I got muddy

I am only posting this because Burke paid $5 (and complained about it LOTS) to come watch and take pictures, and he got some good ones, so it only seems right that we should share.

The weekend before last I ran in a mud run. It was literally only 10 minutes away from our apartment, and some girls from church were doing it, so I joined in. It wasn't your Tough Mudder or Warrior Dash or whatever those other mud runs are; it certainly wasn't hardcore like I thought a mud run might be. But it was fun! I love races, so a race with friends and mud was a win-win-win.

For some reason I felt zero pre-race jitters this time. See, it was low-key.

The obstacles were fun. This one was a series of things to climb over and crawl under.

Mostly it was fun to do the obstacles with the group. There was usually a little bit of a back-up waiting for the obstacles. This one was called fish nets. 

I have no idea why I was the delayed one.

Or why I ended up going completely under water

Or why I was never as muddy as everyone else on my team. They kept helping me.

One last mud bath before the finish line.

See how much fun we had?

4 years later

See what happens is, lots of fun things happen in the space of a couple of weeks. And then when there is something to blog about it's all backed up. 

This post is dedicated to our 4th anniversary!

Maybe someday we'll have a big fancy anniversary celebration. This year was not that. But I was in between tests and getting ready to graduate and stuff and Burke took the day off work, so we actually did spend the majority of the day together! Our plans were limited by Burke's rec-league basketball game and my job interview, so we weren't able to go hiking like Burke had hoped (but we try not to complain about basketball and job interviews). 

So we went to the awesome park nearby and played disc golf. I had never seen such until we moved to Wisconsin, but they had it there and Burke used to play a lot. I can't say I'm good at it, but we had fun!

Burke's basketball game was right in the middle of the evening, but it was great fun. And then we ate dinner at home and slow-danced in the kitchen. (And took a self-timer picture of it, of course.)

Before we got married, maybe at my bridal shower (?) when people are suppose to give advice, my mom said "End each day with a slow dance." I was surprised and said, "Um do you do that?" and she said "No, but I thought it sounded like a good idea!" 

I always think of that on the rare occasion that we slow dance in the kitchen. You should try it!

And then, the next day Burke took off work early and we did get to go for a hike. It turns out we should have gone west instead of east and it wasn't much of a mountain (even for North Carolina), but that's ok. Nothing like a hike for some quality time together.

And that was our anniversary. I like celebrating us, however we do so.

Rotations Recap

This past year has been an exciting and interesting one, a special and unique year for me. As a PA student we only do 1 year of clinical rotations, and it was a whirlwind. Our rotations were typically only 4 weeks long. That's 4 weeks to get used to a new hospital or medical office (or sometimes multiple!), new preceptors, new medical staff, new responsibilities, new patient populations, new procedures, and new ways to do the same procedures. Leaving home extra early because it takes twice as long to find where you're supposed to be. Never knowing if I should bring my own food, if there would be a place to put it, if I'd even have time to eat, if there would be a place to buy lunch, or if my preceptor would be eating (and let's face it, that was deal to me). Often following someone around and adopting their schedule and routines completely. Feeling like I was just in the way and often serving very little practical function. Gauging when and what questions to ask and how to make the most out of this experience and the best impression. Feeling out what was expected of me and attempting to communicate my own desires and expectations. Trying to be as enthusiastic as possible while actually feeling just tired. Getting told the same things over and over and just nodding my head. Treating patients while not always agreeing with the plan, and having preceptors not listen to my ideas and concerns. Feeling nervous so very much of the time.

I'm so grateful for those preceptors, though, and for the countless other people I met that made an effort to make me feel like I wasn't just a waste of space, who encouraged me and befriended me and taught me. Every single experience has served to make me better now, taught me about what to look for in a job, and will make me a better practitioner in the future. I wouldn't trade the 4-week rotations for anything. Having exposure, even just a short course, to certain specialties has really helped. I have to focus the majority of my studying now for my boards exam on the areas I did not get to rotate in, and am much more prepared in the areas I worked in. I think that was even more beneficial than longer rotations in the general things like primary care would have been. It's experience I obviously couldn't have been without. Am I ready to be a health care provider? I think so. I know it will be a big learning curve in whatever I work in, but I have confidence in my ability to make a difference in patients' lives. And I'm committed to keep learning. Always.

It's been kind of tough, maybe emotionally more than anything! So many things about it were uncomfortable. But like we all know, that's how we grow.

Now then. It's about time to swap that short white coat for a long one. A real one.