Hey everybody! I know I know - I haven't posted in over half a year. I don't know how much I'll be posting in the future, but I'm contemplating putting together a new blog about our life together. So stay tuned!
In the meantime, life is wonderful and we are enjoying our time in New York. I am working hard in school, and Xan has essentially turned our basement into a full-fledged photo studio. You know what? You should click the link to follow her blog!
3.03.2013
9.09.2012
True Love, and other things.
Wow it sure has been a while since I last posted!
I had big plans to post exciting things about Haiti, but then bigger plans came along! Ladies and gentlemen, meet Xan Baker:
We carved our names into a tree on our second date,
then played hard all summer, falling in love somewhere along the way,
...and later took our engagements in that same grove of aspens. Xan calls them "quakies," which I love.
This one is my favorite.
* * * * *
Then a month ago, we stuck a polaroid in the dash,
and drove ourselves out to medical school in Rochester, NY.
This is where I live now, with all of Xan's stuff. Our toasty town home.
While I work on medical school here, Xan is living spartan back in Salt Lake, planning our wedding and working her butt off, moving real estate. She'll join me here after our wedding in Salt Lake City!
I always feel excited as summer gives way to fall, and this year that feeling is amplified tenfold - 10 weeks and 6 days and counting.
7.12.2012
Haiti Series: Beginning
Now that I am back from Haiti, have an internet connection, and a lot of spare time on my hands, I am going to review my adventures and transcribe some of the best bits for you, from my journal. My experiences here were life changing and quite astounding. I hope you enjoy them!
21 May 2012
It has been one day and I am already exhausted. I arrived in Port-Au-Prince alone, at about 8:45am. I supposed I would be sharing my flight here with other volunteers in Sustain Haiti, but because I signed up so late, my flight was not the same. My first experience in this country, I was alone at the baggage claim without a lick of French or Creole in my knowledge. After locating my bags, I approached a group of lost-looking white people and asked if I could borrow a phone. One of the girls consented, and I made two phone calls - one to my home to assure them I was safe and to get the number for my in-country director, and then a phone call to the aforementioned, Eric. He was waiting just outside the terminal for me, and directed me to come on out!
We walked through a milling crowd of Haitians who all tried to help me with my bags, whom I refused, and then arrived at the back of the parking lot, where a small van filled with the other volunteers awaited us. Seating was sparse, consisting of two benches made of 2x4s in the bed, with the rest of the room being taken up by our luggage. I sat on a wooden plank wedged against the door and rested my forehead on the windowpane. For three hours, we made the 18 mile trek to Leogane. Wavering between exhaustion and nausea, I took in my surroundings.
Traffic is mayhem, people are stacked on top of each other, and crammed into every crevice between the grey rubble, garbage, and sewage. Some places seem to be in good shape. Others are absolutely filthy fields of garbage and refuse.
Although exhausted, I decided to spend the afternoon observing some of the work that Sustain Haiti does. We took a "moto taxi" out to a community called Mellier (125cc modified Daihatsu motorcycles), where I watched Eric teach a business class. At 5:30, we returned to Leogane and I watched a few ESL classes being taught, which I will begin helping with tomorrow. These people are in dire need of help, but also need to be able to help themselves. I am excited to get to work here, and hopeful that I will be able to make a difference!
21 May 2012
It has been one day and I am already exhausted. I arrived in Port-Au-Prince alone, at about 8:45am. I supposed I would be sharing my flight here with other volunteers in Sustain Haiti, but because I signed up so late, my flight was not the same. My first experience in this country, I was alone at the baggage claim without a lick of French or Creole in my knowledge. After locating my bags, I approached a group of lost-looking white people and asked if I could borrow a phone. One of the girls consented, and I made two phone calls - one to my home to assure them I was safe and to get the number for my in-country director, and then a phone call to the aforementioned, Eric. He was waiting just outside the terminal for me, and directed me to come on out!
We walked through a milling crowd of Haitians who all tried to help me with my bags, whom I refused, and then arrived at the back of the parking lot, where a small van filled with the other volunteers awaited us. Seating was sparse, consisting of two benches made of 2x4s in the bed, with the rest of the room being taken up by our luggage. I sat on a wooden plank wedged against the door and rested my forehead on the windowpane. For three hours, we made the 18 mile trek to Leogane. Wavering between exhaustion and nausea, I took in my surroundings.
