Summer Fun

Last weekend was the most relaxing weekend I've had in a LONG time. Friday evening my friend Jenny and I went to see "My Sister's Keeper" which we had just read for our book club. What a tear jerker! I liked the movie ending better than the book but I wont go into detail as I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet. Wiggy was on call Friday night and slept until late on Saturday afternoon as he got NO sleep and delivered 6 babies on his shift. I took the opportunity to lunch, run errands and take Jasper to the Dog Park and then we finally pulled our bikes out of the garage and put them to use.

Wiggy and I purchased bikes in mid June (his was a graduation present from his parents) and frankly have not ridden them one time due to being so busy on the weekends and so tired in the evenings! We went on a lovely ride along the Greenway at Muddy Creek. It's so close to our house yet seems so rural, I love it! I must say that I was a little skeptical of my bike as I haven't ridden in many years, but once I put on all the "gear" I was ready to roll. I teach cycle classes about 5 times per week, but it's just not the same! In comparison to running, I loved that Wiggy and I could carry on a full conversation while exercising and I loved the breeze even though it was quite sticky out. I'm sold on this biking thing and I'm just getting started. I am, however, still terrified of riding with cars nearby!

Saturday evening we FINALLY celebrated our anniversary (2.5 weeks late) in style. We went to a very nice patio dinner at Ryan's where we shared a salmon dish and a pork dish and a bottle of wine and then we headed to the live music in downtown Winston put on by the Arts Council. The band was the Vagabond Saints Society and they played some great "oldies but goodies". The best part was watching the people dancing... quite a riot. Finally we headed over to NOMA to check out their new Saturday night DJ. The music was great, but us old folks got a little sleepy before it really got going.... next time.

Sunday we went on a nice hike at Pilot Mountain with Jasper. I love hiking with him as he's always on his best behavior while hiking and will even heel for us without any trouble. We often let him off his leash when its not crowded just to allow him to entertain us with his explorations. Sunday evening we grilled out and ate on the porch. What a wonderful weekend... I'm glad this one isn't far off!

To Cali and Back... hurry!

I feel like I haven't "lived" at home for almost a month now simply because I've been gone so much! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining as I've gotten to really enjoy a lot of old friends and visit family. The issue is the globetrotting has me exhausted... I mean beat tired and I'm very excited to be home for 2 full weeks.

One of the most difficult things about intern year is that there is very little time off in that they get one weekend off per month (and that means you're on call on Thursday and again on Monday). Wiggy had the honor of serving as a groomsman in his good friend Kurt's wedding in San Francisco last weekend. We were really excited to be able to attend as my college roomate Kristin, and good friend from Wake Lara played key roles in them coming together when Kurt moved to San Francisco (after transfering from WFU to UCLA) a few years ago and Lara invited him to a party to introduce him to people. It was there that he met Joanne, a high school mate of Kristins. So it's a sweet story that involves many people that I am close with made happen.

Fortunately we arrived to SFO early on Friday and were able to make the rehearsal dinner of German food in honor of Kurt's heritage. We were at the bride's aunt's beautiful home in the hills of Orinda, and I knew I wasn't in the South East anymore! That night we crashed as the wedding party had to be up early. We had the pleasure of staying at Kristin's parents house and receiving some Kuhn hospitality.

The wedding took place at Stanford Chapel which is absolutely beautiful. It was nice to visit an area of SFO that was new to me. We then headed to one of Kristin's high school friend's parents' houses for drinks and fellowship before heading to the reception which was in the VERY nice Catholic School that Kristin and Joanne attended. The food and party were incredible and it was hard to believe it was time to leave already.

Someday, after residency, we will return for a long West Coast trip to LA, SFO, and to visit Coach and Mrs. Kurt Schmid to cheer on the Sounders!

Weddings Galore!

Over the fourth of July I was in Philly for my dear friend Julia's wedding. We all arrived on Wednesday evening (delayed of course) and headed out for a quick drink and catch up session. The wonderful thing about my Wake girls is that we always pick right up where we left off.

Thursday morning was mani/pedis and then we had a nice lunch and wandered that afternoon before the rehearsal and a lovely Italian dinner and Vino.

Friday morning was hair and makeup before a long photo shoot complete with the bride and groom's emotional moment of seeing eachother for the first time, adorable! The wedding was on the roof top of the Franklin Institute and was just gorgeous. The reception took place in the white marble room with Ben's statue. The entire event was just magnificent and the bride absolutely sparkled.

