I’ve spent the entire fall and this winter in a life foreign to me….it has felt like a completely new identity. While I’ve always seen this as a challenge and adventure, it taken some time to adjust. I’ve sat in front of the computer screen on multiple occasions with a blank stare; I just haven’t known what to write.
(Nanuq has to humor me while I dress him in human clothes, but he’s happy)
There’s no pics of high, snow capped mountains, gnarly couloirs, or beautiful summits. My fear has shifted from avalanches and high-risk exposure to pharmacology and pathology exams. I’ve traded my freedom of the mountains for an opportunity to gain a freedom greater than I’ve known before….the freedom to help and heal. It’s taken me these last several months to see that my adventure here may be subtle in comparison to before, but vast in its own way.
I’ve struggled to find comfort in this path that I’ve bolted my feet upon, but I finally feel that there is a lot to share while I’m here. I’ve seen a lot….I’ve learned a lot. I’ve seen illnesses and pain that I’d never known. I’ve seen a man die in a matter of minutes. And I’ve seen people heal and gain hope. It may not be the glamorous Aguille de Midi, but it’s beautiful in a different way. It’s a detour back to the path I knew before, and I want to share it.
(Christmas time in Durham)
Durham is my home for now, and I had an awesome Christmas break that allowed me to visit my home in Montana and my buds in Utah. It was a nice breather, and I have a highly anticipated spring break coming up after this week of school. Florida and sun, here I come!
(Alta at Christmas break with Rach and David)
(The family at Bridger)
(Ice skating Christmas Eve)
(My brother the Lobster…I live vicariously through Wade while he studies in Sevilla, Spain this spring and dresses in funny outfits for Carnival.)