Today, I had a free morning since clinic didn't start until 1pm. I was initially thinking about driving back to Pittsburgh last night, but I decided to stay in Indiana and explore. Since I had a full half-day, I decided to go for a nice nature walk at Blue Spruce Park.  

My 30 minute walk this morning was so peaceful and it gave me a chance to get away from the hustle-bustle of school and everyday life. Below you'll see pictures from along my walk. It's a beautiful, serene park...definitely one of the most quaint spots I've been to in a long time. The morning air was cool and crisp this morning, so it felt almost like fall weather. It was so nice to start off my morning by doing some light exercise. I'm sure I didn't burn a significant number of calories, but the walk left me feeling super energized, relaxed, and ready to start my day. I didn't even need a second cup of coffee today like I usually do! It's 8pm as I'm writing this, and I'm still super energized and relaxed! My goal for this month is to take 30-60 mins out of each morning to go for a walk at a park or a trail. There are so many walking trails around Indiana that I'm hoping to explore a couple more spots during the rest of my time here! And I'm hoping to continue my morning walks when I'm back in Pittsburgh. I have thyroid issues and even though I take medicine, I'm still tired throughout the day no matter how many cups of coffee I drink. I'm hoping that starting off my day with exercise will make me feel more energized and happier...and maybe even help me shed some weight! 

Park entrance 

Beautiful landscape and greenery of Indiana County 

Walking trail by the lake

Fishing spot by the lake 

Lake in the middle of Blue Spruce Park

Surrounded by nature on a peaceful walking trail

After my walk, I decided to spend the rest of my morning at Caffe Amadeus located in Downtown Indiana, PA. When I first got to Indiana, I did a search on Yelp for good study spots and coffeehouses, and this place came up with excellent reviews. The pictures of their drinks and desserts looked divine! Plus, they roast their own beans so I knew the coffee would be fresh. I decided to get just a regular latte and skipped the pastries since I didn't feel like eating anything sweet early in the morning. It's so cute how they give you a shot of water along side the coffee to take either before or after your coffee to cleanse your palate. I think you're supposed to take it before you drink your coffee, but I did it at the end to get rid of that residual coffee taste in my mouth. Their latte was absolutely delicious with a nice rich flavor. Also, one of the best latte arts I've seen. The decor of the coffee shop was a little quirky with pictures of classical composers, authors, and literary figures hung on the walls and antique armchairs and sofas spread throughout the shop. Needless to say, it was one of the most unique coffeeshops I've ever been to. It makes me realize how I should explore the coffeeshops in Pittsburgh instead of always going to Starbucks or Panera! At Caffe Amadeus, I read a few articles I had saved on my laptop and sipped my latte on a comfy armchair. It was a great study spot even though they didn't have Wifi. All in all, I would definitely like to stop by Caffe Amadeus before I go back to Pittsburgh, and try another espresso drink and maybe even get a pastry.

Since I had a few more minutes to spare, I decided to just walk along Philadelphia Street, which is the main street in Downtown. It has a bunch of unique stores that reminded me of antique shops. There were a few bakeries along the way too which I almost splurged at, but managed to control myself! Indiana is such a small little town, and it's refreshing to be somewhere away from a big city like Pittsburgh, and see how life functions in a small town.

Philadelphia Street at sunset

All in all, I'm really liking Indiana more than I thought I would. Although I was a little afraid at first, I'm finally getting used to the place and liking the small-town charm this place has. I can't wait to explore more places in Indiana during the rest of my time here! 

Stretching Routine

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that I've struggled with weight for the past year. It hasn't been unintentional weight gain. It's been weight gain from an incredibly unhealthy diet. I'm ashamed to say that I've been eating mainly fried foods and a lot of takeout over the past year. I'm also ashamed to say that food and stress-eating has been my main coping mechanism over the past year. I've tried to go back to eating a healthy diet several times over the past year, but I've relapsed every time. I haven't checked my weight, but I'm sure I've gained at least 20 pounds since last year.

Now that the majority of my medical school duties are over, I'm looking forward to finally shedding the pounds for good. Indiana has a lot of beautiful parks and nature trails. I woke up this morning intending to go for a nature walk to begin my fitness journey, but unfortunately it started pouring as soon as I put my clothes on :( guess I should've looked up the weather before making plans! Hopefully the weather will be clear the rest of the week so I can make it out to the trails.

