April: From the Latin verb aperire "to open".

So, what’s new in the life?

Well, I’m back from Peru! Which is another story for another blog...

Also, I’m officially another year older. And this time it’s also a new decade milestone. This year I decided to not take off work my actual birthday because, let’s face it, it’s no fun to spend the day alone while all one’s family is out of state and all one’s friends are gainfully employed and at work. The weekend prior to the big day, I went home to spend time with my parents celebrating. After all, they are the reason we are able to celebrate the day anyway. Birthday festivities included going to the movies to see God’s Not Dead: A Light in the Darkness, lunch at El Jimador eating delicious Mexican food and consuming amazing chips and salsa, and making the traditional Baston chocolate cake. (The day after my birthday two friends and I celebrated by getting sushi for dinner!)

The entire weekend was not roses and butterflies though. Our sweet, faithful golden retriever Molly lived her last days. It is incredibly hard to have to part with a pet who has become so entwined with the life of the family she is practically one of us. She was nearly 15 years old, which is quite the life for a purebred. We miss her immensely, but I am glad I was able to be there for her last days and to support my parents with their loss.

I’m still chipping away at two books I’m reading relating to how technology, specifically our phone, is influencing our personal and sociological lives. The first is called 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You by Tony Reinke and written from a Christian worldview. The second is an audiobook called Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle. I first heard about this book from Jefferson Benthke, a christian author and speaker who reads voraciously and recommended this title. It’s research is complementary and presented from a more “nonreligious” point-of-view.

What am I listening to? My most recent fave is from the new Hillsong album, Wonder. The song is “So Will I (100 Billion X)” and the lyrics are profound in a poetic way. Check it out:

Work has finally gotten over the peak of the awful winter season of crazy flu. We’re starting to settle into the spring season of allergies and injuries although it has snowed twice this week, so it’s still a little premature to use the term “spring.” Speaking of weather, here are a few fun/painful pics I came across in my social media feed earlier this week. So accurate.

Getting to the end of the “school year” of both my BSF Bible study in Romans and the Sunday afternoon Perspectives course at Grace. Still slowly, but surely, advancing with cello lessons, and the Hebrews Bible study.

A few exciting upcoming events in the next few weeks on my calendar!

• Secret Church Simulcast at Parkview Church 
• Tulip Time in Pella, Iowa 
• Crescent Project: Without Borders in Sioux Falls, SD
• Visit to North Carolina  see my sister, brother in law, and niece!

And with that, consider yourself updated for now.

A Week (or more like a month or two?) in the Life

Long time, no blog.

Just like most, I was celebrating with family and friends throughout the holiday season. And work never stops. So, now that we've made it to what I typically dub the slowest time of the year, it's time to catch up and refocus.

Spent Thankgiving day with my parents and mom's side of the family for two days. It's been the first Thanksgiving in three years I've been off work long enough to make the trip and it was fantastic!

Two weeks later, I headed south again, joining the parents for the trek down to Branson for an early Christmas gift to them from my sister and me - a day at Silver Dollar City during the Christmas season. We also we able to experience the Sight and Sound Nativity production and eat at Lambert's, which were both super fun.

Although I worked Christmas Eve, I was able to make it to 22 minutes of our 30-minute Christmas Eve service in Jefferson City, MO. Had the most relaxing Christmas Day I can remember in the longest time, just staying home and enjoying each other's company.

New Year's Eve was spent with a few girls playing games, snacking, talking, and watching the ball drop in NYC.

Traveled back to Jefferson City, MO the first week of January to spend time with the family while my sister, brother-in-law, and niece were visiting. It was wonderful spending time with them since we hadn't seen each other for about 7 months.

Thought about putting a more dignified pic in, but this is legit happiness. My shirt says, " I NEVER DREAMED, I WOULD BE A SUPER COOL AUNT BUT HERE I AM KILLING IT." Josie's says, "My Aunt Loves Me."

Please note the baby drool all over my pants.

Modern-day chess. Who needs a board when you have a phone?

Having a baby in the house makes things pretty interesting.

Updated auntie/niece selfie. Last one was taken when she was 1 month old.

So, what's up with life now? Pretty much back in the normal routine. Still taking cello lessons once a week, attending two Bible studies (Hebrews and Romans), the occasional trivia night, and social gatherings.

Our work schedule has changed in the past week from two early/two late shifts a week to four late shifts a week, which has been an adjustment. Honestly, not sure I could say I'm completely adjusted yet.

Signed up for a gym for the next several months. There's just something non-motivational about subzero weather and exercising outside. So, I took the plunge of commitment and now have a warm place to be active. Planning to start training for a duathlon this year, but for now, enjoying group classes.

