They always say WOW! When did you decide to do this?

And my answer is always, "when I was a little girl." 

When I was a kid I had the best pediatrician.  His name was Dr. Pierre Salgado.  He had his own practice in a little house in the heart of Richmond, CA and I always enjoyed the visits to his office.  He had this amazingly cool accent and he was an inspiration to me at a very young age.  He had this "cool power" of being able to heal and I wanted that too. 


When I was a kid the medical insurance system wasn't broken like it is today and I was able to see the same pediatrician growing up through the years. I remember reading his obituary as an adult and I cried.  It was a part of me gone and I felt deeply saddened by his passing.

I always liked healing.  From a small age, I would rescue animals and "fix them up."  I loved taking care of people in my family.  I always have. 

So why didn't I become a doctor out of high school.  Well, the story is one that is better left untold but the easy version is I had kids and married young and went straight to making great money at a very young age.  Going back to college didn't fit the program of new house, new cars, two kids, etc.  NOW, my kids are 18 and 19 and I have a little sister who is 16. One daughter is graduated from high school and the other is graduating this June.  I began taking classes at the community college some years back and fortunately I am ready to transfer to UCSD in the Fall of 2012 if everything stays on track.  THIS IS WHERE THE ROAD GETS BUMPY AND IT'S THE PERFECT TIME TO SHARE MY JOURNEY WITH YOU!  I maintain a GPA of 3.7 and I have overcome more hurdles than I care to mention however, I have lost my father to a 7 month battle with cancer during this process and I still managed to get A's in my classes.  I have the capacity to work under extreme pressure and duress and I thank my colorful childhood for this skillset. 

WHY AM I SHARING?  BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I AM ON AN ISLAND!   I mean, who does this at my age?  I hear there are a bold few out there but I've yet to meet them or hear their story.  So I hope my story inspires someone else who is also thinking of a significant change in their life. 

Everyday is a journey and everything I do is with my goal in mind.  When I blog about my life and this journey it will include all the blood, sweat, tears and smiles, laughs and victories.  Pay attention!  This is going to be fun!