By now I'm sure that most of you know by our posts on Facebook, and phone calls and text messages, that Drew and I are moving to Seattle! What a crazy day this has been. We're both exhausted but extremely excited. You wouldn't think that something like this would be so stressful, but it was the most stressful day that Drew and I have encountered together but we survived and probably are a stronger couple because of it. So today's blog is a more detailed account of what actually happened in the few hours leading up to the draw, what was happening during and after we found out where we're headed.
I got off work at 9pm last night and headed home. I was very thankful that one, we were busy enough to help keep my mind off the draw but able to talk about my concerns in between (thank you to my wonderful co-workers and friends for helping me stay calm!) and two, that the roads were mostly clear so I could get home safely. I got home at about 10:45 and of course Drew and I were talking immediately about different scenarios and outcomes etc. etc. I know that I was stressed about it, but I can't even imagine what else was going on in Drew's head that he wasn't telling me. We both tried to do our best to keep each other calm but in a situation of literally not knowing where you're going to be living in about three and a half months is very nerve wracking and was causing a lot of anxiety in our house. The decision I had to make was if I was going to stay home or wait outside his classroom and couldn't decide where I was going to be less of a mess. But ultimately I made the decision to go and wait for him which was the best.
We finally got to bed around 12:30 and of course Drew was asleep within a few minutes but not me. After a few episodes of Grey's, I was finally able to get my mind focused enough on the show instead of what was going to happen in the morning and dozed off around 3am. It wasn't peaceful either. I woke up a few times between then and ore alarm going off at 6:45 and so did Drew. We got ready and were out the door by 7:30 and headed up to the school.
By the time we got there most of his other classmates were already there and a lot of the other spouses/fiances/boyfriends/girlfriends were there as well (along with other students from different programs to find out the outcome) so at least I wasn't going to be sitting outside the classroom alone. His teachers showed up shortly after and the students began filing in the classroom. With a quick good luck kiss I found myself sitting and waiting.
One of Drew's classmates ended up calling her husband waiting outside and he turned on his speaker phone so we could try and hear what was going on. Technically, this isn't allowed but it gave us a little comfort. The reception quality wasn't that great and it was hard to hear over everyone talking but it was something.
The first site that was drawn was Peoria, Illinois. At first it didn't look like anyone was going to put in for it but than Arnold decided that he would go ahead and just take it. Then the Bellevue site was drawn, Drew put his name in along with 6 other people and his classmate Ashley, who's husband's phone we were listening through, got it. Next was Washington University, which again Drew put in for along with 6 people (remember, that's almost half his class) and luckily his name was drawn. When I was listening, I swore that I heard Drew's name announced but no one else heard it and kept asking each other if they heard so I didn't want to jinx myself and say it was Drew just in case it wasn't. Next Florida and Cleveland were drawn and no one put in for them so they were placed aside as an open site so anyone at anytime during the rest of the draw could take those sites. And so on and so on... Baltimore, Davis, Vermont, Salt Lake, Boise.... all came and went and I still didn't have an answer as to where we were going.
Then the phone call was dropped and it was all over. Then they started filing out of the room. Drew was first out and came over and just handed me his card with all his site information on it. And it was confirmed of what I had been hoping for over 20 minutes (and the last few months)..... University of Washington! All of the stress and anxiety went away. But, with joy came disappointment. Two of Drew's classmates unfortunately are headed to Florida and Baltimore, neither of them being in their top 5, and are obviously upset. It was hard to contain my excitement and relief but I couldn't help it either. That could have easily been us.
The rest of the day was dedicated to a celebratory breakfast with his teachers and classmates and then our normal routine. Grocery shopping, laundry, and preparing for our snowboard trip tomorrow. Then a much needed nap and some quality time with the dogs. Even they are excited today. They don't know why, they just know that mom and dad are happy, so they are happy.
So, the next couple of months are going to be dedicated to getting to know the Seattle area from here, looking for places that we are going to want to live, and eventually going to visit sometime in April and june to look around and go visit the medical center that he will be working at (and maybe even touring a veterinary hospital that I can potentially have a job at!).
Again, Drew and I want to express how much we appreciate all of you keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. We feel very blessed and are extremely excited! We will keep all of you updated as our move progresses. Thank you!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
It's Official: Extern Draw Next Monday!
So, Drew's professors have announced that they are moving the externiship site draw up from March 7th to February 28th, which is next Monday. I know its only moved 7 days early but we're still very nervous! This day is going to determine where we are going to live for the next year starting in June and is most likely going to shape the rest of our lives.
