What I'm Up To

Well, it is only the second week of 2017, but I've got big plans! Here is a list of 5 things that are on my mind.

1. I went to visit some college friends in Philadelphia this past weekend, and it was a blast! We ate (a LOT), and saw some pretty amazing farm animals! 

On Friday night, we went to a totally unique and authentic Moroccan restaurant called Marrakesh. I was there once before during undergrad when I went on a trip through my school that basically allowed students to try authentic cultural cuisines (which was amazing not only because I was able to try so many different foods that I would be afraid to try otherwise, but especially because it was free!).Walking up to Marrakesh, you can easily mistake it for another row home. There is a sign above it, but the door is locked! Once you knock, a greeter opens the door for you in what I would assume to be traditional Moroccan attire. They greet you, then lead you to a table (which is actually like a couch). The atmosphere is dark, almost like it is candle-light and without electricity. The walls are covered in patterns and fabric. You sit at a small table with your dinner mates, and the server then comes over to wash your hands before you begin eating. You actually don't use much silverware for your meal! After washing your hands, the server places a towel over your lap, and brings out your first (of many) shared courses. My friends and I had so much delicious food, which included some yummy chicken that fell right off the bone (even with pulling it apart with a piece of flat bread - I have no idea what it is actually called), couscous, lamb,  a sweet egg and meat pie, baklava, and some fresh fruit. And of course with our meal, we had some wine! It is such a fun experience going to Marrakesh!

On Saturday, we took a day trip to the Farm Show. There we saw pigs, goats, ducks, chickens, alpacas, cows, horses - basically every farm animal you can think of! We also ate some delicious food. My favorite were the fried vegetables - it was the best mix of healthy and unhealthy I can possibly ever imagine, and I swear I will be dreaming about those delicious pieces of broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and onions! At night, we went to my friend's house and had a fire...in the frigid weather. Not really sure what we were thinking, but it was really fun!

On Sunday, we went for brunch because I had to get back that night to get myself together for work bright and early the next morning. We made reservations for Cafe Lift, and while we waited we hung out at the Prohibition Taproom which was across the street. The food was SO delicious!

2. I'm attempting to soak up every last bit of my break before I go back to school next week. I worked today (yay for some spending money!), and plan on seeing friends & family and going on a little getaway with B. I'm not sure of my exact plans yet, but trips are always more fun when you don't plan and just go, right? :)

3. Even though I want to have all the fun, I'm also attempting to continue leisurely studying. I want to review all of the subjects that we already went over in my main class, Clinical Medicine. I love this class, and feel like I truly understand the material once it is taught there, so I've been following what we have already covered. I actually feel pretty good about what I learned in the past 2 semesters - reviewing the material makes me feel like I've been retaining a lot of the information! I also want to start planning my days once school begins - time to dedicate some time to my pretty planner!

4. I've realized that I may not have it all together, blogger-wise (or any other way actually! haha). So I've been researching like crazy how to actually do this whole blog thing the right way. I want my blog to be more visually appealing, have good content, and be a place to make connections with other bloggers and non-bloggers alike. But in order to do that, I need to figure out this entirely new language - so bear with me as I go on my temporary hiatus from blogging any complex content. I've already found some really great information, and I cannot wait to learn how to use a few new apps! I'll certainly be working hard to make sure I can rock this whole online writing deal while I am gone, you can count on that! And I'd be happy to take advice or any suggestions for anything blog-related. :) Feel free to leave a comment below!

5. It's a little late, but here are my 2016 top 9 photos on Instagram. I cannot wait to see what is in store for 2017!

A Day in the Life of a PA Student: Didactic Year

Hey all!

So I wanted to share with you a typical PA school day. I am in my didactic year, which means strictly classroom time. That includes mostly lectures, but some lab time as well each week. Here is a typical day for me:

7:00 am: wake up, get ready for class, pack my lunch and snacks for the day

7:30 am: travel to get coffee, then immediately to class (or just class if I am running late)

8:00 am: class #1 until 10:00 am

10:00 am: break in the day (I usually study during my breaks, or go get coffee, or study going to and from a coffee place with some PA school friends by quizzing each other)

12:00 pm: eat lunch while studying

1:00 pm: class #2 until 3:00 pm

3:00 pm: class #3 until 4:00 pm

4:00 pm: another break (to eat, get coffee, study)

5:00 pm: class #4 until 8:00 pm

8:00 pm: study at the library, study at home, get more coffee, etc.

