Once upon a time I had a blog....

Once upon a time I had a blog. Then the last semester of Graduate school hit and blogging pretty much came out at the bottom of my list of priorities in life. However as of last Friday I graduated and as of about 7pm today I submitted my last paper.
HALLELUJAH!
Emily Carr, B.S, MPH.
I can't lie. It feels pretty damn good. So good in fact I felt the need to add damn for emphasis. It's been a crazy semester. Working, interning, and over a full time course load have had me pretty stressed. However I've started the job hunt and had a second round interview yesterday for an Epidemiologist position downstate. Not the ideal location but the position is amazing and still in Michigan...which I count as a big plus.
It's been a chaotic year and a half but I have learned so much both in and out of the classroom.
Here are some highlights:

• Just because someone has a Phd does NOT mean they have any common sense. In fact I will go so far as to state that  there is an inverse relationship between the amount of higher education received and an individuals common sense.
• Facebook is the greatest source of procrastination ever created. 
• It is also more addictive than nicotine, crack, or meth.
• Good friends are so important. I am so blessed to have an amazing and supportive group of people to hang out with.
• You can never consume too much Caffeine.
• Michigan produces some excellent beer. 
• Pretty much everything in Public Health involves a broad, multifaceted approach. In fact the majority of papers I have written contain this exact phrase.
• Pretty much nobody knows what epidemiology is. Nope....not the study of the epidermis. 

Update!

 This picture is from a weekend trip to Grand Haven. I'd never been there before and despite the crowds, it was beautiful. I hold a special place in my heart for Lake Huron and Lake superior but I have to admit, Lake Michigan is gorgeous as well.

I started this blog with grand intentions for writing a post every week or so. I realized I haven't posted since April 4th. Oops! I have been ridiculously busy, and this slipped to the back of my mind where it has stayed till tonight when I remembered " Oh crap.....I have a blog." Since April I have finished a semester of Grad school (with a 4.0) and started a new semester of classes. I have found an internship for the fall (at Ingham health department, communicable disease division) and a new place to live over towards the west side of Lansing. In fact, I start moving in less than a week. I started a new job in May, working at a residential children's home. It is interesting to say the least and I want to make a difference in these kid's lives,  it's just stressful and I come home emotionally drained...and covered in bruises. If a new job was offered to me that had an equally flexible schedule I might accept it. However, I am thankful to have a part time job in this economy right now. I am also thankful to be on track to receive my masters in December. Emily Carr, B.S, MPH sounds pretty good to me! I've been think a lot lately about what to do with my life post Masters. Med school? Additional Masters? Further Certifications? Job? Where would this job be?  These are all things in the back of my mind at the moment.  Right now, I think I want to look for employment. I will have a very marketable degree with a fairly high starting salary range...if I can find a state/ federal program with money to hire people. I'd like to stay in MI but am seriously considering western states such as Colorado, Montana, Wyoming etc. (I'm a sucker for a pretty view.) Despite a few disappointments here and there, I have had a few great months filled with lots of time with great friends. Weekend trips to the beach, Founder's Brewery, and just many random adventures have helped relieve the Grad school stress.  I am so blessed to be part of an amazing church community, these people have helped me maintain my sanity through all the stressful times. I have a plethora of hilarious stories that I will try and find time to write and post on here. Goodbye for now!

The curse stikes again.

