Island Med Student

That’s what’s been going on in da life of Kendra. I’m STILL recovering from a cold, but feeling better. I went out on Wednesday to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and had a blast. I received my “real” medical diploma in the mail on Thursday. Hopefully, I will be able to get it framed soon, before I spill coffee all over it.

Other than that, not a whole heck of a lot to say.

My apologies, readers, but being a bum just doesn’t stimulate me to write. But I promise to write some “real good” stuff soon. Promise. In the meantime, please enjoy these crappy iPhone pics.

1) A mural in Astoria, New York.
2) and 3) Cinco de Mayo fun.
4) My 100% legit medical diploma. Booyakasha!

So, I was super busy for a few days and forgot to take my daily videos for my “Pause: For 3 Seconds a Day” 2010 video project. I was going to just scrap the idea altogether but then I realized that there really was no need to do so. I could just pick up where I left off and simply exclude the days, on which I forgot to take a video. Yes, there will be “holes” in my daily project. Yes, that’s less than perfect. But beauty is in imperfection.

Enjoy my latest, updated video! I might soon be changing the style, but this is what I have so far!

I just realized a few minutes ago that I had know idea what the date was. Life has been a bit of a blur lately. Not that I’m complaining. It’s just that I’ve realized again for the one billionth time that I am horrible at doing nothing. Really, I suck at it.

On Sunday I went to the Mr. Transman 2010 show in Brooklyn. It was SOOOO awesome! I got to see some friends (I love you Filthy, Nate and Jen!) that I hadn’t seen in forever and well, I just had a total blast. I forgot to take photos, but I did take some videos, which I might be uploading in the future.

Yesterday I was a total sloth. I stayed in bed all day long and ate horribly fattening foods and watched reruns on Netflix Instant Play.

My life has become a series of “wake up, drink coffee, run, eat, dance, sleep” on infinite repeat. But it ain’t so bad. Life is pretty darn good, actually.

Enjoy the photos with this post. The top one is me with my sweet new bumper sticker, purchased at the show. The second two were taken yesterday during my walk to pick up pizza. I heart my new hood.

“Yo Brooklyn, Fuhgeddaboudit” Photo Series

I’ve only been away from the hospital for a few days, and I already miss it. I am somewhat of a Type A personality. I like to get things accomplished quickly. And as much as I complain sometimes, I do like being busy. The past few days I have been catching up on errands, but I am quickly running out of errands! The funny thing about me though, is that I will just continue to make up things to do once I run out.

Anyway, I forced myself to take three hours off today. It was magical. I went to Prospect Park, and had a picnic with my doggies. I stripped down to my bikini and cracked open a “pleasure book.” It was truly amazing. I just relaxed and cuddled with my doggies and allowed myself to be taken away by the sun and the book. It was just what the doctor ordered.

You’re all going to really become sick of me going on and on about how awesome the park is, but I just can’t help it. It’s my happy place. As I was walking home from my picnic, I found two girls and a guy singing an opera in a tunnel. I saw a man busting out some awesome tai chi under the “Oriental Pavilion.” I watched a man play frisbee with his doggy by the glistening lake.

Now I’m home, eating goat cheese, drinking a glass of wine, and trying to figure out what to do with myself tonight. I think I shall make a yummy dinner first, perhaps a bubble bath afterwards, and then maybe do some more pleasure reading. Yay for being a bum!

I love you all…THANK YOU!

Click Here to View the Pics

What a wonderful Sunday today has been!

I woke up early this morning so that I could take my doggies to the off-leash dog run area in Prospect Park. It turns out that my usual dog run area was closed because of a concert, so Micah and I went to a new, even bigger dog run! There were literally hundreds of dogs + owners running around and having entirely too much fun!

I then ran some errands and replied to a bunch of emails. (My next post will include all about how thankful I am to all of my readers.)

I just received the following comment from my mother (Bob) on my blog:

“Such cute, entertaning and smart kids…who have grown up to be beautiful, talented and brilliant women. Makes me cry and smile at the same time! Always keep in touch with your inner child…and you’ll always enjoy the wonder each day can bring!”

Want to know why I have such an awesome perspective on life? Want to know why I’ve grown up to be such a loud-mouthed, creative, crazy woman? It’s entirely due to my mother. She is so similar to me. I owe so much to her. Her comment above really sums it up!

Then I also got to thinking about how I came to become such an animal lover. I mean, it’s fairly obscene. I love ALL animals. I am one of those very annoying people you see on the street who runs up to other people’s dogs and starts kissing and hugging them and saying (in a really cheesy, child-like voice) “who’s the cuuuutest doggy in the world? huh? who’s the cutest? who wants to give me luvins?” Really, it’s rather ridiculous. If I could have it my way, I’d have hundreds of pet doggies, a herd of goats, and a whole slew of other animals living in my apartment. But, it turns out that the New York City housing authority frowns upon this kind of thing.

So, why am I a crazy animal freak? Again, I have my mom to thank for this. I grew up on a farm, surrounded by hundreds of animals. It’s all I know, really. And this whole “fear of dogs” thing? I don’t get it. You give me the meanest, scariest, mangiest dog, and I will have him/her licking my face in a matter of minutes. ‘Nuff said.

