Wow, what an experience. The time finally came for me to move to Medical School. They always say that you need to cherish the journey and not just the destination, and I think I was able to do just that.
As we left Arizona on towards Las Cruces, New Mexico, the desert has a stark sense of beauty. You can see for miles as the sun glistens against the mountains and they stretch up to the blue skyline that goes on forever. This is pretty indictive of the Southwest and continues through Las Cruces to El Paso, Texas and onward towards Midland, Texas until you come upon East Texas. Some incredibly Mexican food for sure, do not forget to get some green chilis in New Mexico as you stop on through. Also steak in Texas tastes AMAZING!
East Texas is a juxtaposition of West Texas and the greenery starts to encroach around car as you approach Fort Worth, Texas. Not too much longer until the city really springs up from the ground and you know you are in a dense metropolitan area. Not to mention the traffic. We had the opportunity to catch a Texas Rangers baseball game on a Tuesday evening and intermingle with the locals and bake in the heat.
Continuing onward through Texas we come to Louisiana, the greenery continues but you start to really get a sense of the South. If you take the inland route, which we did because of an incoming tropical depression, you will end up in Shreveport, Louisiana. Of course, we stopped for food, a po’boy sandwich for sure! The cuisine in Louisiana is worth the visit alone!
Soon we passed from Louisiana over the Mississippi river to Vicksburg, Mississippi where there is a National Military Park dedicated to the battles that occurred during the Civil war. The contrast of beauty with reverence for those who gave their life and died during the great struggle of our nation is something to really reflect on and worth taking in.
Mississippi soon became Alabama as we went from major highways to back country roads and drove through small southern towns. You really know you are in the south if you didn’t already. Food here is a southern affair, and they know how to eat and show hospitality. Not too much longer did it take until we arrived in Dothan, Alabama, where I am to attend Medical School at The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Setting up my apartment took a HOT minute, but we were able to make everything nice and cozy just in time for my last first day of school. Talk about a surreal experience, orientation was just as you would expect, but every once and a while you must remind yourself where you are, and it is simply incredible.
The destination is to become a doctor, but I hope I can continue to enjoy the journey and take in all the little things along the way!
Check out some of the pics of the journey at the Desimone Studios Facebook page and throughout this site!
https://www.facebook.com/pg/desimonestudios/photos/?tab=album&album_id=947610872251729