My month back in the US was a whirlwind medical school tour plus a bit of family time at Thanksgiving. As nice as it was to have a break and see many of my friends and family in Virginia, I felt increasingly distant from my research and other work/life in the DR. Plus it is freezing up there.
Now back in the Dominican Republic, I realize that I’ve gained a better perspective about my life here. Firstly, the rapid passage of time and the fact that – as much lit review as I honestly intended to complete – I really didn’t get a whole lot done on my research while in the US, have made me realize how quickly and efficiently I need to move. Secondly, I’ve become more aware of the transience of this experience (like all experiences). Having toured several medical school campuses and learning about exciting curricula and potential new places to live for the next four years has made the future a bit more concrete for me. When I first arrived and settled into life in the DR, it was easy to pretend that this experience would be long term. In reality, though, three-fourths of a year is the blink of an eye. And if you saw my first entry, there is a lot that I hope to do and produce in that time. I am also more excited about medical school because of its tangibility, and I am thinking about my research in the broader scope of my career. Learning about future research opportunities in med school and beyond has helped me to better conceptualize the long-term import of my work here and how I might build on it or use it as a starting point to explore entirely new issues in global/public health and community development.
So now, with less than seven months before me, it’s time to crank out one of my long-term strategy plans, refine my to-do lists, and get the ball rolling again. Community-level tuberculosis intervention programs of the Dominican Republic, prepare to be evaluated on your gender incorporation strategies!!!
...As for everything else - poetry, painting, transnational feminism, photography, traveling - I feel an acute sense of disorganization. I need to figure out again how I will prioritize everything that I want to do before I find myself engrossed in mountains of pharmacology and anatomy next year. By the way, if anyone out there has tips for publishing poetry - i.e., finding appropriate venues for first-time publication and contacting editors - it would be much appreciated!
All the above is what I will call my gifts, thanks to Mayda del Valle. Since the holidays are fast-approaching, it's time to give them back to myself.
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