I remember reaching this point in West Africa where I felt as if I hadn't anything more to write about. I was sure that my everyday life would still be a surprise to all of my family and friends at home, but since I was no longer surprised by it, I couldn't think of what to tell everyone. I feel a bit that way now.
Yesterday late afternoon I hopped on a bus to Jerusalem to attend a once-a-month worship service with third-year students Amy and Olivia. These two women are awesome. Not only are they both about my age and have birthdays within a week of mine but they also share my faith in a very real way. They are really trying to live the path that God has laid before their feet. The worship service was also very, very cool... but in the midst of all of this relatively normal sounding "me" stuff there were the following:
As usual the bus was full of soldiers on their way home for the weekend... carrying their guns and a weeks worth of dirty laundry in giant hiking packs. They are mostly all a lot younger than me...
The desert is blooming. Literally. Where there was dust and... well, dust there are now wild flowers. My favorite are the small blood red poppies. They are more rare than the other wildflowers but they are so dramatic.
Jerusalem continues to be this bewildering mix of Holy Center of the World and modern city where you can buy high fashion clothing on every corner and old men tease the girls behind the counter at the pizza shop. Every time I go there I wish more that I lived there and not in Beer Sheva, which is sadly a little bit of a backwater.
On the bus back home last night I spent 45 minutes fending off the advances of a very friendly young Jewish man. He wasn't out-of-line particularly... just not easily discouraged by my "I'm not Jewish" and "I cannot live in Israel after I finish school" and "I don't have a lot of time for a social life outside of my studies" comments. Those of you who have been reading my posts and newsletters for a while will know that I don't actually see this as something to brag about... but simply a huge irritant. I'm not especially fond of being complimented on the color of my eyes by someone that knows nothing of my soul.
Today, back in Beer Sheva, it is supposed to be sunny and 82 degrees. I need to study for my upcoming physiology quiz and Cell and Molecular Biology Final.
Exciting, isn't it?
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A blog that began as an account of medical school in a foreign country is evolving into an account of my recovery from that experience... a loss of self into a hopeful rediscovery through baking, reading, gardening and laughing, through the things I love.
...Whatever is true, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.
In a Nut Shell
- Katie
- Providence, RI, United States
- I am a technically still a fourth year medical student at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev's Medical School for International Health in collaboration with Columbia University Medical Center.
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