A Great Life

So I've been thinking how I really need to debrief to all you faithful bloggies out there regarding my days at orientation. It's been really challenging to figure out what I walked away with, how I am feeling, or to package up into a pretty little box "what it's going to be like."

But, I've just decided pretty little box or not, I do have a few thoughts I have come away with. Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprising) a whole lot more about the bigger picture, the bigger story, and less about PA School.

Truth be told, I don't feel much different after orientation. A little more scared at how hard all the faculty and past students assure us it will be, but thankful to finally have a schedule so I can at least have an idea of what my classroom/lab hours will look like. It was fun to order scrubs and opthalmascopes (eye checker) and otoscopes (ear checker). That felt crazy fun! And I am really glad I got to meet everyone and put faces and actual humans with the names that I have seen over and over again. These are my people for the next 2 years. We will be each other's community, support, and the only other 54 people in the world who understand what one another is really feeling and living through. I am thankful for the way I felt like we gelled so easily. I look so forward to doing life with them.

On a grander scale as I have reflected, I have just felt grateful. Overwhelmingly grateful. Someone said recently that before they turned the light out to fall asleep, their wife turned to them and said "We have a great life." And I think I might claim this as my mantra for the next season. It is so true. And sometimes I forget it in the midst of my critical nature and overanalyzing of all things. I forget what a great life I have. I think every night as I turn out the light I want to end the day by taking the time to acknowledge that I have a great life. Life is all about choices...choosing how you will see things/ the world/ etc. I want to see through a lens of gratitude.

So, a few things I am thankful for in this coming season...

I am grateful for a community of people surrounding me that love me and stand behind me...my cheerleaders and encouragers in life. I think I really have the best "people" in the whole world. Really...yall cannot be beat. I mean, honestly, every time I looked at my phone on Monday or Tuesday I must have had at least 5 texts of people telling me they were praying for me, thinking about me, asking how it was, etc. It started to get ridiculous. I could not believe how many people remembered, how many people cared! I could never do this journey alone. I wonder if anyone else in the room had a community of people standing behind them and cheering them on for stupid ORIENTATION (ha!) like I did...I seriously doubt it.

I have a great life.

I have been watching some things on a new documentary coming out called "Waiting for Superman" (that everyone needs to see). It's about the state of America's schools and kids in inner cities who literally pray to win a "lottery" system that would earn them a spot in a private charter school. They break down in tears when their number isn't called because they know that in all likelihood they will not get the education they need or deserve.

And then there I am, sitting in a beautiful classroom accepted into a highly competitive PA program listening to some of the brightest faculty and doctors and teachers talk about the hopes and dreams they have for us. How dare I for one day complain! I have the opportunity to pursue my dreams! I have had an unbelievable education since my first day of Kindergarden. I have had people mentor me and push and challenge me. I have had people speak into my gifts. I have had the finances to go to college and to have no debt. I have parents who will help me get through these next 2 years free of rent, utilities, and pretty much any other expense. Are you kidding me?? On the hardest days of days when I am exhausted from studying and just want to quit, Lord help me to remember how lucky I am. How many around the world would give so much to have the opportunities I have been given. I do not want to take this gift for granted. I want to use it to change the world. To heal broken people. In all their broken places... And I am gonna get to do that! I am actually going to get to do that!

I have a great life.

It's Thursday night and once again I'm not at Young Life club. Thursday nights kinda suck in all honestly. I try to keep myself busy but it still just feels so weird to not be at club. I still stare down the clock as 8:00 approaches. I just want to be there. I could sit around and be mopey and sad that I don't get to do that right now...analyzing if I've done the right thing, etc. But in light of my new gratitude thing, I started thinking tonight. I started thinking about Meghan and Brittany and Leigh and Abby and Kyle. And about Kaitlyn and Alicia and BT and Betsy and so many others who this very night ushered kids into the presence of Jesus. Stood by the door and waited...for car lights to show up, for a certain face to walk in the door. I remember back to when I waited for some of them...now they wait for others. I remember back to when they wondered if they could do this...and I look at them now. Changing the world.

I got to be a part of that...I got a front row seat. And that really hasn't changed...I keep getting to have a front row seat. I've moved from the field to the bleachers for a few years...But I think I'm ok with that. To be quite honest, the seats are pretty good. I kinda like the view from up here. You get to cheer a lot louder and You notice a whole lot more..

