"You may now board through the Sky Priority lane..."

I just flew back to Dublin today for the 9th time. When I fly back the next time will be for my graduation in June....

This was by far my best airline experience to date. Take note any future international travelers:

1. Flying out of Akron Canton is like flying out of your back yard. There was all of 3 people in line for security and it took longer to take my laptop out and put it back in my bag than it did for me to walk through security.

2. FLY DELTA. They have by far the friendliest, most accomodating staff. The food is the best. You get the option for a mini pizza and beer as a snack when returning to the US from Europe. 'Nough said.

3. The Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta has free wifi in the international terminal... a rare commodity in most US airports. (otherwise you pay $5 for a "day pass" on Boingo wireless).

4. If at all possible book in Business class, especially for long haul flights. I'm not sure quite how it happened, but I ended up in Business elite on my flight from ATL to DUB. Endless drinks, movies and leg room with a chair that reclines to laying flat--what more could you ask for? Not to mention boarding boarding first "through the sky priority lane" (which basically means you can board anytime and you walk on a laid out red Delta carpet). It just made the whole trip that much more enjoyable.

5. NEVER fly through Chicago (ORD) unless Chicago is your final destination and ESPECIALLY NOT if you're flying internationally. You will have to change terminals if you've traveled domestically first and add another hour to get through security a second time. Just a hassle, not to mention the fact that it's one of the first airports to close with any poor weather.

Focus and Finish

Here's to the new year of 2014 and my official graduation year from veterinary school. And in this year, I resolve to "focus and finish" as per my father when he went back to school to finish his bachelor's degree in 2003.

It's mad how fast these 4 years have gone. And now the ever present question from friends and relatives: What's next?

The honest answer? I have no idea.

The more vague but organized answer? I've applied for a handful of internships in exotic/wildlife/zoo medicine and large animal surgery through the veterinary internship matching program (ie the equivalent of formal sorority recruitment mutual selection process for final year veterinary students). The internships last for 1 year and the ones I've applied to are all over the US (none in Ohio, sadly) including Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, Kansas and Tennessee. If those don't pan out, I'll be applying for "big girl" jobs in Ohio and beyond. Hopefully practicing large animal medicine exclusively but, I'm open to mixed animal practice as well.

Let's hope I've still got a bit of that Irish luck that got me into Vet school and that Irish eyes will be smiling on me.

I fly away for the second to last time to Ireland tomorrow. There are 7 more weeks of official UCD rotations and 4 weeks of elective rotation at Newmarket Equine Hospital in Newmarket, UK. Then that's it. Finished.

Focus and Finish (and have a little fun).