What have I been:

Reading? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (audio), Of Mess and Moxie (audio), Wonder, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, daily Bible reading and Bible study passages

Listening to? The Greatest Showman soundtrack, Jackie Evancho, Wicked soundtrack

 Watching? The Night Shift (Netflix), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Celebrating? My roomie's birthday! Not missing some critical diagnoses with patients in clinic this past week.

Learning? When a car won't start at 9:30 PM during a Walgreen's run, it's not always the fault of the battery or alternator but the starter. (True story, thank you road side assistance.)

Book List 2017

“Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.” 
― Francis Bacon

“Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.” 
― George R.R. Martin

“Many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book.” 

― Jane Smiley, Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel

1. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
2. Love Does - Bob Goff
3. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
4. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume
5. Heart of Fire - Voice of the Martyrs
6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
7. Blubber - Judy Blume
8. Forever - Judy Blume
9. Salt to the Sea - Ruta Sepetys
10. Between Shades of Gray - Ruta Sepetys
11. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling
12. When Helping Hurts: Alleviating the Poverty Without Hurting the Poor..and Ourselves - Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett
13. Paradise Lost - John Milton
14. CliffNotes on Milton's Paradise Lost
15. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
16. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
17. Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between - Lauren Graham
18. Bold Women of Medicine: 21 Stories of Astounding Discoveries, Daring Surgiers, and Healing Breakthroughs - Susan Latta
19. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War - Max Brooks

Red = audio books

My book life this year was different from previous years for a few reasons:

1. Signed up for Netflix ('nuff said).
2. Both books clubs took a hiatus (cutting my total number of reads for the year roughly in half).
3. Participated in Banned Book Week. Read Forever and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which sparked a couple Judy Blume reads and a goal to read through the Harry Potter series for the first time (causing me to focus less on my typical non-fiction and theologically-relevant reads and more on youth fiction).

So, without further ado, my picks for recommended reads from 2017: 

Youth - Ruta Sepetys novels, Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray. These youth historical fiction books helped me understand WWII history from the viewpoint of the eastern European front (East Prussia; Lithuanians in Siberia). 

Faith - Hearts of Fire. A book published by VOM (Voice of the Martyrs) with several short bios of women from different countries at different historical times and their faithful response to Jesus when persecuted.

Helpful and thought-provoking - When Helping Hurts. Read this book prior to my trip to Haiti as it had been recommended years ago to read if involved in ministry (local or global). It changed my view of poverty in many ways and was instructional in how to reach out to the hurting without making things worse. 

Interesting - The Poisonwood Bible. This may have been the most interesting read to me because of my experience in Africa and the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class I took last year. It serves less as a how-to do global interactions and more as a warning of what not to do. Although fiction, it reads as non-fiction since the author grew up in Africa; realistically reflecting situations easily encountered in cross-cultural experiences.  

Cuppa

Java. Joe. Coffee.

Something I never thought I would like.

When I was little, I clearly remember both my grandmas loved coffee. Our families would go out to eat and the server would ask if the adults would like coffee with dessert. My dad without skipping a beat would reply, “I’m not old enough to drink coffee yet.” I thought it was the funniest response. Of course, that was back before kids were coffee consumers and the joke stopped making sense.

It took about 4 years for me to develop a taste for the drink, which I credit primarily to college culture and friends. Most students would go out for coffee or study with coffee or have coffee dates. It was just the social thing to do. I remember the first time I had a cappuccino from the cafeteria machine - I was jittery, shaky, and amped for the next few hours.

The summer of 2010 my roommate made coffee frequently. She would always ask if I would like some too and eventually I started taking her up on the offer. It was downhill after then.

As I was mulling around coffee thoughts prior to writing this post, I realized so many memories include coffee, or or the flip side, coffee reminds me of so many memories.

-Not one, but two, cups of coffee during the health care trip to India while serving in the dental area and wondering how the dentist was able to keep his hands steady while pulling teeth with all the caffeine on board

-Caribou Coffee being a HUGE deal to the Minnesotans members of our concert choir when we went to the Mall of America

-When another roommate was enthused when Caribou came to the local Hy-Vee in Missouri

-Meeting to discuss so many topics with so many people over cups of Joe

-Countless hours spent studying for PA school with classmates or friends in Iowa City, Mason City, Vinton, Dubuque, and Des Moines

-Tough, tearful conversations on more than one occasion

-Touring the Starbucks roastery in Seattle with two great gals

-Standing clueless in the aisle of a Romanian grocery store trying to decide which coffee to bring back for a souvenir when I couldn’t read most of the labels

-Pumpkin spice lattes (PSL) with a friend in Wisconsin when I visited for a quick weekend trip

-Coffee with cane sugar for breakfast in Kenya with my second family during Christmas break one year

-Cold brew enthusiasts, including a friend in Iowa City and that one time I drank my bro-in-law’s cold brew without diluting it first because I thought it was my leftover drip coffee in the fridge

Fast forward to now. At times, my roommate and I laugh sadly at how many coffee-making devices we have in our small kitchen and how we truly need to downsize. My Starbucks’ gold card is still active. And coffee no longer prevents me from sleeping.

