It's like I've been on autopilot for three months academically, while I dealt with a host of personal/emotional/ identity-building stuff, and meanwhile, I thought that my academics would just sit around and wait for me to come back from outer space. But no, it's December. And I didn't dream it: the fall semester is pretty much over (or it will be by Monday).
There is, indeed, an unfinished thesis to finish. Yes, there is that matter of that one tiny, dreadful, 8-hour-long quiz known as the Boards coming up way sooner than I thought. And no, I will never get those three months of my life back. Literally the only thing I remember from the entire semester right now seems to be the snack we ate in class thrice a week. People have been bringing in really nice bread and cheese and chocolate. Especially chocolate. I mean, I'm sure I learned some medicine too, since I did do my final exams without failing them -- but goodness, I have such amnesia right now.
My class celebrated the end of our last fall semester ever at the JMP with a succession of three (3) parties. The first was on Thursday night and was at a professor's house. This professor, who I'll call G because that's what his name starts with, is sort of a music fanatic. He has guitars. He has microphones. He definitely has a piano. Plus enough sheet music to paper the walls of his very large, very nice house. I can't even tell you how therapeutic it was to get there and just belt out every non-obscene song I knew. At times, I didn't even care if I was in tune, I just needed to sing. I had forgotten why I sang in high school. It's cause high school, like medical school, is a very emotional and academically challenging time in your life (especially if you're an idiot and take math-chem-physics higher). And singing gives you that endorphin rush you get when you exercise, without the sweat.
There were maybe four or five of us who sang/played/rocked out until 3 am that night. And, exhausted as I was, I came home feeling all glowy because although I do not claim any great talent, catharsis will do that to you.
The second party was sadder and shorter, as it was a going away party for C. The stupid bay bridge closed at 11 pm, which meant I could only spend a few hours there. But it was nice to have just the third year classmates together to celebrate the end of a mini-era and wish C well for the next stage of her adventure (which I'm pretty sure will turn out to be a fabulous one). She's moving to the East Coast, where there is Real Snow (not the magical but nearly invisible flurries we saw on Monday and Wednesday up at the campus).
Then, Saturday was W&D's housewarming. Again, I stayed out late. Really late. But I met kids from my alma mater, so randomly. A friend of a friend of a friend brought people I actually knew and hadn't seen in about three years to this party! And then one housemate's sister goes to school in the same town (in Southeast Asia!) as my high school. To top it off, my classmates (other than E & C) finally got to meet my brother, who is my physical opposite and a gentle giant. Since they knew all about him from our class meetings, he was totally spooked and later told my mom it was the "weirdest party ever." People kept coming up to him and saying, "Hey A! How's Vegas?" and he was like, "Um. How do you know my name and where I live?!"
So Saturday was good, especially the catching up with old friends.
However: the parties woke me up out of my little cocoony haze. I couldn't believe fall was over. I couldn't believe winter break was around the corner. And I couldn't believe, and still can't, just how much work is coming my way.
Eep.
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