So, it is the beginning of week nine, and I only have two exams this week, hooray!

There has been so much going on up to this point in the trimester that I haven’t had a lot of time to spend with anyone who is not in some class with me. It seems even my time with school friends seems to be cut short. On campus we just finished up another Diversity Week celebration including a few great panel discussions and International Day, which included a bunch of tasty foods.

Outside of school, I got the opportunity to see a whole bunch of my friends at the much-anticipated wedding of a pair of people who are very much family to us. My kids were part of the wedding party as ring bearer and flower girl, and they were excited to be a part of the festivities. Being that this was Halloween weekend, the theme of the event was to “Be Extra,” and everyone got to wear whatever made them feel fabulous. This meant that my daughter could wear her fluffiest dress with fairy wings and glitter; it was probably one of the most fun weddings that I have ever attended.

These people have been in our lives for the better part of the last 15 years, and it was good to catch up with everyone. I feel like it is very easy to get wrapped up in all the craziness of our own lives, especially when undertaking the course loads we do on our paths to become doctors. While I have made some very close friends here at National–the kind of you laugh and cry with–the people who help you get through the tough weeks–I feel that weekends like this are a good reminder that it is important to take a step back and reconnect with your community as a whole: this was the recharge that I needed to keep me going during the last few weeks toward finals!