New York City: Day 1 Morning/Afternoon

Woooo finally in New Yorkkkkk!!! I have to say, although I’ve been to the city multiple times, I’m really really realllyyyy excited for this trip in particular. I guess because I’ve always wanted to come to NYC alone so I can see whatever I want, whenever I want. It is a little sad because being a tourist alone is never fun (I’ve been mistaken for a local within an hour of me being here…) but it’s also great because of the independence. And I feel like I’ve been here enough that I already know a lot about the city like which spots to avoid, how to navigate the city through the metro, the locations, etc. and feel comfortable exploring on my own.

Anyway, so first things first: MY MEGABUS EXPERIENCE.

I will say I was really scared to take the bus. I was up literally all last night, thinking up horror stories of how I was going to get rejected from the bus or accidently miss it, etc. But, I was able to get on the bus and had a pretty good first-time Megabus experience. Lots of bumps and jolts along the way, and the seats weren’t exactly comfortable, but nothing to complain about especially for a $30 ticket. The bus driver was nice enough to turn a little bit of heating on, so it was comfortable temperature-wise. Although I do have a grudge against him for leaving passengers behind! I guess it’s not his fault because he’s just doing his job, but it was so heartbreaking to see a foreign young lady by herself with a baby left at the bus stop in Pittsburgh because she didn’t have her ticket details with her. Really sad. That and the Wifi didn’t work, gah! Besides that, the bus ride was okay and tolerable. To my surprise, there was even a rest stop where we could grab a quick lunch. I got a 6-inch subway sandwich and a coffee since I had skipped breakfast that day and was feeling like a total zombie. Oh and I also managed to read some Blueprints Medicine on the bus ride, so it was a somewhat productive journey. OH! And I also managed to start a rough draft of my resume, which is exciting, even though it’s mega early.

The bus dropped us off in Midtown Manhattan, conveniently right next to a metro station. A few stops on the Red line and I was at the hotel. Mom had a break right around the time I got close to the hotel, so it worked out perfectly. After dropping off my stuff, I just grabbed my crossbody bag and headed up to Times Square, which is only 3-4 blocks away from our hotel! The only sad part is that it was raining and incredibly humid, so I was a sweaty, frizz-ball haired mess just walking around a few blocks. Since I’ve seen Times Square like a bajillion times and it’s one of my least fave spots in NYC, I decided to just grab a slice of NY-style pizza from Pizza Parmigiano (with solid Yelp reviews of course) and head back to the hotel to unwind a little bit. So, I’m typing this currently in our hotel bed eating a deeelish slice of white-cheese pizza and watching the Food Network. I’m about to head out in a few to meet up with mom, who gets done with training at 4:45ish. Not sure what we’re going to do tonight since she saw Times Square last night and it’s too gross out to go to Central Park or take the ferry to the Statue.

Anywhos, I’m going to finish scarfing down my pizza and will update on our evening shenanigans. Loving the city so far and I’m sooooo excited for this week! :D

First Post!

Woo first post on this new blog!

I'm Nikki and I'm (now) a third year medical student. I've always enjoyed blogging and web design, but since college I've barely been able to keep up on my school work, let alone on my hobbies. Therefore, when I was at the lowest point of my life about two months ago after my Step 1 exam, I decided to take charge and really focus on my hobbies and decided to live life to the fullest. Now, those memories of how horrible that test period want still haunts me, and will haunt me until I match into a residency program 1 1/2 years from now. But in the meantime, I'm all about enjoying life to the fullest and not wasting a single moment regretting anything. It's easier said that done, but putting in effort to be optimistic is better than sitting around sulking, right? 

Now I don't really get to blog too often once I get into the crazy rut of studying and crazy intense classes and rotations. But once or twice a week, I like to escape the craziness and stress of school to focus on my hobbies. One of my hobbies is makeup. I absolutely love looking up makeup tutorials, watching beauty-related YouTube videos, trying out new products, playing around with different makeup styles, etc etc etc. I also love all sorts of crafts like sewing, scrapbooking, jewelry making, DIY stuff, etc. as well as home decor. Nothing relaxes me more than re-organizing and re-decorating my apartment as the seasons change. I've also started to cook and bake a lot more than before. My love started a few years ago when I worked at a local bakery and got to ice cookies, cupcakes, etc. Ever since then I've been obsessed with cake decorating, and have expanded that love into trying out new recipes I find on Pinterest. I am a bit of a foodie, which doesn't sit well with my waistline, so coming up with healthy but yummy, savory recipes is one thing I'm trying to get better at!

Combining my love of blogging with my love for all things girly like fashion, makeup, crafting, baking, I started my first blog towards the end of December 2013 so that I could get my hobbies and life back on track and just have an escape for when things aren't going well or if I'm mega stressed out. I had been wishy washy about posting until April 2014 when things really took a turn for the worse and I had a total, mental breakdown. I skimped on a trip I had planned for Vegas the day right after Step 1 because I was a total wreck after that exam. Long story short, it was by far the worst period of my life, to the point where I was contemplating giving up on medical school completely. But, a month later, I got my score report back and I was happy to learn that I had passed. Below average, but still could have been tremendously worse since I walked out of the exam thinking I had definitely failed, and since my practice exams a few weeks before the exam showed failing scores. 

Since that period, I decided to be more proactive about life and to enjoy my medical school journey rather than loathe every second of it. Yes, I hadn't done nearly as well as I wanted (my aim score was 240+. My real score...ummm much less than the average score of 227), but it's not so bad that I won't be accepted anywhere. I still have a decent shot at some good schools. Not NYC schools, but maybe a good chance at UPMC and Washington DC schools if I do well in my rotations. And that is what I've been focusing on the most for the time being...my clinical performance in rotations. If anything can save me now, it's doing well in my clerkships. So I'm hoping for mainly all High Passes, maybe even with a few Honors to really make me shine during my residency applications, despite my weak Step 1 score. I know it's going to take a lot of work, but I'm ready for the challenge. 

SO AFTER THAT LONG INTRO...point is that I've rediscovered my passion for blogging as well as enjoying life as much as I can. Which brings me to the start of this blog, where I'm hoping to document all my travels throughout medical school! A little late, but better than never! I'm hoping to write about my experiences in new, different cities as well as sharing some photos. This is a blog mainly for me to just keep track of all the different places I've gone, because I've never really kept a photo album or anything about all the places I've visited. And, it's nice to always document your thoughts and experiences. Well now that I've rambled forever in this post, I'll be posting soon about my upcoming trip next week: New York City!