Hours

I'm going for a thirty hour day. My boyfriend (actually, I've upgraded him to fiance), has a flight to his study-abroad orientation in two hours that I am helping him catch. Then I have to sit through five lectures. I haven't gotten sleep in the last twenty-three hours, because I was at the CDC Day for Vet Students, and subsequent flight problems meant I almost didn't get home today (tonight? This morning?) at all. As a result, I'm high-strung and mellow at the same time. I was terrified I wasn't going to get home in time, that my boyfriend was going to have to leave before I had a chance to see him, and that I was going to be stuck in a huge airport overnight on top of it all.

There weren't even really any problems at the airport where I was supposed to make my connecting flight--they just took so long to clear the gate of the previous plane that I missed the connection by five minutes. At that point it was eight hours until my boyfriend's flight, and there were absolutely no planes going to my home airport. Thank goodness for long-distance buses (definitely more comfortable, considering my current head-cold). And parents who are willing to stay up an extra four hours to pick me up from the bus stop. And the boyfriend, of course, who was very good about letting me decompress via cell phone.

All of this for the CDC. I have to admit, the margin of value has gotten really, really narrow. But I think, overall, it was still worth it. Oddly enough, I think I got as much out of the eight-hour delay on Sunday (planes and I really are not getting along this week). One of the professors from my school went to the same event, and we had the same (delayed) flight. Usher in long conversation about the school's curriculum and how useful it is to practice in a clinic before branching out into public health. Between that, applying for a USDA summer program, and the CDC event, I think I'm career-dayed out. Time for some straight-up clin path! And some really, really strong black tea.