“Enjoy it. Because it’s happening.”

It’s been a flying, hectic, both fun and stress-filled 2+ weeks since my last post. I sincerely hate it when I get too bogged down by the demands of life that I feel like I can’t even sit and write for more than ten minutes. Stop. Breathe. Spring of junior year is basically halfway in the books, and there’s nothing that can change that. “Enjoy it. Because it’s happening.”

My mind (and life) right now seems like a jumbled, beautiful chaos. So many things have been going on or that I’m looking forward to- some incredible, some downright comical, some scary, others frustrating. Here’s a highly condensed version of the many things, events, and thoughts I’ve wished I could elaborate more on.

After torturing my hair through eight rounds of curling and spraying (and impressively minimal washing), six incredible performances of All-University SING are done (if you’re not a Baylor Bear, read up on this one-of-a-kind and long running tradition). We accomplished our goals of having a blast, doing our absolute best, and I made even more rich friendships this year. It’s crazy how you can connect to a community so quickly and deeply just by uniting  through a common vision and passion. One new like-minded friend in particular is a fellow blogger who you can find here.

My family was able to visit last weekend for our last night of performing, and it was so refreshing to see all of them again for the first time since Christmas. My baby nephew E is now crawling and even has his first two perfectly symmetrical little bottom teeth! I told my family he will be the perfect age when I’m in dental school to be my first pediatric patient for practicing examining deciduous dentition – there’s your dental vocab for the day.

After much research, I officially dropped my first college class! I already have taken a biology class that meets the biochem requirement of most dental schools, so there was no reason to waste invaluable time sitting through basically the same class again in the chemistry department (while still stressing to make the grade due to slight but significant test differences). A huge three hour unnecessary weight is now lifted.

I’ve mastered and been tested on my mad new dancing skills in Western, Fox Trot, and Waltz. Today we started the dance of sensual tension: Tango, and to quote my teacher, “This is an intricate dance and is obviously easier when the couple is really a couple.” All the girls in my class all looked at each other and we thought, “Boys, don’t get any ideas.” It’s already my favorite one this semester, though. I guess because I can really bring out my inner Latin diva and have some fun after the stuffy ballroom dances we’ve learned. We’ll just have to imagine that all the boys in our class are really Antonio Banderas.

I somehow managed to pull off my pre-health committee interview this past Friday. It really was nothing to even stress about at all. I actually was thinking to myself, “Why am I wearing a suit?” because my interviewer only asked me maybe four or five legitimate questions. He basically acted like it was simply a formality we had to do and that he didn’t doubt my ability to succeed in dental school one bit. He was confident and knew I was confident in myself, and I checked yet another step off on the process. Speaking of to-do lists, I also asked for my second reference letter from my cell physiology/biochem professor from last semester that I really hit it off with, and I know that she takes these very seriously. Two down, two to go!

I’ve successfully (and unfortunately) managed to avoid Bearathon training whenever I can. I’ve made it up to ten miles for my longest run, but ice storms, family weekends, and medial shin splints are not very encouraging three weeks out from the race. As much as I didn’t want it to, running has recently turned into an obligation and not an enjoyment. My roommate is also training and feeling the same way, but we’ve told each other that we will run and we will finish. Who cares about time when everyone gets the shirt, medal, abundance of post-race treats, and a reason to go out and celebrate doing something that only a tiny fraction of the population has accomplished.

The dental mission trip to Panama (and start of SPRING BREAK) is THIS Saturday! I’m running around crazy this last week trying to tie up all the loose ends, but I am beyond excited for this incredible opportunity. God was faithful to provide like ALWAYS, and I ended up raising just enough funds the last week our full payment was due! I’m incredibly thankful to my parents, family, friends, and dentist mentors for helping support me financially so I can go on this adventure of reaching the underserved people of Panama through the priceless gift of dental care. I’m also looking forward for more of a hands-on dental experience beyond the shadowing and limited assisting I’ve done here. Don’t worry, I won’t be breaking laws and pulling teeth, but I am pretty sure we will play a major role in assisting in procedures and doing cleanings and exams in the clinics.

On one of my struggles of a run last week through the vast and beautiful cemetery across the street, the song “How Much More” started playing on my iPhone, I stopped running (not just because my inner lower legs were killing), and was moved to tears. I don’t really know if these were sad or happy tears, but they happened. I simply was overwhelmed with how blessed and loved I am by the Lord even through times when I feel like I’m drowning in never-ending tasks and can only complain. When I’m weary, He always fills my need and then some.

With a daunting anatomy lab practical (completely fill in the blank and every last bit of information we’ve learned since the first day) fast approaching, I’ve got to get some sleep and rest up for an intense next couple of days. Many blessings to all of you reading this, and I pray that you all feel God’s presence in the midst of whatever beautiful chaos you’re in.