12:00 am: (but sometimes almost always later) shower, prepare lunch/outfit for the next day, sleep

...and repeat.

Some of my very colorful (then: in progress) anatomy drawings from my first semester. I used this method to study for all of my anatomy practicals!

My schedule changes every day, but I usually have 3-4 classes per day. All classes are mandatory in my program, and if you miss you have to write a 10 page paper on the material. Ain't nobody got time for that! So I really strive to be early to classes, and at the very least like to be there 5 minutes early to get settled in.

Sometimes, we go straight through with classes, but typically don't get out until 3 or later (but usually later, between 5-8). Most of the classes are in a lecture hall, but 1-2 times a week we get to venture into the lab (where we practice clinical skills on each other - so much fun! but it can also be painful sometimes haha).

my hand: a few days after a friend of my successfully placed her first IV

There is a whole lot of studying involved every day, but I usually take some time off on Friday or Saturday nights to spend time with family or friends, or to spend some time alone. PA school can be draining, and sometimes you just need to sit in silence (or with some background music) and veg out!

a new year & new beginnings

Happy New Year's Eve!

2016 has been a great year for me - I started PA school and passed 2 semesters of classes, which I am extremely proud of. My big girl career is off to a great beginning and I cannot wait to see what comes next!

With a new year comes new beginnings. I know, it is such a cliche, but what better time to kick old habits and start new ones?!

In 2017, I have a few goals for myself. Over the years, I've learned that I like to set extravagant goals that I usually don't reach, so this year I am trying something different and setting more manageable goals for myself.

Basically, I want to manage my time better. Of course, PA school kind of forces you to manage your time well or you will definitely fall behind. I have been succeeding in all of my classes, so that must mean I at least have some pretty good time management in the study and learning department. But I would like to improve my time management outside of the realm of school. I want to have more time for exercising and taking care of my body. I already gave myself Tuesday nights each week off for Symphonic Band practices, since that is literally one of the only hobbies of mine that I feel like I can enjoy without a nagging guilt coming over me - making time for creating music gives me a sense of calmness and clears my mind. I would also like to give myself a little bit more time to myself to do whatever is calling me at that time. PA school is insanely stressful, and that means needing a definite time to relax, even if it is once a week every other weekend. I can remember definite times in the past 2 semesters where I procrastinated and was not as focused as I could be while studying. I want to make the most of my study time so that I can have some me time back. Finally, I want to be able to get a little bit more sleep each night. Again, going back to procrastination, when I procrastinate, I don't sleep as well. And we all know, sleep is important!

So how do I plan on improving my time management skills? Well, I am super excited about this new planner from Target! It is a monthly/weekly planner made by Sugar Paper, and I am in love with the layout. It has your typical days per week sectioned off so you can write any notes in there, and then it has a page full of to-do check boxes. They are my absolute favorite to use!

In the past, I always penned in my own checkboxes for each day, but in PA school at least, it usually always takes a lot longer than 1 day to complete a task (maybe my tasks are about as manageable as my past New Year's goals?? - something to definitely look into), so this planner should help me with being organized and reminding myself of weekly instead of daily to-do tasks. This planner is also a little bit larger than my past planners, so I am hoping that I can fit all of my color-coded chaos better than I did in my last planner. Finally, it is absolutely adorable! Motivation in itself right there to be better with my time management!

What are your New Year's resolutions? What do you want to accomplish in the next 365 days? I'd love to hear!

xohollyd

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time for rest and restoration

Now that I am on break (yay!), I am attempting to revert back to Holly as a social being as much as possible, without sacrificing all of the forward motion I created for myself during a hectic 18 classes in 6 months.

