"The book is called opportunity & its first chapter is New Year's Day [2014]." -Edith Lovejoy Pierce

As the year comes to a close, I love to look back and see what life held in the last 12 months. This past year has been full of good memories, challenging moments, goodbyes, new beginnings, learning, love, and laughter.

“Sometimes, you have to look back in order to understand the things that lie ahead.” 
― Yvonne Woon

January-May – Upon graduating from college, my sister and bro-in-law moved away for a new start in NC. It was difficult saying goodbye to my best friends, but I was excited for what life held for them. Several friends in the area got together for one last hurrah! Such fun.

During Christmas break, one of my best friends and her boyfriend became engaged. It was fun planning and hosting their engagement party with friends and celebrating the next step in their relationship with them. Although I wasn’t able to attend their wedding a few months later, I couldn’t be happier for them.

Most of the beginning of 2013 was spent preparing for my fast-approaching departure for PA school. It’s amazing how much paperwork, phone calls, emails, and business-related things must be taken care of before moving states and starting grad school. Throughout this period of time, I was also able to shadow several PAs in radiology, interventional radiology, cardiology, and plastic surgery. All the while, I continued working in the ER and enjoying the last few months with my ACC family.

In March, over the Easter holiday, I took a vacation out to see K & N in NC. I had never been to NC before, so it was definitely fun to experience this first. We spent some quality sister time together, toured some of the local historical sites (Capitol, Governor’s Mansion, Museums of Science, History, and Art, Old Salem) as well as a trip to the Outer banks and the Wright Brothers’ National Monument. It was a great, much-needed trip, and I enjoyed every minute.

 

By April, I had somewhere to live in IC thanks to an apartment-hunting trip my mom and I took together. I'd also run the Happiest 5K on the Planet with some friends. It definitely held up to its name and reputation!

The middle of May I worked my last shift in the ER as a tech, packed up my belongings (for the 2^nd time in 2 weeks), and trekked up to Iowa with my parents and a UHaul. A few days later, I started an intense summer of PA school.

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” 
― Soren Kierkegaard

May-December – Living in IC has been wonderful. I’ve made so many good friends, gotten involved in my local church and serve in the nursery, have experienced all kinds of wonderful new things, just finished my 2^nd semester of PA school, and celebrated 6 months of dating my favorite guy. Some other highlights:

-White Coat Ceremony, June 2103

- Wildwood, two-step, line dancing, and salsa

- 4^th of July fireworks with a fellow PA friend

- Boating trip at the Res, July 2013

- One month with my man, July 22nd

- Kayaking for the first time, August 2013

- Labor Day weekend with the bf’s fam, August 2013

- Husking corn, corn maze, carvin’ pumpkins, Fall 2013

- Wilson’s Apple Orchard, October 2013

- Rough Riders’ Hockey game, November 2013

- Hawkeyes football game, November 2013

- Thanksgiving with my fam,November 2013

- Old-Fashioned Christmas and horse-drawn carriage ride, December 2013

- Fancy Christmas party, December 2013

-Six months with my man, December 22nd

-Christmas with my fam, December 2013

“Reflect upon your present blessings -- of which every man has many -- not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” 

―Charles Dickens

And that’s a brief recap of my year. I can’t even imagine what this next year holds in store, but I do know it’ll be an adventure. As I finish up my first year of school and start into my clinical rotations, I know it’ll be challenging, but also a great opportunity to learn. 2013 has been awesome. Bring it on, 2014!