I am not a graceful person. I trip on stairs, going up and down hills, and to be honest...perfectly flat surfaces. I'm the one who spills the drink on your carpeting, or whacks an elbow on the doorway. Anyways, this morning I managed to somehow knock off the cap from a bottle of hair mousse only to have it land in the toilet at the same time it was flushing. ( I was not wearing my glasses which may have been a factor.) I went to make a grab for it (eww... I know) but it was too late and the rather large cap was out of sight. Crap. (literally) This was a pretty big cap....and so I was pretty sure that this was not going to end well. So after a few choice words, I called my dad for advice. No answer. I'm pretty sure my landlord thinks I'm an idiot already, and so as to not reinforce this opinion, my goal was to resolve this without his assistance. I got my phone and starting going through contacts, attempting to find someone who knew something about plumbing. While I scrolled through, I came to a sad realization that although I have a fair amount of friends, and a lot of them are guys, few of them would be any real help. Nevertheless, I picked one and called. No luck. (Strike one) I picked another...no luck. (Strike Two). I called my Dad one more time. No answer. (Strike three) I googled  my problem and the consensus seemed to be that I would have to pull up the toilet. (Do not worry, I did not attempt to do this....I know my limits.) So I gave in and called the landlord.
This is where the story gets much less dramatic. He came over later in the afternoon prepared to have to take drastic measures. Thankfully, the cap miraculously made its way down into the City of East Lansing's sewage system. However, he is probably convinced that I am an idiot.
Sigh....and that was my Sunday.

Life update and a few musings

I really should be working on a paper/ case study/ data analysis, but I realized that I haven't posted on my blog for a while due to the aforementioned graduate school chaos. Also...I really like to procrastinate. So, to all my avid readers (hah) here is a brief life update: Classes are going well and my grades should once again be good at the end of this semester. I've made a ton of new (and awesome) friends this semester which has been an enormous blessing in my life. Finally, even though I will be taking full times classes and working this summer, I am excited to be spending it in East Lansing!
OK, update out of the way, on to the brief musings section.
I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and we were discussing things we wanted to accomplish/ do in the next few years of our lives (i.e before we are 30).  Here are some of the things I came up with.

• Find a job which I love and allows me to be financially stable. This job should preferably be located in a location that has either spectacular scenery or does not have light pollution. I want 4 distinct seasons and love snow. I am willing to stay in the Lansing area but would need to move out to the country and commute in. I'm not a city girl. Northern Michigan, the U.P, and mountainous regions out west are all high on my list.
• Travel. I desperately want to backpack through Europe, not just the main tourist countries like Spain and France but even the slightly sketchy formerly communist nations. Also, I would love a cross country road trip (with friends.....not the family.) I have never been to Maine and was too young to remember much about the road trips west with the family.
• Travel continued: I also really want to travel to Africa. (This is the point where if my mom read this she would begin to stroke out.) I would like to put my academic knowledge to use and volunteer with a humanitarian organization for a time.
• The whole relationship thing: Yes, I want marriage and a family and all of that wonderful stuff. Eventually. We'll see what God has planned for that.
• Own a non-dented or scratched vehicle. 
• Any other ideas?

What I should look for in a man: Eric's rules.

I've neglected this blog for a few weeks due to grad school craziness and midterms, however now that spring break is here I have a bit of time. I'm spending a few days at home with the family (yikes) and I now have a plethora of funny material to write about. In addition, I have a large post to write about the last few weeks but I will work on that a bit later. Anyways, the following scenario occurred this afternoon.
I was waiting for my email/facebook to load on our very slow dial up here at home when Eric plopped down next to me and said, "Emily, we need to talk about what you need in a guy."  I asked him to please enlighten me (note: sarcasm) and the following rules were established.
1. He should not be a terrorist.
2. He should not be secretly married to anyone else.
3. He should not have Herpes.
4. He should like video games. ( He added this in at the last moment because he says I suck at them and he needs someone good to play with. I can't lie.....he's right.... my hand/ eye coordination is lacking.)
In all...not too bad of a list.

It made me smile

I was in Barnes and Nobles yesterday, sitting at the cafe and studying. Side note: I LOVE bookstores....the smell of books just makes me happy and I really wish they could bottle that smell into air freshener or cologne. Anyways, a mom and her two children sat down in the table next to me and what happened took me back to my childhood. The girl, who was obviously a few years older than her brother, pulled out a book and started to read intently. The younger boy looked at his book for about a millisecond and then pulled the straw out of his drink. The straw become a light saber complete with sound effects and he obviously was annoying his older sister. This little scene took me back to well over a decade ago....when this scenario was replicated in my house on a daily basis.  I know this is a random story but it made me smile.

