what i know now that i didn't know 9 weeks ago

1. I can, in fact, cook. (Slow cooker island BBQ chicken & homemade Butterfingers top the list as biggest successes.)
2. Camping on an air mattress for 2+ months isn't nearly as exciting as it sounds.

3. Podcasts are cool, not geeky. (My hands down fav: NYC's Radiolab.)

4. Apple orchards define fall weekends. 

5. The Google Maps app on my phone is a lifesaver-- it saved me from a heckuva lot of wasted gas and phone calls by helping me to not get lost here in IL (or in WI or IN or MI). 

6. It is possible to go through LA Fitness withdrawal. It's been way too long-- I need to go back.

7. Respect the Buddha. 

8. My stomach can indeed handle the OR. And, I love the OR- so detailed, so intricate, so efficient. Yet, surgery is an art. 

9. Farmland makes for some beautiful fall bike rides. 

10. I finally understand the game of rugby. And now I have trouble watching football because it just doesn't flow quite the same.

in addition to sleepovers, Kaitlin and I think Red
Mango ice cream is pretty cool.

11. Sleepovers at age 25 are still cool. (Right, Kaitlin?)

12. Going out to eat/to a bar by yourself for the first time is not the scariest thing in the world (but yeah, it's up there in the top 10). 

13. Blogging is the creative right brain outlet that I didn't even know I needed. Turns out, I love writing more than I knew. 

14. (Despite my subpar experience,) Chicago is one of my absolute favorite cities in the U.S.-- and possibly the only big city I would ever consider living in.

15. No matter where I go, I always feel at home in an ice rink. The hockey community in Rockford was very welcoming to an outsider from the State of Hockey. Just like in MN, everyone I skated with here loves the game (whether or not they can play it very well).

the punchline: "it contains a BIG thank you"

16. It's always better to celebrate your birthday with friends and family than on your own. Lucky me, to have visitors throughout my whole birthday weekend. (In fact, I realized that I got to spend a weekend with each one of my family members. I am one lucky girl.)

17. First friends last. After 25 years of growing up together, growing apart, then re-connecting, Lindsey and I just completed our first (but not last) triathlon together. 

18. I really like driving. Before August, I had never driven longer than 2.5 hours by myself, but now I can tackle a 7-hour drive like it's nothing. Something about having control over my travels (versus being at an airport) and being on my own-- with the windows open and music blasting, of course-- attracts me. 

19. I can see myself dedicating my career to orthopedics. It drew me to PT in the first place, and while I've tossed around other ideas since, I think I'll probably end up back in this setting. (Who knows, though-- maybe I'll say the same thing after my next pediatrics internship...)

20. Living alone in a new city taught me a lot. I was continuously challenged to use all the skills and knowledge I've acquired in school in the clinic, and forced outside of my comfort zone outside the clinic. And hey, turns out I can handle it. 

21. I think I already knew this, but now I really believe it deep down (after so many patients asked me): I'll end up living in Minnesota because I'm a Minnesota girl at heart.  I'm not cut out for all of this time away from my fam and friends. (Though I'm still tossing around the idea of living on the East Coast for a few years after graduation before I settle down. We'll see.)

22. It's entirely possible to live for 9 weeks out of what fits in a car. Who needs furniture, anyways?

23. To people in Illinios, Minnesota = snow (do we really get that much more??). To prove my point- one of my patients gave me a hat/scarf/mittens set as a thank you gift yesterday. But hopefully after my stay, those I've talked to will now at least think-- Minnesota = snow + hockey. 

24. Owning your own PT practice seems to be a pretty great gig (i.e. setting your own hours, driving an Escalade, sending the kids to private schools). I could possibly see myself opening up my own place in the future. Anyone want in?

25. And last but not least, I learned that I'm pretty positive that I found my calling in physical therapy. One of my patients told me today that my passion for PT is written all over my face, especially in my smile. Another refused to wish me luck because she knew I didn't need it--success would find me. (Yet another gave me a good luck bracelet.)  But really, I would have figured out I was in the right place without all of that, because of how much I enjoyed coming to work everyday. (But of course, a little positive reinforcement doesn't hurt.)

Thanks for everything, Rockford.