Guess what time it is? Time for another guest post! My friend over at Brush or Die (don’t you think that’s a little dramatic, buddy?) invited me to share a few thoughts on his site. He is starting dental school this fall, so we decided that in honor of that, I would share some of my tips about life in dental school. You’ll notice that his blog description says, “All Things Dental Except the Boring Stuff.” Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s why he asked me to write a post for him. So if you have more questions about dental school, […]
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In the past year, I’ve heard from many readers that share my sentiments about practicing dentistry and wanting to change. There was one element that I hadn’t really thought about sharing until someone brought it to my attention. A while back, I received an email from a man whose wife followed my blog because she, too, was unhappy in dentistry. He mentioned that as the spouse, he occasionally stopped in to read it looking for some insight and advice. There’s a fine balance of how you can lend support but maintain certain boundaries, and be firm yet gentle about what you […]
Changing my career was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. You might be surprised to hear that leaving Dentistry was much harder than getting into it. The process of entering the field took work and determination, but it went with the flow. It was what I was supposed to do. I felt proud and hopeful. However, leaving it was rebellious, and I was going against the flow. I felt ashamed and afraid. Because of the fear and the challenges involved, I made many excuses that I thought were valid. And dammit, they were important! But those […]
Did you know that content gets stolen all the time on the internet? And I don’t just mean identity and credit card theft. I’m talking about content. A few years ago I was curious to find out how National Geographic Traveler magazine found my photo on my obscure little blog. I did a search on Google for fish tacos, and sure enough, near the top of the Google images page was my photo… on someone else’s website! I was shocked and immediately did a search on copyright infringement. I learned that this is very common, and websites educating us on […]
In case you were still wondering… I didn’t win the Biggest Baddest Bucket List Competition. If I had, you would have heard about it right away, over and over. In fact, you’d probably be sick of me by now. While I’ve summarized my journey into and out of dentistry on this blog, I realize I haven’t shared much of how life has been “post-retirement.” It’s no secret that I believe it was the best decision I could have made for myself. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but it was right. I am finally content, and […]
I have a confession… I just entered the Biggest Baddest Bucket List Contest, and I don’t even have a bucket list. Well, I have never recorded an official bucket list. Here’s why: I do what I want when I want; I mean, when I can. (I’m not that cool.) In a way, it’s not unlike New Year’s resolutions for me. Resolutions are really motivational for some people, but they can also put others under a lot of pressure. When I’m under pressure to do something, I might resist doing it. This is partly why resolutions just don’t resonate with me. […]
In case you missed it, I submitted my entry for the Biggest Baddest Bucket List Contest last week. It’s too late to vote now, but it’s never too late to check out my submission. One of our tasks was to write a short blog post about one of our most memorable travel experiences. Lolabees started out as a travel blog, and I’ve been so focused on the adventures of my career change that I haven’t written about my travels in a very long time. So why not share the blog post about a fantastic adventure I had in Valparaiso, Chile […]
Remember a few weeks ago, I wrote a post about a travel contest sponsored by mydestination.com called Biggest Baddest Bucket List? I guess none of you ever get the Sunday Night Blues because as far as I know, you still have not entered! The grand prize is a 6-month trip around the world with a $50,000 bonus awarded to you when you return home. Ten finalists will be chosen to spend a week interviewing in London– 5 with the most votes and 5 chosen by the judging panel. Of course I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. The first travel contest […]
Has it started already? Are you dreading going to work tomorrow? Do you feel stuck, and you can’t seem to figure out a way out of your job? I have the answer for you. Okay, so maybe it’s not the answer, but it could be an answer. And if it’s not even that, it could lead to an answer. Enter this travel contest. It’s Mydestination.com‘s Biggest Baddest Bucket List Competition. The prize is an all-expense paid trip around the world for 6 months plus a $50,000 cash prize when you get home. Sure, it’s not for everyone. If you own […]
For years I ignored the fact that I was unhappy practicing dentistry. A few times in my decade of practice, I seriously considered getting out. But each time, I convinced myself to stay. My biggest excuse was the economy. As luck would have it, right when I concluded I wanted to change, things started to tank. People were out of jobs, and I told myself I should have felt lucky to at least have one. While that excuse was very real, it was just that– an excuse. I don’t regret it because it forced me to stay in the career […]