I broke up with the NAPLEX & have my life back again!

And by breaking up with the NAPLEX I mean that I ended my long standing relationship with "NAPLEX studying." Done. Done. Done.  

Dear NAPLEX, you took over my life long enough and are no longer welcome! Does this mean I need to stop eating comfort food.... Love, Swati.

Upon waking up, every morning began with "NAPLEX studying" and my bedtime stories at night also came in the form of "NAPLEX studying."  It is going to be quite the lifestyle adjustment now that "NAPLEX studying" and I no longer get along and have stopped talking but I'm really okay with that. 

Yesterday, I celebrated passing the NAPLEX with Melissa, Kandi, and Chris (Kandi's awesome fiance who took this picture) at TacoMac.  And the celebrations had started earlier in the week when we celebrated Melissa passing her NAPLEX on Tuesday at North Harbor Club (below).  

The celebrations do not end here though for several reasons.  1) I still have one more exam (MPJE - Multistate Pharmacy  Jurisprudence Exam) to take (and more importantly pass) on Saturday before I'm completely legit and 2) My husband FINALLY moves down to Charlotte at the beginning of next week.  To say that I am excited would be one of the biggest understatements of all time.  Because he could not physically be here for me for the past month which was probably one of the most stressful ones in my entire life he sent these precious flowers to me at the beginning of the week to brighten my mood up and wish me luck:

Mission accomplished :) Although does this mean he's going to stop sending me flowers since he's moving here??? 

Speaking of "NAPLEX studying" taking over my life for a month, I failed to acknowledge 4 very important events that occurred earlier this month (well two of them occurred two days ago but still...).  Better late than never!

On June 13th, my "baby" brother turned 21 so everyone better watch out! Can't believe that the little chicken back in pre-school (he must have missed the "everyone is going to be the blue power ranger for halloween" memo that year!) is now a 21 year old man.  I'm so proud of you and can't wait to celebrate the big 2-1 with you when you come visit your big sis and bro-in-law in Charlotte soon. Also, I'm not really sorry that I embarrassed you with the pre-school picture, its kind of my job as your big sister, no matter what age you are. 

 

On June 17th, I recognized my two dads for being wonderful fathers for me and wished them a Happy Father's day.  Best part of it all was that we were all able to spend Father's Day together because it was Swarup's graduation weekend :) 

Finally, on June 27th my best friend Prutha and her FIANCE Raj got ENGAGED at the Dallas Cowboys stadium!!! This was the most perfect and special proposal for them; Swarup & I could not be happier for them!!! 

We have so many good memories with them:

This was the day we met at our mutual friends' wedding.  Our boys were groomsmen together.

One month later, we rang in New Years 2011 with them :) 

And almost a year after that (December 2011), we went to Vegas together!

We are so looking forward to celebrating ya'lls engagement and upcoming marriage every step of the way, congratulations Prutha & Raj <3

Yesterday was also my best friend Jess' birthday :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESS!

Although college AND pharmacy school are over and we are no longer roommates, we will always continue to be friends and sisters.  Love you girl, hope all of your birthday wishes come true this year!

Lastly, as I was reflecting on everything that has happened in the past month, I slowly came to the realization that as the month comes to an end, so many new doors are opening for me.  I want to give a special shout-out to Lindsay who I've spent the past 5 weeks with (has it really been that long ?!) training as a Grad Intern.  I can honestly say that I feel completely (well maybe 99%) ready for my first solo shift thanks to her.  I couldn't have trained with anyone better!  So glad that I'll be working just down the road from you :) 

I Heard There Is a New Attending in the Area....

Sorry for the long hiatus, ALL of my time these days is STILL spent studying (and eating, and sleeping, and working out - these 3 tasks comprise of my study breaks).  So nothing has changed. June 30th - I will have my life back (not that I'm counting or anything)!  Speaking of what I will have back.....I will also have my hubby back finally!

This past weekend I traveled up to Detroit, Michigan for the last time in a long while to see my husband graduate from his residency program.  After 4 long years of an Emergency Medicine residency with the St. John Health System he escaped! Well almost, he has 2 more shifts left. ONLY 2 MORE SHIFTS LEFT IN HIS RESIDENCY! While I spent a significant amount of my time in Michigan studying, I made sure to make time to celebrate with my husband and boy was it a jam packed FUN 5 day weekend for me. 

