New Job

  So one of the things that I think will help this year be successful is to be busy, therefore I have started another job: Flight Nursing.  I am currently working for Warbelows Air Ambulance as one of their flight nurses ( I just wrote my bio. so it should be up shortly on the website).  I have always wanted to do flight nursing because there is something very appealing to an adrenaline junkie who always wants the sickest of sick patients to actually be the first responder.   While I lived in D.C. I  considered  doing flight nursing however the thought of being in a helicopter was slightly terrifying, luckily since Alaska is such a massive state it is not possible to use helicopters, only fixed wing planes.  Perfect.  I have done about two months of training where I have been focusing on the first responder roll (i.e intubations, chest tubes, cricoidotomy, etc...) and it is official, yours truly will be flying to remote Alaska in order to provide medical care.  So far it has been a lot of fun and I have definitely been able to see many different parts of Alaska that I am certain I would be unable to see otherwise.  Most of the remote native villages are not accessible by roads and it truly is a life changing experience to fly into a village where the children flock to the plane just to get a chance to see white people.  It is definitely helping me pass the time and it is also helping me see this massive state that I now call home.  I am excited to be able to offer my skills to these wonderful people and to be able to extend my knowledge in nursing as well.  Feeling hopeful that this will help the winter pass a little quicker!

Here are some pics. that I have taken:

Here I am ready to go, and yes I have to wear a flight suit...


My close up view of the pilots:

Not a bad view:

heading south

  Tonight after work Gatsby and I had our dinner outside on our patio and I must admit, that it got us both a little depressed.  Overhead all of the geese that we were so excited to see last spring are officially heading south for the winter.  There were at least 10 different 'flying V's' of  about 30 birds heading south all honking to let us know that Alaska has been fun, but they aren't that crazy to stick around for the winter.  Gatsby and I both looked at each other realizing that the long winter is coming, and that even the birds are smart enough to get out of town.  Every morning it is a little bit colder and I am sad to say that it I have officially started driving to work rather than bike because of the frost on the ground...it is chilly!  It is going to be a long winter and I must admit that morale is a little low thinking about the dark and the cold.  I just keep telling myself that this can be done and it will be done.  Wishing I was a bird and able to fly south and head to Boston for the winter. 

Reflections after a quarter of the way

    I have made it to my first big milestone since Pete's deployment: I am officially a quarter of the way there.  It is hard to believe that it has already been three months since Pete left, and at the same time, it is hard to believe that I still have 75% of the deployment left to go.  While I wish that I could say that time has flown by I can honestly say that it hasn't.  A year is a long time to be away from your best friend/husband and that fact won't change but I can say that I am learning how to handle this new lifestyle that I have no choice to lead.  I still get sad when I come home to an empty home, or when I make a nice dinner and have nobody to share it with, or when I something crazy happens at work and all I want to do is tell Pete all about it, or to have someone to kiss goodnight.  These are the times when it is hardest but I have come to realize these things will continue throughout this year and I have accepted that fact.  It is okay to be sad, it is okay to miss my husband however it is not okay to waste a year of my life and not be happy.  I have learned that it is possible to miss someone with everything that I am and still be okay.  In fact, I am better than okay, I am loved and blessed and that won't change no matter how far away Pete is or how long we are apart.  My family and friends have been incredible and have shown me that they are going through this year with me, not just as bystanders.  I have a job that I enjoy, I have really wonderful coworkers that I adore working with, I have been able to stay busy and explore this massive state of Alaska.  I have built a life here that I have done pretty much solo, none of my coworkers have met Pete but they have extended their friendship to me and made me realize that I am able to bring happiness to others even when they don't know the most important thing about me.   This might not seem that enlightening to most people however three months ago I had serious doubts about how I was going to get through this year without friends and family close by.  I can now say that I am doing it, day by day, week by week, and I am making the most out of this time.  I have gained confidence in my ability to meet others. While a quarter of the way may not seem like much, to me it is a tremendous milestone and I am that much closer to having my best friend safe and home with his family.