This past weekend we had three days off due to Presidents’ Day on Monday, and let me tell you, it was needed. The extra day provided time to catch up on all those little things that have been put on the back burner over the past couple weeks. More than anything, the apartment needed some TLC as it had taken the brunt of my exam driven negligence.

The bond between an ND and DC student

The extra day also served as a time of solace to gather up any procedural notes and thoughts relating to male and female sensitive exams, as we will be performing them on paid “sim” patients this coming week. It can be a bit of a daunting prospect, and it’s hardly something that my classmates and I are overly excited about. However, if there is an activity that perfectly embodies why many of us chose NUHS, this is it. This is one of those quintessential primary care skills that we need to develop. As daunting as the task may seem, it is a crucial milestone on the journey to doctorhood.

Chicago, rising from the mist

As crucial as this impending task is, it’s not necessarily something I enjoy dwelling on, so I promptly found time to enjoy the unprecedented weather in Chicago this past weekend. With a high of almost 70º on Saturday, I dusted off the bike, gave it one heck of a tune-up, and ripped down the lakeshore trail for its inaugural trip of the season.

I was not disappointed as the view was breathtaking. The cold, rising from the water mingled with the warm air from the city, swirling into clouds of vapor and mist, shrouding the city in an ethereal blanket. A wispy, fading manifestation of that shining city on a hill struck me as an ironic happenstance. My bleak geopolitical reverie certainly didn’t last long as I had to really kick it hard when another biker made the mistake of passing me. My mind focused to the task at hand, I found the true solace I was searching for.