Because of the rain, I decided to just do some light exercises at the apartment. I love the Fitness Blender videos for at-home workouts! However, I've been sedentary for SO long that the thought of doing a cardio workout was very daunting (hence why I want to start off doing fun, easy nature walks). Browsing through their video library, I stumbled upon a stretching video that I've embedded above. Oh my goodness, it loosened up my muscles soooo much! It hit all of my sore muscle spots and it was only 6 minutes long! I'm really looking forward to doing this multiple times per day, even at my work desk!

I honestly think this video is excellent for all of us girls who haven't exercised in a while, have stiff muscles in the morning, or need a nice warmup before a cardio workout. Also good for those of us who sit at a desk most of the day and don't get much exercise at work. Although this video isn't a calorie scorcher, it's still a good way to get your body prepped for more intense workouts. I can definitely see myself doing this routine in the morning, around noontime, and in the evening to help relax my muscles. I'm also looking forward to drinking more water and eating more calorie-controlled meals. I may even make fruit-infused water while I'm in Indiana for a little extra kick! Expect updates ;)

Cleaning, Part One

Back in 2010, I bought Maria Menounos's book "The Every Girl's Guide to Life". I absolutely fell in love with this book and over the years it has inspired me in so many ways. One of the key pearls I've learned from the book, and firmly believe in myself, is that cleanliness and organization is one of the first and most fundamental steps towards happiness. Very few people can stay happy and truly organized living in a messy, filthy environment. While I'm not the cleanest person in the world, I try my very best to keep my life organized as much as I can and keep my space clean as much as possible. However, I admit that I haven't maintained my apartment as much as I wanted, especially when it comes to the floors.

This weekend, I decided to deep clean my apartment. I mean really really clean. Under the surfaces, removing dust mites from the nooks and crannies, get ridding of the little bits of foods stuck in random corners, etc. I got down on my hands and knees to clean every inch of the floor. I also ran our dishwasher empty to clean it on the inside. My shelves and drawers remain fairly organized most of the times, but I do like to spring clean every now and then and get rid of stuff I don't need anymore like old makeup, dead pens, etc. I set out to clean my entire apartment, but I was only able to get through my bedroom and kitchen. Although it took half a day to clean both of those spaces, I did a pretty thorough job and those rooms are now sparkling.

Next weekend, I hope to tackle my bathroom, living room, laundry closet, and my bedroom closet. After that, I'm hoping to clean my apartment every week and "maintenance clean" it so it doesn't get mega filthy again. I might make a cleaning checklist in the near future so I have a schedule.

July Beauty Favorites

I cannot believe August is here. This year is flowing by so fast! July was my Step 2 CK month and I'm so relieved that it's finally over. Today I figured I'd chit chat a bit about my July makeup favorites.  Mostly a bunch of rediscoveries that I've been falling back in love with in my makeup collection.

NYX Dream Catcher Palette in Dusk Til' Dawn

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette (Limit, Nooner, Liar)

Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in Fuller Fudge

Benefit Bella Bamba Blush

Clinique Cheek Pop Blush in Berry Pop

Dior Addict Lipgloss in Delice

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Hot Shot

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Apricot Twist

Life Updates

I know I haven’t updated in a couple days, but I had a few setbacks that I was dealing with.  I recently got my grade for my Acting Internship which I was really upset about. I tried so hard to get Honors, but of course I only ended up with a High Pass. I honestly don’t know what I could have done better. I tried my hardest, got along with my colleagues, did well with my patients, taught my medical students. I just don’t know why I always get the short end of the stick. I feel like people who try half as hard as me are able to get amazing grades, while I’m stuck busting my ass and not able to get more than a High Pass in anything. I thought maybe I could break the mold with my AI, but apparently not. This has really impacted my self esteem and self confidence and I feel like total shit. I’m in Indiana for my Family Medicine rotation and can barely focus. Finding out my disappointing grade just sucked the confidence and drive out of me.  I used to be so motivated, now I just feel like I’m useless. I spent yesterday and this morning feeling like crap, couldn’t focus on anything, and spent my drive into the clinic this morning shedding tears, feeling sorry for myself and for my family. It reminded me of the news articles I’m always reading about students in Ivy League schools giving up and committing suicide because they can never meet the cut. That’s exactly how I feel. I’m in such a competitive school where everybody is amazing, and I’m definitely below average. It’s a really shitty feeling.

