Our time in Twin Lakes was amazing, we had a wonderful time.  Saturday night we sat down for a home cooked dinner.  I made spicy pasta and cooked a baguette while Liz fired up the grill with marinated chicken breast.  It was an absolutely delicious dinner.  We talked over dinner and continued the night with a a small Jersey Shore marathon (sad, but true) and went to be shortly after.  We were all so tired from the day and were not able to get in a full nap to restore any ambition.

The B.O.S.S. for lunch!  Chef Em!

Dinner with the Ladies!  Home cooked meal, cannot get any better!

On Sunday we made it our personal mission to get a bunch of good group photos, which was a success!  We also had another wonderful breakfast, compliments of the Ertle sisters consisting of scrambled eggs, sausages, yogurt, toast, etc, etc.  It was just like home.

Pretty roomies...

I jumped in the van on the way back so I could head to Madison and catch up with a few people.  I was able to meet no-balls Neville (Becca's kit-kat) and see the Ertel's hot new apartment.  After that I grabbed a pumpkin spice latte and Beccs dropped me off at Kendall Ave.  Surprisingly there was a showing going on through our Realtor, so that was interesting.  I had to rake the leaves and do a little house work to get it looking in mint condition.  I also sniped a son and mother-in-law who were driving down the road and had them come in to look at the house.  I felt pretty good that within a few minutes I had attracted just as much attention to the house as the showing that afternoon.

Stepping into the house brought back a lot of great memories, and I have to say that I was pretty choked up about being back.   The smell, the decorations, and everything about the house was a rush of memories.  We had such a good time in that house... I lived there for three years, without a fight or a quarrel.  Life long friendships were formed within the walls of that house...

We lined up from shortest (Lizzo) to tallest (Sarah), we're all within 5-6 inches!

Monday I had the opportunity to go back to the Health Science Learning Center (UW-Madison Medical School) and meet up with some friends.  I met with Laura J over coffee and a scone.  We were chatting it up about research and life, per ush.  It was great to see her smiling face and to see the posted note "The seperation anxiety is no longer sub-clinical!" which I left a while back.

After chatting with Laura I bought a few things from the UW-Bookstore that I could bring back to Pittsburgh and then met up with Jeanne.  It was so nice to see that woman.  We had coffee at Starbucks and talked about the trials of job-searching and balancing the books (checkbook) while keeping a happy relationship... a common struggle these days for most recent graduates.  The job market is so sporadic that it requires you to run all over the nation and sometimes leave the ones you're close to... darn this recession.

My last stop at UW was grabbing lunch with Nathan.  I had my classic sub from the cafeteria and then we had time to chat over lunch about our respective med school experiences.  UW does things a little differently, but overall we have a very similar curriculum. UW is much more integrated, while here we blast classes out within a few weeks...  I am sure there are pros and cons to both systems, and that we will both do well.  He however will be done with residency before I match, so when I interview at my residency programs 8 years from now, perhaps I'll have to contact my favorite attending for the "in", hahah!  Thanks Nathan!

Heading out... Packing up the bottles of Sun-Drop to return to Don's!

It was a great trip home and a wonderful refresher.  I would be lying to say I wasn't sad on the plane ride home, but my new friends and family in Pittsburgh are what brings me back and puts a smile on my face!  Paul washed the spare room sheets and made the bed for the applicant who was staying with us which was very nice of him and unexpected!  He definitely makes it all the easier to return to my new home...