Does the thought of looking at vaginas all day make you as excited as it makes me?

I just got back from an exciting, inspiring, chill-inducing get together with one of my favorite nurse practitioners at Planned Parenthood (my adoration for whom is deeply intensified by the fact that she has the most awesome baby I've ever met who's awesomeness is exemplified by the fact that his name is freaking Oscar. EEEEE! (This is me squealing from the pain of his cuteness)).

We met at this cute little tea shop (sandwiched between the State Theater and the seedy sex shop. Location, location, location) to talk about ideas for my future career as a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner (hence my subject line).

It is true that I have a new career idea about as often as I shave my armpits (read: about once a month. Or two). However, this is the most salient idea I've had. Perhaps ever. After talking to her about what it's like to be a nurse practitioner on a really concrete level, the different programs that exist, and the philosophy behind the practice of being an NP, I'm feeling so energized and excited I feel like I could......do something....that....requires a lot of energy! Like, write this blog, for example! Or run a marathon! Or cook dinner! I don't know! But I'm excited!! Really excited!!! And I don't know how else to explain it other than ending these pointless sentences in lots of exclamation points!!!!!

[Disclaimer: My excited jittery-ness may or may not have to do with the fact that I had chai and a (very sugary) chocolate chip cookie at the tea store (the one next to the sex shop) for dinner.]

The beautiful thing about this career idea is that I work upstairs from a reproductive health care clinic and can go down there and observe exams and procedures whenever I want (meaning: this will give me a huge advantage when applying for schools and will hopefully prevent them from burning my application on the spot when they see I went to music school). And yes, while it's true I almost passed out the first time I saw someone else's cervix, it's a pretty amazing resource to have at your fingertips.

Thinking seriously about this career puts a lot of (admittedly weird) quirks into perspective. For example, I love having annual exams. Yep - the duck bills, the scratchy paper dress, the sturrups, and especially the long-handled mirror (ok, actually the sturrups kind of suck. And it would be nice if the scratchy paper dress were made out of, say, velvet, but I guess that wouldn't be very sanitary). I'll stop there before I reveal too much information (see, the filter is ON and working right now. Aren't you impressed?). But the point is, I dig this stuff. It is my bread and butter. My tempeh and sauerkraut. Thelma to my Louise.

I was going to take a picture to go with this blog today, but didn't think I'd be able to capture the goofy grin on my face. But I think you can imagine it - think goofy, excitedly slap-happy, and kind of cracked out from too much sugar.