Two Thousand Eleven

When I started this post, I intended to only focus on 11 events. I wanted to call my post "11 for 2011", much in the way I called last year's year-in-review "10 for 2010."

But you know what?  12 months, 7 countries, 4 road races, and 1 move across the Atlantic is a lot to condense into 11 bullet points. So I didn't. 

I know this is probably lengthy, and yeah, maybe boring too, but I hate the thought of forgetting any of the awesomeness that was 2011, and I know someday I'll look back on this post and smile.

So, without further ado: 2011. 

January

-Skiied in the new year at Craans Montana. Discovered an undying love Fondue Neuchateloise, Alpine skiing, and Swiss snow. 

-Spent the remainder of January making soup, imaging beads in gels, and wishing I was skiing while actually studying every free moment for the MCAT. 

-(Finally) took the MCAT in London, and rewarded myself with a trip to the Museum of Natural Science (why yes, I am a dork) and a West End Play. I love London. 

skiing in the new year

london. one of my all-time favorite cities. 

February 

-SKIIIIIIIING!

-What with the MCAT out of the way, decided to fully concentrate on skiing as much as possible: a trip to Interlaken with the Hamners, another trip to Interlaken with some EPFL friends, and my first foray into cross-country skiing, which ended in an absurd amount of bruises. 

-I also ate a lot of cheese, imaged more beads in gels, started my med school application, and thought about running, but decided it was entirely too cold. All in all, it was a great month.

interlaken with friends!

interlaken with the hamners!

adventures in cross-country skiing. 

wine and cheese. yum. 

March

-Probably the winner for the busiest month of year.

-Finished off the ski season with a fantastic trip to Saas Fee. While the trip wasn't perfect (no hot water), it was sunny and snowy and made me wish I could always live 2 hours away from perfect skiing. 

-Lisbon! In retrospect, one of my favorite cities in Europe. Sunny skies, gorgeous castles, ocean views, and a crazy-awesome garden. I also ran the Lisbon Half Marathon, my first race in almost 3 years, and re-discovered my love for long-distance running. 

-Budapest! A great conference in another awesome city. Highlight of the trip: The Hungarian Opera House. So, so cool. 

saas fee. perfect skiing. 

sintra! a wonderful city just outside of lisbon. 

me + ben, capa de roca, portugal

hungarian opera house. 

April

-Recovered from the craziness of March: lots and lots and lots of time in lab. The microscope becomes my new best friend.

-Springtime in Switzerland! Hikes, picnics, and day trips! I also begin training for the Geneva Half Marathon, which I stubbornly decided would be run in two hours or less. 

awesome rope swing on a trail near lausanne. 

paddle boating in annecy. 

annecy, france. 

May

Visitors!

-Kathleen and Zack visit Lausanne! Lots of fondue eating, sight seeing, and day tripping. We also took a trip to (where else?) Interlaken, which included a Lake Thun cruise and a canyoning adventure!

-Mom and Dad visit Lausanne! Dad, Ben, and I ran the Geneva Half Marathon (sub 2 = success!), spent a gorgeous weekend in Annecy, and took a wonderful mini-Vacation to northern Italy.

-Frantically tried to finish my research, accepted a job at Duke Hospital for the following year, and prepared my med school primary application. 

kathleen and zack visit lausanne!

canyoning in interlaken!

geneva half marathon-- a great race and my current PR!

cinque terre, italy. 

June

--Took one last Swiss adventure to Interlaken (I'm obsessed), where Ben and I attempted to climb Schilthorn and were thwarted by snow. 

-Submitted my med school application, returned to the US of A, moved to Durham, set up a new apartment, and went to a wedding. A bit less glamorous, perhaps, but still crazy busy. 

one last swiss hike. 

July

-SECONDARIES. Wrote approximately 3249238049238234092389 essays for med school secondary applications. 

-Fantastic road trip to Mississippi for a wedding! Decided that a) Mississippi is very far from North Carolina and b) I have the best friends in the entire world.

-Spent a gorgeous weekend at Ocean Isle with Ben and his family. Sun, sand, and jigsaw puzzles.

ben + me, riding a trolly in jackson, mississippi

August

-Signed up for the Kiawah Marathon, and somehow convinced four friends to do it with me!

-A bit of traveling: to Houston, to finally meet my new baby niece, and to Charleston, to visit Ben.

(Apparently, I didn't take any photos in August. That's unfortunate.)

September

-Dove head first into my research, and loved it. Transplant immunology is fascinating. 

-Interviews! I began interviewing for medical, and proceeded to get even more excited about the next four years. 

