The Jacksons!!

Introducing.... Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Jackson*!!

*I don't actually have a picture of the happy couple. But trust me, they are married. And excited. And excited to be married.

So. It was one crazy, exhausting, wonderful weekend! Katie was beautiful, the wedding was gorgeous, the food was delicious (seriously. unusually delicious) and the people were a blast! Friday we had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner of true Southern food, complete with cowboy outfits. Friday night the bridesmaids spent the night at Katie's house which was so fun! It felt like a little girl's sleepover (except one of the little girls was getting married the next day). Saturday was a remarkably calm day with all things considered... Katie's dad made us pancakes in the morning and we all took our time showering, doing our hair and packing up. Made the drive to the church (stopped on the way and got Katie a free soda at QT! haha) and spent some time doing makeup, getting dressed and eating lunch (not necessarily in that order). From there it was time for girl's pictures and then the looooong wait for the ceremony to start. It was only an hour but we were all going a little stir crazy (especially Katie!). Once the ceremony started it was full steam ahead for the rest of the night!

Here are a few pictures...

The bridesmaids dressed in Western gear for the rehearsal dinner

164 together again!!!! As promised, I freaked out.

Wedding day with the bride!!

164 a little more dressed up than usual...

Fun reunion with UGA friends!!

I made it back to Virginia Sunday night and promptly 1. wrote a paper for class and 2. went to sleep. Yesterday was a looooong day with class and my first solo shift at work!! woohoo! More work this week before heading to Texas for the weekend!!!

Love from your favorite bridesmaid,

Lauren

Sales Pitch

Guys.
Listen.
I am SUCH a fan of Amtrak right now.
Seriously, they should hire me as their spokesperson because I am totally on board.

I took the train from DC up to Philly on Tuesday and back last night. Like I said... huge fan. More leg room than an airplane. Had a whole seat to myself. You don't have to turn off your cell phone. They have wifi. No security check. No hassle getting on the train. Just print your ticket and hop on.
Have I sold you on it yet?

Interview #3 went well (obviously my newfound love of trains helped). It was actually... can you use this word for a med school interview?... fun! My granddad went to this med school, and lots of people in my family after him, so it was pretty cool to be at his school that I've heard so much about so many years later. Philadelphia is a pretty cool city, too! Plus I got to stay with my cousin and her cute cute son the night before! All around, great two days.

Today I'm off to the ATL, tomorrow interviewing at Emory, and Saturday Katie GETS MARRIED!! Should be a stellar few days!

Love from the crazy traveler,
Lauren

P.S. Yes, the Georgia Bulldogs lost last weekend. But they put up a good fight and made it a great game!! I am proud of my Dawgs. Plus, we will always be more classy school thanks to Gator fans like this.

Glory, glory.

Five Reasons

FIVE Reasons why the next 2 weeks (and 2 days) are going to be pure greatness:

1. The Georgia/Florida game is this weekend!!! This is a big one, folks. First of all - I really, really don't like the Florida Gators. Secondly - we actually have a great chance of winning this year! It is going to be a great game. Third(ly?) - I get to watch the game at a fun Georgia sports bar in DC with some of my favorite UGA grads!

Jill, Wendy, Jane and I watching the game last week. So fun!

2. Next week I am traveling to Philadelphia for my interview at Jefferson! I am super excited because a) a lot of people in my family went there, so I get to experience what they've been telling me about for so long and b) I get to stay with my cousin, her husband and super cute son the night before and c) I am taking the train!! which should be lots of fun.

3. Next Thursday I'll be flying back to Atlanta and I get to spend another night at home (before my Emory interview on Friday! yay!) with the parentals and the crazy dogs, which is always fun!! So nice to have visits home, even if they are short ones.

4. KATIE IS GETTING MARRIED!!!!!! Next weekend!!! Holy cow. I can hardly believe it. I am going to be a bridesmaid and I am so pumped to be part of her special day! Plus when the four of us are reunited...

.....I am going to FREAK OUT!!!! Love these ladies. Love love love. It is going to be a fabulous weekend!

5. The weekend after that (yes, the awesomeness keeps going....) I am flying to Dallas for my interview at UT Southwestern. I get to see my aunt and uncle, possibly some Texas friends, and enjoy being back in the Lone Star State. One word, people: TEX-MEX. mmmmm. I can hardly wait!

Whew. Can you even handle all the greatness?? I'm not sure I can. I'm pretty darn pumped.

Happy Halloween!
Happy Reformation Sunday!
Go Dawgs!!
Lauren

Kid At Heart

You know how when you are a kid, you think that life only happens wherever you are? You forget that things keep happening in other cities you don't live in?

Apparently, I'm still a little bit of a kid.

