I went on the hiking trip. I am proud to say I made it through ... barely. This trip was without a doubt the *most* physically challenging thing I have ever, ever done in my life. We hiked part of the Appalachian Trail and climbed over 4,500 feet in the course of 3 days. We each carried heavy backpacks and traveled a total over nearly 15 miles. And I was in one of the EASIER groups.
As soon as we got off the bus, we began our hike. Within the first hour, we had climbed nearly 500 feet. My pack was very heavy for me; I couldn't breathe and my legs felt like they were going to fall off. I honestly thought I would have to stop them and ask them to let me turn around. I was able to push through, but was definitely the weakest link in my group. Originally I was self-conscious, but everyone was really supportive and nobody made me feel bad about it.
My group got along swimmingly. I think the key was that everyone had a good sense of humor. This was quite a relief, as I was really worried about getting along with my classmates, many of whom are considerably younger than I am. We played intense games of poker using M&Ms and raisins as currency. I didn't shower for four days. We had to pee and poop in the woods by digging holes in the forest and hoping noone walked by you. We drank brown lake water (some of which even had tadpoles floating around in it).
The amazing part was that I didn't get sick stomachwise. I think I was so preoccupied with the stress of hiking on the rest of my body, that my stomach was a very low priority for my hypochondriasis. It just made me realize how much of physical pain is due to your mental status.
While the experience didn't transform me into a groovy woovy Mother Earth type, it most certainly changed some of my neuroses. For example, my Brita has been sitting in my kitchen unused, because tap water now feels like an incredible luxury - when earlier I would have most likely grimaced while drinking what I was convinced was "chlorine smelling water."
Once we made it to the top of the mountain though, I felt like I had conquered the world:
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Tuesday we received our white coats. I guess it's kind of a big deal. I was really excited in the morning. But after hours of relatively boring speeches by various deans and faculty, I was ready for a nap. During our ceremony, we had to each say something about how we ended up in medical school and then go and get our coats in what was supposed to be a momentous and emotional moment.
By the time it got to me, I had to pee so badly that I blurted out some nonsense and then abruptly sat down. After an awkward silence, my neighbor leaned over to me and said "Uh, you need to go get your coat now." Duh.
Also, since I was one of the last people to get a coat, I received a men's size 38. I look incredibly silly. As if I didn't feel awkward enough being in school, let's go ahead and make me look like I'm playing cross-dress up from Daddy's closet. My mom and brother were in town for the day though, which was terrific. Also, I have to say. Harvard Med's campus is just stunning.
It's been a good week. More to come. But so far, I'm quite the happy camper. Literally!