-Celebrated my three year anniversary with Ben with a zip-lining adventure.

ziplining! 

October

-More interviews, more travelling, more research. Busy Vanessa.

-Durham Ramblin' Rose Half Marathon! Four minutes shy of a PR, but considering the hills, a fantastic race. 

-Mom comes to visit! Delicious dinners, movie watching, a little shopping, and seeing the fantastic musical Rock of Ages. Good times.

a great day trip to hanging rock state park with my sweet friend hannah.
it's not the alps, but it's still super lovely!

durham ramblin' rose half.  hilly course.

November 

-Re-learned how time consuming Marathon training is. Also re-learned how much I love long-distance running. 

-Hosted some of my best Duke friends for a weekend in Durham-- lots of yummy food, late night chats, and cheering on Duke basketball. 

-A wonderful Thanksgiving in Kentucky with Ben + my family.

forever duke. 

December

-KIAWAH ISLAND MARATHON! 26.2 is awesome. It's tough, but it's awesome. 

-A wonderful Christmas in Kentucky chased by New Year's in Charleston. Amazing, amazing year.

kiawah island marathon. 26.2 miles of amazingness. 

The Thirty Day Challenge

Once upon a time, there was a blog. It was a good little blog, about a girl who, upon graduating from college, moved to Europe. For just under a year, she lived at the foot of the Swiss Alps, spoke bad French, and went on all sorts of adventures. She ran races, read books, learned to cook, and even did a little science.

Along the way, she kept this blog. She wasn’t always consistent about it, but it was a great place to chronicle her travels and discoveries, recap her races and recipes, and spell out her thoughts and plans. It was her little journal of Europe, and she always felt like she had something interesting to say.

Then, she came home.

Saint-Sulpice, Switzerland was replaced by Durham, NC, a view of the Alps became a view of a parking lot, and weekend jaunts across Europe became road trips in the Carolinas. She was still having fun and loving life, but let’s face it: life seems a whole lot more interesting when it takes place in Europe. As far as she was concerned, her life, while still an adventure, just wasn’t really blog-worthy anymore.

Right?

To be honest, I don’t really know. When I came home from Europe, I lost a lot of my blogging drive. I was still reading books, running races, and going on adventures, but it all felt sort of boring, simply average pursuits of a rather average girl. I stopped taking pictures, I stopped writing life down, to be frank: I didn’t like it. I like writing. I like photography. And, despite how much I’ve neglected it, I like this little blog.

So here is my challenge:

I am going to blog. Every day. For thirty days.

I have no idea what I’ll blog about. Races? Books? Science? I don’t know!

At any rate, I’m convinced that by being intentional, by knowing that at the end of the day I’m writing something down, life will be interesting, worth remembering, and even, if you will—blog-worthy.

Two raindrops plus two raindrops

...is not four raindrops.

A friend recommended this article a while back, and it's been on my mind ever since. A very interesting perspective on education, immigration, and what it means to be an outsider.

The blog is back.

I’m blogging again!

I apologize for the hiatus, but honestly, the past few months have been nuts. As in super-crazy, wrapping-up-projects, moving-across-the-Atlantic, starting-new-jobs, nuts.

I know, I know—a crazy life is all the more reason to blog, no?  And it’s true, I do have lots to talk about!

Shall we recap?

Okay, since the beginning of June, I have:

1. (Along with Ben) attempted (ha!) to climb Shilthorn, a gorgeous mountain in the Lauterbrunnen area.

2. Quasi-wrapped up my Whitaker project. 

3.  Moved back across the Atlantic, found a new apartment, and started a new job.

4. Smiled, danced, and celebrated! Two of my favorite couples tied the knot this summer!

5. Applied to medical school (eep!)

6. Met my new baby niece, Isabel!

7. Spent a couple wonderful weeks on the beach-- one in Ocean Isle, and one in Charleston :)

8. Went zip-lining!

9. Starting training for the Kiawah Marathon! 

10. Read books, watched movies, tried new recipes, and caught up with family and friends. It's good to be home :)

It’s honestly been insane, and I’m not sure how I would have added blogging into that busy mix. That being said, I do miss blogging. It’s relaxing, it’s fun, and it’s a nice way to keep track of life. While I did take pictures at several of the events on my list—climbing Schilthorne, one of the weddings, zip-lining—others are unfortunately photograph-free—my trips to Ocean Isle and Charleston, the other wedding. Had I been blogging, I’m positive I would have been taking more pictures.

But anyway! I am back, I am blogging, and I have all sorts of crazy things to say.

