Quickies: Delays, Tests Results, Delays, Night in Vegas, Hope, (Updated Below!!)

 UPDATE ON JULY 29: I have arrived in ATL. I made the red eye flight from Vegas, had a great aisle seat next to a lovely couple, and got to the hotel without a hitch. I then promptly fell asleep which is why I didn't let you all know I had arrived sooner. But yes, I am alive and well and enjoying the lovely countryside where everyone, but EVERYONE, says hello as you pass by. I could get used to the South, yes indeedy. Except, somebody forgot to mention to God to layoff the heat/humidity at 6 in the morning! I can say that getting off the plane to that mess of weather at 6am made me realize how great we have it in Fresno - our nights are incredible.

1. Delays: Every other time I have taken the USMLE, results arrive in three weeks. Hence, last week Tuesday I was beyond nervous all afternoon and evening in anticipation of my arriving grade. I felt in my heart I had passed, but you just can never tell. I waited and my heart pounded. I awoke at 4am and started checking the computer. Every email message that would arrive in my inbox made me nervous - was it the one?! But around noon, well after results usually arrive in in-boxes, I realized there was to be no results. Another week of waiting and anticipation was the only result to be had.

2. Test Results: So, I waited another week, spending a lot of time working out and swimming in the pool to relax my mind and take it off of the test. My family and friends, God bless you all, did an amazing job keeping me distracted. But there was still no guarantee results would arrive today. The USMLE states not to bother them until it has been at least 6 weeks - they definitely under promise and over deliver, a good thing. However, if it were to arrive today, I was planning on flying to Atlanta for an interview and would not be able to retrieve the results early in the morning. Hence, God brought AA into the picture; I gave her my log-in information and this morning she checked and when I landed, my heart beating way too fast and my nerves a hot mess, there was the text: "Congratulations Doctor!!"


3. That brings us to my trying to get to Atlanta. I'm flying there for an interview with an airline and they are flying me "Non-Rev" - that means they aren't making revenue off of me and I fly stand-by. The flight from FAT to SLC, which was the one we were all worried about, went without a hitch. SLC, however, was a completely different story. Flight after flights that went to ATL was overbooked. From 830am until noon I watched flight after flight leave without me. Then, I was to be rebooked on a flight through Vegas that left SLC at 140pm. However, when I went to board that flight, there was some sort of problem with the ticket. Res Agents on the phone said they couldn't do anything to fix it because I was still listed as not having flown at all. Weird, I must have teleported from FAT to SLC. Res told me the Gate agent could handle the situation. Not true. The Gate agent said there was absolutely nothing she could do - I had been locked out of the system. Great. Stuck in SLC with a bunch of proselytizers and no way out! In the end, the AMAZING lady at the place I'm interviewing was able to intervene and get the ticket fixed. With 20 minutes before the 340pm flight to Vegas, we got my ticket fixed and I am in Vegas now, waiting for my 1130pm flight to ATL.

4. When in Vegas, rule number one is to live it up. So, I took a $6 shuttle from the airport to the Strip and walked up and down the strip. I'm exhausted quite frankly! I got to enjoy the views both in day time and night. I used $20 to gamble, which I promptly lost in about 30 minutes and that was it for the gambling. Besides, I was more interested in one thing: the Bellagio water fountains. I spent almost an hour and a half there. It was incredible. Relaxing and rejuvenating. I'm now back at the airport as I write this, using the amazing internet connection (and it's free!). FYI: on top of everything else, the Salt Lake City internet sucked!

5. Hope: Romans 12:12 says "Rejoice in Hope, be Patient in Tribulation, be Constant in Prayer." One of the most challenging periods of my LIFE has just ended. I can't say I enjoyed it and I most certainly won't say I would consider doing it again. But, now that I have arrived at the end, it feels great. I feel accomplished. The hope that I had, but more importantly, that my family and friends had for me, that never diminished and certainly never extinguished, has been amazing and carried me through. God bless you all.