It is the conclusion of week 8, which means I am over halfway done with Clinical Internship 2 also known as Trimester 9. This week hit me hard emotionally. I realized I am nearing the end of graduate school, my last Chirogames will be this weekend, and I may be moving out of Florida in just under 6 months.

I took the weekend to recuperate from board exams that I took just last week. I needed a weekend to do nothing because Chirogames is this upcoming weekend, Part IV boards the weekend after, and I will be flying back to New Jersey for Thanksgiving a week and a half after that. This past weekend I spent it outside running, kicking a ball, going to the local market, cleaning my apartment, and relaxing in my Adirondack chair. I have had a lot on my mind and needed a chance to regroup.

Since coming down to Florida I have grown to love it. My plan was always to come here and move back to New Jersey after school, but lately I have been having second thoughts. The weather here is amazing and St. Petersburg has so much to offer. Tampa is a large enough city that there are career opportunities here if I wanted to stay.

As an avid soccer fan and player, I have grown to love this area for the multiple opportunities to play pick-up and competitively. I’ve also grown to love the hometown professional soccer team, the Tampa Bay Rowdies. This weekend was the Tampa Bay Rowdies home playoff game. It was the first time the Rowdies have made the playoffs in 5 or 6 years. It was an electric atmosphere, the entire crowd was screaming at the top of their lungs for the home side as the Rowdies took an early lead. The opposing team tied it and the game went into extra time. Unfortunately, the Rowdies lost 2–1. It was so much fun as it always is but I couldn’t help but wonder if this would be my last opportunity to see the Rowdies here in Florida.

(A view of the sky from the parking lot of our clinic.)

I have made a lot of friends in the area both through soccer and through school. I have grown accustomed to the entertainment, the food, the drinks, all the local attractions St. Pete has to offer, and I like that Florida has a diverse scope of practice for doctors of chiropractic.

As my graduation date nears, I will need to make a decision about where I want to practice. Now I am asking myself where I want to be in a year and I am less sure of the answer than I ever was. I could really get used to these Florida sunsets and beach days in October.

If you have any questions please email me at [email protected]