Doctor Psychobabble

I just got back from a walk around my neighborhood in Brooklyn. I can’t emphasize enough how much I love strolling around my neighborhood. It’s a sensory orgy. I truly heart New York City. It’s definitely a city like none other.

The other day I was thinking about how I lived in Baltimore two years ago. I actually applied to complete my clinical rotations in Baltimore, and had already settled into my new apartment when I got the email that changed my life. My school was sending me to Brooklyn to complete my clinical rotations. I was very mad and upset and scared at first.

But the crazy part is that in retrospect, I am actually very glad that I was sent to Brooklyn. I had always wanted to live in New York City. And realistically, had I completed my clinical rotations in Baltimore, I likely would have ended up there for my residency as well.

Readers who are familiar with my chronic optimism might be tempted to say, “wait, Kendra, you would be happy no matter where you ended up!” And I am tempted to agree.

But there is also this fun, crazy, illogical side of me that wants to believe in fate. I want to believe that I was sent here for a reason. I want to believe that this is where I belong. Psychologically speaking, this is all probably just a confirmation bias.

But I do like to believe in Santa Claus, and fairies, and life on other planets, and calorie-free peanut butter pie. So why can’t I also believe in fate?!

Photos: Taken from the rooftop of my friend’s apartment building in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Last Saturday, I went to something called the “Slideluck Potshow,” which is basically an awesome event where a bunch of photographers get together to show their work, and everyone brings food for other people to eat. It took place in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), which is an awesome neighborhood in Brooklyn that I should probably hang out in more often. The event was also intended to break the Guinness Book of World Records record for the largest potluck in history. I have yet to read whether or not it did so. But I certainly enjoyed the food, the photography, and being a part of something larger than myself.

On Sunday, I drove down to Baltimore for my parter Micah’s graduation from art school (his MFA in Fine Arts at MICA). I had an excellent time at the ceremony, and particularly enjoyed the guest speaker, Stefan Sagmeister. He is a well known artist and one of those terrific public speakers who has the gift to make you laugh and make you think, all at the same time. You can watch one of his Ted Talks Here. It’s based on a very cool project that he’s created called, “Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far.”

Looking at his project inspired me to think about the many things that I’ve learned in my life so far. In fact, I decided to create a category devoted to this idea on my blog. This will be the first of hopefully many posts, where I think about, and share “Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far.” Here goes everything:

“Once you love yourself, your love for the rest of the world grows exponentially.”

Photos:
1) The Slideluck Potshow display outside, under the Manhattan Bridge.
2) DUMBO. Under the Manhattan Bridge.
3) Micah and his parents after the graduation ceremony.
4) Me during my improvisational “dancing with a balloon” show at the Duplex, in Manhattan.