Flashback time : It was merely one month ago and I was sitting on the floor (undignified?) of the guest bedroom of my house, surrounded by a swirl of study materials (papers, charts, diagrams, books, computer …). Nestled into the mix were the skeletal remains of a dozen Coke Zero cans, three empty sleeves of Pringles (ugh, sorry Derek’s body), several cappuccino glasses and probably fresh tear drops that had yet to evaporate from the floor. I was in finals mode studying for my scholastic life and I had crafted what I refer to as: my study nest. Now, my nesting isn’t glamorous as evidence by the integration of Pringle’s powder into the foundation of the structure. It’s kind of a shameful primal necessity that I reduce myself and my standard of living to in times of stress. For the eternal week that I lived within my study nest, I kept telling myself that it would be Holiday break and I would be free of the slobbish confines to which I was beholden. Unfortunately, when holiday break rolled around, I ended up switching out one nest for another.

This is an actual picture my stalker snapped of me while I was at peak nesting during finals. Look at me in my monochromatic outfit, snarfing down three cans of Pringles, surrounded by a mixture of snacks and literature. This picture SHOULD have been a wake up call, but as evidence by my behavior during holiday break, I haven’t changed.

For the last three weeks, I have been wrapped in blankets surrounded by pillows, snacks, videogames and television – a holiday nest if you will. It’s been heaven, but also, kind of disgraceful. I meant to go to the gym, keep up with my studies, visit the ‘supposed’ outside world that exists when I’m normally at school. I did none of that. I went into a holiday coma … whoops. I have to admit, it felt pretty great. I am, however, ready for school to start. I am ready to be active and productive again so that I can feel accomplished. Nearly becoming a half human/half blanket hybrid was cathartic and much needed, but it’s time for me to resume my studies because I’m weeks away from seeing my first actual patients! So goodbye holiday nest, I must give you up so that I can focus on becoming a competent doctor. It’s not you, it’s me *eyes fill with tears*. Breaking up is never easy.

If you’ve read this blog before hopefully you’ve gained some crucial insights into some of the struggles and triumphs one can experience inside and outside of the classroom. More important than that, hopefully you’ve followed the journey of a very special alley cat named Mr Business that I frequently reference. What you may not know, is that Mr. Business is an aspiring columnist so I offered him a Q&A section on my blog, on a trial basis. Let’s see how this goes:

Question: Dear Mr. Business, My name is Ashley Chantrel from Austin, Texas. I am thinking about applying to optometry school, but am unsure of which school is right for me. Can you provide any help as to what I can do to narrow down my list of schools? Thanks for your time, and I love your paws!

Answer: Meow meow.

Good advice Mr. Business! I think that went well.