I was crying the first time I saw a Georgia sunset. It was absolutely stunning. The sky was alive with blues, purples, oranges, magentas. And I hated it. I thought it was ugly and I didn’t want to even acknowledge that someone might consider it beautiful. I was finishing my one-way drive from Portland, Oregon … More Even when it hurts, smile.
I’ve always hated running. It’s a reasonable hatred, I think. When I was younger, I had a bunch of health problems, including asthma, which made running a truly painful experience. Every time I ran, my lungs felt like they were being set on fire and ripped out of my chest, I was immediately struck with … More I ran until I cried.
I recently started my third year (out of four) in medical school at NCNM. Third year is where the transition from student to doctor officially begins, with the start of the internship. It’s finally my opportunity to interact with real patients and start applying all of the knowledge that’s been smashed into my head over … More It’s official: I’m a terrible doctor.
I’ve been feeling a bit lost. It was bound to happen, I suppose. I’m halfway through my four-year medical school adventure and it’s been almost eight years since I first made the life altering decision to become a doctor. Since that cool November evening when I was lying on my back with my arms behind … More Don’t forget about your dreams – My weekend in San Francisco.
I’m a second-year medical student. And a fighter. Some would say I lead a dual life. I don’t see it that way, but there is definitely a giant gap between these two aspects of my life. I end up feeling a bit misunderstood. The people I train with mostly assume that I take a part-time … More 5 profound life lessons I learned from losing a Muay Thai fight.
For the past couple months, I’ve been preparing for a Muay Thai fight while also diligently studying in medical school. It was a relentless schedule of 12-15 hour days filled with extreme mental and physical exertion. I was constantly exhausted. There were days when I barely had enough physical energy to stand up or enough … More The lover and the fighter in me.
A few days from now, I will compete in my first Thai Boxing fight. Training for this fight has been pretty difficult for me. I’m also in medical school, which in itself is a pretty busy life and adding the immense amount of athletic training required for a fight has been among the most grueling … More I fight because I’m broken.
I spent years working towards getting into NCNM’s naturopathic medicine program. When I got here, I convinced myself that I was prepared in every way. I’d done all of my pre-reqs. I was motivated. I was confident. I knew that I’d have to put in an absurd amount of hours studying. I was ready to … More The time I forgot why it mattered.
Originally posted on James is Trying:
It was a Friday. September 30, 2011, to be exact. I had just finished my last class for the week. I was about to go to my girlfriend’s house to help her pack. We were officially moving in together. But there was some puppy love drama going on. We’d…
I hate making friends. Having friends is one of the biggest perks of being a human, but making them is the worst. A real friend knows you. All the good things and all the bad things. Obviously. And that’s fine. Great, even. I wish everyone knew me, knew everything. But that would mean I have … More How I learned to turn insecurity into courage. (It’s super easy)
James is Trying 