Week 15 Famous Last Words: Nostalgia

Wow, it seems so strange to be at the end of my final semester here at OU. Everything is starting to pile up all at once, and it's getting really hectic. I'm trying to take some time to really take everything in before I move out after graduation. I'm not sure when I'll come back to Norman, if ever, but I will remember my time here with fondness. I made so many wonderful memories with great friends that I couldn't possibly look back without feeling nostalgic.

The weather has been a wonderful way to really enjoy my last days here on campus. I wish we had this weather all of the time, but I suppose you can't learn to appreciate the sunshine without some cloudy days. I know that I feel my best on days like today. I found myself even smiling as I walked across campus, which would be a surprise to anyone who knows me, as I have “bitchy resting face.” But even I cannot resist the feeling of joy that comes with spring. It’s my favorite time of year for a reason, after all.

Looking back, there is so much I wish I would have done, and not much that I regret doing honestly. I think that if I could tell my freshman year self one thing, it would be to say yes more and to give 110% to everything you get involved with. Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb, and don’t put yourself in a box too early. You never know what undiscovered passion might surprise you!

This class has been a really cool way to explore other cultures, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to flex my creative muscles for it. My storybook project ended up being something I really enjoyed doing, and I found myself wishing that I’d had more opportunities to do similar projects in other classes.

YAY GRADUATION!

The graduating seniors from my sorority pledge class (personal photo)

Famous Last Words Week 13: Atlanta Bound!

This week has certainly been a crazy one. I finally committed to go to Emory for an MPH in Epidemiology late on Sunday. I swear I stared at the screen for 20 minutes before clicking the “submit” button on their admissions acceptance website. A bunch of money and anxiety later, I have officially committed to Emory for this fall! Imagine my surprise when I found out the next day that I was accepted to Tulane’s MSPH in Tropical Medicine and Parasitology program. I immediately second-guessed my decision, even though I had considered my potential acceptance to Tulane while making it. After a ridiculously drawn out conversation with both my mom and my grandma, my two best sounding boards, I realized that I’d made the right decision. That was just too much for a Monday.

As the semester winds down, I’ve been getting more and more anxious/excited/sentimental about graduation. Now that I’m facing a move across the country and leaving all of my friends and family behind, I’m trying to make the most of the time I have left. I’ll be spending my summer here in OKC with my grandma instead of moving back to Tucson, but I’ll be going to visit my parents at some point, hopefully.

There is just so much going on right now that sometimes it seems like it might be impossible to keep up. I will definitely be looking forward to summer when I’m not pulling all-nighters anymore and can relax some. I should probably start looking for a job though… I’ve really enjoyed the reading that I’ve been able to do for this class, as it gave me a nice respite from the other classes I’ve been taking. Hopefully I will be able to read more for pleasure this summer, though I know Emory has required summer reading, something I thought I left behind in high school…

Emory's Rollins School of Public Health

Famous Last Words: Week 9

Well, this week has definitely been a crazy one. I had 5 exams this week, and 3 of those were in a row on Wednesday. Needless to say, I’m very glad it’s finally spring break.

Now that I’ve gotten into at least one MPH program (University of Arizona so far!), I’m struggling with senioritis even more than I already was. Staying motivated in some of these crazy difficult classes is well… crazy difficult. I’m way more interested in figuring out where I’m going to be in the fall and what my adorably tiny apartment might look like than studying physical chemistry. I’m still waiting to hear back from a few schools, but knowing I have somewhere to go is reassuring. The schools I have left to hear from are Emory in Atlanta, Tulane in New Orleans, and USF in Tampa. The common theme here is places that are warm because let’s face it, this winter has proven that I definitely hate being cold.

It was definitely fitting that I read the Southwestern and California Legends unit for this week since I just got into U of A. I had fun imagining the stories from Arizona in the places I’ve been hiking around Tucson.

As I’m finishing this up, I actually just got back from visiting my parents in Tucson with my boyfriend for Spring Break. It was his first time in Tucson, so we went hiking two days in a row and drove around in my parent’s new (to them) 1980s Mercedes SL convertible. It’s absolutely beautiful. I think we ended up hiking 11 miles one day and 5 the next, so needless to say, we were both pretty sore by the time we left on Saturday. My parents made us lots of great food, and we celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary Friday night at this amazing Italian restaurant, so all in all, it was a pretty great spring break. Back to slaving away for just a few short weeks before graduation, though! I hope I can make it until then...

11.3 miles of hiking definitely deserved our reward of chicken and waffles.

A photo posted by Lillian Flannigan (@vulpesdormiens) on Mar 19, 2015 at 4:00pm PDT

Week 5 Famous Last Words: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

This week has been pretty busy for me. Between classes and working, it kind of feels like it’s been nonstop. The nice weather at the beginning of the week was wonderful, but I wish it had stuck around longer. I really like being able to run/get drinks/some other form of relaxation outside, so I’m really thankful for the nice weather in February, but I hate to see it leave! It’s kind of a tease, but hopefully it will start to warm up as we move into March.

I’m still in the midst of applying to grad schools, which is super scary. I really, really like this program at Tulane, and I’m just about finished with my application, so hopefully I can get that done by Sunday night and submit it. Two weeks from now is the earliest I might hear back from Emory, so hopefully I’ll find out soon! And that I got accepted, of course. Arizona should let me know about a week after that, so maybe I’ll go into spring break with two acceptances! Wouldn’t that be nice!

My Business French class inspired me to apply for a couple of 1 year jobs with the CDC and World Health Organization, so I’m going to give that a shot. I’d rather push school back one more year and have a really meaningful job experience that gets my foot in the door than wait for after I’ve got my second degree. Then I might have better job prospects for after I get my masters! One of the jobs is at the WHO’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and I think it would be so awesome to get to live there for a year. I could finally use my French skills!

As far as this class goes, I’m really excited about my Storybook Project. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun to write, and I’m really excited to design the website for it. I’m still working on a finalized title, but right now the working title is “LSD in a Yellow Submarine.” It’s about this super Beatles fan who has a psychedelic flashback while driving his new Yellow Submarine around his neighborhood. It should be a pretty wild ride. Here’s the eBay add that he buys the Yellow Submarine from:

(Image information: created using Adobe Photoshop, image for Yellow Submarine found on redbull.com)