Wow!

Talk about streams of moments, I don't know one day from the next since I have gotten back from Thailand. Time has FLOWN! I'm sitting here in a camp chair drinking wine from a plastic cup looking at empty walls so excited for this next step of our journey, but beginning to cry thinking about the amazing friends I am leaving behind (well, not all "behind" as most are also headed to all reaches of the states for their own residencies). The past 4 and a half weeks included returning from Thailand, driving to Louisville to run the Derby Festival Marathon (I finished in under 4 hours which was my ultimate goal, but didn't do as well as I had really hoped for, felt like I wanted to quit and die at about mile 14, so stopped for extended walks through the water stops at about mile 17, crossed the finish line and vowed I'd never do another one, but now this competitive piece of me wants to run Boston...which will require atleast 2 more marathons to hopefully qualify and then run it...if i ever am crazy enough to sign up for another it will be a while. I'll stick to half marathons for a while), driving to Dallas to look for a place to live (begrudgingly settled on an 8 month lease in an apartment complex fairly close to the hospital as we couldn't find a house or condo to rent that we liked and could afford, we'll see what we decide to do after 8 months), and of course graduating from medical school. We've been trying to fit in lots of time with friends amongst the sorting and packing of the house and getting ready for family to come into town. I felt so blessed to have my parents, sister, inlaws, brother in law and 2 sets of grandparents all come to celebrate and watch me graduate. We had a wonderful time together, but it always makes me remember how much I miss my family.

Our moving truck is all packed up and we leave Tuesday with the help of Aaron's brother Adam to drive down to Dallas. A few days to settle in, then we leave next Saturday for New Jersey for some good friends wedding and then a 2 week vacation up to Niagara Falls, Montreal and Nova Scotia. I'm sure this next month will also fly by before I start residency on June 15. It is so weird to realize I am a doctor; I can write prescriptions, orders that don't need to be cosigned, and the lives of numerous children will be in my hands (sort of). I am so excited to be done with school, but also terrified of this next step of becoming a resident and all the responsibility that comes with it, but God has brought me this far and I know I will be ok.

It will be hard moving down to Dallas. I don't really want to make new friends. I'd rather just bring all my current friends (and past friends who I also dearly miss) with me, but again, things will work out. Change is so bittersweet. But change tends to bring growth - in relationships, faith, perspective and everything else. Next time there is a blog it'll be from Texas. Yikes, not really ready to be a Texan, although I'm pretty sure I'll never claim that!!!!

It's not working to post pictures, so I'll post some later.