This past weekend we had a mini Stanford medical school reunion in NYC (last one was in Nashville, post here) and it was GLORIOUS! I can’t tell you how much seeing two of my former roommates / besties lifted my spirits since I’ve been feeling kind of stressed out lately. The random 78 degree weather this weekend helped too; I felt like it was summertime again without that nasty humidity!
I love having friends come visit me in NYC because they are so excited and appreciative of the city. It helps me look at this place with fresh eyes and I can’t help but feel more excited living in this one of a kind city. When my friends are around, the frenetic energy of the city pumps me up instead of making me feel jittery, always a welcome change.
Dr. Ji is a plastic surgery resident in Cleveland, and you may remember her from her career profile here (former Disneyland character turned engineer turned model turned surgeon…ring a bell?). Dr. Natalia is an ophthalmology resident in Miami, and she is a former college varsity volleyball player and a ridiculous statistician whose already prolific research career puts me to shame. Spending time with these ladies always inspires me to work hard and become a better physician.
With a rare crisp but not cold day in the city, we went for a stroll around Central Park. The place was PACKED with tourists, NY natives, children, pets, street performers, brides and grooms, etc. We walked around the lake, had a beer at the Boat House, and enjoyed people watching. The leaves were changing colors to golds and deep reds, but the foliage hadn’t quite peaked yet, giving me hope that the park will only become more beautiful over the next few weeks. After Central Park, we visited the food court in the basement of the Plaza Hotel and enjoyed Lady M crepe cake and ice cream.
Dr. Natalia also introduced me to the world of blowouts. Believe it or not, I’ve only ever gotten my hair styled when I went into salons for hair cuts, never just to get a blowout. We went to a place called RPZL (my coresident kindly informed me today that this actually means “Rapunzel;” I argue that is not intuitive but kind of cool). The whole experience was interesting – getting pampered with champagne and having someone do my hair is a luxury, but I have to say, $50 for a blowout that lasts 2-3 days is not something I can regularly do on a resident’s salary! I also love curling and styling my own hair, so I probably will keep doing that.
On Sunday the weather was actually hot so we walked a good 7 miles around NYC soaking in the sights. We started off with some good ol’ tofu stew in K town at BCD Tofu House, then walked up 5th avenue, toured the inside of the New York Public Library (definitely a Sex and the City moment – remember when Big left Carrie in that heartbreaking scene?!), and walked around Rockefeller Center where I used to work. After that we walked west and took a short walk down the High Line until we were caught in a sudden thunderstorm. (Note to self: never get a blowout if there’s a chance of rain!) We finished off the day with some wine at a little Italian place next to the High Line, pretty much our own little temporary space to wait out the rain. Can’t wait for our next reunion!
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