Traffic is mayhem, people are stacked on top of each other, and crammed into every crevice between the grey rubble, garbage, and sewage. Some places seem to be in good shape. Others are absolutely filthy fields of garbage and refuse.
Although exhausted, I decided to spend the afternoon observing some of the work that Sustain Haiti does. We took a "moto taxi" out to a community called Mellier (125cc modified Daihatsu motorcycles), where I watched Eric teach a business class. At 5:30, we returned to Leogane and I watched a few ESL classes being taught, which I will begin helping with tomorrow. These people are in dire need of help, but also need to be able to help themselves. I am excited to get to work here, and hopeful that I will be able to make a difference!
6.01.2012
Haiti: In the Thick of Things
It is 95 degrees and unbearably humid. I am sweating straight through
my scrubs. Sweat is beading on all of our foreheads, and Matt and I are
halfway through an inguinal hernia repair when the power goes out.
Good thing the surgeon chose to operate in a room with a window. The
surgery is a difficult one, and it's taking longer than we originally
expected. I've never had the opportunity to assist in surgery, but
they've been shorthanded at L'Hospital de Sainte Croix for a while now,
and they're happy for the extra hands. It's all part of the experience.
Our days here start and end with an hour long english class, which is probably one of the most fulfilling experiences. Some of us teach beginning classes, others intermediate and advanced. I'm not sure which of us really knew what we were down when we first got down here, but after a week it seems like we have all hit our stride. Some of the most hilarious answers have been "it is CAT o'clock" and "good alligator" instead of "good evening." It seems like every Haitian wants to be your friend. After class I am always swarmed by them, wanting to practice English.
Coming down to Haiti has already changed the way I view the world. I was talking with other volunteers today, trying to decide how this experience has changed us, or is continuing to change us, and we can all agree that, for one thing, we'll all complain a whole lot less. We are lucky in America, we have a lot. Although there are times when we want to go home to something air conditioned and clean, most of the time we are happy here. The people need us. They need encouragement, and they need just a little knowledge to help them get back up on their feet. I chose to come visit Haiti with Sustain Haiti because, out of over 10,000 NGOs, Sustain Haiti focuses on what I think matters most - giving education and constructive ideas to the people, allowing them to maintain their dignity, sever any reliance on handouts, and begin to rebuild their own lives by taking control. There is honor in our work here
Our days here start and end with an hour long english class, which is probably one of the most fulfilling experiences. Some of us teach beginning classes, others intermediate and advanced. I'm not sure which of us really knew what we were down when we first got down here, but after a week it seems like we have all hit our stride. Some of the most hilarious answers have been "it is CAT o'clock" and "good alligator" instead of "good evening." It seems like every Haitian wants to be your friend. After class I am always swarmed by them, wanting to practice English.
Coming down to Haiti has already changed the way I view the world. I was talking with other volunteers today, trying to decide how this experience has changed us, or is continuing to change us, and we can all agree that, for one thing, we'll all complain a whole lot less. We are lucky in America, we have a lot. Although there are times when we want to go home to something air conditioned and clean, most of the time we are happy here. The people need us. They need encouragement, and they need just a little knowledge to help them get back up on their feet. I chose to come visit Haiti with Sustain Haiti because, out of over 10,000 NGOs, Sustain Haiti focuses on what I think matters most - giving education and constructive ideas to the people, allowing them to maintain their dignity, sever any reliance on handouts, and begin to rebuild their own lives by taking control. There is honor in our work here
5.01.2012
Just Around the River Bend...
Okay guys my summer is gearing up to be a wild and crazy one, no matter how you look at it. I thought I'd drop in to my increasingly disused blog to let y'all know what I'm doing.
In my applications (and preparations for another round of them), I've decided to really beef up my extracurriculars this summer. Although I seriously have the BEST job ever, I have decided I may need to take a break from it in order to pursue some other goals. In lieu of working, I'll be spending (but spending responsibly, mind you). I am going to Haiti.
This is not a vacation. This will be a humanitarian aid trip with an organization called Sustain Haiti, which works mostly through BYU. The scary thing is, this trip will leave me poor and without a job when I return. It would be much easier to work my very sick-awesome job all summer, and then have a fat paycheck to spend on post-baccalaureate classes. However, I don't get a lot of chances to get out of America and do a little good, so I think I'm gonna take this one. Every once in a while, life gives you a chance to make some real changes. I hope this is one of them. It seems a little crazy to just drop everything and go, but sometimes that's what you have to do. Wish me luck!
