From D1 to DR: Change

Whirlwind. This one word has literally summed up that past two weeks of my insanely fast-paced life. From moving completely out of Kingston into North York, Stephen and I can finally take a deep breath in and exhale veryyyy slowly.

Let me start off by saying that Kingston has treated us incredibly well. From making an impact at CrossFit Limestone almost immediately arriving from Australia (thanks Bob) and Stephen securing a Fitness Manager spot at Goodlife downtown, we really have enjoyed our time here. On our last coaching day this past Saturday, I had to hold back the tears as it would be my last time coaching the CrossFit Limestone Juniors class. I loved coaching these little guys and to see how much energy they had at 9am on a Saturday, I wish I could bottle up some of it and take it with me to medical school. Their 'thank yous' and high-fives at the end of each class always brightened my day, and with Stephen coaching the pre-teens in the adjacent room at the same time, we would always swap a quick smile in-between activities...you could say I was truly happy coaching on Saturdays :) After saying good-bye to our dear friends at CrossFit Limestone, it was off to the big city! Crazy how December is slowly creeping up on us...even though the weather indicates winter is definitely headed our way.

The reason I titled this post "Change" is because of a tremendous shift in my life that I had to make last week. I had to put my eighteen-year old cat down that I have had with me since I was twelve years old. For some, this may seem trivial, but let me tell you...she had and will always have a very special place in my heart. A local vet had found her on the streets of Sydenham and when I was in Grade 7, my mother and I had stopped into the animal hospital where the Doctor had been waiting for us...he knew who to call when there was an animal needing a great place to live...the Cronk household. As soon as I saw her I realized she was not a kitten, and she must have had a litter a couple weeks before the Vet found her, she was cuddly, adorable, and in an instant I named her "Nelly"..she would be my best friend for fourteen years. In the eight months that I was in Australia, I missed her greatly and for the few months that she was healthy in Kingston with us...I never would have traded those times with her for anything. She is now buried at my parents home and while I was with my mom at the vet, my Dad (the craftsman that he is), created a cross with an engraving of the dates that she was in my life: "1998-2014. Nelly <3 Emma" I couldn't hold back the tears as my Dad and I buried her peacefully and that my Dad took the time to create something so beautiful for the one constant thing in my life for the past fourteen years. Wow...I am very lucky to have such a supportive family.

Now that the sappy part of this post is over and that I know Nelly is with me on this next chapter of my life, I can move forward knowing I have made the right decision and that I gave her the most enjoyable life..snuggles and all. I received a letter in the mail today with her paw print on it from the animal hospital, before they wrapped her up, they inked one of her paws and gently placed it on a piece of paper with a heart around it...that was an indication that it is time to blog post once again and begin the healing process as writing does make me feel better :)

Thank you to everyone who has been such a supporter of this blog, my medical adventure, and Stephen and I. The amount of people who have personally messaged me and posts on my wall, it truly warms my heart that I have a massive support group. Stephen said it perfectly when we were at one of the most bubbliest and caring fellow CrossFit coach's house, who is not only a friend to us, but a great mother and a badass CrossFitter, Amy, that he did not expect when he moved to Kingston to gain about twenty new friends...it has been a blessing and one that we will take with us to the MERP program which starts December 9th. Thank you all for taking the jump with us and for believing in me that I can accomplish these next four years of becoming a physician.

I read a quote yesterday that said: " Jump now and worry about the landing later..." I find that very fitting for the time in my life right now.

To end this post, here are a couple pictures of my beautiful girl, Nelly. xoxo.

Also, some CrossFit Limestone pictures :)

-E