Week 11: A Long-Time-Coming Update

Remember how we promised to update you all on a fairly regular/weekly basis? Yup, we kind of have been slacking…BUT for good reason.  Life has gotten a little hectic as of late, similar to many of yours, as Laura and I have begun the employment search, traveled to Alabama for a cousin’s wedding, and traveled 2200+ miles back to Nebraska, through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado, with a job interview along the way, in order to allow me to fly to NYC to being a 6 week rotation in Manhattan.  A little hectic…

The employment search is going well, and we are both VERY thankful I will have employment in a profession which is both challenging and rewarding.  Not long ago, a US News poll listed “physical therapy” in their top 10 jobs for 2012.  After long hours studying, several years of financial commitment, multiple rotations and travel, etc the light is growing brighter; and Laura and I are both looking forward to future possibilities and beginning a new adventure (though our current one is far from over…)

Two weeks ago we traveled to Alabama, amidst some of the worst severe weather the south has ever seen in March, to attend Laura’s cousin’s wedding in Montgomery.  Though it was a rather short trip, mainly consisting of travel, it was great to see family – all but one of Laura’s cousins were there from the Burandt family, and we were fortunate enough to share a flight and extra travel time with Laura’s brothers and sister-in-law. (pictures are below from the weekend – the hot babe in pink is Laura)

We left Lynden on Thursday of last week following a whirlwind of packing and finishing in the clinic.  We were able to spend a bit of time with Scott and Katie (Scott works at Lynden, and he and his wife were incredibly gracious to us while we were there) and Don and Val (Don was an interim pastor at the church we attended in Bellingham, and Laura had the opportunity to spend some extra time with Val) the week prior to leaving, reminding us of many of the good friends we met and got to know while in Lynden.  It was rather difficult to leave the mountains, the clinic and the Korthuis family (our temporary “home” for the last 10 weeks).  Specifically, the Korthuis family was incredibly gracious to both Laura and me during our stay in Lynden, not only opening their home but also their family and their lives to us, making our transition to Lynden a little smoother and more enjoyable.  We both have reflected on our time at Creighton, and the many wonderful people who have helped out with housing and accommodations while on my rotations, and we are looking forward to “paying it forward” in the future, returning the outpouring of kindness others have shown to us both.  We caught a few pictures of Lynden, Mt. Baker the Korthuis’ prior to our departure (see below).

 Our traveling continues today as we return to Nebraska from Colorado – we checked out the weather online and realized we’ve been getting the raw end of weather the last few weeks in Washington as Omaha has been experiencing above normal temps…today it will be in the mid-70’s.  We will not be in NE long as I will be flying to New York, and Laura will continue on to Michigan to spend the next several weeks with her family.  I know we have updated some of you on our plans for these next few weeks, but I wanted to give you a quick and concise version of New York, housing, clinical description, etc.

As many of you know, Laura and I reached out to our friends and family after housing in NYC became increasingly difficult.  It paid off – many of you forwarded e-mails, responded on Facebook, contacted friends and family all in order to help us out.  We cannot thank you enough!!!  In the end, without an official tally, I estimate I contacted between 50-60 people before finally settling with a sublet in Brooklyn, 4 stops away on the F-train, from my clinical site.  The area I’ll be living in is safe, somewhat quiet, affordable, and not too far from where my CI lives.  The last bit is important regarding my rotation – I’ll explain.  To this point all of my rotations have been preparing me to be an “entry level” clinician upon graduation.  I have worked in pediatrics, in-patient rehab, acute care, rural settings, and out-patient orthopedics.  All, whether negative or positive, have aided in my learning.  However, now I get to focus on an area where I have been interested for many years; a specialized practice setting within physical therapy.  For the next six weeks I will be working with Chris Johnson PT in Manhattan – Chris is an accomplished PT who specializes in orthopedic impairments and working with and providing training consultation for amateur and elite endurance athletes, specifically runners and triathletes.  If you have spent any length of time with me you know my passion and interest in these areas.  To say I’m excited is a bit of an understatement.

Similar to Lynden, I’ll be working to keep updates coming on a regular basis…the format will change a bit as Laura will be in Michigan and I in NYC with my primary emphasis being coaching/learning and training (Chris is currently training for Ironman New York, and I am going to train with him for the next six weeks).  Hopefully, the change in subject matter will still keep your interest piqued. 

As always, we thank our family and friends for their support during our weeks of “homelessness and travel,” and we look forward to sharing our adventures with you!