In my applications (and preparations for another round of them), I've decided to really beef up my extracurriculars this summer. Although I seriously have the BEST job ever, I have decided I may need to take a break from it in order to pursue some other goals. In lieu of working, I'll be spending (but spending responsibly, mind you). I am going to Haiti.
This is not a vacation. This will be a humanitarian aid trip with an organization called Sustain Haiti, which works mostly through BYU. The scary thing is, this trip will leave me poor and without a job when I return. It would be much easier to work my very sick-awesome job all summer, and then have a fat paycheck to spend on post-baccalaureate classes. However, I don't get a lot of chances to get out of America and do a little good, so I think I'm gonna take this one. Every once in a while, life gives you a chance to make some real changes. I hope this is one of them. It seems a little crazy to just drop everything and go, but sometimes that's what you have to do. Wish me luck!
2.18.2012
Dateability Series 2: Date a Girl With A Passion
Never kiss a vanilla.
Vanilla is safe. It's sweet, delicious, classic, and you can't blame anybody for loving it. But it's also pretty boring. Who walks into Baskin Robbins (31 flavors!) and orders vanilla? Just because they carry it, doesn't mean you should eat it. They have daiquiri ice, moose tracks, rocky road, white chocolate raspberry truffle, cake batter, bubblegum, pralines and cream, or for the less adventurous, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, etc. etc. etc. Everybody tries vanilla, sure, because you have to start somewhere, but nobody sticks with it forever - because you start to crave a little more flavor.
So it is with relationships. More fun with flavor.
Enough cannot be said about the attractiveness of a girl pursuing her passions, who excels at something. People who are learning, growing, changing all the time are those who bring an added excitement, vigor, and brightness to life. Sing, hike, ski, snowshoe, act, travel, dance, play an instrument, or a sport. Do all of them, or none - but be honest with yourself about whatever your talents are, and bring those to the table in your relationships.
These kind of things not only make you happy, but more interesting too.
Last year, one of my roommates dated a hot-little-southern-cajun-half-asian-spitfire who dreamed of working public relations for the New Orleans Saints. Holy smokes was that girl a lot of fun. Even in Provo, where it is so easy to blend in with the masses of other extremely talented, brilliant, righteous, active, fun-loving college co-eds, this girl stuck out like a magnolia in a mud patch.One minute she'd be hollerin' about a recent Saint's loss, or how much she hates Scrubs, and the next she'd gush "well ain't you as cute as a speckled pup in a red wagon!" And her love of football... well really it transcends all description. Life with lil' Breesiana around was certainly never dull, and I think we could learn a real good lesson from her - Life, and relationships is more fun when you
Find what you love, then simply do it.
1.19.2012
Dateability Series 1: Date a Girl With A Voice
So to kick off the dateability series, I say date a girl with a voice. I love a girl with a voice, and my friends agree! Mostly, I mean that we boys love a girl with opinions, who thinks about the things she sees, and expresses her thoughts both freely and candidly.
Let's start with the dark side of this post. Too often, I find myself in conversation with a girl and suddenly I can tell she's thinking "I hope this conversation is going well!" And then BAM. There we are, smiling stupidly at each other, and while I'm thinking of ways to keep that conversation going she's still really focused on hoping the conversation is going well instead of actually contributing to the conversation and so the conversation actually goes like this:
(Disclaimer: All conversations and persons in this blog are fictitious. Any representation of any specific people or persons, real or otherwise, is not intentional.)
Me: So how is school?
Her: (smiling) Good!
Me: (thinking: oh boy. it's gonna be one of these conversations again. Turn on blinker. Drive cautiously through intersection. Resume conversation.) Awesome! Are you loving your classes? Any you're excited about this semester?
Her: School's good. But, you know, it's school.
Me: Indeed. To be honest, I kind of miss school. (I can feel this conversation getting dangerously close to a dead end, but thankfully so is my car, as it pulls up to her house.) Are you working as well?
Her: Nope.
Me: ... (grasping at straws) So... home sweet home!
Her: Yep!
...Well you get the idea. Not one of those dates where you sit in the driveway and talk for an hour afterwards.
