Buckinghamshire...

I am off to check out my new accommodations at Stoke Mandeville where I will be living for the next 4 weeks! Hopefully it isn't too horrible. Not sure I will have any internet there but we shall see.

Adventures in London and Paris

Did some sightseeing right off the plane, the London Eye.


Outside Johnny's apartment....see it really was snowing in London.


Dinner on the Seine.


Top of the Eiffel Tower


The girls at Aude's for dinner.


Aude, me and Mathilde


5 course dinner with Aude, Robin and Mathilde.


Riding up to see the Sacre Coeur.


Annabeth checking out the view from Montmartre.

Of course we had to ride the horses!

Just a few of the California Pictures

View from the train ride down to San Diego. Yes the train was that close to the water for a good portion of the trip!


Chris picked me up at the train station and we did a little touristy stuff like the Meditation gardens in Solana Beach.


Incredible views from up there.


Spending some quality time with Katelyn!


Martha and Katelyn


Tommy and Ashleigh after some pool time.


Cheryl and I drove up to Santa Barbara for the day.

only a little jet-lagged

I made it over to London. It is definetly colder than I would prefer. When I arrived on Monday it was snowing! Apparently, the first snow all year. It wasn't cold enough for it to accumulate on the ground but nice to see. I spent one night with Chantal and Johnny in London and then headed over to Paris. So now, I am spending some time with Pete, Barb, Sylvie and Annabeth. Yesterday we did some shopping and had dinner on the river boat. Today we went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. This evening Aude, Robin and Mathilde are having us all over for dinner. I haven't seen them since 2003! Looking forward to it although my french is terrible! I head back to London tomorrow night and will spend the weekend there. I have lots of pics. I will upload some to my blog this weekend.

Drum roll please.......

I am proud to report that I got my first choice!! I will be a pediatric resident at Virginia Commonwealth University (aka Medical College of Virginia). I really didn't even think it was possible but am thrilled to have gotten it! I will be spending the next three years of my life in Richmond starting June 23rd. Till then I am celebrating and packing for Europe!

Big Relief

I matched to a residency program. I find out on Thursday where!! I will let you know when I find out!!

West Coast

I am out here in Orange County and loving the sunshine! I already have some color to my skin (aka a little burned). Cheryl has been showing me all around this place. My first day out here we maxed and relaxed by the pool. Yesterday we hit up Newport Beach and then today we went out to Laguna Beach. The weather has been very windy. Not perfect beach weather unless you want to get pelted with sand. We stopped off at a bunch of state parks all along the Pacific Coast Highway. I didn't take too many pictures since it was so windy! Tomorrow I head down to San Diego via the train. It should be a very scenic ride. I'll try to take some pics. Please keep your fingers crossed for Monday that I match somewhere!

Off to a warmer place....
Tomorrow I am heading out to California! Late last week I found out that I didn't have to work next week. I only have to do 3 weeks of my 4 week rotation. It was a wonderful surprise. This means I have essentially have two and a half weeks off!! So my plan is to fly out to visit Cheryl in Orange County then head to San Diego and visit Martha and family and Chris. I get to meet the newest addition Katelyn!! If there was more time I was going to try to fly up and visit Beth and Nana but that wasn't feasible. Beth is due in less than 6 weeks! On Monday the 17th, I will find out if I matched into a residency program. Please cross your fingers and say a prayer that I did. As long as that goes well, then I'll fly back on Wednesday night just in time to be back in NY C for Match Day Thursday!This is where I find out where I will be spending the next three years. I will let you know when I find out! Then on the 23rd I am flying to England spending the night then heading to Paris to meet up with Pete, Barb and the girls. I also am going to meet up with the Carles, Aude and Mathilde. For those of you who don't know, Aude and I were exchange students back in high school. I lived with her family in Reims for a summer and she with me right before Opal hit. Anyhow, I have lots of other stuff planned while I am doing my rotation in England and can't wait to play tourist. Right after getting back to the states at the end of April, I graduate the following weekend. Finally! I can hardly believe it is so close! I will try to be better with the blog as I am traveling around. The picture above is from the ice rink in central park. Stacey and I went skating one afternoon when it was bitter cold but luckily that meant no one else was out! We practically had the rink to ourselves!