Saturday allowed time for us to check out the Liberty Bell and more exploring around the city. I also got a chance to shop with my Mom for the first time in a very long time, always a blast! We had Philly Cheese Steaks for lunch, yummy, and tart fro-yo for a snack. Saturday evening the entire wedding party got together to listen to the Roots and Sheryl Crow and watch the wonderful fireworks. It was really a lovely reunion for all of us Wake girls and a nice mini-vacation as we had a good bit of time to relax and tour a city that I wasn't expecting much from, but really impressed me. I also must mention the wonderful greenways full of statues and landmarks that allow one a history lesson while running, you can't beat that!

June Hoopla

It's been a while since I wrote as the last few weeks have been quite full on this end. After Jamaica it took us a week to get back in the swing of things and catch up around the house and at work. Wiggy and I purchased road bikes and I'm very excited to get started. I'm a bit terrified of my toe clips, but I'm sure I will adjust quickly. We also played a lot of tennis after all the free lessons we got in Jamaica. We've got to keep practicing so we don't forget what we learned!

Last weekend we had the opportunity to meet all of Wiggy's fellow interns at a picnic (he had a ropes course that morning as well). Everyone is so cool and laid back... I think it's going to be a really great group for him. Last Monday was Wiggy's first day of orientation and tomorrow will be his last before he's set loose delivering babies as his first rotation is OB. My poor husband is terrified of OB and of the stresses of being on call. He's about to pull his hair out with nerves.. not sure what they told him at orientation, but I'm desperately trying to remind him that he'll survive just fine.

This weekend was my friend Bethany's wedding. I arrived home on Thursday night with my friend Andi who lives an hour from me in NC. We got in super late then it was up on Friday to decorate the reception site. We had a nice lunch on the lake and then headed home for a quick nap (or so I thought) before the rehearsal. I arrived to find 25 nutrisystems bar and snack wrappers (yep I counted) strewn about my parents house courtesy of a fat and miserable Jasper. Fortunately he was fine by the next day after a long night of an upset tummy. Will he ever learn? The wedding on Saturday was absolutely gorgeous and the 80s band for the reception was fantastic and kept the energy rolling. Now we're back and I have 2 more days before leaving for wedding weekend #2 of 3. So glad I get to see everyone over these couple of weeks, but wish I had a bit more of a break!

Wedding season is in full swing as is intern season... here we go!

Jamaica!

Wiggy and I have just returned from an incredible week long vacation to Jamaica! We had an absolutely wonderful time and really needed that week away together. It was our first real vacation since our honeymoon 4 years ago! We planned the trip around Christmas time and we were able to stay at a wonderful resort, Couples Swept Away, in Negril for a very very small fee as I served as the Fitness Instructor for the week and taught 2 classes per day. Those of you who know me well know that I love to teach classes and this was by no means work for me!

I could go on and on about our resort but I'll just name a few of my favorite things:

1. Everyone says Yah Mon all the time and it's contagious
2. The hammocks on the palm trees on the beach were fantastic
3. The food was amazing! Specifically the mangoes, the 2 "fancy restaurants" especially the Thai restaurant called Lemongrass, our daily fresh salads with all kinds of toppings for lunch, the lemon coconut sorbet AND the extra spicy bloody marys! We also had room service for breakfast everyday.... how's that for all inclusive?
4. The beach was amazing... 7 miles of beautiful turquiose water. Also they gave us mats for our chairs that also work as rafts.. comfy and convenient
5. The evening entertainment never failed to impress. Each night there was live music of all different kinds. One night there was a bonfire on the beach with a singer/guitarist singing old love songs. Another night there was a Jamaican party on the beach. One night was a talent show and then late night there was a nice nightclub for dancing... ALL on the resort!
6. The staff was super-friendly
7. We took tennis lessons everyday from Rob.. the tennis pro for the week with a similar set up as I had
8. The gym was fantastic.. they had everything and it was all nice and new and in good working order... that makes a fitness pro happy!

Finally, the resort was just beautiful. Wiggy said it well..." it's like they built the resort around the landscaping rather than the other way around". ahhhh... Jamaica.... we'll be back, I'm sure of it! Now just 2 short weeks before intern year begins... I think we're trying to savor them while also anxiously anticipating the upcoming year. I'm so glad I have a lot of girlfriends that will be surviving intern year with me!!! Will post pics soon!