Have a wonderful day,

Vanessa

Wise Words

Supersonic

I'm baaaaack! 

I know, I know-- this little blog has been on a bit of a hiatus the past month, and that's no good. I'm going to be better, however. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I like blogging-- a lot, actually. I enjoy writing every day, I enjoy sharing my life and adventures with folks back home, and I enjoy the way my life starts to become a little more intentional when I know that at the end of the day, I'm going to write it all down.  

To be honest, however, lately life has been moving pretty darn fast. One minute, I'm studying for the MCAT, learning new techniques in lab, and planning out Swiss and European adventures for the upcoming months. A blink later, and I'm finishing off my primary application, putting together my report, and pondering how on earth I'm going to fit ten months worth of stuff into my small brown suitcase. Life's been moving at the speed of sound, and while I've been loving every minute of it, it doesn't exactly make for good blogging habits. 

So what have I been up to?

an amazing eight day visit from kathleen and zack.

one morning spent jumping off waterfalls.

one new job for next year.

two paddle boat excursions. 

thirteen point one miles of pushing myself at the geneva half marathon.

one afternoon bicycling through the french countryside.

500+ images taken and analyzed in lab.
eleven perfect days visiting with my parents.
four days of hiking, eating, and kayaking along the northern coast of italy.

two fantastic new books read.

one beautiful, wonderful, and absolutely perfect new baby niece.

See? Crazy. Busy. Supersonic. 

Or, if you're like me and a visual thinker, here's the photographic evidence:

on lac leman. left to right: zack, me, kathleen, ben. perfect afternoon. 

rappelling down a cliff near interlaken. it probably would have been scary
if I weren't so cold!

duke university hospital = next year's employer. super, super excited!

the best part of paddle boating? when you stop paddling, kick back your feet,
and enjoy the view! left to right: my feet, mommy's feet. 

a perfect 20 mile bike ride (even with the downpour.) l to r: daddy, me. 

about fifty meters from the finish line and about to break my half marathon
record (!) (thanks to mom for the awesome photo!)

me, mom, vineyards, italy. amazing. 

kayaking on the mediterranean = beautiful, sunny memory. 

the newest apple of my eye? my perfect baby niece, isabel. 

More on these adventures later-- I promise, I'll be more communicative in the weeks to come :)

Happy Easter!

unrelated pretty photo: sunset in tel aviv, israel. 

Happy Easter, folks! Have a wonderful, beautiful, blessed day.

Scatter Post

The past few days, I've been in total scatter brain mode. My mind keeps darting from one project to another, and it's honestly left me in a bit of a (happy, excited, exhausted) jumble.

Here's what's been on my crazy-scatted mind:

• Running.  How could it not, given that my friend Amy ran the Annecy Marathon on Sunday and the stellar performance in Boston on Monday? Lately, I've been in a total running groove and to be honest, it's been fantastic. I'm super excited for the Geneva Half Marathon and to add some more races to my schedule.

finally warm enough to run in shorts :)

• Research. Is. Exploding. In what felt like a millisecond, I went from feeling like I had no data whatsoever to being up to my ears in numbers, graphs, and images. On the one hand, it's crazy-awesome-exciting to realize that my hours upon hours in lab are really starting to come together. On the other, it's sort of hard to stay afloat. What can I say? When it rains, it pours

lots and lots and lots of microscoping...

• The Mega-Veggie Scramble.  I'm not coordinated enough to make an omelette, but I love mixing massive amounts of veggies into ordinary scrambled eggs. Add in a little garlic and some gruyere cheese and voila! Delicious dinner in ten minutes. Fantastic. 

colorful, protein-packed perfection. 

• Spring.  It's here, folks. In full, beautiful force. Love it, love it, love it

love spring flowers :)

• Switzerland. Two months. Two months! Two months until I bid farewell to this amazing, amazing country and head back to the wonderful U S of A. It seems like just yesterday I was getting off the plane, fresh-faced and exciting, searching for an apartment and trying to remember everyone's name in lab. While part of me is definitely excited to return home-- I definitely miss my family, friends, and Mexican food-- I'm also not quite sure I'm ready to leave. What can I say? I'm in love with this place. 

the gorgeous gruyere region. full disclosure: my amazing friend daniella
took this photo, not me. 

• Blogging. I've always enjoyed this little blog, but lately it's been extra fun. I've been thinking about some design and layout changes and I'm super excited...stay tuned!

Shine.

source

Dream big.

Happy Friday!

It's the weekend!

