dental school lately : vol. 1

It feels that there has been so much going on for me with dental school lately with hitting a milestone marking a year away, a year back and starting a new semester. And I need to start documenting all these big changes.

When I first created this space, I blogged about dental school semi-frequently, but then this space became my stress-free zone, which meant talking about and sharing anything but dental school. But, I would be remise if I didn’t document my journey. I’m in a unique position with being a woman, a black woman and pursuing a career where there are few people like me. As I’ve been getting back into sharing more and more about this journey, I want to do regular updates, hopefully bi-monthly. I’m hoping that this gives motivation to others, but also serves as a time capsule for me to look back on when graduation day finally comes. 

day trip diaries : Seattle

We’re just back from an Alaskan Cruise celebrating our four-year anniversary. Our cruise left out of Seattle, which gave us a great opportunity to visit the Pacific Northwest again and reminisce about our time Wandering Washington last Fall.

We landed in Seattle late Saturday night, then had a few hours to spare Sunday morning before our cruise took off. We wanted to make the most of our time on the West Coast, especially in the PNW, so we ditched our luggage and headed downtown. Last time we were here, we had the chance to visit Pike Place Market, go rock climbing at the REI flagship store, see the Space Needle, explore the arts area of Fremont, and our favorite with exploring the Japanese Garden in the rain. Since we only had a few hours to spare this time around, we had to pick just one thing to do. Too many great options, but we ultimately chose to visit Seattle’s Chihuly Garden & Glass House. 

starting the semester

I guess this is my official back to school post. Though can you go back to something if you never fully left it? Technically, I had a week off between ending summer semester and starting fall semester this week, but not really.

summer clothing budget

I'm not even sure that budgeting bloggers is a thing anymore as it seems our hostess has abandoned us mid-year. Regardless, I still want to keep sharing my budget purchases here because it's a good form of accountability. 

And I was pleasantly surprised to see that I only made a few strategic purchases this summer that carried me through. Add in the fact that I have a few birthday gift cards and found some amazing sales and I didn't do too badly. All my purchases from July & August are below. 

why I'm taking my vacation days

Dear Fellow Americans, why don't we take our vacation days? Really think about it, when was the last time you took the days owed to you? And if you did, did you feel guilty about it? 

Florida Road Trip

One of the best parts for me about this space is having the chance to reminisce. And I've especially loved being able to look back and relive an entire trip simply by reading through our itinerary, so I want to share one here for all of our big trips. 

After 3 years of putting it on the back burner, the stars aligned and we were finally able to make this trip fit into our schedule and our budget. I'm sharing our exact itinerary here so I don't forget a single detail of this epic adventure through the Sunshine State. 

101 in 1001: Update #2

I haven't checked in with my 101 in 1001 since my February Update and I'm ashamed to say that I've only crossed a few more items off my list since then. Thankfully, it involves some of my more ambitious goals, but I still need to make some headway on all the smaller items soon so this doesn't sneak up on me.

mischief managed!

a year away, a year back

 I wasn't planning to post anything today, but then I realized that I had too because today is one of those milestone days that shouldn't be overlooked. What's so special about today you ask? 

French Canada on a Budget

I wanted to do one last share from our trip to French Canada...our Budget. Because visiting chateaus and eating gourmet meals is the kind of thing a girl could get used too, within reason of course. 

zip-lining montmorency waterfall

If you know me, then you understand that I will never pass up a chance to chase a good waterfall. While were visiting Quebec City, we had the opportunity to visit Canada's tallest waterfall, which we definitely made good on. 

After all the crazy adventures at Niagara Falls (aka a helicopter ride from above), it only seemed fitting that we also have an epic adventure at Montmorency Falls with a chance to explore and zip-line right along-side the falls. I've chased a lot of waterfalls in my day, but this experience was definitely the most unique one. 

life lately :: juggling july

I can't think of any better way to describe July than as a juggling act. Looking back on this month, it seems as if it lasted forever and went by too fast all at once. Didn't end things on the best note with getting sick at the end of the month (probably from a lack of sleep leading to a weakened immune system), but overall, July was one for the books.

a rainy walk to remember

Right when we arrived in Quebec City, we got the best views of the city on our drive in because the Promenade de Samuel-de-Champlain surrounds and passes all through Quebec. 

We knew we had to walk this pretty promenade before we left town. So even though it was pouring rain off and on, mostly on, we put in all the miles. 

french canada :: quebec city

Oh Quebec! 

This city with it's cobblestone streets, dramatic châteaus, and gourmet cafés that is right in the heart of French Canada feels even more french than France does. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true.  

Everywhere you turn there is a piece of history and culture. And while so many modern cities are losing that, Quebec revels in it. It's a slice of Europe right here in North America. 

neighbors to the north

The last time we visited Canada (VIDEO!:), it was a whirlwind bucket list kind of trip. We hung from one of the tallest buildings in the world, visited Niagara Falls from behind and above with a helicopter ride. We even had our hearts stolen by Toronto. But with all that, we haven't had a chance to make it back since.

This year Canada is celebrating their sesquicentennial, 150 years! And we thought we would help them celebrate. So Tom and I (and the pup) took the quickest weekend trip to French Canada with 3 days spent visiting Quebec City. Between travel, we enjoyed half a day in the city on either end of the trip and then one full day in between. I'll be sharing more details about our Canada trip later this week, but for today, I thought I'd share some random photos all from my iPhone.