Last I saw all of you lovely readers I was telling you about my last minute half-marathon prep and overall Hopkins madness. It’s been a nice few weeks here, and I’ll tell you all about it now! First off, I hope you enjoyed my punny title–I really, really love the fall here at Hopkins and it looks like it’s finally getting under way with the weather this week!
So most importantly, the half marathon. It was a nice, but trying experience. I definitely should have trained more for it but I managed to get through it without stopping or losing a limb. My dad and my roommate Laura ran the marathon, and the half-marathon respectively. It was great to be there with them, and I don’t think I could have mentally done it without knowing they were running along there with me–I didn’t actually see either of them too much during the race, they’re both speed demons. Despite the threat of a boiling day in the 80s, it cooled down for perfect running weather and it was great to be out in Baltimore. A shocking number of people decided to run 26 miles that morning–what a mystery. The 9th and 10th miles looped around the Homewood campus and I got to see some friends out cheering–such a boost of energy when my legs felt like lead.
My dad, me and my roommate after the race.
Those weird foil blankets are actually amazingly helpful!
After running the half marathon I went home (again?). I was all but crippled, and it seemed much better to convalesce back in NJ than try to stick it out in the my room. Despite all this complaining, I’ve actually decided to run another half marathon in the spring–really one of those activities that seems better in retrospect.
Mentally, it’s awesome to be able to say I’ve run 13.1 miles! It was great to be home though, to see my family again and hang out with my sister. I was able to run a million errands, bring back some winter clothes for the fall weather that’s arrived recently, and I even had time to hit the most amazing mall in the world (Short Hills!) while I was at it.
Another great thing about living close to home–my lovely sister Suzi can visit all the time! She’s already been here once this year and I’m looking forward to seeing her again over Parent’s Weekend.
As much as I do love Hopkins’ proximity to home, I’m making it my goal to not go home again until Thanksgiving. I’ve had such a busy semester thus far that it really does feel like I’m missing out when I miss the weekends–it’s my only time to relax. Though I am a little pressed for time, I’m having a lot of fun nonetheless.
As promised, my class schedule for this semester is….
Biology (meh). The bio program here is actually great, but science and I have a bit of a fraught relationship. I muddle through with lots of reading and note-taking, and while everyone else really enjoys the details of genetics I’m struggling a bit more, but it’s interesting nonetheless. Bio and
Bio Lab are both requirements for Public Health, so those will be a feature in my spring schedule as well.
Harlem Renaissance is my exciting elective class this semester! It’s a really interesting class in the English department that meets once a week in a small seminar-style class of about 15 people. We’ve read a huge range of literature so far, and this week we’re reading Passing (by Nella Larsen) which I’ve really enjoyed. I’m toying with the idea of an English minor–now that I’ve declared Public Health, I’m looking for something else to add to the schedule!–and I’m really enjoying my coursework in the English department thus far.
The Environment and Your Health. Another Public Health requirement–I’m finally getting started on my major, yay–but I’m really enjoying it. I’m already a bit of an environment freak, so it’s a bit unnerving to learn about yet more things I should be worrying about in terms of pollutants, garbage, and every chemical acronym in the book that’s floating around your water, or your water bottle, or your blood. Scary! But good to know.
Global Public Health Since WWII. Still more Public Health, but I chose this one on my own–clearly I picked the right major, because this class is really interesting! I really like the professor, he’s such a good lecturer and he makes even unpleasant things like polio vaccines and smallpox outbreaks enjoyable to learn about. Through some amazing feat of scheduling, my first class (this one!) starts at 11 am, which makes it even better.
Economics of Health. So many of my classes this semester are related, which is interesting, and as it turns out, really convenient when it comes to studying (unanticipated benefit!). I like being able to link the pure economics I learned last year to the real world and to health-care, both two things I find quite interesting. And obviously so relevant to politics!
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For my first weekend back at Hopkins in a while I had a great time! It was so busy though! It was an Open House for Natural Science and Engineering students, so I worked there during the day and got to speak on a panel for Student Life as well. My roommate’s high school friend visited and we went downtown and all around Baltimore to show her around, stopping by Mezze for a delicious dinner. It poured rain the whole weekend, which put a bit of a damper on things, but it was fun nonetheless. I went to a crazy 80′s party on Friday in enough spandex to open an American Apparel store, and on Saturday night I ran into fellow SAABer! (see below)
It was great to run into one of the fabulous new SAAB freshmen!
Ps thanks for the picture Becca, I totally stole it from your Facebook.
I’m having a great time so far this semester, and I will be sure to update soon with more of the goings on at Hopkins!
Have a great Fall!
