Why NOT to go to Optometry school

I apologize in advance for the rant that is about to spill out of my fingers on to the page. You've been warned.

Anyways, as I have mentioned in previous posts, I am going to start Optometry school this August in Southern California. Pause for collective yay!

What I have yet to mention is that I will be starting this adventure single. Or, as some women would say, alone. I personally don't view this as a bad thing as I will have more time for myself and studies. Without a boyfriend to take up my spare time I can explore my interests, be more active in extracurricular activities I really want to participate in, and not worry about fitting in time for someone else's needs. Ok, that might sound harsh, but when you have 24 hours in a day and 14 are dedicated to school and 8 for sleep, what can you do for the remaining 2 except eat, workout, and try to keep your sanity for the next four years?

The point I am trying to get at is this: why go to Optometry school at age 25 when you won't finish until you're nearly 29, approaching 30? Um, because I want to help people with their visual problems? Good answer, right? Apparently, I was wrong. I should be saying I want to find a husband.To be up front I never even considered this to be a problem, but for some women who want to get married by 26 and have a child by 29 Optometry school (or any professional school for that matter) seems out of reach. Professional school is not like undergrad where you spend maybe 20 hours a week studying and the rest of your time hanging out with friends. Professional school is your life. You eat, breathe, and sleep what you are learning in order to become a professional in the subject of your choice. When you sign up for this type of commitment it is practically impossible to have an outside personal life unless you are already seriously committed to someone. Which leaves single young women in a bind... especially one's going into Optometry school. The current ratio of women to men in Optometry school is 3:1 and still shrinking. Most men who you do meet in school are already in serious relationships, possibly married, or not interested. This leaves maybe a handful of men, at best, for a single woman to consider within her class because she won't have time to create an outside social life with the men in her community. Or, it seems very unlikely.

For me, this supposed impossible challenge of finding a guy is not important and not a factor in my pursuit of becoming an Optometrist. I figure I will pursue my career goals while working on hobbies/interests that make me happy (baking, being active, trying out kayaking, and traveling) and somewhere in those pursuits everything will work out as it should. However, there also seems to a staggering percentage of women who are in the same boat as me, maybe around the age of 22-23 instead of my crazy "old" age of 25, who are losing their minds at the prospect of not finding a guy until they are, gasp, 27. They consider that age to be "too old" to be considered marriage material for guys and worry they will miss their best years for finding a husband.

ARE THEY NUTS?! I am sorry, but isn't it 2012? I don't view my success based on when I get married or who I marry. I base my success on my happiness with the relationships I do have and the lives I've been able to touch. If these women believe that their only chance for happiness is marrying a guy and that is their focus going in to Optometry school I will be very surprised if they make it out with enough self-confidence to be successful in a career they just spent $200,000 on.

Maybe my priorities are screwed up and I should be figuring out my next date in order to get a guy to marry me before I reach old maid status. Life is about a being and becoming, not about having and getting. When we work towards our best potential with a smile and optimism, great things can happen in all aspects of our lives.

Until next time,

powerkat

ps: I know I said I'd share a recipe, so let's say this is a rant recipe for how to annoy me. :)

Cookie Monster Generation

Is our generation (Generation Y) the generation of the Cookie Monster? You're thinking 'This is what she thinks about all day?'

No friends. I don't think about the Cookie Monster all day. I think about how all the blogs I've traveled to in the past month have typed "nom.nom" at least twice per blog. Where did this nom business come from to describe how we feel about a recipe or dish? I guess I can see how the two word term fits and paints a clear picture in one's mind.

When presented with 'nom,nom' I am instantly transported to my 5 year-old mind and the Cookie Monster of Sesame Street being my idol. He was so excited to consume those cookies that his furry blue paws (or is it hands) just smashed the cookies in his face. All the while he was say 'nom, nom! cookies!' and his jiggly eyeballs rolling around. You wanted to be right next to him to get the flying stray bits of chocolate chips. Ahh, young childhood memories.

Anyways, back to this nom business. Great descriptive word and takes me to a happy place. But, didn't the Cookie Monster ultimately realize that cookies can only be a sometimes food? And to extrapolate further, hasn't our generation seen how over consumption can destroy a person, family, community, or even, shall I say it, a country?

This is what I think about all day and why I need a place to jot out my random thoughts.

Until next time,

powerkat

ps: Next time I'll add a recipe. nom!nom! :)

I only have eyes for you...

Happy Belated Valentine's Day! 

When you look deep into someone's eyes what do you see? 

via OptometryStudents.com

Very nerdy, but gotta love it!

Until Next Time, 

powerkat

Homemade Biscotti

This past weekend I was craving tea and biscotti to accompany me while I was sifting through my old piles of artwork from years ago.

Ok, you got me. I really just wanted biscotti and an excuse from cleaning out the clutter of memories before moving down to southern California.

I am of the mindset that if you are going to eat sweets, you must make them or the whole wonderful-ness is loss. You never crave store-bought sweets. When you leave a dinner party you never think, "wow, I really need another helping of the overly sugary, fake tasting pie". No, you crave and think about the homemade sweets. They have been made with sweat, love, and possibly blood in order to satisfy a sweet tooth. Hence, my Saturday search for homemade biscotti.