The first day I got there, Swarup's attending Dr. Pitus had arranged to take the senior EM residents out on her sail boat on Lake St. Clair.  The weather was great, the company was fun, and it was such a relaxing afternoon. 

The following night, we got to spend some time with a couple of our favorite nurses :) Kim and Dawn are so much fun to be with and are two of the most caring nurses (and friends) I know.  It was definitely a blessing for Swarup to have worked with them!  And not to mention, I benefited from their connections and made new friends!  We will miss you both so much!

Onto the next evening now! I know I've said this before but you should never take people for granted, especially not your family.  Swarup was fortunate enough to have lived so close to his cousin Saroj and his family during residency and I'm so lucky that they have become part of my family too.  Although life is busy and we always feel like we don't spend enough time together, the time that we do spend together is always so nice.  Brandy & Saroj had us over for dinner and the boys enjoyed grilling while Brandy and I caught up.  The highlight of visiting with Brandy & Saroj is always our 2 gorgeous nieces Nisha (on the left) and Asha (on the right).  They are always full of energy and remind me constantly that life is short and we all need to take time to relax, be carefree, and just be kids every now and then :) 

Finally the next day, the big day had arrived! 

                 

While I can truly say that I spend every single day of my marriage being proud of my husband for all of his accomplishments - big or small - this past weekend I was extremely proud of not only the person he is but also the doctor he has become.  I know that he has taken advantage of every opportunity presented to him during his residency to make himself a better physician and I have no doubt in my mind that he is ready for the "real world." 

 

 Congrats honey! You did it! 12 years of grade school, 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, and 4 years of residency has finally paid off :)

I speak for both of us when I say that without our families in our life, neither of us would be where we are in our life today.  It takes extreme dedication, support, and love to help your children work towards their goals so we are grateful that our families stood by us every step of the way.  It also happened to be father's day weekend - how appropriate :) And how awesome is it that both of us could celebrate father's day with both of our AMAZING dads at the same time in the same place. 

Swarup got to celebrate with cousins Saroj  & Brandy, his parents, and my parents (my brother sent his love even though he couldn't be there).  We are all so proud of him. Especially Saroj who is a St. John physician himself and was in Swarup's shoes not too long ago. Swarup has considered Saroj a great mentor through much of his medical career. 

And the celebrations continued as the night went on...

Here are the majority of the EM residents with program directors Dr. Pitus - aka sail boat hostess from earlier (on the left) and Dr. Corsi (on the right)  

 Lastly, this picture makes me so happy because this is Swarup with one of his best friends Bryan.  This was their second graduation together since they go way back to the start of medical school.  Bryan was part of our wedding party and has been such a close friend to Swarup from the very beginning.  We wish him all the best in his new career in Florida with his wife and daughter.  

Congratulations Dr. Swarup Misra! You've reached attending status now.  I don't know what you're looking forward to but I'm looking forward to you working better (and significantly less) hours :) See you in the Queen City so soon!

Taste of Charlotte

It seems like all I do these days are study, work, or work out.  Well thats because those are the only 3 things I'm doing these days.  And those are the only 3 things I plan to do until June 30th.  However, I did a couple new things this weekend to switch it up some.  

While this still fits in the category of working out, I feel the need to mention it since it is different from my usual solo run, hot yoga sessions at Arrichion, or group TRX classes.  I joined a training running group in Charlotte this weekend just to help myself get ready for the next couple of half marathons I plan to run in the fall.  I joined Richmond's Sports Backers Half Marathon Training Team (HMTT) last summer when I was training for my first half marathon and wouldn't have done it any other way. 

Not only did I meet great friends, running long runs with a training group weekly was such a motivational experience for all of us in helping us achieve our goals.  While I knew that I couldn't find another group as amazing as my Richmond HMTT (Go Falcons!), I kept an open mind and hoped I'd find something similar in Charlotte.  Sure enough I came across USA Fit based out of a Run for Your Life running store location in the north Charlotte area.  I had a great first group run early on Saturday morning and met some great people with whom I'm looking forward to doing more long runs! Despite the Charlotte heat and humidity, I didn't end up sweating as much during my run as I do during hot yoga.  I don't know why I subject myself to the 100+ temps of hot yoga, yet I'll avoid outdoor runs on hot days in the sun...

