I have Reached My Destination

Another year?

I have decided to keep the DestinationPharmD up over the next year. I probably won’t update it very much but at least it is there.

I am done… and this is how far I’ve been.

Two and a half weeks ago I posted my blog for the last day of rotations. In those several days a lot has happened to me. I went to Vegas and one 120 dollars. I was on  The Price is Right (actually on April 20th is the air date). I went to see Conan and Jay Leno live. I saw the shooting of Wonder Woman and walked on the set of untitled TV pilot. I saw stars exiting the premier of Soul Surfer, and I would down the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I went to Disneyland. I saw the LA Kings, and a manic homeless man on the subway. I ate at Umami Burger, Jack in the Box, Carl’s Junior, and In and Out Burger. I walked 40 miles, waited countless hours, and almost passed out. I drove a cross the country – seeing desert, mountains, plains, and forests.  I have lived a lifetime of experiences in just a short few weeks.

 

But in the scheme of things the last few weeks have only been a small part of the last 12 months or so.

 

I have been to 29 states, I have been to dozens of national parks, and I have hiked hundreds of miles.

 

I have traveled 39,000 miles, the equivalent of one and half times around the world. I have driven 24,000 miles, the equivalent of around the world.

 

In my  trip to Colorado, my vacation, and back. I drove 10,000 miles. Spent 186 hours in the car. Spent 1,200 hundred dollars on 330 gallons of gasoline. I recorded 40 hours of my cross trip journey (to be posted later).

 

I have lived in the fast paced, high strung city of Washington DC, a small, laid back mountain town, and in a secluded small town on and Indian reservation. I have worked with people from all races and creeds.

 

I have seen America. I experienced much of what it has to offer, and I am blessed for the experience.

 

But what is left now?

 

Over the next year I will be busy with the residency and then who knows what. I will be substantially less interesting, but I may keep the blog. A way to reach out to everyone – to express my good times and bad. Though it may become much more pharmacy oriented than it is now. As for now there will still be a few more posts.

1. Pictures from my vacation
2. My cross country time lapse video
3. Graduation

Until then, thank you for reading about all of my adventures and experiences. I am glad that many of you suffered through my poor grammar and spelling to hear how I am doing.

Day one has come and gone

“Hum along, sing these words out loud
The saddest little song you’ve ever hear”

 

“I can’t ever really believe”
“Can’t tell if this is true or dream”
“I’m so shocked I made it through these billion days” “falling slowly like a dream”

“Do you remember why you did it”
“Sometimes, I wonder how it would all be
If only one thing happened differently”

“Trying hard not to smile, though I feel bad”
When your at the end of the road”
“Please stay, don’t go away, The hardest thing is letting go”

“Is this the comfort of being afraid”
“reminds me this seems absurd to stay”
“I wanna live, I wanna leave I wanna open up and breathe” 
“day one has come and gone away”

 

 

“And just remember who wrote that song, me baby, me”

2 to tango…

So I was going to post about study sessions that always transitioned into some sort of argument about politics or ethics.

 

Instead, I am just going to say that I am grateful for getting a residency in the Indianapolis area.

 

 

woohooooo

3’s Company

First, the pictures as promissed

Canyonlands and Sand Dunes

From Canyonlands and Sand Dunes

 

Alright – on to todays post.

 

I want to keep it short and too the point. Road trips. We took a fare share of them over the past few years. Just share a few moments from each one.

 

The first one was up to Montreal with Sad, Em, and Jeefer.

• Probably the most crazy part was driving through a blizzard in Jeff’s “88” Taurus
• Canadian Tire Hockey
• An entire burger left in the back seat.
• Throwing Socks

 

The next trip was to DC with Kyle, Em, John, and Sad

• Someone singing in the shower
• Someone getting slapped in the face
• Asleep, while everyone thinks you are still awake
• Happy Face, Happy Face, Happy Face, Sad Face
• Chocolate town
• Sonic

 

There was the trip to Boston with Sad, Em, and Wahid

• Eating the biggest burger I have ever seen and getting a certificate for it
• Harry Potter Museum – before I liked Harry Potter
• Crazy street market

 

Then we had several little road trips- like driving  nearly an hour just to eat at a dairy queen. Or the trips to NYC.

 

Good times were had by all. These are the times in school that I wish could last forever.

 

Only 2 more days left.

4 Score and…

A little delayed… I wrote it but forgot to post it. Sorry.

As I am counting down this last week I am looking back on my rotations and all the places that I visited. I won’t get into too much, because I plan on writing a summary when I get home.

I guess mostly I am looking back to the last several months when I was in Arizona. By far, it was the best rotation. I really miss being out there. I didn’t think I would ever say that.

The reservation at first was quite lonely. I guess it was really the first time I had really been on my own. School doesn’t count because you are surrounded by friends. I remember when I flew into ABQ and just being amazed by the scenery. When I finally made it to my house it was unbelievably dark lit only by the moon and a few randomly places street lamps. The ground was cracked dry mud, absent of any signs of life. In my front yard were distorted shapes of dead leafless trees that looked like they were straight from a Tim Burton movie. I didn’t sleep well that night.

A short time later there was a remarkable change in the scenery. What was a barren, dark area became full of life. Hughes of red, orange, and brown meshed went on for miles. Distant mesas were purple in the early morning contrasted by the grey and dark green mountains in the distance.

I was amazed.

Each weekend was something new and different, from the busy art community of Santa Fe to the serene experience of Canyon De Chelley’s Spider Rock.

