Derp

Hello all! I'm back… after 3-4 months… oops.  I guess I could say I was ashamed and too scared to come back on here after classes ended because well, I did poor in orgo and will have to retake it.  I'm having a lot of trouble this semester keeping up in classes and motivating myself to study.  I can't pay attention in class, I can't bring myself to study and overall I'm just really tired all the time.  However, I am trying to fix my problem.  I have rejoined CF and WW, so hopefully the exercise and healthy diet will aid my poor sleep cycle.  I am taking baby steps to get myself more organized and writing out lists so I don't forget anything.  I bought a couch and a new bed too! Anyway, I have been lurking around SDN lately (not really in the mood to talk as much as I used to) and a fellow member came up with a weekly blog topic.  I'm hoping it will help motivate me in school as well as writing creatively again, so I'm gonna try it out.

This week's topic: What career path/specialty are you pursuing, and how did you become interested in it?

My first step will be GETTING into vet school.  I may apply this year, but I honestly don't think I have much of a chance.  So WHEN I get in, I would really love to pursue a Shelter Medicine specialty.  Although I have a couple hundred hours of experience in Private Practice, and I absolutely love the client-interactions, the majority of my hours are in Shelter Med and it has captivated my soul.  I would ultimately love to work somewhere with a high caseload of abuse cases (yes, sad I know, but I want to bring these sick people down!).  I've always had an interest in law, and if I could somehow relate the two, speaking in court, giving evidence and diagnoses to help the animals and bring the "owners" to justice, I will do it in a heartbeat.  I guess you could say it stemmed from growing up watching Animal Cops Houston. While watching it, I wasn't necessarily sad… I was mad and I longed to help through the 15" t.v screen.  



P.S. My shoulder is all healed now, and golf is going well. :)

Injuries are no bueno

Today's post will be a rant.  Around 2 weeks ago, I was in the weight room with my teammates working out and as i'm doing a weighted incline push up, I feel a sharp pain.  I didn't think much of it at first, but as the following weekend progressed, it started hurting at the slightest movement.  I decided to go to our athletic trainer first thing monday morning.  I recieved an injury evaluation along with a pack of ice and flexol.  I continued this for a week, hoping that it would get better by our first qualifying round.  There was still a little pain, but I decided to play in the first two rounds and give my shoulder a rest for the remainder of the weekend.  This is now the second week, and I am still doing rehab.  More extensive rehab and my coach decided it would be best that I sit out for the remainder of the fall season so I don't further injure myself for the spring.  Man, I am bummed.  I was really looking forward to this next tournament at the beach.  I'm just mad at myself for pushing myself too hard during weights, and would take it back in an instant if I could.  But I guess we all make mistakes, and learn from them.  I don't have to be the hero.  I don't have to push myself past the limit in the weight room, and I don't have to play every single tournament.  

In other news, I have registered for classes next semester and it looks like an extremely busy spring.  I'm enrolled for animal nutrition(1st time ever offered at my university, I'm so lucky!), microbio, special topics in chem- medicinal chem (intro to pharm), and biochem. Still deciding if I wanna throw orgo 2 lab in there since it's only 1 credit and I haven't taken it yet, but we'll see.

No updates on animal/vet experience as i'm still looking for cars.  And I need a car to get experience. :P

That's all the time I have for now. Physics lab!

Peace&love,

blakellen

TAMU

I forgot to mention in a previous post that I went to tour TAMU vet school and I absolutely fell in love! So much so that I am taking the steps to become a Texas resident.  I recently signed a 1 year lease on a duplex, I'm getting a car, a credit card and looking for a part-time job.  I'm staying here for breaks between school, and my mom will probably come and visit me since I can't go out of state for an extended period of time.  It's funny though… 3 years ago I swore if I was able to get a golf scholarship, I would NEVER go to Texas.  Being here has showed me so much, helped me grow immensely and I now believe I was meant to come here.  Even in my past 2 years of undergrad, I NEVER considered going to TAMU, and was dead-set on UC Davis.  Now that I am realistically getting closer and closer to applying to vet school and becoming an adult, I have realized that the afforability of the school is going to be a huge factor.  Although I absolutely love Davis and would love to go home to California, I think staying in Texas would benefit me in the long run.  I know being a resident in Texas isn't a shoe-in but i'll have a hell of a lot better chance of getting in.  I will probably also apply to Mizzou, UTK, UC Davis and probably another school with a lower OOS tuition than most.  Back to Organic Chemistry so I can have the grades to get in!

Peace & love

-blakellen

Junior Year

So I know I haven't updated since my flight over here, and this post is long overdue, but y'all have some catching up to do! I have some interesting classes and I think they're all going pretty well. Orgo 1, Physics 1, and Ecology.  I am in love with my Ecology class and as of recently, I will be helping our TA in the field for snake research.  I actually have never worked with snakes before, but I've always wanted to! My mom is not happy about it haha but it'll be some good experience bc I may never work with snakes again.  I am just now starting to understand Physics, and orgo is just one big memorization mess.

On the golf end of things, I have been playing very well in our first 2 tournaments, and leave for the 3rd tomorrow morning. I feel good about my game and am improving more each day it seems.  My hard work is finally paying off.

