Happy fall!

Happy fall, from the Chesapeake Bay!

So far it looks a lot like the other seasons around here, but it is most definitely fall. 

How do I know? First of all, I've started running again...a clear sign of the coming of autumn.

Second of all, I'm working in Family Medicine right now and let me tell you, people attribute all kinds of things to the changing seasons. 

I like my rotation a lot and think family med wouldn't be bad at all. The one thing I really don't like? Dealing with "colds/coughs/sore throats/sinus infections/upper respiratory infections/bronchitis/whatever you wanna call it" all. the. time. Seriously. But otherwise it's going great!

Burke and I gave talks in church today and as we were introduced the bishop said we would be leaving soon. Between that and Burke's emotional-ness during the intermediate hymn of "Each Life That Touches Ours For Good," (Really? Who can we blame for picking that song?) now everybody has to say something to us about how sad they are that we're leaving or what not. It just feels kind of funny because we aren't actually moving for another month and a half. People are going to keep seeing us around and be like, "Wait. You're still not gone yet?" Let's be serious; nobody wants to say goodbye too many times. 

I hope you're enjoying September, wherever you are! I know it's got to be one of my favorite times of year.

Charlotte

No more working in shorts...it's back to the office with this guy!

Burke has accepted a job for TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, and will begin October 1st (or thereabouts).

He'll be there and I'll be here for one long and lonely month. Then in early November we'll be moving to Charlotte, and I will finish up my rotations there and come back to Virginia to graduate next May as planned. We are super excited!!!

Last year a guy that Burke used to work with at Thrivent who now works at TIAA-CREF tried to recruit him. It wasn't the right timing, obviously, but it got us thinking about future opportunities. Burke already knows several people and has a great reputation at CREF. When Burke's dad got a job for the same company and started plans to move to Charlotte it was even more of a reason to pursue it--both sets of parents are in the same state now! I started working on arranging away rotations in Charlotte so that if the opportunity presented itself again, we could go ahead and move down there. The only bummer is that this job is lining up  a month too early. But that's that!

I feel so blessed and so proud of Burke. We don't know quite where his career will lead us, but he is doing a great job wherever and in whatever he does. I'm so grateful that he supported me in moving to Virginia even though it meant sacrificing a lot for him to work from home. It was a huge blessing that he was able to not only keep his job, but do so well in it, for those 21 months. We're excited for the opportunities that he will have in NC, and I'm thrilled to be moving back "home." We will live really close to Burke's parents and about an hour and 15 minutes from my parents, which is so exciting. North Carolina is wonderful and we can't be happier about our next big change!