And that’s what’s been on my mind lately.

Here’s to staying caffeinated?

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?

I've always wanted to have a garden. It's definitely a life goal/bucket list item.

My grandpa had a garden. He would grow all kinds of vegetables, and although he passed away when I was young, I remember my cousins and I would pile into the wagon on the back of his garden tractor and he would give us rides.

When I was 10 years old, my family took a trip to Alaska to visit my parents' friends. Mom and Dad met at church in Alaska and it was nearly 15 years later when we went back to visit and stayed with their friends who had a beautiful, huge garden. My sister and I spent hours picking raspberries, peas, and watching the cabbages and zucchini grow over those two weeks.

Every year our family would plant tomatoes, and for a few years, we attacked the clay that is Missouri soil and tried to coax a few more types of veggies, fruits, and flowers to grow. It was always a highlight to see the new types of vegetables produce - like the peas, carrots, lettuce, and radishes. For a few years, we had a strawberry patch, and one year we grew 3-feet tall marigolds.

When I originally starting thinking about this blog post, it was spring in Iowa City and gardens were popping up all around. The Farmer's Market was getting ready to be in full swing and the North Liberty Community pantry was hosting an event on container gardening. Being in such an agriculturally-minded state and a food-conscious city makes gardening a normal part of most people's lives.

Like every year, I created my reading goals for the new year in January; one of the books on my list this year was Paradise Lost. You know, the old-English epic poem by Milton about the fall of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. My sister had recommended the book years ago as she read it for her English degree in college. Although I'm not a huge fan of poetry, neither is she and she liked it, so I thought I'd add it to my list. It has taken me months and some Cliff Notes' help, but I finally finished it this past week. It's certainly contributed to my intermittent pondering on this topic of gardens and gardening.

One of my favorite quotes from Paradise Lost. 

When I was initially mulling around these thoughts, Kari Jobe also came out with her new album: The Garden. I listened to the title song on repeat for a few weeks. The "coincidence" of garden-themed things in my life continued: there was either a sermon or an article I encountered contrasting the Garden of Eden with another significant garden in scripture - the garden of Gethsemane. One, where paradise was lost; the other, the precursor to paradise regained through the reconciliation Jesus provided us on the cross.

I think one reason I (and others) are fascinated with the concept of gardening, growing, creating, and cultivating is because we are made in the image of a creator who asked us to cultivate our environment. Not just the ground, although that's part of it, but also our emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and relational environments. It's part of the nature of God that humankind shares.

Fast forward to the current season. It's now fall, dabbling on the edge of winter. The leaves have changed and most have fallen to the ground, leaving the trees bare. The air is colder and there is frost covering the ground in the mornings. Death is part of the consequence of Adam's fall. I dislike this time of the year more than any other: when life turns to death. But without this season, there would be less anticipation for the season of new life. 

One day I will have my own garden. A day when I no longer live in a second-floor apartment with only space for a window box or a deck with some pots here and there. Until then, I will keep challenging my comfort zone and cultivate the areas in my life that I can. 

Have you ever thought about these things? If not, how about now? In closing, I'll leave you with this video (Kari Jobe, The Garden):

  

What I've been doing:

Work, work, work. Fortunately, we have several new providers starting soon, but until that happens, I have been picking up extra shifts with the goal of funding part of my Haiti trip. Last week I worked 60 hours. And you know what that means, right? Weird medical dreams where I'm diagnosing in my sleep, trying to calculate medication doses, and going to special events while running a fever. None of which are in my conscious life. Here's to normal work hours this week and less weird dreams.

Hoover Days. West Branch, Iowa is the birthplace of Herbert Hoover and they have an annual celebration called Hoover Days, which includes activities such as a Hoover ball competition, parade, pedal tractor pulls, bags tournament, live music, and food grilled by the fire department. A friend and I went for one of the evenings and enjoyed watching the tiny kiddos pedal tractor pull, listening to the Dandelion Stompers (big band/jazz music artists) perform live while consuming a brat grilled by the firemen, and ending with a sweet treat of incredibly delicious and cheap ice cream! Was a fun, classic rural Iowa celebration!

