciting today... I packed, went to the beach and enjoyed the time I had there. It FINALLY wasn't windy and blowing sticky sand all over me. The sand here is really fine and sticks to you even if you are bone dry. And it's difficult to walk on. I look like a mix of a penguin and a soldier because you waddle back and forth, but you also take high steps. It's an interesting process.

Tomorrow I'm going to attempt to wake up early to try and force my body back on east coast time. HAHA. We'll see how that works. I talked to mom today and she still isn't sleeping quite right. People say it's easy to come to Hawaii and it's difficult to leave (for two reasons): 1. obviously you fall in love with the place. 2. time changes really stink and it sure is hard going forward in time.
Haha... I'm going "back to the future". Oh I love that movie. Why can't they play cool movies like that on my plane ride from Phoenix to RDU?

FLIGHT INFORMATION
1. USAirways/America West Flight 125: Honolulu to Phoenix
Departs: 10:55 pm (4:55am NY time) Arrives: 7:54 am (10:54 am NY time)
2. USAirways/America West Flight 41: Phoenix to Raleigh
Departs: 8:45 am (11:45 am NY time) Arrives: 3:48 pm (yay for NY time)

Yes, I know this is a VERY short layover. "Should be fun run through airport yah?"
(Like true Hawai'ian pigeon... no the's or and's and ending the sentence in "yah")





I am so ready to be home. Where crazy animals don't run around at all hours of the day making strange noises, where there is A/C and Johnathan.