My goals for this break: to unwind, to work, to study, to spend time with friends and family.

Version A of unwinding: binge watching Netflix with B. Specifically, binge watching Dexter - it's a great show! Version B of unwinding: exercising more. I've started doing a nightly ab workout that only takes 10-15 minutes, and I am hoping that I can carry this through the next semester as well (I definitely slack in the working out department when the semester gets going - and that is something I would like to work on!). I have also been running after getting out of work. There are some really amazing trails in the general area of the location I work at, and it kind of forces me to make sure I am prepared for a run after my shift ends. Version C of unwinding: music. I want to perfect my Amazon Prime Music playlist for studying (no words!) and for times where I would like other music that I enjoy (a mixture of indie I guess you can call it, with some piano, jazz, classical, orchestral, etc. etc...I love most all types of music!).

instagram: xohollyd

Working. I'd like to make a few dollars over break. Not working like a mad woman (like I did to get into PA school - more on that on a later date), but a few shifts a week so that I can have some money to support my coffee addiction. Yes, that is a legitimate thing! Coffee = necessary essential.

I've been pretty good about keeping up on studying, sort of. In a much more leisurely way than I'm used to. It is really nice to head out to a coffee shop, plug in my headphones, and review/read/write. It is amazing how much I am remembering, despite how quickly it was thrown at us in class and exams. It is also nice to have a few assignments ahead of time (i.e. a pharmacology journal article review) so that I can take my time and really understand the scientific articles I'm reading.

Finally, the best part: spending time with friends and family. My first encounter with the outside world (my non-PA school friends) was going out with my friend while wearing ugly Christmas sweaters. I immediately headed to my mom's closet, where she keeps several brilliant 90's Christmas sweaters that fit the "ugly Christmas sweater" description perfectly! She doesn't like me saying that though. :) Then, of course, there is cooking dinner with/for my parents and sister, shopping with my family, Christmas eve mass, Christmas day lunch, and much more! I also plan on visiting a good friend from college in Philadelphia, and going for lunch with some of my local non-PA school friends. B and I plan on taking a little mini trip somewhere and exploring. We always have the best times when we randomly pick up, Priceline a hotel an hour or less before we get there, and find fun local activities for the next few days. Not going to lie, it usually always involves a lot of tourist attractions (we are both nerds at heart), yummy food, and shopping (for me - B is always a good sport about it)!

I am going to soak up every last bit of this break before I hit the ground running next semester.

xohollyd

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a simple hello could lead to a million things

hello,

My name is Holly. I am a twenty-something girl making recent strides in both my career and my style. 

I have been following some pretty amazing bloggers and instagrammers to evolve my style, which I felt like was recently in a rut. I am a clearance rack hunter by trade - no shame here!! But I have more recently been gravitating toward more durable and quality staples (my boyfriend just recently purchased a pair of $150+ leather booties for me...I somewhat freaked out about the price tag, but was glad I insisted that he at least use a coupon for a few dollars off!). 

Now onto the career aspect. I was recently accepted into physician assistant school (the start of my dream career!) and will be starting my didactic, or classroom-based, year in less than 100 days, which is crazy! I've worked really hard to get where I am, and I had many struggles along the way, but am super proud that I have been able to accomplish more than I thought possible in the past few years since beginning my whirlwind of an experience as an undergrad at Temple University (more on that to come in the future). 

My newbie blogger goal is to be able to share [mostly] these two aspects of my life on a platform that I have never attempted to use. A sub-goal is to become more comfortable with my informal writing voice (I've really only ever written some college papers, most of which were science-based. Eek!). But that is more of a note to my nerdy side so that I can hopefully look back on this first post and see improvement on my writing skills and internal voice development. I'd finally like to make the following statement: I'd like this to be a positive place. I want to be able to encourage others (if anyone actually does read this), but at the very least provide myself with the ability to express my thoughts and grow. That's not to say I may not post anything difficult in content, but I'd like to be able to improve or grow, and I'd also like to make this a safe place for anyone who may need a friend. I am really excited about this new beginning, and I hope you'll join me!

xohollyd

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