Meghan's calling... I'm gonna go hear about club =)

I have a great life.

First day o' school...

So...clearly I didn't sleep very much! I can never sleep on the nights before big things! Can anyone?!? So, yes, this is what my clock read when I opened my eyes this morning... good thing i LOVE the morning!

Dean and Deluc...continue to be so good to me! This mug is my absolute favorite and has been my faithful companion through many a life journey...many a good morning and many a hard morning...the days always seem easier to face with my steady friend. Today was no different...

This was my pre-orientation checklist. Duh.

Well. I survived!! Yes it was overwhelming and yes it was intimidating as they kept talking about how "this will be the most taxing thing you've ever done...", "you can't even comprehend how hard this is going to be...", and laid out mottos such as "Live for the program" suggesting that even your own wedding is an unexcusable absence! Ummm...excuse me? That's a little daunting! I guess I'll have to postpone my wedding a few more years... :)

But in the midst of all that, it was so exciting. It was so fun to take my first baby steps on the journey. Love the people I met. They actually seem really down to earth and a lot like me! It will take me a few days to probably debrief on the "internal processing" but all in all...here is what I will say about the run down of the day....

Checklist...check.

Outfit choice... check. (Katie, I hope I made you proud. I would say it was pretty "fly"!) Not too over eager, but not too casual =)

Blue tote bag... check. Good choice, Steph. Not a backpack in sight. Phew...

And lunch, totally didn't sit alone.

Hardest part of the day...finding out no food or drink ever allowed in class. Are you serious?? What am I going to do without my Starbucks all morning??? I'm seriously stressed.... :)

We didn't get a ton of details today. Tomorrow should be a lot more of the "day to day" what my life is going to look like. I'm looking forward to that...I think!

On a serious note, thank you all for praying. For all those who texted or emailed...you have no idea how much it means to have such a great cloud of witnesses pushing me forward, to have so many people in my corner. I'll certainly need you... thanks for being with me. I am so blessed. Seriously...thank you.

Beginnings...

Beginning:

noun.

The start of an event or action;

birth, creation, dawn.

Tomorrow is "birth"day! The start of Chapter 1... The preface... The dawn... of this great story that began unfolding months ago. Tomorrow is the day that I was looking toward as I studied for the GRE, filled out applications, nervously interviewed. Tomorrow is the day I dreamed of as I celebrated an unlikely acceptance to South College, and kept in mind as I tearfully said goodbye to Young Life. Tomorrow is the day I continually reminded myself of as I studied my mind out this summer getting my last prereqs at UT and over the past few months as I labored over medical terminology text books and flash cards. And tomorrow I will wake up and it will finally be THAT day...THE day. Tomorrow I have orientation. My first day at South College as an official PA student! Holy crap! The journey is actually beginning. I'm so excited and so nervous I could barf right here on the keyboard!

I feel ready to start the journey, anxious to get a better picture of what this is really going to look like/ get a schedule/etc. (you all know me and my OCD nature that NEEDS schedules like most people NEED oxygen!), and I'm super excited to finally see faces of people who I will spend the majority of my time with for the next 27 months! But I'm ridiculously nervous! Geez... I haven't had a first day of school in a LONG time. All these questions started swirling weeks ago...What do I wear? Will I make friends? Where do I sit? Do I take a back pack? a purse? a tote bag? I mean I don't want to seem over-eager, but don't wanna look like a slacker! Ah! Currently I already have 3 outfits laid out, the coffee pot set for hours before I need to leave, and butterflies in my stomach! I feel like a little kid. But I kinda like it! =) New chapters are scary but they sure are exciting... I just can't believe it's already here!!

And hard to believe it all began with this...

Here we go! Can't wait to write all about it! Hopefully I won't get lost or have to sit by myself in the cafeteria (Pretty sure there's no cafeteria...phew!!)

The story begins...

Where the Magic Happens...

This is my office that I have been working on slowly all summer. I wanted a place dedicated just for studying that I would really enjoy being in...considering how much time I would probably be spending there! I really love the way it turned out...

Now, if only I felt as ready as my office does! ha!

And So It Begins...

Nothin like this to welcome you home, right?!

My new best friends for the next 3 months! Many quality LONG hours lay ahead of us...can't wait! :)