I'm going to explain exactly how this works for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about. There are about 18 people in Drew's class for vascular. Each of these students are sent somewhere in the US for their senior year to get hands on experience and training so when they graduate and start work they already have a year of experience. On the day they draw, all the students have their top 5 sites selected (in reality this doesn't really matter but the teachers try to make sure the students get one of their top 5 sites). The professors have two separate hats (literally). One with the sites and one for the students to put their names in. The professors start by drawing one site. Then, whoever wants to go to that site, the student put their name in the other hat, the professors pull out a name, and whoever's name is drawn they go to that site. They continue until everyone has a site. Then, if the students want to, they are able to trade up until 48 hours.
Portland, Oregon
Springfield, Oregon
Boise, Idaho
Reno, Nevada
Sacramento, California (Davis)
Salt Lake City, Utah
Hersey, Pennsylvania
Cleveland, Ohio
Burlington, Vermont
Venice, Florida
Baltimore, Maryland
And Oakland, California (Ew.)
Unfortunately, changes in extern sites happen every year. Both hospitals in Medford host students, but not this year (we are very disappointed by this). Cedar Sinai and OSHU also usually take students but have decided against it. And too bad Hawaii is never an "official" site (you have to prove you can live there without going into major debt) cause that would be awesome!
Anyway, since there are more than one spot available in the Seattle area we are very hopeful that we will get one. Our reasoning behind Seattle is that not only have I always wanted to live there, but one of the doctors I currently work for has another emergency and specialty hospital in the area. There are also several other emergency hospitals in the area so (crossing my fingers) it will be less of a process for me to find a job. During this year, Drew is most likely not going to be able to work so for me to be able to find a job (most likely two jobs) is extremely important. Also, its somewhat close to home.
So, please, please, please send prayers, good thoughts and finger crosses our way that we are able to either go to Seattle or stay in Oregon!
I'm going to explain exactly how this works for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about. There are about 18 people in Drew's class for vascular. Each of these students are sent somewhere in the US for their senior year to get hands on experience and training so when they graduate and start work they already have a year of experience. On the day they draw, all the students have their top 5 sites selected (in reality this doesn't really matter but the teachers try to make sure the students get one of their top 5 sites). The professors have two separate hats (literally). One with the sites and one for the students to put their names in. The professors start by drawing one site. Then, whoever wants to go to that site, the student put their name in the other hat, the professors pull out a name, and whoever's name is drawn they go to that site. They continue until everyone has a site. Then, if the students want to, they are able to trade up until 48 hours.
Our top 5 sites are:
Seattle, Washington (1 site at Washington University, another in Seattle, and 1 in Bellevue)Portland, Oregon
Springfield, Oregon
Boise, Idaho
Reno, Nevada
Other sites include:
Peoria, IllinoisSacramento, California (Davis)
Salt Lake City, Utah
Hersey, Pennsylvania
Cleveland, Ohio
Burlington, Vermont
Venice, Florida
Baltimore, Maryland
And Oakland, California (Ew.)
Unfortunately, changes in extern sites happen every year. Both hospitals in Medford host students, but not this year (we are very disappointed by this). Cedar Sinai and OSHU also usually take students but have decided against it. And too bad Hawaii is never an "official" site (you have to prove you can live there without going into major debt) cause that would be awesome!
Anyway, since there are more than one spot available in the Seattle area we are very hopeful that we will get one. Our reasoning behind Seattle is that not only have I always wanted to live there, but one of the doctors I currently work for has another emergency and specialty hospital in the area. There are also several other emergency hospitals in the area so (crossing my fingers) it will be less of a process for me to find a job. During this year, Drew is most likely not going to be able to work so for me to be able to find a job (most likely two jobs) is extremely important. Also, its somewhat close to home.
So, please, please, please send prayers, good thoughts and finger crosses our way that we are able to either go to Seattle or stay in Oregon!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Reynolds in Review
Drew and I have been "The Reynolds" for about 1 year and 5 1/2 months. Even though we have been together for almost 6 years, we are still newlyweds and trying to figure out exactly what being married means. Since Drew has been a Reynolds all his life, I on the other hand have not, and wanted to start out right. So I wanted to know what the meaning of the surname Reynolds is and had a delightful discovery. Reynolds means sincere or pure love and also derives from the Old English meaning of love. What a great way for me to start out as a Reynolds, knowing that our name literally means "love." And pretty much that's all we're living off of at the moment.
So, for those of you who don't know Drew and I very well, my first post will be giving you a little bit of history and what is ahead of us.
To start at the beginning:
I transferred to College of the Siskiyous in January of 2005 to begin the stages to transfer to Southern Oregon University in Ashland for a History degree and later the Masters in Teaching Program. Little did I know that my future husband lived on the floor below me. To make a long story short, we met at a party of a mutual friend (one that Drew wasn't supposed to be at that weekend), followed by a snowboarding date later that same weekend. We began to date in March and became exclusive in July.
