Paradise Found!

Here are photos from our first three days in paradise.

A Year of Anticipation

Yesterday was a much anticipated day in the hearts of women all across the United States - the release of the new IKEA catalog. It's beautiful. Captivating. Shiny. Exhilarating. Bliss.
And yet it's bittersweet. Sweet because the items within its covers are worth hours of entertainment and inspiration. Colors, shapes, textures of all kinds. Not to mention, the costs are minimal. Now many people might scoff at the idea of IKEA because it "may require some assembly" and most of their stuff is made from particle board...translation: it's cheap quality. However, it's cheap monetarily which means that I could $1000 for a quality, name-brand entertainment cabinet that may last me 20 years. A good, solid investment, right? Or I could pay $250 for a similar cabinet from IKEA which lasts 5 years, thus allowing me to change my mind 4 times in 20 years for the same amount of money. Perfect!! If I had the $1000 piece, I couldn't justify getting another one... (ok, tangent finished)
However, the coming of the catologue is also bitter because it makes me want to spend all kinds of money that I don't have for items that I really, truly don't need...no matter how much I try to convince myself otherwise.
So in the midst of watching the olympics, my eyes were further stimulated with visions of vases, couches, bookcases, beds, curtains, silverware, goblets, and yes, entertainment centers.

Two Weeks of Freedom

Last night I got to do something I haven't done in a very long time...I read an entire book cover to cover in 5 hours. My last clinical was today and it was bittersweet because I loved this rotation, but I am so ready for two weeks of vacation!
So when I got home, I went horizontal for 2 solid hours of bliss. Then I went to the library and bought a book for 10 cents (I have a horrid habit of forgetting to return books to the library, so it ends up being cheaper to buy them). I pulled up a comfy chair by the pool of the house I'm house-sitting at. Before long the jacuzzi became too appealing so I rolled up my sweats and dipped my feet in. Turns out this wasn't good enough. I thought, "here I am, by myself, why am I not IN the jacuzzi?" So I changed into my suit, grabbed an ice cold soda, turned on the spa and sank in...lemme tell you, I have not felt so content and relaxed in a very long time. There is little better than a spa, a book, an ice cold soda, and nothing to stress me out. I had nothing that I "should" be doing, nothing pressing, no niggling thought...just pure and simple relaxation.
So bring on the two weeks of vacation! I plan to live it up - trip to Gramma's, trip to San Diego tomorrow to see Phantom of the Opera, lots of Olympic viewing, and a trip to Hawaii for a week. My body needs it after 7 straight months of clinicals, exams, projects, and STRESS. Thank you, Lord!!