This has been quite a week.  In so many ways.  Friends, it is beginning.  The lasts.  The goodbyes.  And this week I crumbled a bit.  Last weekend I spent time with a dear PA friend who lives in DC....and said goodbye. Wednesday I had my last guitar lesson.  And Tuesday marked May 1st.  May.  The month before June, which of course is the month before July.  July that so easily slipped off my tongue as my departure date when it was so many months away.  But July that is only two months away and is the end of a life filled with friends and family I love.  Not to mention my patients.  And so, there were moments of feeling overwhelmed and crazy and maybe a few tears.

But then, this morning I spent time perusing Amazon for books on tropical medicine, parasites and infectious diseases.  Which happens to be my favorite subject.  Topics I loved long before becoming a PA.  Admittedly I tell you that at 19 when other young girls were reading tabloids, you could find me in Barnes and Noble looking for the most hideous pictures of infectious diseases I could find.  Nerd, perhaps.  BUT!!!  Guess what type of medicine I will be practicing in the DR???  Just a small thing that ignites a smile to my face.

I'm sure this is a small window into how the next several months will be.  The ups and downs.  Exciting things with sadness attached.  Sometimes I wish I could skip to a year from now.  When I hopefully will have a descent understanding of the Dominican language and cultural.  My ministry site and clinic will be up and running.  And the goodbyes will be over.  But, I know I'm in good hands and look forward to sharing lasts and firsts with all of you!

XoXo