guest post: corinne

I think I first found Corinne's blog because she posted the picture you'll see at the bottom of this post and could immediately commiserate. I was so grateful to find someone who could make light of the same weird "problems" I was facing. Also, if I was really nice to her, I figured we could become BFFs and she could take me with her to Italy one day?! Right?!

Hello D&Y (and who could forget - Ike!) fans! I'm Corinne from over yonder at learn.with.love. As an intro as to who I am, I figured I would tell you 3 (random) things about myself:

1. I was born in Italy and lived there for a majority of the first 10 years of my life up until we moved to the good 'ol Midwest - Missouri. I spent the rest of my life growing up in a small town, went to college in the "big city" 30 miles down the road, and upon graduation moved to PA.

2. I'm engaged to a wonderful guy, Russ, and we live together along with our pup, Miley. I'm beginning to realize we need to get busy planning our wedding which is officially less than a year away! (calm down - we have the reception site and photographer booked)

3. I play the piano and the French Horn - Yes, the French Horn is a heavy instrument to lug around, Yes, it's a difficult instrument to play, but oh my does it sounds beautiful.

Insert Image #1
oh look, it's us :)

Oh, and I'm adding a #4 (because it's my guest post and I can): My fiance Russ happens to be preparing to embark on his 4th year of medical school.

SO! Let's chat, shall we? So as I'm sure you are all well aware, Y is embarking on this pretty amazing journey. Some of you may have heard of it? Medical school. Oh yes. Exciting stuff, right? Well, if you refer up to my #4, you'll see that Russ is doing the same thing. Awesomesauce! Life is just hunky dory, am I right? We're gonna be living the fabulous life in no time! (rrrrrright...)

When tossing around how to approach this post I was a little stuck. I don't want to complain about all the stereotypes of medical school significant others. They ARE there. They DO exist. I HAVE been in situations where i had to pick my jaw off the floor because of comments or questions I've received. Special moments those were, I tell ya! The first few times I was livid...there was probably smoke and fire coming out of my ears. Nowadays, I realize it's better just to let it roll off my shoulders, I don't need that extra stress and worry in my life!

For those individuals who don't know, medical school is like a big 'ol fun sucker. Loans, exams, rotations, applications, studying, specialties, lectures and a handful of vacation days become your life. Yes, there is a way to strike a balance between school and your home life, but for many it's ever-changing depending on what rotation they are on, or what exam is coming up. In my two years of living with Russ (I'm no expert) I've discovered that no two weeks are the same. There is constantly something to prepare for, something on the horizon that I know will keep him away from home for 12+ hours a day. (*I feel like I should make sure I say this has been my experience - Russ is very dedicated to his studies and works very hard and because of that, it pays off for him in the form of grades. NOT money*)

Aside from all that, it's important to know that while Russ goes through school, I'm creating a life for myself as well. I work full-time at a University and although it's not my dream position, salary or location, I know it will help me advance to where I want to be. You notice that I added Russ' profession as an additional number on my about me. It's because although we are a team in life, we are still individuals carving out our own "niche" in this world. Sure, my profession may not literally save a life but if I can help an international student figure out how to feel more comfortable here in the US, if I can help in suggesting ways for them to get involved within the school or community, or prepare and submit a proposal that will award my university funds for research, then I feel pretty good. I don't think it should necessarily be a "competition" about who is helping humanity the most, but HOW you are helping.

So, in closing...medical school. It's a journey that takes dedication and deserves admiration. Don't be fooled into thinking the life is luxurious. It's not. We live on a budget (1 income house - woot woot!) and when we can afford and have time for a vacation, by golly we're gonna do it and enjoy it. But please, for the love of cheese and pasta (yes, when you're reading this we'll be in Italy enjoying a feast) don't make us feel guilty about it. I don't make you feel guilty about your vacations, do I?

Also, it doesn't matter how many times I see a book opened to a picture that makes me stomach churn, medical school kits and books are NOT my friend.

*shudder* Sutre kits and I are not friends.

Thanks for having me over D,Y and Ike :)