Giving Thanks

I have been pretty cranky lately. Part of it is stress from Grad school, as I always seem to be behind. I admit..that's totally my fault and despite loving my classes this semester, I seem to be lacking in the motivation department. The other part is just a culmination of small things, that separately are not that bad, but as they begin to pile on, the weight becomes more and more apparent.  The combination of some embarrassing moments, stressful deadlines, and overall humbling experiences has just made me feel pretty blah. As a result, I decided to make a list of things I have been thankful for in the past week. ( I know, a list...it's what I do.)

• SNOW. Yes..I LOVE snow. The slightly over hyped  "snowpocalypse" was the highlight of last week. I bought my groceries, moved my car to an advantageous position, and hunkered down with a mug of hot chocolate. The best part by far was having MSU cancel classes for only the 3rd time in history. They canceled before a single flake of snow even hit the ground, so I knew I could sleep in the following day. Amazing. We only ended up with a bit over a foot, maybe 13 inches (which by my standards is not an outrageous amount) but it was lovely.
• Classes which I love. 
• News that a  job ( for spring and summer) which I really want (and need) may possibly be available. More to come on this later.
• Coffee and study time with a friend. Awesome conversation and productivity = Happy Emily
• Good friends who let me call and vent my frustrations when needed. If you are reading this...Thank you (again). It's appreciated. 
• Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. But seriously, remembering what you are thankful for is important and something I need to do much more often.

Why I am scared of skunks: An explanation.

I had several people ask me this week why I am scared of skunks, which surprised me because it meant people actually read this blog. Anyways, I am scared of skunks because I have had two VERY close calls with these animals and (miraculously) was not sprayed. I feel that the third time I will not be so lucky.
#1. Senior year of high school.
I had to leave my house extremely early in the morning for a school function and the night before, (for an unknown reason) my dad decided to move my car to the very end of our driveway.  We live in a very rural, wooded area and had been having skunk problems prior to this incident. Every morning we could see where they had been digging for grubs, and could smell a faint odor in the air. So, needless to say, I was cautious about walking in the pitch dark, through our slightly wooded yard, in the early morning hours. I turned on the porch lights, and went and stomped on the deck to possibly scare off any creatures (skunks, raccoons, coyotes, etc) that may have been lurking in the darkness. I didn't hear anything, and saw no glowing eyes peering at me from anywhere in the yard, so I decided it was safe. I had just about reached my car when I heard a rustling noise. I stopped several feet from my car...... when from underneath it walked a skunk. We were possibly five feet apart at most. I looked at it in horror and it looked at me. It hissed. I turned to try and make a run for it when the skunk calmly turned around and walked into the woods.
#2. The great baked bean fiasco
My summer job working with migrant workers is stationed out of two small buildings in the middle of a corn field. I arrived in the early morning hours just as the sun was rising, to prepare for a meeting I had to run that day. I had prepared food and was distressed to find that on the drive over that a crock pot of baked beans had tipped over in the back seat of my car. So picture this: I am standing by my car, I can hardly see, all while dressed up in heels and a skirt for this meeting. I am up to my elbows in baked beans as I scrape them off my seat into a garbage bag. I look out at the empty parking lot to see ( approximately 15 feet away) a mother skunk and her BABIES walking in front of my car. The skunks stop, and look at me. I freeze. The skunks miraculously continue on their way. I hardly dare to breathe as they walk slowly across the parking lot and into the corn.
#3. There is no way I can be this lucky again.

