April/May Summup

What a busy spring season it has been! So so much has been going on!

I made friends with several CIM students this semester and as a direct result, enjoyed copious amounts of Brahms, Bach, etc. This is Shih-Ping. She graduated this semester and I had the joy of doing my first "Asian" hairstyle on her...

I finally hit the "menace" age. Yes, that is right, I turned 25. And we had a glorious festivus to celebrate. Pinata included! I tended to make the funniest faces when hitting the pinata -- as shown above.

You'd never believe that this picture was taken in April. But it was sadly, still THAT cold in Cleveland. Also, this picture is important to note, as this is "my other half".

Andrea and I are born a week apart, so we decided to have a big birthday bash at the apartment. I let her smack at the pinata first. Using a fleece scarf as a blindfold = a sweaty bad idea!

Girl's luncheon at Number One Pho. (And for the record, I still do miss Anne as a roommate). And I now know that I really don't care for Vietnamese food.

My birthday dinner at Momocho -- where the best quacamole in the city resides. They used sparklers as birthday candles. I thought it was super clever. And they didn't even sing me an awful birthday tune -- which I surely appreciated.

The Kirtland Temple had it's 175th (?) annual anniversary. I was fortunate enough to get tickets to the 7:30 AM session. Hearing the Spirit of God in the temple is amazing in and of itself... but seeing the sunrise inside the building, made it just that much cooler.

I am surely getting my artist culture exposed while here in the Cleve. I have now seen: Wicked, My Fair Lady, Les Miserables and West Side Story... I am sure that there are more to come. The weirdest moment to date is still seeing the star from "Web Site Story" in the actual live broadway show...

I only can wonder what the summer will bring! (Both event wise and hair color wise! Ha ha!)

Life of a "Pixie"

In light of losing all the recent weight, I convinced myself that a total make-over was only appropriate. I decided that I wanted to chop all the hair off and dye it dark. I have always loved dying my hair dark, but have been intimidated about cutting it shorter than about a jaw length bob cut. Well... all those rules were put to the test and broken; as now, I am beginning my life as a pixie/rocker/sometimes "professional" scientist.

The before and after shot:

Day 1 of me styling it. Granted it was Sunday, so I tried to "behave" for the occasion.

First day of attempting the "faux hawk"... I am sure this style will be played with more in the future....

All my hair is gone, but I am still the same sassy gal as before (but perhaps my hair is just an extension of the personality.. :) )

Five Months in Retrospect

One of the benefits of a blog is the ability to freely write and feel relief. As such, I am impressed to take a moment and reflect on the past 5 months of my life.

In July 2010, I knew this much:

I considered myself a fairly strong person. Happy. Career-driven. Caring. Perfectionistic. While I thought I was a well-balanced individual, in hindsight, I was easily a 'work-a-holic'. Though somewhat imperfect in some elements, life was good (as the infamous trademark would say).

On July 27, 2010 this drastically changed.

Life became ... harder. Though at first I tried to be strong and "push through", my health slowly caught up to me. Food became the enemy. My energy was the next to go. The term "spiraling downward" was a literal reality. During the next five months, I became very familiar with the healthcare system I have been studying to "improve".

Within the months I experienced:

-2 ER visits (Ohio and New Hampshire)

-Upper Endoscopy

-Ultrasound

-CT Scan (with contrast!)

-HIDA Scan

-Colonoscopy

-Gallbladder Surgery

Along with several various doctor appointments and 'diagnoses'.

Now, it is interesting how your view on life changes when you are unable to successfully live it for long periods of time. There are moments of: "why me?", "I give up", "Tomorrow will hopefully be better" and "tears". But no matter how I look at it, I am a better and even stronger person because of the past 5 months and all the moments, thoughts and feelings that were associated with them.

What have I learned? About life...myself...happiness? A lot.

But here are a few key elements...

As of January 2011, this is my new outlook and thoughts on my life:

1. You cannot live your life alone. Or even think you can. It is when you are at your weakest that you realize that you must count on others to pull you through. And when you are your highest, you must act as that bolstering effect to those around you.

2. When you think you are at your lowest....it can still get lower. To quote Jane from Disney's Tarzan: "Well it can't get any worse can it? ... Why yes, yes it can."

3. Life can never be solely defined by your occupation. Ever.

4. You must 'let your inner child out to play'. Often.

5. I have more willpower than I realize. (Giving up gluten for 5 months will do that to you.)

6. Fear and anxiety are real. And should not just be "pushed aside" as a 'little thing'.

7. After getting sick, chronically, you learn who your 'true' friends are.

8. I have complete empathy for anyone with a food allergy or special dietary concern. COMPLETE empathy.

9. Happiness is not solely defined. It is a VERY complex emotion.

10. Persistence is a trait that I should never forget. (Especially during my long haul of getting a Ph.D.).

No matter how many lessons I learned, the most important thing is that I have been improved as a person. Were the past five months some that I never want to relive? Yes. But am I glad they happened? Yes. We can only grow when we have been pushed to our lowest.

For those that have stood by me during this time. Thank you. Words cannot express my appreciation. I hope this song summarizes my feelings however...