I love weekends. Don't you? It's not that my weekdays aren't fantastic-- I work with super-awesome people and have a project I just can't stop thinking about-- but weekends are special. Sleeping in, staying up late, going on adventures, and soaking up the sun--there's just too much to look forward to!

Here's what's on my agenda:

• A day trip to Annecy, France. 
  Which may or may not involve some combination of the following: paragliding, paddle boating, hiking, and eating the world's best pizza.
  
• An eleven mile long run.
  With a sub 9:19 min/mile pace?
  
• Some quality time sitting by the lake.
  Ideally, I'll have a book in one hand and an ice cream cone in the other.
  
• And....some quality time in lab. 
  I know, who works on the weekend? This girl does. My research is really picking up, and I've yet to learn how to tell my cell cultures to stop growing just because it's the weekend...
  
  

And finally, because I don't like posts without pictures...

still can't believe it's been a year since graduation. miss these girls (and home
sweet duke) to the moon. 

Challenging Myself

Despite having run three half-marathons and one full, I've never actually gone into a race with a goal in mind (unless "cross the finish line" or "have fun" counts).  To be honest, I really just enjoy running for the sake of running. It's the perfect time to clear my head, collect my thoughts, and unwind my day.

snapped with my phone during my last run. I am in love with this place.

That being said, I also really like challenging myself. Ever since I made a new PR in my last half marathon, I've been itching to get my time down. Not just a little, either-- I want to knock it back more than seven minutes, coming in at a round, beautiful two hours. That's a mile every 9:19 minutes, and for me, that's pretty darn speedy.

Seeing as this time is ambitious, I'm tackling this goal with an actual plan. Usually my running "plans" consist of "run almost every day; do one long run a week" so this is a fairly big step for me. I've been quasi-following this plan from Runner's World, and so far, it's been going fairly well:

Why quasi-following?

This plan is intense. Not intense in terms of millage-- that's all fine and dandy-- but intense in terms of running jargon. I haven't done a formal running workout since my brief stint with cross country in the sixth grade (I quit after a month to join the Drama Club-- What can I say? I'm a ginormous, life-long nerd), so a lot of the terminology is a bit fuzzy to me. Still, it's been great having a plan to form my workouts around, even if my speed workouts involve are closer to "sprint 6 lamp-posts, jog 2, repeat" than anything involving an actual track.

But anyway.

Geneva Half Marathon. May 15th. 2 hours. It's going to happen.

finish line at lisbon. I'm a pink blur :) 

Stop. Breathe. Enjoy!

The past couple of weeks have been moving fast. Between a trip to Lisbon, a weekend hitting the slopes, a conference in Budapest, and 10+ hour days in lab, I feel like my Swiss adventure is flying by at the speed of sound. Sometimes, it helps to simply stop, breathe, and enjoy the little things around you.

Here's five little things that have me smiling on this lovely Wednesday:

1. My next race.

Remember how after my Lisbon Half Marathon, I was itching to inch down my time and sign up another? Well, I did! On May 15th, I'm running the Geneva Half Marathon, and I'm super excited. The best part? My wonderful Daddy is coming to visit and running with me! (My Mom is also coming to visit, but she claims she'd rather be a spectator.)

2. Pain Au Chocolate.

Although I normally try to be healthy and go the fruit+granola+yogurt route for breakfast, every once in a while every couple of days, I simply can't resist a warm, buttery, pain au chocolate. Chocolate for breakfast? Yes, please.

chocolate croissant. mmmmm......

3. Baby Tulips.

I've mentioned this before, but I really do feel like spring is just around the corner. These little tulip plants are just up the hill from my apartment. I pass them every morning, and every morning I watch them grow just a little bit taller.

can't wait until they bloom!

4. My highlighter-yellow Lisbon Half Marathon shirt.

Thoughts upon receiving this shirt:

1. Wow. That's really, really bright yellow. It kind of looks like a highlighter. I wonder why anyone would actually choose this color for a shirt. It's incredibly unattractive.
2. Actually, a neon shirt would be kind of nice for running when it's dark outside. And look! The bright color makes my skin look tanner!
3. This shirt is fantastic! It's bright and happy and fun! I'm going to wear it tomorrow!


In other words: New favorite t-shirt.

(I'll post a photo of the shirt in a few days...right now, it's in the middle of a Mount Everest of dirty laundry.)

5. My best friend.

Just a few weeks until my best friend (and her spiffy bf, Zack) come visit me in Switzerland. I miss her like crazy and am so excited to see her!

kathleen + me. we go waaaay back :) 

a slightly more recent shot. love this girl :)