Reflections

Having had a week to let it sink in, I must say that I'm still a little shocked that Medical School is over. For me, the first 2 years drug on just a little, but the past 2 years have flown by. Wiggy and I got married two weeks before Medical School began. I must say that contrary to expectations, this experience has had no negative effects on our marriage. Quite the opposite in fact.

Medical school taught us patience, time management, and to appreciate the time that we have together. It taught us to dream big, to expect the unexpected, it taught us faith, to listen to our hearts rather than others opinions, it taught us to be unconventional, that difficult weeks or months come to an end, that we could be quite happy living on one income, that together we can accomplish anything. It taught us to appreciate eachother's strengths, how to best talk through things, it taught us patience, and to wait for answers. It provided us with wonderful steadfast friends that I am happy to say will be sticking around the Dash with us for a few more years.

These are not the things that I expected to learn from Medical School. Quite frankly I was a bit terrified of Medical School. As an only child I am quite independent, but I was quite weary that I would be living life as a single person with a studying body in the room upstairs. Of course those days and weeks happened, and I felt a twinge of self-pity now and then, but overall we have grown so much as a couple during these four years that I wonder where we may be without them.

Here we are at another crossroad... in a few short weeks Wiggy will be an Intern beginning his first month on an OB rotation. I have joked with him that his legacy of his first month will live on in the stories that the Mothers of the babies he delivers will tell them years from now... the stories about the young Dr. who seemed to have no idea what he was doing when he delivered them.... all jokes aside, I know my husband will be a wonderful Doctor. It is now time for me to go back to school so we can move closer to our dream of owning our own practice... we're not exactly sure what it will look like yet or exactly what type of medicine we'll practice... but in the meantime I better get started learning how insurance/staffing/liability/EMR etc. etc. etc. works.

Are we ready for the new stresses? Of course I wonder just as I did 4 years ago. But I've learned from those four years that we'll learn so much more and rather than only looking forward to the future, we will savor the next 3 years and soak them up. I will try to be better at remembering "Life is what happens while you're making other plans".

Dr. Wiggy's Graduation

Last weekend we reached a major milestone in the life-long process of evolving as a physician. We were so fortunate to share the weekend with both of our families. Wiggy's parents came all the way from Nebraska and my parents and Grandparents from Maryland for a long weekend of celebration. The festivities began on Friday when we all attended an Award's Ceremony for the graduates. Wiggy was quite surprised to be the recipient of the award for interest and aptitude in Oncology. His dear friend Dr. McQuellon played a major role in his receiving it and for that we are grateful! Friday night we hosted a cookout for our families and a few friends. However, our cookout resulted in a torrential downpour and became a cook-in with the chicken prepared in the oven instead of on the grill! A good time was had by all though and it was a great start to the weekend.

Saturday festivities included a trip to Pilot Mountain and the faculty reception at Forsyth Country Club following dinner with our families. Sunday morning we attended our church with our families and were able to watch our dear friend, Ross, be commissioned into
Christian Service as he begins his mission in the Navajo. Sunday evening was the big event... The Hooding Ceremony where the graduates officially became Doctors! This was held in Wait Chapel which of course is nostalgic for all of us Wake grads anyway. I made it through Wiggy's name being called and all without any overrun emotions. However, when they introduced the entire class and we all stood up I lost it.... totally unexpected moment as always, but it was quite an emotional couple of minutes for me! That evening we celebrated with a tasty dinner and great conversation at Ombu!

Monday morning was the "real" graduation. The speaker was Joe Biden so we were encouraged to arrive early for the "airport" like security. I kept looking for this as a lady quickly glanced at my purse as we shuffled onto the quad. It was FREEZING that morning and the ground was quite soggy from the night before, not the best of conditions for graduation, but we made it through. I must say the VPs speech was inspiring.. and we'll leave it at that. The final leg of the morning was a quick jaunt over to the Fine Arts Center where the MDs received their official diplomas. This process was nice and quick as just about everyone had reached their fill of "ceremonies" over the weekend. We finished up with a celebratory lunch with other new MD's at Forsyth Country Club before wishing our families goodbye.

I must mention Wiggy's special graduation gift from his Mom that he will cherish forever. She gave him her Mother's bible that was given to her when she was 7. Not only that, but she made a beautiful velvet bag for him to keep it in and found a beautiful marble box to keep that in. I know this is very special to him and he will cherish it always.

Congratulations Dr. Wiggy! We did it... let the journey continue!