Where did July go?! Although I wouldn't say that July was the busiest month so far this year, there were a lot of changes and events this month.
We started the month of with our Jamaican vacation and it was the perfect get away. Chirag and I got some much needed time to reconnect. I completed my first summer book, which gave me a lot to reflect upon on my pursuit of happiness. It also inspired me to continue towards my goal of reading more books. The whole experience in Jamaica reminded me not to get so caught or upset over the little things that may not be in my control. Like Dad tells, "Learn to loosen up... and enjoy the ride."
Upon our return from Jamaica, I was thrilled to find out that all my hard work had paid off and that I was finally a Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist. It has been my goal to specialize in this field ever since I was in pharmacy school. I didn't go through the typical path of becoming a specialist and I have had a few struggles on this journey, but I'm so happy that I didn't give up. Each and every experience, job, and obstacle has thought me something important and played a major part in helping me achieve this goal. I've had a few mentors along the way that saw potential in me and kept pushing me to achieve this goal. I really feel so lucky to have such inspiring people in my life. The most important lesson this journey has taught me is that - if you really want to achieve your goal, you will find a way to make it happen! This certification opens up a lot of new doors for me and I have big plans for what I would like to accomplish in the future.
The day I find out my exam results the weather was sunny with a light breeze... there happened to be a concert in the park nearby and it was just the perfect time for a picnic! Anyone who knows me will tell you that I one thing I love is picnics! So, we picked up some Jimmy John's sandwiches, wine and headed over to the park with our neighbors and their cute daughter, Radha. Avani & Hash joined us later and brought Nothing Bundt Cakes to celebrate! If there is a location near you, I highly encourage you to try their red velvet and lemon cake. They are so delicious! :)
The weekend before starting my new job, my old co-workers and I had a little get together. It's always nice to meet up outside of work and get to know each other's families. Nolan, Cathy, and Nidah have always been such positive and motivating influences in my life! One of the reasons I'm very excited about my new job is that I'll be working with two of them (Cathy & Nidah) once again. Plus, my new manager seems great and has really been motivating me already. I'm looking forward this new role and ready for the challenge!
Speaking of challenges... running has become a new hobby of mine. After completely our first 5K in May, I've really been trying to challenge myself to get to a 10-minute mile pace. Well, this month I surpassed my goal of 10 min/mile. I completed my 5k at a pace of 9:48/mile! There were definitely times were I just thought that I'll forever be around the 11min mark, but pushing myself little by little I finally beat this challenge as well! So, far I have continued to keep this pace with my running. So, I'm thinking of new goal of a 9-minute-mile!
In addition to my fitness goal, I also took some time this month to make other aspects of my health a priority. Such as sleep, taking the extra 5 minutes in the morning to eat my breakfast, and taking time at night to drink my tea and unwind. Although it hasn't been easy to stick to them, I have definitely seen these little changes help improve my overall mood and attitude.
In midst of working long hours at my new job, it was nice to take a break. We tried out a new brunch spot, The Yolk, with K&V, I had my first blogger meet up with Dixya & Sashi, and celebrated our friend, Munira's birthday with some amazing sushi at Blue Sushi. We also caught up with Chirag's old buddies from B-school for a (veggie) burger and drinks, plus a good laugh watching Trainwreck. Living so far away from our family, it's so nice to have such amazing friends to share our lives with.
The month was wrapped up with some much needed organizing of our documents - thanks to the inspiration from Marie Kondo's book. Purging and organizing is one of my favorite things to do because it helps give me control over my crazy life, plus a clutter free home makes me feel calm and relaxed. However, tackling everything at once like the book suggests was a little to overwhelming for me. The concept of "Does this spark joy?" has definitely changed the way I shop or keep things in our home. However, documents and papers are something that is a bit tricky to address with this question alone. Chirag wasn't at all excited to take on this project, but we do feel pretty accomplished and proud of ourselves knowing that we have papers in order (for now).
There is already so much to look forward to in August, but it was nice to hit the {rewind} button. July, you've surely been good to me!
What were your July highlights?
The day I find out my exam results the weather was sunny with a light breeze... there happened to be a concert in the park nearby and it was just the perfect time for a picnic! Anyone who knows me will tell you that I one thing I love is picnics! So, we picked up some Jimmy John's sandwiches, wine and headed over to the park with our neighbors and their cute daughter, Radha. Avani & Hash joined us later and brought Nothing Bundt Cakes to celebrate! If there is a location near you, I highly encourage you to try their red velvet and lemon cake. They are so delicious! :)
The weekend before starting my new job, my old co-workers and I had a little get together. It's always nice to meet up outside of work and get to know each other's families. Nolan, Cathy, and Nidah have always been such positive and motivating influences in my life! One of the reasons I'm very excited about my new job is that I'll be working with two of them (Cathy & Nidah) once again. Plus, my new manager seems great and has really been motivating me already. I'm looking forward this new role and ready for the challenge!
Speaking of challenges... running has become a new hobby of mine. After completely our first 5K in May, I've really been trying to challenge myself to get to a 10-minute mile pace. Well, this month I surpassed my goal of 10 min/mile. I completed my 5k at a pace of 9:48/mile! There were definitely times were I just thought that I'll forever be around the 11min mark, but pushing myself little by little I finally beat this challenge as well! So, far I have continued to keep this pace with my running. So, I'm thinking of new goal of a 9-minute-mile!
In addition to my fitness goal, I also took some time this month to make other aspects of my health a priority. Such as sleep, taking the extra 5 minutes in the morning to eat my breakfast, and taking time at night to drink my tea and unwind. Although it hasn't been easy to stick to them, I have definitely seen these little changes help improve my overall mood and attitude.
In midst of working long hours at my new job, it was nice to take a break. We tried out a new brunch spot, The Yolk, with K&V, I had my first blogger meet up with Dixya & Sashi, and celebrated our friend, Munira's birthday with some amazing sushi at Blue Sushi. We also caught up with Chirag's old buddies from B-school for a (veggie) burger and drinks, plus a good laugh watching Trainwreck. Living so far away from our family, it's so nice to have such amazing friends to share our lives with.
The month was wrapped up with some much needed organizing of our documents - thanks to the inspiration from Marie Kondo's book. Purging and organizing is one of my favorite things to do because it helps give me control over my crazy life, plus a clutter free home makes me feel calm and relaxed. However, tackling everything at once like the book suggests was a little to overwhelming for me. The concept of "Does this spark joy?" has definitely changed the way I shop or keep things in our home. However, documents and papers are something that is a bit tricky to address with this question alone. Chirag wasn't at all excited to take on this project, but we do feel pretty accomplished and proud of ourselves knowing that we have papers in order (for now).
There is already so much to look forward to in August, but it was nice to hit the {rewind} button. July, you've surely been good to me!
What were your July highlights?
You had an amazing July! And congrats on passing your boards and the new job! So exciting. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Parita! :)
DeleteA vacation in Jamaica with a good book sounds absolutely incredible! Glad you had fun! And congrats on the job!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ash! I wish I could go back to Jamaica!
DeleteCongrats on the new position! Sounds like you have worked very hard to get there. Also, way to go with the running! If you stay consistent (even 3-4 times/week!) you'll get to that 9 minute mile in no time!!
ReplyDelete♥ perfectly Priya
Thanks, Priya! I actually was doing so good and then for the past 2 weeks I had been traveling and had some other exciting things going on, so unfortunately, I have failed to stay consistent. I'm hoping I can get back on track this week since things have calmed down a bit.
Delete