[cue the randomness!]

Three days till I leave for rural GP placement up north, and I am beyond ready. Ready for rural isolation, spring-summer warmth, and study hibernation. :)

My one-week spring break has been pretty productive. Downside is I can't seem to shake this virus I caught a few weeks back: it started as a relatively simple upper respiratory tract infection (coryzal symptoms, muscle ache, malaise), but a week ago I got viral conjunctivitis! And a bit of a tummy bug too. After I figured out it was probably conjunctivitis I went to the doctor and he said it wasn't uncommon for a viral URTI to end with conjunctivitis and/or gastroenteritis. Seems I got the whole lot! A combination of seasonal viruses this year being quite bad and the fact that all this busyness/exhaustion/being run down has meant my immune system was/is below par this year! I just can't seem to shake off the darn thing, even weeks later. So after a weekend of doing nothing but sleeping and watching the 7th season of 24 on dvd, I was back at the library bright and early Monday morning. I wish we had more than just that one week of study break before exams... one can only dream. But I digress. This week I've tackled the two subjects I've always dreaded studying -- respiratory and renal; two subjects I gave up trying to understand in 2nd and 3rd year lectures, and the two subjects I avoided to the best of my ability on the wards. But pat on the back for me -- I've tackled them head-on, and (I think) I have won. [pause] ... maybe... hopefully... lol. Well, I guess we'll see soon enough!

Other than that, just trying to catch up with various people before I head off for my five weeks of med-school-imposed beach-exile! Yes, did I mention our place up north is a Bach?! Right by the water? And we have kayaks and boats and archery (allegedly; random, I know), in a town with one of the highest number of sunlight-hours in the country. Sweet! I cannot wait to start going on some hefty runs again -- it's been waaaay too long.

I've also started reading yet another Austen classic, Northanger Abbey. I had been reading Sense and Sensibility but despite getting more than halfway through it, I got too impatient and was DYING to know what happened with Edward so yes, I succumbed and got the BBC dvd -- go on, judge me. I know, I'm judging myself. But man, NO REGRETS. And so, on to the next! The great thing about Northanger Abbey is that it's not one of Austen's well-known novels; to be honest I'd never really heard much about it, and going into it blind (re- plot) definitely has its upsides. :) I promise, no dvd till I finish this one.

Movie and dinner with a friend tomorrow (Coco Chanel -- should be good), studying and packing Saturday, and then I'm off!

I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS YEAR IS BASICALLY OVER.

I have to admit, one good thing about exams? It forces you to really study... and, not surprisingly, I've been learning freakin' loads lately... especially the stuff I'd been avoiding for five years (there's really no way of getting around it in medicine), which, in the context of becoming a doctor and all that helping-people business, is probably a good idea, yeah? :)