As I walk on campus making footprints in the snow, I look around and notice that
it will be the last of my winters at National before spring trimester and graduation.
My prints will melt when the weather turns nice, but I know I made pretty good memories for myself, and many will remember who I am. I am still amazed that in three more months I will be graduating from National! It is a school that has grown to be my second home…with professors and peers alike who turned into love/hate relationships. (Come on, we can be honest that we do have that in our own household)! There are ups and there are downs, but coming to a school that you have become accustomed to–and one day won’t be coming back to–to sit in class or see patients anymore–is a stark realization.

We all run on our own timelines. We will either work with it, or at times against it. When I first started at National, I worked with it. I had all my classes planned and laid out, I made spreadsheets to follow, and made sure I had the right count down. In actuality, time is not the enemy: it’s your perception of time. Be thankful you are still in class, and that you made it to the next level in the program. Be motivated as you are busy in the clinic, because as an intern, being busy is foreshadowing that you will be successful on your own, as a practitioner, in your own practice.

Going back to my very first introductory blog as an acupuncture student, I shared that I had started at National as fulfilling a wish for my late father. But in reality, it was my path all along, and it has become my foundation of growth. It is a dream I have pursued for myself and no other. I can say choosing acupuncture will not only be a career, but truly my passion, and a path on which I will not become tired.

My best advice: Take the first step and move forward, try not to look too far into the past, and instead learn from the lessons life brings. Don’t look too far in the future, for at times it can bring  more stress than you should experience. Work with time, it provides guidelines for the future and valuable learning experiences. It may be a few short months until graduation, but in the two-and-a-half years I’ve spent at National, I’ve been broken and I’ve grown. But most of all, I have learned and healed with the support of peers, professors, and mentors who have turned out to be like family.

So far, 2020 is starting off to be a very good year for me, and I wish the same for you. Sending much love, many blessings, and wishing you abundance in every aspect of your life!