Three More Months

The last few months have been hectic with interviews for residency. I am happy to say though that interviewing is over with and as of today I certified my rank list! This is the list of places I would like to go for pediatrics residency. I have ranked 13 programs of the 14 interviews I went on. I would share my choices with you but I don't think I can do that on here are this time. I will let you know as Match Day nears about some of it perhaps. Match Day is March 20th. I just hope I get a residency and I am happy wherever that might be. I don't think that is too much to ask.

Yesterday we got the first real snow fall in ages. I was thrilled to walk to work and took some pictures on the way. I also finished my anesthesia rotation on Friday. Only three more months and I will be finished. Hard to believe it.













Last weekend I went down to DC for the long weekend. I had a great time with Barbara, Sylvie and Annabeth. (Pete was down in Mexico on a fishing trip). I am now very in tune with the
"tween" pop culture. I heard lots of Hannah Montana and we went to see the Disney Production High School Musical at the National Theater. I was introduced to the Wii. It was so much fun. We spent a lot of time on it and I was actually a little sore in my arms afterwards. We went ice skating. My first time ever ice skating. I didn't fall once despite Annabeth trying to take me out. Overall we had a fabulous weekend!



At the end of March, I am headed to England for an elective. Coincidentally, Pete, Barb and the girls will be in Paris the first week I am over there. Since my first week is free, I will go meet up with them. Then the second week, Allison is coming to visit me! I am also planning to go see Laura in Leicester. Anyone else want to come visit?


Out in the city with Allison.

Christmas in Florida
New Year's Eve in New York...

I know it has been a while since I posted last. I apologize to those of you who have been waiting. I will start with where I left off. I was able to get time off to go down to FWB for Christmas. The weather was perfect. It was nice to be back down there. I had a few days to relax and do my last minute shopping for the kids. Christmas Eve Aunt Cathy and I went to the beach! Not quite bathing suit weather but relaxing none the less. After that, Tiff had a dinner party where the kids got loads of presents. Christmas day we were suprised with a massive thunder hail storm that rumbled through leaving behind what we rarely see in Florida...a white Christmas. It was beautiful. I must say it was mighty sad not to have Dustin and Hall to celebrate the holidays with us. They were both deeply missed. In a few days it will be 6 months since Dustin died. Still so sad. I headed back to NYC in time to celebrate the New Year with friends. William and his girlfriend came up to visit me right before the New Year. We hit up some of the touristy sites around town. They had never been up here before and took full advantage of all it had to offer.




This used to be our tiny Christmas tree. Now it is too big to fit inside.


Aunt Cathy at the beach.


I miss this....


Aunt Cathy about 20 feet in the air trying to fix the lights by drying them with a hair dryer after a big thunderstorm.


Travis not sure what to think about all his presents.


Hunter enjoying all his.


Palm after the hail storm.


View from the roof top where I celebrated the New Year.


Chantal, Johnny and me after midnight.

Merry Christmas!
I got a little potted tree but soon realized it just wasn't gonna do it. So this weekend Pooja and I went and got a real one. Turned out the one we liked was over 7 feet tall. Best decision ever.


Cheryl left us for a month to go to warm California. We already miss her LOTS!


Me at "the tree" in the freezing cold.





Our tree can rival that of the Rockefeller tree! Don't you think??


Ohhh, ahhh. We keep admiring it everyday!

My visitors!
I had some visitors over Thanksgiving weekend! Pete, Barbara, Sylvie and Annabeth came to visit me. It was a great time. The visit was short but we did managed to see How the Grinch Stole Christmas on Broadway despite the strike and braved the bitter cold to play tourists. I only wish they could have stayed longer. Here are some pictures from the visit!


Sylvie and Annabeth



Rockefeller Center before the Tree was lit.


Don't worry thats not Pete's hat...but that is mine


View from the room.

Leaves in Central Park


Ceiling of the Guggenheim