Date a girl with a voice. Date a girl with opinions. Because to do so is to sign up for at least one evening of stimulating conversation. Maybe a lifetime if you're super lucky. Even if you don't make it to date number two, you go home that night thinking about stuff. You may even find yourself making up funny new words, like "skankapades" (a term for escapades of a dubious nature), and "snarkasm" (snarky sarcasm). The laughs are even better than the kissing. It's true. Girls, if you're reading this, here is my (probably unwarranted) advice - don't be afraid to speak up!
Even if your vocalizations reveal that you are not the particular type or flavor of person that the boy is looking for, anything is better than a drab vanilla who mindlessly agrees with everything the boy says. You are not meant to be walked on! Disagree sometimes! You may be surprised at how effectively this throws a boy off his balance. Puts you back in control. Makes him like you a little more. Show off your brain - and the only way you can do it is by opening your mouth.
1.13.2012
Breaking the Silence
Happy New Year!
Okay, I've been quite reticent as of late. Honestly I don't know exactly why except that I've been having SO MUCH FUN playing with family and friends. Though it is nearly halfway through January I haven't made ANY New Year's Resolutions, however, I will be soon. One of which is to become more self-aware.
Which explains my next slew of blog posts - I'm going to write about things that boys look for in girls. And I'm gonna be honest about it. Buckle up, because I feel like those of you who read my blog with any regularity fall into the category of people who would be entertained by such a subject. Of course, any thoughts or advice along the way is greatly appreciated.
Okay, I've been quite reticent as of late. Honestly I don't know exactly why except that I've been having SO MUCH FUN playing with family and friends. Though it is nearly halfway through January I haven't made ANY New Year's Resolutions, however, I will be soon. One of which is to become more self-aware.
Which explains my next slew of blog posts - I'm going to write about things that boys look for in girls. And I'm gonna be honest about it. Buckle up, because I feel like those of you who read my blog with any regularity fall into the category of people who would be entertained by such a subject. Of course, any thoughts or advice along the way is greatly appreciated.
11.27.2011
A Craven Thanksgiving
1. 7th Annual Pie Night: friends, family, and undercover vegan bean pies.
2. Impromptu Christmas jams with Steven and Co.
3. Foregoing Black Friday shopping with an impulsive trip to Angel's Landing.
4. Of course, lots and lots of family time!
11.13.2011
Pixelmator: Headswapping, backgrounds, gloom effect, and more
I've been getting a lot better at photo editing. Just wanted to show you some of what I've been working on for my mom's Tapestry website.
I'm most proud of this one, in which I swapped my mom's head. The other stuff is fairly commonplace - removing background, smoothing skin tone, etc.
The group really liked this picture but as you can see it's a tad overexposed. This was a lot of fun too because you can see that I removed the car on the left side of the picture. I also think I did a fairly good job of fixing the exposure and the levels. I got defeated by that lens glare in that lady's hair in the background... I'm still learning.
This stuff is a lot of fun, and I'm getting faster at it - learning all the shortcuts and such. Recently, I've discovered that a lot of my photo edits are ending up on Facebook as profile pictures. I wouldn't know, since I deleted my account months ago.
I'm most proud of this one, in which I swapped my mom's head. The other stuff is fairly commonplace - removing background, smoothing skin tone, etc.
The group really liked this picture but as you can see it's a tad overexposed. This was a lot of fun too because you can see that I removed the car on the left side of the picture. I also think I did a fairly good job of fixing the exposure and the levels. I got defeated by that lens glare in that lady's hair in the background... I'm still learning.
This stuff is a lot of fun, and I'm getting faster at it - learning all the shortcuts and such. Recently, I've discovered that a lot of my photo edits are ending up on Facebook as profile pictures. I wouldn't know, since I deleted my account months ago.
10.29.2011
A Sabbatical
Guys, I really don't feel like blogging anymore. I'll probably lapse into a long silence. Not anybody (including myself) will really be broken up about it. Just thought it would be the responsible thing to do, to warn you. Happy Halloween!
10.15.2011
More Graphic Design
Did I ever tell you that my mom is in a band? Yep. My mom is super cool.
She sings in a double-trio of women called "Tapestry," and recently they've decided to go modern and build a website. They asked me to design a header for their site using the frilly bits I employed in my recent JBB graphic. This is what I came up with:
This is the my first design - this time around, I discovered some cool ways to make a drop shadow, which gives the frilly bits a nice 3-D effect. The tutorials online have been a great help.
This is how I changed the image after some suggestions and requests from my mom. I think it's so cool that she's in a band! Go mom.
