My Favorite Tree In San Jose

Is a Valley Oak.
It is right down the street from my friend Slow Feet's house and near where I lived for many years.
I have a fond memory of driving under this tree with my friend 3wiserpenny years ago and me saying to her, "Can you guess which tree is my favorite?" to which she replied, "No, knowing you, you could be in love with a twig!" It made me laugh.

Now it makes me more than a little bit sad every time I drive under this tree. I think, "when will be the last time I see it before I leave?" And I wonder too, will I have a favorite tree in Ithaca, and what will it look like?

My Decision Is Made: I'm Going To Cornell!

My decision is made. I’ve accepted my offer from Cornell veterinary school.

I’ve started to line up housing and begun to ship my belongings across the country.

While I’m very excited about living my dream, I am also sad to be leaving sunny and beautiful California. The bay area has been my home for the past eight years and the first step in my new journey is saying goodbye to my life here. It’s a hard fact of life that personal growth comes with a cost, and that cost is the loss of the familiar, comfortable world one has grown accustomed to. Sometimes the cost seems too steep, and I wonder if the risk will be worth it. But I firmly believe that staying put is staying safe and that with risk comes the potential for great rewards, so I’m taking the plunge into the unknown.

If any of you doubt how hard it is to leave, here’s a photo I took yesterday at the top of Lombard St as I was on my way from UCSF to Marin:

I know I’ve made the right decision because I feel like my world is opening up with possibilities rather than being narrowed down. Cornell does not track as heavily as the other schools that made me offers, meaning that I won’t be forced to specialize exclusively in small animal, large animal or wildlife medicine. I will be able to honor and help preserve the human-animal bond that is the world of domestic pets, while still maintaining an interest in wildlife and perhaps some mixed practice species such as goats. I could choose to follow my dream of specializing in internal medicine, or I could switch tracks and try to make a career in conservation, going back to my roots in ecology and wildlife rehabilitation.

It’s raining in Marin today and I’m anticipating many grey days ahead during the winters in Ithaca. But this morning when I drove down the hill into town I saw an elderly woman walking her dog, and the pride and care she showed in her canine companion made me smile because I will be one of the people entrusted to help such lovely families. I will do my best to heal and my best to help those left behind cope when healing is not possible. I can’t wait!