This is the fastest transformation, everything is changin'...

I hate that I started this blog and haven't written in it since then, but I just feel like I get busy with things and don't have time. I know, I know, excuses. I'm sitting here in the apartment that I have called home for the last 5 years...I'll be leaving tomorrow morning at 9am. When I first got here in 2002, I was apprehensive about Morgantown. I went to school in a place where I knew the same people from 5 to 18, so it was a big change for me to go to a huge school with people from so many walks of life. Now as I look back on it all, I realize that I couldn't have made a better decision. I wouldn't change it for the world. I've learned so much about myself and others, and I'll never forget the people I have met here. I'm going to be really sad to leave this town. I love that I can drive for 10 minutes and get to anything I want. After living in a tiny town my whole life, this is the best thing in the world. I've learned my love for city life (if that's what you'd call it). I need bigger and better things, and that's what I'm going to have. I'm so hungry for the next step in my life, and I know that it's going to be amazing! Graduation is going to be a really sad time for me, I can feel it. I hate to leave all my close friends behind, but I know I'll see them all soon. I make it happen!

So that's just a short but sweet message for the night, but it's going to be a long day tomorrow. Stay classy, Morgantown. It's not goodbye, but see ya later.

In between the lines...

It's one of those days where nothing could be better. On Monday, I got back to Morgantown from Christmas break. I took my boards on December 21st. Honestly, as soon as I took them, they were gone from my mind. I had so much to look forward to on break, but mostly just the sensation of knowing that I had NOTHING to look forward to (referring to the bad stuff!). No homework, no studying, no patients, just time to relax for 3 weeks before the last first day of the rest of my life. My break was nice; I worked, but that was not a problem after practically being off all semester. I got to see all of my Huntington friends and also my wonderful niece. I love her so much! There has never been a kid in my family that I have had the pleasure of watching grow up. Every time I get to see her I love her more. I cannot wait to be the cool aunt that spoils her to death. Christmas was great, just a laid back day of spending time with my family. It's funny how as the years go by, gifts become less and less important, while family time becomes moreso. It was sad for me to come to the realization that this was my last extended break home with my family.

So, as I was saying....back to Morgantown. I got my board scores back the DAY we got back and....I PASSED!!!!! Such a relief, but still more to face before it's all complete. We went to Red Lobster afterward to celebrate. I was happy my parents were in town when I got it so I had someone to share it with. Now I just need to go on a trip to reward myself...haha :) We have a project to present next Thursday, but we went through a trial run today, and I'm suddenly not at all worried about it. Soon, it'll be over and done, and there ya go.

This semester is looking like it will be smooth sailing. I still have to take my clinical boards. My mom has insisted that I take either NERB or SRTA AND CITA. But that's okay, I guess. I'll thank myself after they're over, especially if I pass them both the first time.

Well, in conclusion. I'm just really happy. I'm in a good place. Everything has finally come together in my life, and I'm ready to move on to the next stage! I started trying to 'eat healthy' on Monday, and I've been doing a great job! I think I'm to the point where I'm just ready for a change in that area too. I'm refraining from calling it the 'd' word because that implies that it's just a change for a short period of time....I've learned it doesn't work that way! I lost 37 pounds back in early 2006 and I gained it all back from thinking I could suddenly eat whatever I wanted since I had dieted for 16 months to lose that weight. WRONG! So now I know that if I do it, I have to do it the right way. I did it once, I have no doubt in myself that I can for sure do it again! :) I'll keep you updated.

What kind of world would it be without you...I couldn't breathe without you

I like to choose a blog title from the song that is currently playing on my iTunes when I start to type my entry. I'm most always listening to music since it's what keeps me going...especially when things are like they currently are...pressures on! Most likely if you are reading this, then you already know me. If you are stumbling across this blog with no clue, then here we go. I'm Rachel, and I'm from wild, but not-so-wonderful West Virginia. :) I grew up in very rural WV, but always knew I am a city girl at heart. I chose to attend West Virginia University in Morgantown because it was the furthest I could get away from home while accepting a full-ride scholarship to any school in the state. Also my best friend at the time lived in Pittsburgh, and luckily my current best friend ended up living there too (although she has since moved to Cleveland)! I am complicated in a not-so-really-pseudo-drama kind of way, without meaning to be. My downfall is that I like to sometimes make things more dramatic than they are, but at other times do not worry about things that are worth worrying about as much as I should. I find people hard to trust, but once I do trust you, it's over. I love the celebrity 'feel' and I sometimes try to live that life...my double wonderful other life. I'm 25 years old and I feel like in May I will REALLY finally be starting my adult life at 26. I've never been more ready. I've been in college since 2002, this being my third major (Dental Hygiene). I'm just happy I finally found something that I love. As I always say, it's better to take time to find a major you like and be in school for a couple years longer than to graduate with a degree you hate and have to work in that field for 40 years. Hope that brief summary gives you a glimpse into me and what I'm like.

So, currently this blog is giving me a reason to put off studying for dental boards (thanks Mariah)! I will be graduating in May and I cannot WAIT! Boards are on the 21st (next Monday). I'm not feeling terribly confident; I'm experiencing one of those moments when I'm not worrying as much as I should. I feel like I'm even going to feel that way while taking the board, but you know what? It's not going to make a difference to worry myself to death about it anyway, so I might as well just do what I can do and sit back and see the results. I plan on graduating in May and moving to Chapel Hill, NC. If you have known me at any time since 8th grade, I have always wanted to attend UNC, live in CH, and go to college there, and I might actually now be making my dream come true! I applied there out of high school, and even though I was a great student (then), my gpa wasn't high enough to get accepted. Now that I'm graduating with my BS in DH, there is a Master's program there that I believe I will be able to be accepted into! First I'm going to concentrate on getting a job in that area (high salary AND mass job availability...hallelujah), and then we'll see about all that. I have no connections down there, so it's almost like starting anew. I'm so excited!! I think I'm pretty unique in the fact that I love doing things by myself; sometimes I even prefer to be alone. Some people have hookups about going to eat or to the movies alone, but I don't see the big deal.

Well, this is only scraping the surface of everything, but can we really tell all there is to know about us in one entry of a blog? I hope as this goes on, you're able to learn more about me, things you know and things you wouldn't have guessed. I love writing in journals, but sometimes I feel like I have TOO much to say to type it all out.