Oh dear abandoned blog. I think I am going to need to do some writing this year, and to facilitate that, I am making another attempt to resurrect you. Since nobody actually reads this thing, I am sure this is unnecessary to state, but: prior to this summer I was a peds neuro resident. I then dropped out of peds neuro, and am now rejoining next year's third year peds residency class at Cincinnati Children's. It wasn't anything against neuro, it was just a lack of sufficient passion for it. I felt like I should be passionate, and I wasn't. So I got out. In the meantime before next July (ie, from Sep 23-June 30 or whatever of next year) I am taking time off. The plan as it currently stands is to just not work this fall--to try to do a small thing here or there if possible (help with someone else's small research paper, maybe do some retrospective data review thing, again *if possible*). And to have a GLORIOUS fall through end of December. Then at the beginning of January, we are moving as a family to Vellore, Tamil Nadu, where I am going to do some research through contacts with the global health center here at CCHMC. Which I am really excited about. And also nervous. So anyway, I am 4 days in to the transition, and so far, I have managed to: ahem, uh, well, ok so far I have mostly just slept (and done a few prep questions for step 3 in a little less than 2 wks), spent time with the kids, and done a couple loads of laundry. The transition from working nonstop at the hospital to being "home"...but also trying to do a couple other things--step 3 (old people questions are SO HARD for a peds resident, people! OY VEY!!), theoretically a tiny fragment of something useful careerwise prior to January--figuring out my role and what I realistically can/should/will "accomplish" during this time is turning out to be sort of painful in a standard metamorphaseal/transitional way. Having a crummy flu-like illness with fever >101.3 for 7 straight days this past week did not help (First afebrile day today! YIPEE!!). But now that I am better, I find myself staring into days without schedules, void of patients constantly popping up onto my list demanding to be seen/staffed/splinted/sutured/worked-up/dispo'd....and I feel, along with excitement, (gasp) more than a wee bit unsettled by IT ALL!