what I got myself for Christmas

If you didn’t get everything you wanted for Christmas this year, there’s still plenty of time to get it for yourself. And I’m not even kidding about that one as I buy myself Christmas gifts every year.

I stash a little away each month and at the end of the year, I finally splurge on myself and buy all the things that I’ve really been wanting. Some years, I only buy a few small things (like last year), and some years I buy myself all the things. This was one of those years. By the way, please don’t judge me for my purchases because these wish list items are beyond nerdy.

Anatomical Skull

If you don’t know, I’m in dental school training to become a dentist. So I’m expected to me a wiz at head and neck anatomy. And learning from a book just isn’t the same as having a 3D model that you can hold. I am in love with this thing! And way to excited about it. For those of you with anatomy knowledge, everything is labeled from the bones to the sutures to the processes. The best part about this particular skull is that you can see the cranial nerves and which teeth the individual branches innervate. 

A Stethoscope

It probably seems weird that I would want a stethoscope. Why would a dentist need one of these? Well, my dental school is in a really rural area. People come to us because of our reduced rates, so many of the patients here may not have seen a regular physician in years. On that note, every dental exam at the school involves a mini medical exam. And it's not uncommon for us to be the first to diagnose things like hypertension (high blood pressure), heart problems, diabetes, etc. in our patients. My school provides stethoscopes and other medical equipment in every exam room, but I can’t help but wanting my own personalized to my taste. As any doctor will tell you, not all stethoscopes are created equal.

Everlane Backpack

Bought this bag as a travel day pack. So far, I’ve taken it to Mexico, and am currently with it in Europe. I’ll give a full review once I properly break it in with a few more trips. 

Rosetta Stone

If you ask me if I speak Spanish, I would answer with a No. But that’s not true. I took Spanish in high school and college and was quite good at it. I almost double majored with Spanish, and in hindsight I wish I had. I haven’t used my Spanish in years, but when we were in Mexico last month, I was surprised by how much I remembered and thankful because it allowed us to get around and road trip through the country. It’s renewed my interest in it, so I thought this would be fun to try to get back into it. Spanish is an amazing skill to have as a future doctor. Also, I'm thinking about the slew of countries we would be able to visit and not have there be a language barrier. That's a nice perk. 

Booties

Also, picked up these booties that I totally didn’t need, but so wanted. They didn’t fit into my yearly clothing budget, but I just said screw it. It’s Christmas and I’m having them.

Rose Gold Phone Case

I had to get a new phone because the speaker in mine died. I splurged big time on this fancy rose gold crystalized case. I've never spent this much on a case and normally go with a $10, but the rose gold was too gorgeous to leave behind. 

So I definitely splurged this year with getting myself all the things, but it's the only way to get what you really want for Christmas. And on the real, most of my purchases will help me with school so definitely nothing to feel bad about. Merry Christmas to me.