I fell upon this recipe on allrecipes.com (my go-to site) and it was so easy! All of the ingredients were common staples in the kitchen, minus the sliced almonds, and the process was easy as 1, 2, 3. The only alteration I made was using less chocolate. 'She said what?!' I did a quick taste test before adding the chocolate and these are so good because of the hint of orange zest that you can get away with less chocolate.

Enjoy!

PS: There are no pictures from my escapade because I was so focused on making these and then eating them. My stomach apologizes. 

Biscotti Toscani

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg  this could be replaced with cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips  I would recommend half of this amount
• 1/2 cup toasted almond pieces

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a large baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and zest. Combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in almonds. Divide dough into two pieces. Form into long flat loaves about 1/2 inch tall and 12 inches long. Place the loaves 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
4. With a serrated knife, cut diagonally into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, turning over once. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
5. Place chocolate chips into a small, microwave-safe bowl. Melt chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds until smooth. Use a spatula to spread chocolate onto one side of each cookie. Let stand at room temperature until set. Store biscotti at room temperature in an airtight container. 

Romancing the Heart

In the spirit of the celebration of love I thought I would pay homage to my favorite guilty pleasure chick-flick movie - When Harry Met Sally...

Not only are the characters imperfect, but it is about a real partnership that develops between two people. 

Most movies that aim for the female demographic create a world-wind romance that is simply unrealistic or too good to be true (The Notebook anyone?), but this movie gets it right. These characters go from random strangers to best friends in a natural setting. No rustic vineyards, beach romps, or passionate kisses in the rain.

Though there is a marvelous scene in a diner. You might have heard about it. Though, while everyone talks about a certain experience Sally fakes I personally love witnessing the easy banter between the two. Even if they can't see it yet there is a natural build-up of trust that will climax (sorry, it was too easy not to make a remark) into a deeper bond.

 

Our current world is all about instant gratification and love has unfortunately fallen victim to this monster. So, whenever I get in a slump about my love life it is so refreshing to pop this movie in, wrap myself in a cozy blanket with a warm cup of tea, and consider a real possibility that might be waiting around the corner.

I just kinda hope it doesn't take another 12 years....
Until next time,

powerkat

Pandora's Box

Have you ever been asked a question, thought you only had one response, but before you open your mouth you suddenly realize that you actually have too emotions to make anything but "blah..meh...um... how about you"?

This is what I've repeatedly experienced someone asks how I am doing with moving to California to start Optometry school in the fall. My gut wants to say that I'm doing amazing and envisioning a new adventure that can't come soon enough. Then, as I'm about to tell them just that, my mind goes blank, I break out into a cold sweat, and start thinking of all the things I have to do before I move down there. These thoughts rapidly progress to an all-out panic attack of 'AM I EVEN READY FOR THIS?!' Which, of course I am. 100%. Not freaked out at all.

So, if you ask me how I am feeling I'll say it feels surreal, but I'm ready. Which is true if I dig under all of that anxiety.

Are there topics that make you have too many emotions to process? How do you handle them?

My solution? Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, ice cream, and a good movie. Works for a lonely Valentine's Day too!

Long Time No See

So... as predicted this endeavor did not last more than 2 posts back in 2010. And no followers. Not that I would want any, but still. If anyone does happen to come across this blog I want to make this important statement: I am a goal-setter and overachiever. There is no way to beat it around the bush or be modest when it comes to my desire to succeed at what I pursue. Sometimes I might take longer than others to decide on what I want to pursue, but once I've made up my mind I follow through.

Lets sum up the last two years so everyone can be caught up and then move forward together. I've been working in a job that has taught me how to deal with very different personalities than my own and has pushed me to my limits (in good ways and bad). While struggling to make the most of a job that I've considered an "in-between" phase from undergrad to grad school, I've been figuring out what grad program I want to pursue for a career. I've always leaned towards health care and have a knack for science, so exploring health careers was a major to-do in 2010. During that year I fell in love. No, not with a handsome fellow... though I did look into many people's eyes. Yes, I began a love affair with Optometry and the affair blossomed into a full-fledged romance. In fact, all of 2011 was dedicated to applying for Optometry school! From studying and taking the OAT (Optometry Admissions Test), compiling resumes, letters of rec, writing a concise personal statement, to finally attending interviews and being accepted to my school of choice. It was a crazy ride from start to finish with more crying breakdowns than I've ever experienced in my life. (Another side note: I am very emotional, but hardly ever cry. If you witness a tear drop from my eyes.... 1) don't take a picture because I'll give you something to cry about, and 2) I trust you till the end of time)

Now, after those two years of struggling with figuring out my future I now have plenty of time to better enjoy the present. Hence, here I am world! This blog will be about my new adventures - mundane, everyday, random, exciting, and maybe unique - before and while I am in Optometry school because really, who doesn't want to learn about how I view the world? Maybe my musings will give you a clearer view on your own life. After all, I will be an Optometrist and that is in the job description. And you know how I love to follow through on goals.

Until next time,

powerkat