August 3, 2008

• Oregon…hello?

  First things first.

  My month of GI in california is now completed, and I have pictures to post…later. Yes, Josh is pulling his usual “i took current photos but will not post them til they are no longer current” schtick.

  however, after having driven cross country multiple times from LA to Chicago and back, the drive from LA to Eugene oregon was ridiculously easy. A day trip in fact. 12 hours exactly…leaving my house at 6:30am and arriving at my abode for the next month at 6:30pm.

  As much as i may bitch about driving sometimes, I love road trips…the endless road ahead of you, the sheer number of possibilities, the blast of wind in your face at 90mph with the radio turned all the way up. There are few activities that bring such a smile to my face as traveling of any sort, no matter how mundane its purpose. And despite being surrounded by people on the road, your car becomes your own bastion of privacy…everyone is too busy driving their own cars to look around most of the time. Not me…i wave, i sing, i smell the air of each state i go through (oregon smells like christmas tree!), i puzzle out license plates and all in all have myself a grand old time.

  Although thank goodness for those bluetooth earpieces-not because I am on the phone while driving, but anyone who looks in my car and sees me talking to myself or doing any other activity just assumes I am on the phone, so hey works out for me.

  I saw a dragon sculpture somewhere between northern california and oregon. It was neat, but there was no one there for me to excitedly point it out to so they could not care at all. But a special internetland hello to rosie, who called me unexpectedly while driving just for the hell of it. Though she was unaware of this, long driving is the one time i actually ENJOY talking on the phone. All other times i prefer text messaging.

  Oregon also has one of those mystery vortex houses with gravity where things roll uphill and shit. I need to check that out in a month on my way home.

  Oregon does NOT let you pump your own gas. Apparently they still have full service stations throughout the state. I discovered this when i stepped out of my car to fill up, and some guy came up, took my money, unscrewed my gas cap, and started washing my windows. I was very confused, as he was wearing a gas station uniform and did not appear homeless at all. He took a look at my license plate, then at me, and said, Oregon and New Jersey still have full service gas stations…you wont be doing any of your own pumping here. So I thanked him, and continued on my way, and now i am wondering if I was supposed to tip him or not…what is the protocol? It felt like stepping back into the 50′s

  In case any of you are wondering what I am doing here, you’re not the only ones! j/k I am doing a month of Ophthalmology starting monday, and when NYU rejected me from their slot, the date was so late that I was scrambling to find an open optho elective at ANY school for August. Oregon had one open, and I thought to myself, well, it is west coast, and they have bent over backwards to accomodate me, changing dates of elective, providing me free housing, and potentially research, so it seemed like a good idea at the time to pack up and head down the oregon trail

  heres to hoping I do better in real life than that stupid computer game…i got so obsessed with buffalo hunting that most of my party would die of dysentery or i dont even remember what else. Not starvation though!

  Oregon on first impression seems…rustic. More on that later. for now, i have located the grocery store, mall, and local bar. Tomorrow i have to find the hospital, which is supposedly biking distance from the apartment. Heres to saving on gas and parking for a month!

  So, a month in Oregon. here we go.

  • 1:28 am
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