We continued to attend COS through the summer of 2006 before we moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon when Drew was accepted to Oregon Institute of Technology. I, not really knowing what I wanted to do and afraid living apart would hinder our relationship, followed Drew to Klamath Falls while still attending SOU (I commuted twice a week to Ashland for classes). I was working and going to school full-time and eventually made the decision to move to Ashland in 2007 to finish school.
With budget cuts at SOU and staffing cuts in the History department and my own personal financial issues, I decided to put school on hold in 2008 and focus on working. Luckily, I had obtained a great job as a veterinary assistant/technician at the Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center and eventually through that process decided that teaching wasn't going to be for me.
Throughout all the craziness of figuring out what I wanted to do, Drew and I held strong. And instead of living apart hindering our relationship, it actually made us stronger. Knowing that living apart that we could trust each other and grow independently and as a couple, made me realize that he was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
And I got my wish. In May of 2008, Drew proposed on a gorgeous spring day. We were engaged for a little over a year before saying "I do" on August 29th, 2009. I moved back to Klamath Falls, got a job at general practice veterinary clinic that I had worked at previously, decided that I wasn't being pushed in the field, went back to SOVSC, and have been supporting Drew while he finishes school. We've even started a little Reynolds pack, with our dogs Mika and Emmy, who are our four legged children.
So now, Drew is just about to finish out his junior year in the Vascular Imaging program at OIT. For those of you who aren't aware of how the medical imaging program works, the student's senior year is spent at a hospital or clinic somewhere in the country to get hands on education and training. That is what we are currently facing at this stage of our lives: figuring out where Drew's externship is going to be at.
Which is the basis of this blog: following us as we go on this adventure and probably beyond. At this point, we don't know where we are headed. On either February 28th or March 7th we will find out where we are going. That is when I am hopeful that this blog will take off and I will have more interesting and entertaining things to blog about. I hope that this will bring you a little more insight about Drew, myself, and us as a couple. And I hope that our experiences, our trials, our successes, and everything in between will enrich your life, somehow.
So, for those of you who don't know Drew and I very well, my first post will be giving you a little bit of history and what is ahead of us.
To start at the beginning:
I transferred to College of the Siskiyous in January of 2005 to begin the stages to transfer to Southern Oregon University in Ashland for a History degree and later the Masters in Teaching Program. Little did I know that my future husband lived on the floor below me. To make a long story short, we met at a party of a mutual friend (one that Drew wasn't supposed to be at that weekend), followed by a snowboarding date later that same weekend. We began to date in March and became exclusive in July.
We continued to attend COS through the summer of 2006 before we moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon when Drew was accepted to Oregon Institute of Technology. I, not really knowing what I wanted to do and afraid living apart would hinder our relationship, followed Drew to Klamath Falls while still attending SOU (I commuted twice a week to Ashland for classes). I was working and going to school full-time and eventually made the decision to move to Ashland in 2007 to finish school.
With budget cuts at SOU and staffing cuts in the History department and my own personal financial issues, I decided to put school on hold in 2008 and focus on working. Luckily, I had obtained a great job as a veterinary assistant/technician at the Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center and eventually through that process decided that teaching wasn't going to be for me.
Throughout all the craziness of figuring out what I wanted to do, Drew and I held strong. And instead of living apart hindering our relationship, it actually made us stronger. Knowing that living apart that we could trust each other and grow independently and as a couple, made me realize that he was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
And I got my wish. In May of 2008, Drew proposed on a gorgeous spring day. We were engaged for a little over a year before saying "I do" on August 29th, 2009. I moved back to Klamath Falls, got a job at general practice veterinary clinic that I had worked at previously, decided that I wasn't being pushed in the field, went back to SOVSC, and have been supporting Drew while he finishes school. We've even started a little Reynolds pack, with our dogs Mika and Emmy, who are our four legged children.
So now, Drew is just about to finish out his junior year in the Vascular Imaging program at OIT. For those of you who aren't aware of how the medical imaging program works, the student's senior year is spent at a hospital or clinic somewhere in the country to get hands on education and training. That is what we are currently facing at this stage of our lives: figuring out where Drew's externship is going to be at.
Which is the basis of this blog: following us as we go on this adventure and probably beyond. At this point, we don't know where we are headed. On either February 28th or March 7th we will find out where we are going. That is when I am hopeful that this blog will take off and I will have more interesting and entertaining things to blog about. I hope that this will bring you a little more insight about Drew, myself, and us as a couple. And I hope that our experiences, our trials, our successes, and everything in between will enrich your life, somehow.
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