Anyway, I’m planning on talking to my Pediatrics advisor about all this. He’s on vacation until August 9^th, so I have some time. Hopefully I can still get into an amazing program like CHP, but I have a feeling I’m going to have to settle for something in the mid-tier range. I have a list of programs made up, but I may have to expand it given my subpar Step 1 score and straight High Passes in clerkships, including my AI. I feel like such a disappointment to both myself and to my family, who are always supporting me and want the best for me. I tried so, so, so hard but the setbacks and disappointing results are just getting to me. The below average Step 1, the average clerkship grades, the lack of AOA or Gold Humanism society nominations. The 30lb weight gain. It’s all just not worth it. If I could go back, I’m not sure if I would have even chosen medicine. I’m almost done with this hassle, but still another year to go….I was hoping that fourth year was going to be fun, stress-free, and relaxing but so far it’s turning out to be a nightmare.  

$10 Sundays: ELF Cosmetics

I haven't done a $10 Sunday in so long! I haven't been doing too much shopping, and I've been enjoying just playing with the makeup I already have in my collection. However, I went to Target a few days ago and decided to pick up some goodies from ELF that I had my eye on for quite some time now. Sooo many Youtube gurus have been raving about ELF products, and I haven't really dabbled in too many of their products. I own several of their brushes, but besides that I haven't tried too many things from their makeup line.

I really needed a new eyebrow brush since my Real Techniques one broke recently :( I believe I had gotten the ELF Essentials Brow Comb + Brush in the past, but I had lost it or something. I remember it being really good so I decided to buy another one and give it a go. It was only a $1 and is fairly good quality for this price!

Next, I decided to pick up the ELF Studio Lip Exfoliator for $3, which is an exfoliating lip stick. I've never seen an exfoliator in a stick before, but I saw this in one of Emily Noel's videos and knew I had to try it. I've always gotten the LUSH Lip Scrubs, but I don't like how you have to dip your finger and smear it all over your lips. It's super messy and the sugar gets everywhere. I've also tried the Fresh Sugar Lip Scrub, but that one's more liquidy and even messier. I'm hoping the ELF Lip Exfoliator is less messy and gets the job done. My lips chap super fast, so this product will be holy grail status if it works well!

Lastly, I purchased the ELF Studio Blush in Pink Passion for $3, which is a super bright, cool-toned matte fuchsia pink. It reminds me a lot of Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface, but it looks brighter and a bit more cool toned. Now, cool tones don't look the best on me, but I've been into bright blushes recently and decided to give this one a shot. I've heard a ton of great things about these blushes and I'm so excited to finally try a blush from ELF! I wanted to get one of their Blush Palettes, but I have so many other blushes in my collection I've been meaning to try that I decided to just pick up a single blush pan for now. I have my eye on the palette though so I'm sure that will be featured in an upcoming haul soon ;)

Projects I Hope To Complete Before 2016

It's been soooo long since I got a chance to craft. I know, I know no matter how busy you are you can always make time. I've done a total botch job at taking care of my health this year, and have majorly slacked in terms of keeping up with my hobbies. I'm hoping to do a better job at it this year and finally complete some of the projects I've had on my list (and Pinterest) for ages. Here are some of those projects along with their links.

Scrapbook. I've been working on a scrapbook for so long, but never managed to complete it. I've printed out a bunch of pictures, got pretty paper, embellishments, and have a lot of ideas but I just never got around to completing it. I'm hoping to finish it by the end of this year, or at least add my most memorable memories to my scrapbook!

Customized wine glass. I made one for my mom this past Mother's Day, and have been itching to make one for myself since. I dipped the stem in white-gold glitter and then wrote "Mom" in fancy letters on the main portion of the glass using a metallic Sharpie. I want to recreate a similar wine glass for myself, except write "Cheers" or something fun on the glass.

Glitter-dipped mason jars. Another glittery craft! (can you tell that I love glitter??) I think silver-glittered, clear mason jars would look so beautiful on my dresser, especially to store my makeup brushes. It's so easy to add glitter onto literally any surface with Mod Podge, a foam brush, and some loose glitter, and it looks incredibly amazing and spices up your space.

Decorative fall pillows. It's no secret that I cannot wait for fall. I also really want to get into sewing this year and the easiest sewing project for beginners are pillow covers. And the best part is that you can customize them a million different ways by choosing different types of fabrics, appliqués, designs, shapes, sizes, etc etc. I'm hoping to make some crimson square pillows for this fall season and then adding this adorable patchwork pumpkin design to add a bit of fall to my apartment.  

Fall centerpiece. I've always wanted to make my own centerpiece, but never make one since I don't have a formal table to set it on. However, I think I may make one this year using some pinecones, fake leaves, plastic pumpkin, candles, etc and then set it on our kitchen counter or windowsill, or somewhere eye-catching. This is such a fun little craft that again you can customize a billion different ways.