Adventures summer before matriculation?

[drdude21]

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I'm sure this has been covered before, but any cool ideas for out of the ordinary, non-med school-related things to do the summer before matriculation? It's never too early to start planning.

Specifically, I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with foreign travel/volunteering (budget-conscious), or if in general any current med students can chime in with interesting activities they engaged in to refresh body and mind before jumping back into school -- especially those like me who have been out in the real world working for a few years, and want to cherish this fleeting last summer...

 

[LoveMyRam]

Last summer My freinds and i went to costa rica for 2 weeks... we did medical stuff, but we also had a blast with all the outdoor extreme stuff... its all over the country really, like you cant miss a thing wherever you are... surfing, zip lining, canyoning, rock climbing, arsenal volcano/hot springs hotel, bunjee jumping, white water rafting, even getting knives thrown at us by a cab driver (wish I was joking, but we go hard) you name it we did it! and everything is super cheap there... did all this stuff for about $300, and the plane ticket was $300... stayed in a hostel too, it was fun and super cheap!!! pm me if you need more info about costa rica/advice cuz there are scammers out there.

 

[Catalystik]

I agree that a travel adventure whether with friends or family is a great refresher. I spent a few months camping in US and Canadian national parks, and hiking and rafting and going to ranger talks and such. Note: no pepper spray allowed in Canada for bear control.

 

[metallica81788]

My plan is to road trip up to Denver and Rocky Moutain National Park, Yellowstone (Wyoming and Montana), and hit Salt Lake City and Arches National Park on the way back down. Camping, hiking, etc.

 

[dw2158]

i have no plans yet... i think i might just stock up on sleep 😛 i'm planning to leave my job in early may, so i'll have a solid 3 months to waste. give me ideas, peeps!

 

[Eyti]

.

 

[BlueElmo]

Disney World!👍

 

[Broseph]

Going on a South African safari and hopefully catching a World Cup game or two. Should be a blast. 👍

 

[Recoil]

Backpacking Europe for as long as my savings can last me.

 

[brooklynblunder]

Going on a South African safari and hopefully catching a World Cup game or two. Should be a blast. 👍

yea i thought of this but you need to have this well-planned out and its still pretty expensive (but you never know unless you go there). i didn't want to spend 2 grand just to catch a game but if it was like district 9 over there i'd be all over it

 

[J ROD]

Italy and Greece sounds nice in the summer......🙂

 

[dikoerastenie]

If I could I would do any of the following:
-climb a mountain at least 7,000m.
-go cycling in europe and sleep in a tent. do not drink any fluids other than wine.
-travel europe by foot and by train. have only wine. stop on remote beaches in spain and in huts in the alps.
-take a vacation to some cushy resort, perhaps in greece, 5 star hotel, with some girl.
-take a vacation on a yacht around mideterranean with a girl. rent a small yacht duh.

 

[Daedra22]

I'd like to go on my honeymoon finally. If I manage to save enough next semester, that's the plan.

 

[FloatOn]

Disney World!👍

I'm going to Disney World for real. Who wouldn't want to go to the Happiest Place on Earth before med school? Also, I'm going to learn how to cook something with more than 5 ingredients.

 

[BlueElmo]

I'm going to Disney World for real. Who wouldn't want to go to the Happiest Place on Earth before med school? Also, I'm going to learn how to cook something with more than 5 ingredients.

Yeah, can't wait. It should be a blast.

 

[FloatOn]

Yeah, can't wait. It should be a blast.

Don't get too excited now.

 

[Broseph]

Italy and Greece sounds nice in the summer......🙂

Yes, but the big cities are packed with tourists. Venice in particular is a nightmare in July. But even so, Italy in particular is just a wonderful place to decompress.....👍

 

[20minutes]

I'm riding the Harley from Florida to Alaska.

yea i thought of this but you need to have this well-planned out and its still pretty expensive (but you never know unless you go there). i didn't want to spend 2 grand just to catch a game but if it was like district 9 over there i'd be all over it

It's probably too late to get tickets but I'd go anyway if you can swing it. I went to Germany for the last one without tix and had a blast watching games in pubs. The atmosphere is crazy and worth the trip.

 

[Dr McSexy]

My plan is to road trip up to Denver and Rocky Moutain National Park, Yellowstone (Wyoming and Montana), and hit Salt Lake City and Arches National Park on the way back down. Camping, hiking, etc.

Hey maybe I'll run into you.

I friend of mine wants to start from baton rouge, up to ST. Louis --> Chicago --> Des Moines --> Black Hills, SD --> Yellow Stone --> Whitewater rafting in Idaho/Montana --> Washington --> Down the pacific coast highway through SanFran to LA --> Las Vegas --> Grand Canyon --> head home

Lot could change/or not happen and he considering East Coast as well. We want to stay at friends/family, camp, or maybe go couchsurfing.

I hope it happens.

 

[gf3412]

Peru for 2 weeks
Ecuador for 1 week
Hiking, camping, climbing 14ers in the rockies
Vegas

 

[wrathofgod64]

Halo 3

 

[ABRuniverse]

Backpacking in Thailand for a month w/ my fiancee. 😀

 

[Broseph]

Peru for 2 weeks
Ecuador for 1 week
Hiking, camping, climbing 14ers in the rockies
Vegas

Vegas. Of course! 👍

 

[Dr Wake N Bake]

I want to smoke a lot of dank and visit Thailand. Then I want to do something EXTREME!