Another side story… I began watching a friend's friend's dog, and now I've pretty much just ended up with him.  He originally went to the shelter, but was put on the euthanasia list because he hasn't been very well socialized.  I got him, took him home, got him some veterinary help, neutered, shots and now he's become my responsibility.  I was concerned at first because I travel a lot as an athlete, but it works just fine.  He isn't very playful or active… just as long as he can cuddle you, he's golden.  Original name was Jasper, now renamed Snickers, dachshund/terrier mix and a year and a half old.

He was a bit underweight and scruffy in this picture.  Since then he's gained about 2lbs and he's been given a haircut.  He is already my boy, and I'm pretty sure my mom is gonna go ape shit when she finds out I have a dog.  Too late now. :P Love you mom!

Now to pack for my tournament this weekend! I promise I'll update more.

Until next time, peace & love,
blakellen

Goodbye California, Hello Texas

Summertime has come to an end. I apologize for not updating as much as I would have liked to.  However, I start again -- a new year, new classes, a new(ish) team and a new adventure awaits me.

As I sit here in the DFW airport, I take a glance back what an amazing summer I had… and can honestly say this has been the best summer of my life.  I was able to reconnect with old friends, make news ones, get in shape and get some amazing experience dedicated towards my career goals.  I've grown and learned so much in the past 2 years.  I am halfway through undergrad, and another year closer to achieve my dreams.  

I have one more flight to meet my amazing teammate. She has taken me in with her wonderful family until we can find an apartment.  There was tons of trouble with our housing situation and ultimately I was somewhat forced to change locations with different roommates in a far worse area of the apartment complex.  I wasn't going to pay $200+/month to be in a miserable living situation and am so grateful to have such a generous second family let me come into their home until I get back up on my feet.

I am so rejuvenated and ready to (pardon my language) kick ass.  This is the going to be THE year. I feel it.  

I want to throw another shout out to Cross Fit Echelon.  Mark, Adam, Tyler and Sapphira really helped me out this summer and if it weren’t for them I would've never found out how strong I am and continue to become.  Adam pushed me to my limits all summer and believed that I could do so much more, even if I couldn't!  These 3 months are not the end of my Cross Fit journey, but only the beginning.  I will continue to push myself each day, and return with pride.  Thank you for jumpstarting my journey, and I will not let you down.

That's all for now as my plane is about to board.

Until next time -- peace & love,

Blake

Chirp Chirp

For the past couple weeks I have been interning at a Wildlife Rehabilitation Association, mostly working with various species of birds.  Before working here I knew absolutely nothing about birds and honestly, I had no interest in them.  But gaining more and more experience I have learned so much I would have never known otherwise!  I have not only learned how to treat and care for these magnificant animals, but have also unconciously learned their songs.  The crows are my favorite and have this whiney yet adorable sound, especially when they gobble up their food!  Magpies also have this whiney "GIVE ME FOOD" and get all up in your face and bounce around when you come around to feed them.  I truly believe Robins are just the derps of all birds, (right up there with Pigeons) but have the most beautiful sing-songy voice I've ever heard.

Anyway I've been in Davis for the past day visting my best friend.  We drove around the vet school yesterday and walked around downtown.  This morning we went to the farmers market, walked around and grabbed a hot dog and freshly squeezed lemonade. It was bomb and it was soooo nice outside! I absolutely adore the overall atmosphere and can't wait to be applying here withing the next couple of years!  I'd love to take a tour of the buildings and facilities of the vet school but I can wait until my next break.  Staying here for another day and then I go back to my internship for the next 3 days.

Until next time! Peace and love.

"About Me"

You know how on the first day or week of school in our younger years, we would have to bullet a list on a poster about yourself?  Maybe Elmer's glue some poorly cut out pixelated pictures of yourself enjoying your favorite hobby or your family on vacation, and have to present it to the class? Well, all those years and now I'm actually doing it on my own.  Maybe it won't ever change.

"So a little bit about myself…"  I've played golf since the summer of 7th grade, going on 8 years this summer.  I dedicated more of my time fooling around in high school rather than studying and golfing.  I pulled myself together my senior year and I now play golf for a D1 university in South Texas and am currently heading into my junior year as a Biology/Environmental Science major this fall.  I'm getting decent grades, golfing religiously and gaining as much animal/veterinary experience as I can during my summers off from school. (Does it still count as summer with an online class?)  While at school I have the typical life of a college athlete.  Eat, practice, class, study, shower, sleep.  On repeat every day with a tournament thrown in every other week or so.  Maybe a club meeting or a trip to the movies here and there.  Anyway, now here I am, halfway through an undergraduate degree and moving forward.

Being a veterinarian was a childhood dream and I dropped the thought of it throughout high school, came back to it senior year, dropped it again freshman year of college, and now I'm back--staying for good! I never thought I was smart enough, and still sometimes doubt my abilities to this day. (i.e. impostor syndrome -- but as I've recently learned is fairly common)  But after being able to experience the mere 300 hours I have working with veterinarians and animals, I know this is the right path for me.

I often read and browse many pre-vet and veterinary blogs when I have the chance, and figured I would give it a shot.  After a heart-wrenching case last week at the S/N clinic, I decided I wanted to record my experiences so I will always be able to look back and remember why I chose this path, through the good and the bad.


Stay tuned for some of my experiences!