I tend to get caught up in the "I was in Georgia three hours ago and now I'm in DC" phenomenon. I don't know why it always blows my mind. But it does. Somehow eating lunch in Atlanta and dinner in DC is simply amazing to me. Even though I play it cool. :-)

At the same time, I am feeling terribly grown up, folks. Got myself to Atlanta on Tuesday [literally by way of plane, train and automobile]. Got to eat dinner with my parents!! Drove myself to Augusta Wednesday. In a suit. And pantyhose. Look out, world! Had a med school interview!!!! Woah. [More on that later]. Made a side trip to Athens!! Got to have dinner with the ladies of the 164 [Kaitlin, Sarah and Jules] and pop into Starbucks and see my favorite barista [Imaad]. More planes, trains and automobiles got me back to my Virginia home on Thursday. Whew.

So, to answer the most frequent interview question, "how did it go?".....
Uh, I don't know.
I did get the typical "why do you want to be a doctor" question, but I did not get "why do you want to go to school here" or "tell me about yourself" or "what is your greatest strength" or really any of the other questions I had prepared for. Perfect.
We did, however, discuss a really intense ethical question, health care and insurance reform, music and medicine, music and mathematics, and my family.
And he gave me a pair of tweezer/scissor things. "Keep them as a souvenir".
Anyway. The moral of the story is that I'll get an answer in 2 - 8 weeks!! Eek.

In the meantime, my hotel is booked and I am ready to drive to Pittsburgh in just a few days! Nothing like a quick turnaround, huh?

AND now I get to book a flight to DFW to interview at UT Southwestern! Woohoo! Interview #5. In less than a month.

Just keep breathing,
Lauren

Meet The Fellows

Please meet the 10 wonderful people I am sharing life with this year.

First, our [very] awkward "before" picture.

This picture was taken 10 minutes - literally - after we had first met. We shook hands, exchanged names, "how was the drive" conversations, and then took this picture. Which was then distributed to the entire church congregation the next Sunday.

Yeah. It's awkward.

This past week, we got an insider tour of the Capitol from the Historian of the House of Representatives. We got to be on the House floor, find out lots of super cool facts, and, my favorite part, go on the Speaker's balcony, which overlooks the National Mall and has an amazing view of the Washington Monument.

So we decided to take another, significantly less awkward, "6 weeks later" picture.

[That's the Washington Monument next to my head. No big.]

So, please meet [L to R]: Nathan, Caryne, Katie, yours truly, Ashley, Mike, Sarah, David, Zach, Steph and Molly. The Capital Fellows Class of 2011!

Catching up on work/sleep/rest this weekend. Studying for my scribe final so that I can go solo at work! Getting ready for my first med school interview on Wednesday!!! So much to do, so little time.

Love from your favorite Fellow,
Lauren

Productivity

A few quick updates, so that I can go back to being oh-so-productive!

1. Work is awesome. I mean really, stinkin awesome. I love it. I worked an 11 hour shift yesterday with one 15 minute break and it was GREAT. It was the busiest I have ever seen the ER!! We had patients in the hallways and things just never stopped. I was technically training, but after about 3 patients my trainer said - you got this. I'm off to help somewhere else. So she ran around, helping out other doctors, scribes, etc., and I flew solo!!! Exciting. Scary. Busy. So anyway. Now I just have one more shift, a final to take and I am done training!

2. My Georgia Bulldogs made the beginnings of a comeback this weekend - Go Dawgs! We beat Tennessee, which brought back great memories of our Ducktown/Knoxville/Chattanooga weekend extravaganza last year...

[horrible game. amazing weekend. wonderful friends. great memories.]

3. Next week kicks off my 3 weeks of interview madness! MCG [flying to Atlanta], then Pitt [driving], then Jefferson [driving? train? who knows] and then Emory [hey again, atl]. I am going to be a traveling machine, folks!

4. I did some Columbus weekend shopping and I think I am a little more ready for the cold weather to hit! Winter coat is ready to go and a few extra sweaters too. Bring it on! [famous last words]

5. read read read. this is the life of a grad student.

6. If I owe you a catch-up phone call, I promise it is coming! I haven't forgotten about you!

Lots 'o love from up north,

Lauren

Dear ESPN

Dear ESPN College Football Announcers,

I love you guys. I love hearing your recaps of important games, amazing plays, and inspiring players each week. Since you have helped me fall in love with college football over the past five years, I feel like we're pretty close. We're friends. Buddies, even. Which is why I have to be honest with you, no matter how difficult it is.

My dear friends.

Tim Tebow has graduated from college.

He has moved on, and I think it is time that you do the same.

Please stop showing video highlights of his top plays at Florida, because he doesn't play for them anymore. Don't show them side by side with clips of Florida's new quarterback. No, they are not the same person, and they never will be, no matter how many video clips you show.

Please don't bring him up during a football game between Auburn and Kentucky. Just a reminder - he didn't go to either one of those schools.

Please don't compare an Alabama quarterback's press interview with Tim Tebow's press interview in 2008. It is 2010. And again, just a reminder - Tim Tebow did not go to Alabama.

Admitting you have a problem is the first step. I think you and Tim will be much better off if you just make a clean break. You guys are strong and I know you can get through this tough time.

Your friend,

Lauren

P.S. It wouldn't kill you to say something nice about the Georgia Bulldogs every now and then, either.