So, then I got to thinking, I saw all these kids playing in the dog run this morning. They also had no fear. They had the hugest grins on their faces, playing with any and every doggy who came up to them (Scope is a major kid lover). And maybe, just maybe, it’s a good thing for kids to learn not to fear animals. And maybe, just maybe, this lack of fear can cross over into the rest of their lives. Maybe they learn not to fear themselves, and also learn to love another creature so much that it brings them to tears. I think it’s certainly worked for me.

And then I got to thinking about how doggies are kind of “slaves” to what Freud would call their “id.” They don’t so much worry about the future, or paying taxes, or what their butt looks like, or whether or not they should have another bite of dog food because it might make their hips become fat. They are stuck in the here and now. And they are passionate. They love deeply.

And then I got to thinking about how it’s not such a bad thing to let your “id” out every once in a while. No, we can’t all go around having sex with anyone who sniffs our butt, and sleeping for 20+ hours a day. But maybe there are some of us that should let our “id” out at least a little more than we usually do.

Our inner child IS our inner dog in many ways. And maybe just maybe we should all unleash our inner dogs more than we tend to do.

I challenge you to all go to the dog park in the morning, and frolic in the grass with all of the doggies and try and be pissed off at the same time. I bet you an oyster you can’t!

I hope you enjoy the video below, which I just made from iPhone photos and FlipHD videos that I took at the dog park. Try and watch it without smiling. I bet you can’t!

My apologies to everyone for my last rant/post about UPS. I actually had a great day today, save for UPS pissing me off (and I don’t piss off easily).

Anyway, let’s get back to the good stuff.

I will be a doctor in less than one day. Today was a very long day of endocrinology. I had to wake up very early in the morning, and I just now got home (it’s now 8 p.m.). Long day for an elective. But guess what? I learned sooo much. And so I am not upset about the hours.

Tomorrow is my last day of endocrinology. It’s also my last day of med school. MY LAST DAY OF MEDICAL SCHOOL! My apologies if I’m too excited. But guess what, I’M EXCITED!! In less than 24 hours I will have fulfilled all of the requirements to become a medical doctor in the USA. Yes, I will not actually receive my diploma for a few weeks. But that is merely a piece of paper. I am almost a doctor.

It’s exciting and scary and wonderful and terrifying, all at the same time. I’ve worked soooo very hard to get where I am now. And it has all been worth it. All the blood, sweat, tears, and money…. But after tomorrow I will be a doctor. And no one can take that away from me. Eat that, UPS! (Okay, I have obviously not gotten over that yet!)

Photos: I took both of them today. The first one was taken very close to my hospital. I parked far away enough to catch this on my walk. (RIP Kendoggz…one of my nicknames, by the way.) Second one was taken out of my car window on the drive home. Turns out you have to get creative if you’re not a “walker.”

“Yo Brooklyn, Fuhgeddaboudit” Photo Series

So, I know you are all sick of hearing this, but documenting my life is one of my most favorite hobbies, and is therapeutic in many ways. Although I’ve used all kinds of expensive and nice cameras to take photos, I’m currently quite obsessed with my iPhone. No, the quality is not nearly as nice as other cameras. But guess what? Even the best camera can’t take a photo if you don’t have it with you. And I carry my iPhone with me pretty much everywhere I go. Because of that, I take many great photos that would have otherwise gone unphotographed. The quality suffers (in some ways, is cooler, though), but the quantity is much higher.

I could tell you all about my wonderful day today, but I lack the energy to do so. I went for a great run this morning and then I went in for my endocrinology rotation at the hospital. Today was a good day. I drove to the hospital, so I don’t have any great photos from my walks today, but I have some cool ones (in this post) that I’ve taken over the past few days in my neighborhood and in Manhattan yesterday. Enjoy. (And thank my iPhone for them!)

Photos:

1) The cool 3-sided painting beside the subway stop outside of my apartment.
2) Pay phones. They still exist?
3) Same painting, with a person passing.
4) Another pay phone. Think it actually works?
5) Same painting as above, sans person.

“Yo Brooklyn, Fuhgeddaboudit” Photo Series

My doggies Scope and Molly just had the BEST DAY EVER! We went to the legal off-leash dog run in Prospect Park (legal before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m.).

I’ve never before seen so many doggies in one place in my life! It was AWESOME! I can’t wait to go back! Prospect Park, I love you!

Click Here to See the Pics

“Every time I drive in rush hour traffic, I lose a piece of my wings.”

- Kendra Campbell

I’ve learned two important things this week (my first week of endocrinology, and first week of driving to the hospital):

1) I really like endocrinology. It’s interesting and not too complicated and I’ve learned a lot. My attending is the bomb.

2) I will NEVER drive to work. Ever. Again.

I’m pretty sure that driving is perhaps the worst torture that exists. It beats down your very soul. Traffic can turn the very best mood into the very worst. I am no longer able to take photos and videos along my route. I have no control over how fast or slow I can go. I am at the mercy of traffic. You might think that I’m exaggerating, but I’m not. Driving to work even for one week has taken away a piece of my soul. Now I will have to regenerate that piece via walking for a year.

I have one more week of med school (endocrinology) left. I might decide to take the subway to the hospital (even though it would be a longer trip), just because I think driving is killing me.

Anyway, 5 more days of work until I am a doctor. Yes indeedy.

Photo: Taken today during endocrinology rounds. Infection control does save lives.