Where did the year go? The last portion of my didactic year feels like a distant memory. The first rotation feels like years ago, rather than months ago. I've tried to write a little about each rotations, as well as the random moments of fun I had with friends and loved ones, so there's nothing really new to add to the list.

Right now, time for me is measured in six week segments. The days can crawl by but when I start focusing on the ever-looming shelf exam, time snaps forward like a rubber band that had been pulled taut. In some ways, 2016 has been a hard teacher. The year saw me transitioning from didactics to clinical practice which has been such a huge change that I'm still processing it. With something as complex as medicine, you don't really stop being a student when you get handed your white coat. The trick is learning to study despite the sometimes unpredictable schedule. It's tough, and a lot of days seem impossible to do more than just sleep. All I can say is, I'm still learning.

This new year is going to have its own set of changes. Graduating, finding a job, possibly moving to another city. The last point has certainly been foremost in my mind. Ben will be on his last leg of residency when I graduate so we're still talking about whether I should come down to him or head straight back to our home state. I've hinted at this before, but long-distance relationships are trying. The ache made especially worse on difficult days. The biggest influence on where I'll be moving will be job location so I can't make any certain comments about it now. Suffice to say, it's going to be a subject I'll touch upon fairly frequently.

I've got OB/GYN, General Surgery, and hopefully another Internal Medicine rotation left before I walk across the stage. 2017 is certainly going to be the most exciting year yet.

Cheers 2016, it's been fun.