Jungle Dreams

I tossed and turned last night dreaming of the jungle in vivid color. The foliage was typically dense and the sights & sounds similar to what I have seen in documentaries and movies. I didn't recognize any of the characters. So far nothing unusual. There were several scenes, different plots, rather disorganized and disjointed but in retrospect, all the pieces were bound by a common thread, 'contrast'. As each section unfolded there was order mixed with confusion, harmony jumbled together with discord, calm intertwined with struggle, living beside dying... A metaphor for my personal experience of the first two months of Palliative fellowship. Returning "home" to Winnipeg this past month has been restorative in many ways. The landscape was soothing, the weather surprisingly warm, friends, colleagues and co-workers were welcoming and so interested in my stories. It felt good to be "known" again. There was time for all that fills my senses. The purpose of this month was an elective in Web 2.0 technologies. I worked hard, learned a stunning amount of useful, practical information, and thoroughly enjoyed the brilliant librarians (& their library humour) at the NJM Health Sciences Library. My emotions are mixed as I prepare to return to Ottawa and continue the clinical fellowship.