She sings in a double-trio of women called "Tapestry," and recently they've decided to go modern and build a website. They asked me to design a header for their site using the frilly bits I employed in my recent JBB graphic. This is what I came up with:
10.13.2011
AMCAS, Med School, Primaries, Secondaries
Ran across this on a friend's blog and just had to share, because it makes me laugh out loud:
I am completing my last secondary application today, which is to Duke. I am excited to be done! It has been a long and rigorous process, which I probably made harder on myself by procrastinating. Don't procrastinate your medical school applications!
In other news, the fall weather is BEAUTIFUL. Each day I have set myself next to an open window and breathed the crisp autumn air, which is probably giving me a cold, so now I simply bask in the sunshine that filters through the windows.
Starting today, I will no longer need to (only) bask in the sunshine, for I will be out playing in it! And while we're on the subject, the moon is quite full: perfect for some midnight adventures. Go crazy, folks.
I am completing my last secondary application today, which is to Duke. I am excited to be done! It has been a long and rigorous process, which I probably made harder on myself by procrastinating. Don't procrastinate your medical school applications!
In other news, the fall weather is BEAUTIFUL. Each day I have set myself next to an open window and breathed the crisp autumn air, which is probably giving me a cold, so now I simply bask in the sunshine that filters through the windows.
Starting today, I will no longer need to (only) bask in the sunshine, for I will be out playing in it! And while we're on the subject, the moon is quite full: perfect for some midnight adventures. Go crazy, folks.
10.02.2011
9.30.2011
Vacation - Rochester, NY
Rochester is a beautiful part of upstate New York. Settled right on the coast of Lake Ontario, this city is home to University of Rochester School of Medicine, where I attended a medical school interview. The entire stay was wonderful and I had a great time interviewing as well!
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| Big, big sky somewhere over Iowa (hello missionaries!). |
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| Ben and Celeste were ideal hosts, and cooked for us every night. |
My friend Dave and I interviewed one day apart from each other, so we decided to spend the weekend there together. While Dave was in his interviews, I wandered around in downtown Rochester, eating at the delicious Dinosaur Grill, visiting the Eastman School of Music, and photographing interesting architecture.
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| The colors in this photo are my favorite. Also I enjoy the rhythm of the windows and staircases. |
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| Ugliest building in Rochester. Like a car accident, I just couldn't tear my eyes away from it. It says "Times Square" above its gloomy double doors. |
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| Rochester used to have a subway system, which has been abandoned, leaving behind some cool looking bridges. I saw some amazing graffiti in there but was too afraid of getting mugged to photograph it. |
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| Construction scaffolding at the Manhattan Park (even though Long Island is 6 hrs away from Rochester) |
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| Niagra Falls! There's Canada in the background. We rode the Maid of the Mist, but naturally I kept my camera well-covered. |
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| The Sacred Grove in Palmyra. I was surprised to see how close it is to the Smith Family Farm. You can tell you walk upon hallowed ground amongst those trees. |
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| That's the Palmyra Temple you see through the trees. They had to cut out a hole in the foliage so we could see it from where I'm standing on the Smith Family property. |
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| Dave and I on our way home in our SWEET rental car! Thanks Hertz! |
9.29.2011
Vacation - Moab
When was the last time you went to Moab? Rafted a river? Saw Delicate Arch? (Your license plate doesn't count!) I've been with my family a couple of times, but it was sure a lot of fun to do it with my friends this time instead:
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| Our campsite: I slept on a picnic table and it was AWESOME. |
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| Aleah catching some sunshine on the drive into Arches Nat'l Park |
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| Our crew. There were a LOT of us! Good kids and solid new friends. |
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| I am astounded by the enormity of Delicate Arch. Here I am standing underneath it's monstrous pillars with good friends Gordy and Steve |
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| Some of God's creations simply cannot be confined to a photograph. I tried anyways. |
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| Since we came in the morning, the Arch was backlit. |
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| Beautiful color. |
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| Isn't it remarkable that Native Americans lived in such a desolate area? Who knows how much you have to love those sheep to immortalize them on a rock. |
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| Okay. A little out of focus, but Jon... you hat is... indescribable |
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| This was carefully, mysteriously, placed upon my car overnight. Phantom giant underpants. |
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| We went rafting, but naturally I didn't take my super-nice camera on the trip, so no wet swimsuit pictures for you. |
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| What a picture to close on. Abuelita Gordy and his new Go Pro! |
9.27.2011
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