Iowa State Fair. It's been 8 years since I attended the fair the first time to listen to one of my college friends sing there. One of my "Iowa Goals" was to attend the state fair again while living here. It's taken me 4 years, but I finally made it there this past weekend. One of my college friends from Michigan, who is in Iowa for traveling physical therapy, came with me and we had a fantastic time watching the sheep shearing contest, listening to the military band, eating over-priced delicious fair food, seeing the butter cow, eating eggs on a stick, and wandering the animal barns.

Butter Cow. Tradition at the Iowa State Fair.

Enjoying an egg on a stick, because why not put an egg on a stick and then eat it?

Kayaking. Went for a quick trip to Lake McBride this weekend with a friend.  Although the forecast only called for a 15% chance of rain, it started sprinkling on us while out on the lake. However, as I frequently tell others, rain makes everything more memorable. We didn't melt (Wizard of Oz reference, anyone?) and were able to be out on the lake for about 2 hours.

What I've been reading: 

Finished It Happened in Iowa. Such an interesting (short) read about historical events throughout Iowa and fun cultural aspects of certain cities. For example, did you know the only place in the United States with a working windmill from Denmark is located in Elk Horn, Iowa? Yeah, well now you do. Check out this short youtube video if you'd like to know more.

Started When Helping Hurts. I've heard great reviews on this book and thought it would be appropriate to read prior to my Haiti trip. It's not one to breeze through as there are pre-chapter and post-chapter questions one must consider in context of the information. I think it will end up being a helpful, challenging read.

Bible study: Finished our study of the book of Acts, which we started at the beginning of the year. It's rewarding to study something for such a huge chunk of the year.

What I've been listening to:

Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery. Heard a new (to me) song at church last week that made a huge impression. Check out this link if you'd like to hear it too!

My "classic" artist of the week is Buddy Holly. Didn't know any of his songs, but he apparently died in a plane crash after performing a concert at Clear Lake, Iowa. Since I didn't know his music, I thought I'd listen to some of his better known songs to catch up my culture knowledge.

What I've been watching:

Finished the last season on Netflix of The Great British Baking Show. I didn't ever think I would love this show when I saw a partial episode at a friend's house, but I have grown to appreciate the British wit, learned much about the art and science of baking, and even shed a few tears during the season 3 finale due to the emotions of the contestants. If you're on the fence about whether to watch this series or not, I highly recommend it!

Season 3 Finale. All the feels.

And that's the update for now. 

Work-iversary!

Guess what?!? Today is my QuickCare 2 year work-iversary. I've officially been working as a PA 2 full years.

 

 

There's no way I could have anticipated some of the experiences I would have at QuickCare when I signed on that first summer.

People always interest me. For someone who is drawn to thinking about individual and social behavior (psychology and sociology), it fascinates me daily when I am able to interact with people from all walks of life. That is one of the beauties of health care - it's an equalizer of people. It doesn't matter to me if you are homeless or a CEO or a stay-at-home-mom or the university president, you will get sick or hurt at some point in life and I may see you in my clinic exam room. I may not know any of those things about you, but I will be able to help and educate you about yourself and your body.

Throughout these two years, I've seen hundreds of cases: from things as mundane as sunburns, poison ivy, and upper respiratory infections (aka colds) to the urgent conditions of surgical abdominal complaints (gallbladder, ovarian tumor, appendicitis), brain bleeds, anaphylaxis, asthma attacks, and a heart attack. My favorite complaints continue to be cuts that need sewn in clinic and potential bone breaks.

I, myself, have had my fair share of illnesses. My roommate and I joke that between the two of us, we either have the best immune systems in the world or the worst ones. She's a teacher. I've had bronchitis at least 3 times, a few colds, a contagious intestinal infection, strep throat, and pneumonia. I've accidentally stuck myself with epinephrine as well as two needles in 2 years.

With my medical education, I've been able to serve in Romania for a short-term mission trip as a PA this past May. I am scheduled to go to Haiti in October with a medical team. In the fall last year, I attended the Global Missions Health Conference in Louisville, KY. With education funds from work, I've also been able to attend conferences on preparing for infectious disease outbreaks (sponsored by the Ebola task force), youth sports injuries, and human trafficking in Iowa.

My co-workers and bosses have been super supportive in helping me navigate practicing medicine as a new provider. They have been my mentors, my friends, and the ones with whom I spend long hours of my work days. They make my job easier, tolerable, and enjoyable depending on the day.

Not once have I regretted my decision to pursue the physician assistant career. I have been satisfied with my autonomy in my role. I do not desire to ever be a physician; my patients ask me routinely if I'm going to go on to become a physician. (P.S. That's not how it works.) It's rewarding to be able to spend time with patients and educate them about their health or illness instead of just throwing around medical jargon and having them leave confused.

It's hard to imagine what I'll encounter in my career during the next 2 years or where I will be, but I'm excited to find out.