Procrastination

 I really need to work on a paper and start some research...but once again I find myself lacking motivation. I have a feeling that this will be a common theme this semester. So, in an attempt to procrastinate I decided to write. Nothing incredibly profound has happened in the past few days, so this may be slightly boring. I apologize in advance.
This semester I am taking four Grad classes: Global Public health, Environmental Assessment, Medical entomology, and Outbreak investigation. Medical entomology and Outbreak investigation are by far my favorites. The entomology class in particular is incredibly interesting. Don't get me wrong, I hate bugs but the topics such as Malaria and Lymphatic Filarisis are fascinating. I also really like the Outbreak investigation (even though that's what I should be researching right now) and could see myself working in that field. Not to sound snobby, but we just really haven't covered anything yet in the other two classes that I don't already know. So for now, it's a tad boring.
Anyways, I really do have lots of work to do but I will leave you with yet another random fact.

• I fall.... a lot. I am 0-4 this winter on East Lansing sidewalks.

Decisions...and spiders

It’s been a busy day. Mondays will be rather chaotic this semester, as I have class all day long, run back to my apartment and grab some food, then head off to bible study.  Joining this study was a good decision and it’s great to get to know such an awesome and diverse group of people. Anyways, tonight’s study talked about the parable of the talents. It’s the rather well known one in which the master leaves 3 of his servants with varying amounts of money and then comes back to see what they have done with it.
(Matthew 25: 14-30) The combination of this study along with the content of the conference that I attended on Saturday has been incredibly convicting. So, in an ever present desire to procrastinate, I decided to write about it.
     To preface this, you need to know some things about me. I have somewhat of a "Type A" personality and tend to over analyze. I am also a notorious list maker and have been known to make pros and cons lists about everything, not just major life decisions but silly things like whether or not to date someone. I'm a planner and like to know what's ahead of me and I always have a backup plan or two or three….. Anyways, although I am content with my life at the moment and love my choice of study, I am not where I expected to be.  I struggle with the unexpected.
    So, the conference that I attended was held by my local church ( shout out to Riverview) and  discussed biblical decision making and discerning God’s will. I went because, honestly, I stress constantly over what in the heck to do with my life. Do I go for a doctorate/ medical degree? Do I call it good with an MPH and go get a real job and make some money? Do I stay in MI? Do I go work overseas in some developing country? Do I move out west?  Do I just say screw it all and set up shop on the corner of Grand river and Hagadorn?  ( Just kidding about the last one).
      Anyways, the main point from the conference really hit home. As long as what I am doing is moral (ie. Prostitution is out) and honors God, then really I am ok.  I needed to be reminded of  this, as I am constantly concerned that  I am deviating from the “plan” of my life. Then tonight as we read through the Bible passage, I saw myself in the third servant from the parable. The one who did not use what he was given  and was rebuked. I have a few slight talents ( I think) and needed the reminder that we need to use what God has given us.
Whew! My warm bed is calling my name but after this long, rambling post I will leave you with another random fact about myself.

• Not only am I scared of skunks, but I am also terrified of Wolf spiders. Until you have encountered one of these hairy, leaping, monstrosities in your basement late at night, then you do not know what fear is. 

In the begining.....

To be honest, I am not a fan of writing. Graduate school gives me enough of that on a daily basis.  Yet, I have been considering starting a blog for awhile, I just hadn't really gotten around to it yet. However after spending six hours in the library this afternoon struggling to write a rather pointless essay and appropriately analyze a set of data, I am feeling pretty drained. Therefore, as interesting as Leptospirosis is, I decided to set Grad school work aside for a few minutes and set this up. So anyways, a bit about me.

• I am a grad student studying public health with a focus on infectious disease and outbreak investigation. Obviously, I am a bit of a nerd. I am ok with this.
• If anyone would have told me a few years ago that this is what I would  be studying right now, I would have thought they were crazy. This was not the original "plan" I had for my life...yet I love it. Funny how God knows whats best, eh?
• Speaking of God, I went to a spectacular conference at church yesterday about God's will and decision making. I am sure there will be a post to come talking about it.
• I am scared of skunks.