Woohoo!

I know we haven't updated this for awhile, but there hasn't been a whole lot going on here in Florida. We were in the middle of the rainy season and July and August are typically the wettest months of the year. And this past August did not disappoint. It rained a LOT. Therefore, the rain combined with the heat meant that our activities were mostly confined to the indoors. I have been meaning to get some pictures of our apartment and the area to post, so hopefully with the weather improving, I will do that soon and get them posted.

But for now, I have something better to post. I found out this afternoon that I was accepted to grad school! Starting in January, I will be working on my master's degree in public health with a focus in epidemiology.

The question that everyone asks is, what is epidemiology? The simplest explanation is that it is the study of the spread of disease. Epidemiologists look at factors that influence diseases- depending on what you want to study it can vary, but they can look at why a certain group is affected more than another, what behaviors are correlated with certain diseases, etc. It can also be applied to treatments as well, such as why a treatment is more effective in one situation/group than another.

I know that I am interested in infectious diseases (diseases that can be passed from person to person), not chronic diseases (like diabetes, cancer, etc). I would really like to work in a position where I can investigate outbreaks out disease, on some level. I am also very interested in international public health. My long terms goals are to get a job with an organization such as the Centers for Disease Control or the National Institute of Health and then eventually going back to school for my Ph.D.

I am very excited to get back to school, but I am a little nervous, too. It's been a few years, and I am not sure what exactly I am getting into with epidemiology. But I am ready for the challenge. And then tonight, I got a fortune cookie, and for once, it was actually a fortune and quite fitting at that.



"Don't be afraid to take that big step." Good advice. I hung onto that as a reminder for myself.

I think that's all I have for now, but there will be more to come soon!