Manhattan bridgeChecking in with you guys after a month of fun! In the 4 weeks since my board exams, I have traveled a bit; I got to ride the Charlie (the mass transit) in Boston, MA, walk the street in New York City, see my cousin's dance recital in Fairfax, and search out family history in West Virginia... good times! I really wanted to get a "feel"/understanding of some other cultures in the USA because sometimes, when it seems like I've lived in Texas nearly all my life (which I have), thinking of places like New York seems foreign, kind of like a separate country. But perhaps that stems from the fact that Texas is almost its own country!
Mom kindly lent me her camera so I could have a little fun with photography. Hope you enjoy the pictures.
Brooklyn bridge and lower Manhattan
My understanding of the Northeast has progressed a litte further; finding that life happens up there a little differently than I've known before, but at the end of the day, the locals still tuck themselves into bed for a good night's sleep. Recently I watched a movie, "Moonstruck", with Cher and Nicholas Cage....the movie really came alive and touched me since I had just visted Brooklyn. While in New York, I journeyed from NYC proper way out to Yonkers, exploring the city of my mother's early childhood. With my Mimi's help, I even found their old house and took a picture for them... they haven't returned since my mom was 5 years old. Yonkers is definitely not a top 10 tourist destination or on any tourist's radar who visits NYC, and I enjoyed this side-step all the more because of that.
YonkersOn nearly every airplane/long distance bus trip, and in many restaurantes I met people from all over the USA who didn't mind chatting a little and sharing some about their lives... The converstations turned many a dull hour into one tremendously more interesting. I hope and pray they are doing well now.
Stretching in a NYC park, 6AM... the city seemed almost deserted at that hour. But people popped out of the mortor work soon afterwards. The bustling, busy body streets definitely live up to their reputation.
North End Harbor
My friend Tao, was kind enough to let me crash at his place in Boston. Friends since Texas A&M, we found tons of things to do.
Uncle Darroll guided me through his homestate of West Virginia, showing me Valley Falls State Park, where I almost fell into the raging Monongahela river.... site of an early 1850s mill. Luckily I grip rock like an Appilachian Mountain goat.
Great Uncle Darroll and I explored my Great Great Great Grandfather Peter McDiffitt's house at Glover's Gap, West Virginia. The last residents abandoned the building in the 1950s and the house is in general disrepair. Really cool!
Playing with food at Ryan's in WV. This guy's name is Ryanoff the Sweet; made of jelly beans, pineapple rinds, lemons, waffle cone, whipped cream and a chocolate raisin.
After journaling/processing this trip more, I'm hoping to get some insight about where to practice medicine, wether urban or rural. ( right now my only stipulation is that the location must be a medically undersereved area). Each environment is unique in how its residents live in community... hang out, interact, do daily things....
I have had a blast doing normal people stuff too; like watching movies, reading for pleasure, hanging out with people I haven't seen since putting my head in a hole to study, thrift store shopping for clinic clothes, and witnessing many friends commit to eachother in marraige.
Surgery rotation begins this Monday, which I'm super excited about. I almost feel prepared, after practicing my suturing on pigs feet bought from Fiesta. Will keep sending monthly letters to keep in touch.
Love,
~Student Doctor Drew