Later that afternoon after hours of studying and a few chapters in my RxPrep book I decided to treat myself! At a work related meeting I attended this past Thursday, my manager introduced me to another new grad intern living in my area (literally down the road!).  Melissa and I hit it off pretty well and decided to go to Taste of Charlotte food festival together since we were both "off" (aka studying all day instead of working all day).  It was a much needed study break!  We ventured uptown to try out several local restaurants set up along Tryon St.  

Several food samples and menus later - oh and of course our chiquita banana crowns - our tummies were satisfied!  Gotta keep ourselves fueled while studying..... ;) I'm excited to try so many restaurants in Charlotte once I get my life back! 

Open for Business

You're probably wondering what this entry is about with "Open for Business" as the title.  In my opinion, a new place is "livable" as soon as the kitchen is set up and the bathrooms are stocked & decorated.  This is precisely the case at our new place in Charlotte.  While the majority of the place has work to be done (considering half of the apartment's furnishings are still in Michigan with Swarup), you can have a virtual  tour of the kitchen and bathrooms at this time. 

The kitchen is my absolute favorite place in the apartment.  I started cooking a lot more this year which was my only new years resolution for 2012 and I can definitely deal with my new workspace :) I'll point out some of my favorite features as we go along.

Some things that I've made in my new workspace this week are Spring Ravioli with Pesto Cream (on the left) and Melt In Your Mouth Chicken Breast (on the right).

The kitchen includes a little bar area....

For which I found the most perfect signs...

I knew this kitchen was meant to be when I saw this:

Built in wine racks!!!

Lucky for us...

I stuck to the wine theme and already had wine themed sink and stove floor mats!

I was browsing TJ Maxx, 

and found this awesome cookbook stand :) However, it'll be home to my iPad more often than a cookbook since the majority of my recipes come from Pinterest!

Please come and visit our kitchen and I'll be sure to whip up a home-cooked meal, we love being hosts to our family & friends :)

We even have a dining table where we can sit and eat (even if it has temporarily been converted into my desk for the month of June while I study for my board exams, oops!) And don't worry we have extender pieces and additional chairs for larger parties, the more the merrier!

Next stop is the guest bathroom!

 While we're on the topic of bathrooms, I'll share the master bathroom with you as well (even though the room as a whole is not ready to tour yet since I am still working on the decorations).  The master bath is probably my second favorite place in the apartment.  Can you guess why?

If you guessed "stone tile shower with bench seating" then you guessed correctly! Since the shower has a glass door, the curtain is purely for aesthetics. 

I realize that I have taken up much of the counter space before Swarup has actually moved in BUT in reality, how much stuff do men have? And if you look carefully, you'll notice that I left my 6'2" husband the top two built in shelves (that I absolutely cannot reach) in addition to some below sink storage.  He'll be fine.  

 Here is a sneak peak into the master...

The master bath and closet are off of this hallway in our master bedroom which leads into the room itself. Three of these TV stands from Ikea serve a dual purpose in the hallway in that they house a small fraction of my shoes AND are the resting place for several photo frames since photos are such a big part of our life. The photo collage mounted on the wall is a constant reminder that it is best to always live, laugh, & love your way thru life (and capture all the special moments as you're doing so!) 

Last stop for today is the closet.  While I will not be posting a picture of our closet I thought these 2 pieces of decor were worthy of this blog as most of you who know me would agree. 

My Cinderella plaque is a daily reminder that fairytales do exist and I have been lucky enough at times in my life to feel as though I am living one. I also may have a slight obsession with shoes. Also, if my career as a pharmacist fails for whatever reason, I know exactly which occupation I'll be turning to next :) 

Mr. & Mrs. Adam Burgess

This past weekend my friend Lindsey from pharmacy school married her best friend Adam which was a relationship 12 years in the making! Swarup & I were so happy that we could make the trip to Richmond for their wedding despite our long distance & hectic work schedules (especially with my new job)! I put studying on hold for a few days and Rup took a short break from the ER during his last month of residency (yay!) so that we could let loose and enjoy some time with our friends and even spent some time with my parents while we were in Richmond.  

