Today is the winter solstice. Having stepped out of bed at 6 AM in the pitch dark with sunrise occurring just shy of 2 hours later at 7:53 AM (and it isn't particularly bright this time of year with the dark rain clouds), I am very excited for the days to start lengthening again. It is truly something to celebrate!
Once at the top I had to navigate through a maze of hallways to end up in the right building. 
It was a great cheery start to the otherwise dreery and wet winter morning. The interview day was a good one, and this time, truly relaxed. There is a sort of comfort that comes with knowing it's the last of 14 interviews. The views from the hospital wings were pretty great, despite the grey skies. 
I had ideas about sticking around Portland to explore for a few hours, but given the nasty weather and the fact that I had to be back at work the next day I took off right after it ended. Well, whether I left immediately after the interview or hours later, I probably would have returned home at the same time. The rain was POURING making for poor visibility and slow traffic on I-5. 
I thought maybe I'd make it home before dark, but alas, I was sitting in the dark by the time I hit Boeing field 
And, it turns out that I was part of a historic Seattle moment in time. I was traveling through downtown at rush hour during the "worst rush hour traffic in Seattle in the past 25 years", according to the radio. Well, If I had to sit, I guess I was happy that it was at least record breaking...
My final day of the radiology rotation was actually really great. I learned a ton (and also gazed with wide eyes at a few things that went over my head). Check out the chicken scratch for the little lecture I received from one of the residents about how a CT scanner works
I was following along pretty well, until he started to pull up this formula online to go into the actual calculations of the mechanics...then I was lost
My brain was full by lunch time that it was time to fill my stomach, and I just so happened to be there on the day they were doing residency interviews for radiology applicants. So, I got to sit in on what it was like to go to an applicant lunch for the field of radiology rather than Ob/gyn. Well, having been to both put on by UW, I will say that the Radiology applicants got spoiled in comparison! I was spoiled for sure, but typically my lunches/dinners were buffet style with paper plates and compostable silverware. Well, that was not the case here: Cloth napkins, real silverware, Tillamook cheddar mac&cheese, waiters in black tie clearing the plates, and a special bag of cookies upon their departure. I guess I know where the budget goes for each respective program huh?
It was a delicious ending to my rotation. When I got home that evening we truly went out to celebrate with our friends, John and Bri. Tom celebrated his second-to-last finals (EVER, hopefully) being over and I was celebrating the end of the trail. Bri is in my class but is taking a year to complete her Masters of Publich Health at UW and she just finished finals week as well. Her hubby John had more celebrating to do as well, as he was just accepted into the Masters in Teaching program at UW that starts in March!! I didn't get a photo, but suffice it to say we had a good time at the Sand Point Grille. Bri was feeling under the weather, but she toughed it out. At the time we didn't realize just HOW under the weather! She has been sick for almost a month with mono but after our time together realized that she had a bacterial infection on top of all of it and had to go to the ER the following day for testing, IV antibiotics and drainage of the bacterial infection in her throat! My respect level for her shot through the roof and I'm certain that I am a BABY when I am sick, at least compared to her!
They had a particularly wonderful selection of stuffed animals this year too. So, Tylor was just going to be overwhelmed with life-sized gifts this year!
When all was said and done, we had TONS of gifts for parents Chris and Amber and their three kids Michael (18 years old), Tiffy (16 years old) and Tylor (5). 
We then finished a little christmas shopping for our own families before doing something that had been on my list since the week before Thanksgiving: going to see Hunger Games!
The adorable kids train out front filled our ears with cute giggles, cheers, and "hi Grandma!"'s, as we walked into the movie 
To top it off, we had dinner courtesy of a free meal coupon that we got at a UW volleyball match at Tutta Bella Pizzaria. We both couldn't believe we had never eaten there before--it was an adorable brick oven pizza place! And what date night wouldn't be complete without a little stop at a place called Molly Moon's?
At a time where consumerism fills the air (and we were guilty of partaking in it quite a bit this weekend), we are reminded of how truly blessed we are. We have our health, we have each other (in one piece despite flying around the country for 2 months), we have amazing opportunities ahead in 2016, and we have the love and support of you--our friends and families! 2015 has been quite the ride, and it's not even over yet! With that, I'll leave you with the adorable ornament Tom got for me this year to commemorate my path to becoming a physician, and an Obstetrican/Gynecologist at that. 
Stay tuned for highlights of the Glassman Family Christmas!
We've had lots of reasons to celebrate lately. First off--the interview trail is DONE! I finished the trail in Portland where my classmate's parents (the Levittes, who got married in med school) were my gracious hosts. I left work around 2:30 PM to allow myself plenty of time to get to the dinner. I arrived in Portland by 6 and didn't have dinner until 7. I was grateful to be early. The dinner was in the lovely home of one of the residents, in an adorable little neighborhood lined with homes lit up by Christmas lights.
The interview started at 6:45 AM and it was POURING when I woke up. I navigated the puddles of the parking lot to try to avoid totally soaking my shoes and took "the tram" to the top of "the hill." These are both terms I was not intimately familiar with prior to the interview trip, but anyone at all familiar with OHSU will know that the hospital is up on a hill and there is a gondola that can take patients, employees, and the public up the hill. Normally it is the home of incredible views. Because it was dark, I couldn't see much, but it was still pretty.
This, I learned, is another amazing feature of the OHSU campus--you can walk almost anywhere in the different buildings indoors because of this maze of hallways. I arrived at the top almost a half hour early so I treated myself for my timeliness with a chai tea at the coffee shop at the top of the hill
With glimpses like this, I hoped it would clear up by the time the interview day was done. I looked forward to the tram ride to the bottom of the hill to see the sights. Alas, the dreary skies and fog only worsened throughout the day so this, I'm sad to say, was the extent of my view on the tram
Anyway, Saturday brought about our favorite holiday time activity--the Forgotten Children's Fund! Santa's workshop was in Renton this year so we took off for a day of selecting and wrapping gifts for a family in need.
The warehouse seemed particularly full this year with gifts and toys and bags full of wrapped presents
Tom found an amazing toy helicopter set for the 5 year old boy, Tylor, we were "shopping" for. It's going to be bigger than him!
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