It was an liberating experience, traveling across the American southwest, living free, and getting away from technology and the business of urban centers.

Although I missed being with my friends in Albany and family back at home – I am glad I got a chance to explore the country. It will be one of the defining movements of my life.

On a related note – I am also going to post pictures of my last couple of weekends. Two weekends ago I was able to go to one of my favorite places ever, Great Sand Dunes National Park. Imagine looking out and all you see is sand. The dunes are as high as 700 feet above you. Of course you have to walk to the top. When you finally get there, the dunes continue on for miles and miles, as far as you can see.

Quite amazing.

Last weekend I went to Canyonlands National Park. Another incredible place. Everywhere you look there are grand landscapes. I took a ton of pictures mostly pictures anywhere from 10-20 to merge them into one picture.

I will post the pictures when I get back.

A perfect fifth…

The way to a man’s heart it through the stomach. That is what they say at least.

 

Dinners was a thing of ours. There was something about getting everyone together with food that just let us relax, get out of the hectic life of school, and just be happy.

 

We had a tradition of “End of the year” dinners. Typically, through the magic of Facebook, we would set up events and argue about when to do it and where to go. Every time it seemed like no one would show up and somehow there would be 15 people that decided to come.

 

We ate the Olive Garden, Some noodle place, Red Robin, Cheesecake Factory, an indian restaurant, Fuddruckers, The Melting Pot, CiCi’s Pizza. Ok we at a lot.

 

But the best times where when we cooked. I personal favorite of Sad’s and mine would be the cheapest hot dogs you can by wrapped up in walmart brand buttery crescents. I can’t tell you how many time we made those.

 

Then there was the time we made shepherds pie. It was delicious. Or the time we made burgers on a tiny grill and got in trouble because of it. Or the time we made a cake and no one ate it so we built a tiny tunnel through it. Then there was the indian dinner.

 

Looking back so many of the best times revolved around us eating. So much it seems like that is all we did. Oh well.

 

I wish this was a better post and there was a way I can brig back so many great memories. In the end, it isn’t the food that I am missing, it was all the big get together we had. Being away for this long ad writing this up really makes me miss my friends.

Six geese a layin… I miss SSP

SeeSidePanel’s last show.

 

It was a culmination of one of the best experiences of my life.

 

We first started the band back in first year. Lisa, Dave, and I were playing for the mass held every Sunday. We would go early and practice, stay lay and practice. It was good times.

 

One sunday I started playing a bass line. Just a simple diatonic melody that worked its way from D to A. Dave liked it and came up with a great chord progression on top. The next thing you know Lisa came up with a fantastic melody and it was born. Eureka!

 

It was catchy, poppy, upbeat, and just fun to play. Turns out the resident director Mike Sass loved it and we played it every Sunday after that. Well things got rolling we asked Jo to come in and be a second guitarist and SeeSidePanel was born.

 

We were all set ready to rock people’s socks off. Except, we didn’t have a drummer. The Gateway M275 was to the rescue. I had experience programing drums, so using some nifty software I put together beats and we had a whole “band” put together. We did it with the help of our great friend and “mom” Josh who was always there supporting us, mixing our music, and just being a great guy.

Then we wrote our heavy song Redolant and our slow jam The Melted Hourglass and our hard rock Journey (to the center of the sun). We spent many hours playing endlessly in the South Hall Auditorium. It was awesome. Looking back at it I get nostalgic. I can almost feel what it was like being there again.

 

We played Battle of the Bands and Springfest, Relay for Life and more shows. But we wouldn’t be complete until we added kiki, the real drummer. She gave the band a whole new life and we wrote some awesome songs with her. Played great shows and just had the best time. We became great friends and could just mess around. When we wrote music together it would just all fall in to place – we had a way about us. And when we weren’t writing we could just sit back and have that same cohesive relationship.

 

I miss playing with SeeSidePanel. I miss hanging out with them. I miss our music. Almost every road trip I listen to some of our songs. I still Put on head phones blast the songs and play along. Just like I was in front of the crowd. SeeSidePanel will always be the music I loved to play the most.

 

We had our fights, or moments of tension but in the end the band helped us get through the tensions of pharmacy school.

 

This post is dedicated you you guys. “I don’t know why, But I’m never going to be the same” – “I don’t know what to say, You have to be here”

Jo Carreno – The Count

Lisa Murphy – Toucan Same

Dave Denio – Captain Crunch

Kiki V (I’m going to mess up your name otherwise) – Kix

Josh Szymanik – Mom

Se7en

The white coat.

 

We entered the gym as we had always been. Then we were sitting there, in the insufferably hot gym. Friends and family watching intently. We sat. We listened to Mr. Anderson speak. We walked up. We were pinned. We sat back down. Nothing was any different, except we had a pin attached to our coats.

 

For some reason I though things would be different.

 

Looking back on it all the ceremony couldn’t change us into professional, empathetic, and quality practitioners. It was the symbolic beginning of our journey into becoming the people we would become.

 

Since I have gotten my white coat. I have worn it labs. I have worn it on rotation. I have worn it to work. I know people who have worn it while playing a show. I plan on wearing it to Conan O’brien. I have had three lab coats since I started my third year. I will have many more I am sure.

 

Funny thing is I never where my white coat anymore. It sits on the back of my chair at work, just in case. Putting a coat on – getting your little pin – wearing your professional name badge isn’t going to change who you are or how good you are at what you do. The only way to get there is through hard work and dedication.