I loved having my husband as my date to the wedding, he was very handsome as usual :) It was also so incredibly nice to see my friend Whitney (who also helped me get ready and do my hair!) while we were in town before her big move to New Mexico.  While NM is very far away, I know that she will do great things out there in her residency so I wish her all the best!  

 Mr. & Mrs. Adam Burgess exiting the church

 Swarup & I just enjoying ourselves at the same site of our own wedding & reception 2 years ago, it was so fun to reminisce :)  

 

 With the newlyweds 

 It was so wonderful to catch up with these pharmacy girls, I wouldn't have made it thru pharmacy school without them.

 

Congrats to Lindsey & Adam, I wish you both all the best in your new life together!

Things I am Grateful for From the Past Week

I know it has been a while since my last post but things have been so hectic!  Despite how busy life gets sometimes, especially during times of adjustment and change, it is always important to stop for a moment and really think about the things or people that make you feel grateful and blessed.  I know that I am truly blessed with everyone and everything that I have in my life right now and just wanted to share.

The movers finally delivered all of my things last Sunday for which I was extremely grateful.  After 9 days of living in an almost empty apartment and having already started my new job here in Charlotte, I was pretty excited to get all of my things.  I am still working on unpacking and decorating a little bit every day and promise to post pictures of our new place as I complete my decorative and organization projects! Something I have completed and absolutely love is an idea I found here and also on another friend's blog.  The idea is perfect for Swarup and I because we met, married each other, and now will be living in 3 distinct locations.  In addition, Swarup LOVES maps; I don't know where his fascination comes from but he loves exploring and traveling and can get lost in a map - no pun intended. After checking pinterest for just a couple more ideas (and a quick trip to Michaels for some frames!), I came up with my own variation of this personal wall decor.

 We Met ~ Trenton, NJ ~ July 3, 2009

We Married ~ Richmond, VA ~ May 22, 2010

We Lived ~ Charlotte, NC

I think this is the perfect compliment to our bright colored bedding and dark solid wood cherry furniture.  Not to mention how much personal meaning it has for our relationship...

Speaking of relationships, friendships are relationships that you should never take for granted.  For this reason, I never take my best friend Joyce for granted.  Last week she was extremely selfless and drove 4 hours (each way) to visit me for a couple days just to keep me company and help me unpack and get settled in.  I'd still be living out of boxes if it weren't for her.  Thanks for being the first to visit Joyce and for helping me get my closet put together ;) Oh, and I hope you enjoyed shopping in my closet ;) 

I repaid her for her help and kindness with drinks, brownies, more drinks, and lots of food. Love you!

I know I have mentioned Sherri & Brad in a previous post but I feel the need to thank them again now for everything they have done to help me get settled in while I'm waiting for Swarup to finish up residency and join me in just a short month!  While we have only known Sherri & Brad for 10 months, it feels like we have been friends forever.  They are definitely some of the kindest people we have met and did I mention they are extremely fun to be around?!  We are so incredibly happy for these two who just got engaged a couple weeks ago and became homeowners last week, congratulations you two - we're so excited for you!

Brad & Swarup are missing from this picture!

Still on the subject of relationships, my husband is the most important thing in my life and everyday I am grateful that we found each other.  Although Swarup and I aren't able to spend much time together we feel blessed for the amount of time that we actually are able to spend together and make the most of our time together.  I picked him up at the Charlotte Douglas International airport for the first time last week to bring him home to OUR new place together.  Though it was a short visit that even included a 3 day trip up to Richmond, VA for some friends' wedding, we were so excited to be able to spend time together in our first place together here in Charlotte.  

We are both really excited for him to finally move down here next month and explore all that Charlotte has to offer together.

While Swarup was here, I finally received my ATT (authorization to test) from NABP (National Association of Boards of Pharmacy).  This is like the key to the lock.  Until you get this, you can't sign up to take the NAPLEX or the law exam.  Waiting around to get this number is almost as nerve wrecking as studying for and taking these exams because things become a lot more real once you've signed up for the exams.  Lucky for me, I get to spend the entire month of June in a state of nervous frenzy.  NAPLEX on June 26th and MPJE (law exam) on June 30th.  And Swarup moves in July 1st.  Hallelujah!

Last thing for now is an update on the new addition to our family - Miss Bella Misra!

Here she is just 23 days old and looking as cute as ever :)