All Things Considered

After nearly a month of no updates it is only appropriate to share a few events that have occurred over the last several weeks (along with 3 photo albums). I’ll try to be chronological in my order, but random thoughts may interrupt that timeline.

After returning from New York City I was able to spend some time with Laura and the Duerr family in Warren, MI.  This was a much-needed break in the chaos that has been the norm over the last 9 months of clinical rotations.  Though the break was short it provided me time to catch up on sleep, enjoy food other than PB&J’s, cereal and fruit (my norm for the most part in NYC), and finally have an opportunity to see my wife for an extended period of time.

Following our time in MI we returned to Omaha, NE for “capstone” at Creighton University (a 2-week course which concludes the program at Creighton).  I was fortunate to be able to spend a considerable amount of time catching up with classmates, and, due to afternoons being mostly free, was able to further enjoy time with Laura.  It was great to share stories and memories with friends (all of whom will be missed).  On the weekend between the 2-week course Laura and I headed west to Seward, NE for her youngest brother’s graduation from Concordia University.  Ryan received the “outstanding student in theology” award, and we enjoyed a barbeque with family at Ryan’s following graduation.  (See pics)  The next day (Sunday) I ran the Lincoln National Guard half-marathon – a suitable time, but not what I was hoping for (~7:10 p/mile).  I had suffered a crash in NYC on my bike prior to returning to MI and my knees were still feeling the effects of those injuries.  (Hopefully I will be able to get in some quality training this summer…) 

After 2 weeks of class and presentations graduate hooding and commencement arrived. Ryan (Laura’s bro) and my parents came to support me and celebrate a lot of hard work coming to fruition.  I had been asked to offer a short reflection for the DPT 2012 class at hooding.  A slight microphone malfunction resulted in a rather ‘quiet’ speech…hopefully they were able to take something away from it…  Following hooding on Friday night Dad, Mom and Laura got to sit through commencement on Saturday AM (I told them they deserved an award for sitting through all the ceremonies).  Finally, 4 close friends and I had a barbecue in an Omaha park with family to finalize our celebrations – steak, chicken, salads, beer, etc. along with gorgeous weather helped to make it a great afternoon!! (Pics from the weekend festivities included here)

And the adventures aren’t over yet… Laura and I headed to Sioux Falls after graduation to spend 2 weeks with Dad and Mom Sattgast (included was an impromptu trip the Black Hills for fishing and relaxation – more pics included below).  I think we will keep busy as Dad and Mom could use some help around the farm (mowing, trimming, weeding, painting, planting, digging…you get the idea).  Because of high amounts of rain the mosquitoes are quite bad in Huron – not a fun welcoming gift.

So what now??  After Laura and I spend our summer living the nomadic lifestyle we will be moving to Las Vegas, NV…because, we will be stationed at Nellis AFB.  I have been accepted into the US Air Force and will be commissioned, shortly, as a Captain within the health corp as a physical therapist.  Laura and I are both extremely excited, and a bit apprehensive, about this new adventure.  It is an answer to many prayers (personally and professionally), though many more are still needed for the transition.  I will be attending COT (commissioned officers training) at Maxwell AFB in Alabama the end of August through September, reporting to Nellis following training.  An added blessing through this all is the fact that my Uncle and Aunt currently live in Henderson (a suburb) and have offered to help with some of the transition (my uncle just retired from the USAF after 27.5 yrs active duty).  As always, the Lord continues to provide for us both.

Laura and I both hope this update finds you well and enjoying the spring/summer. Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to see many of our friends and family this summer as we travel the Midwest.  We’ll continue to do our best to keep you updated…once a week might be a bit of a stretch though…

“…and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God…” –Micah 6:8b

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!