Can't believe I'm almost done...

Wow!!! 6 years ago I started this journey. I didn't speak Spanish. I knew no one in Cuba. Really, I thought the idea of going to medical school in Cuba and for FREE was a rumor. I can't believe that 6 years have passed since I met Reverend Lucius Walker, Ellen Bernstein, Dr. Luther Castillo, Dr. Carmen Landau and Dr. Weng Wu, all of whom moved me with their stories! I remember being an idealistic young woman, convinced that medical education and health care should be free. That more efforts should be made to prevent illness and promote health, instead of just treating illness. That racial, gender, financial, religious and all other discrimination that have long been institutionalized, have a profound impact on health, and should be taken into consideration when brainstorming solutions to health problems.

I biked or used public transportation to go to work, and most other places. I was in LOVE with the San Francisco Bay Area! I was happy to live 411 miles away from my family and alone. I had a wonderful 1 bedroom apartment near Lake Merritt, and it was GREAT! I read all the Paulo Coehlo, Toni Morrison and any other fun novels I wanted. I watched videos on an online hula hooping magazine to learn cool hoop dance tricks. I even made hula hoops for friends and family to use for exercise. I had been on job for almost 6 years, where I had made lots of friends. I had a good life!

Now, 6 years later, I have spent 5 1/2 years living with people from all over the world! I am fluent in academic and conversational Spanish from interacting and studying with Spanish speakers from over 20 countries. I have learned about countries that I never knew existed. I have danced traditional dances that I never knew existed. I am one year away from becoming a medical doctor, when I really had given up on medicine before I applied to medical school in Cuba. I am obsessed with personal growth, world exploration, maintaining personal relationships with friends and family and just trying to spread love whenever I can.

I walk or take the bus most places I need to go. I love traveling across the island of Cuba. I'm not at all happy to live thousands of miles away from my family. After living with roommates, sometimes up to 22 women in one room, I have a hard time being alone. I have no time to hula hoop or read novels. I have no access to the internet or cable for that matter to keep up with hoop dance tricks or world affairs. I have tons of fun crafts on hold that I don't know when will get done, including a t shirt quilt with all my favorite shirts from high school and college. Most of my time is spent in a hospital or clinic or studying to give better care in a hospital or clinic. My life is very different, but yet still the same.

Still I am just a young woman who wants to make a better life for herself, her family and her community. I still work to take care of myself, my family, my community and the environment. I am still thirsty for knowledge and interested in learning and experiencing new things. I feel like the more I learn, the more I know I didn't know, and the more I want to learn. I'm more receptive to nonverbal clues and the subtleties of communication. I am looking forward to what my last year in Cuba will bring, and my return to the US for more than just work/study vacation. I feel like, my life is just starting, and I'm looking forward to giving back to the universe all of the blessings that I have received, especially over these last 6 years when I have depended on so many people to get me through. My life is still GREAT!