So it's been quite a while since I've updated my blog...mainly because blogging requires introspection, and for being an introvert I don't really like introspection. Plus there were some hard few months in there where I didn't really want to write about. Ah well...
I'm back in the US, home sweet home in Roanoke, VA. I got back to the States in mid July. This post will be more about where Waldron is right now, vs. where exactly I have been the past 9 months, but I'll work on that later. :)
Since the beginning on August I've been working at a local nursing/retirement community, but in the outpatient section (my favorite setting). God really just dropped this job into my lap - I was home for all of about 4 hours one morning between trips from Nick and Suzanne's wedding in Indiana to a interview and visit with friends in NC, and a phone call came to my parents' home asking if I'd be interested in a local contract position. I said yes, but I didn't know what would happen after my interview the following day, but on the way down to NC I phone interviewed with the local clinic, they amazing accepted a 3 1/2 week contract since I didn't know the outcome of the interview and boom, I had a job here in Roanoke only 2 1/2 weeks after being back in the country that I hadn't even been on the look out for. wow.
I didn't get the orthopedic PT residency program I had applied for in Charlotte, and my contract here at home was extended until mid November. This has given me more time at home than ever before since I went away to college 13 years ago, and I'm thankful for the chance to be HOME, with my parents and family, with the mountains, thankful to know my way around yet have plenty of new things to explore. I'm thankful to experience fall - apples and pears (the dehydrator is running right now), college football, crisp cool weather, bike rides, kayaks, and hikes.
So Where's Waldron next? I don't really know yet. I thought I would possibly stay with the job I'm at, but there was some miscommunication (I'll take the blame on that one for trying to communicate via voicemail), so they've already offered it to someone else. I was a little miffed, but honestly, it gives me the opportunity to push and dig in, to look for a job in the setting that I want to be in - outpatient orthopedics - and to invest in my skills as a therapist. Over the past 3 years I've loved being a traveling therapist, and I've gotten to experience a great variety of settings. Through all of those, my love for outpatient ortho has remained constant even if I do like a little variety every now and then (and plastics on the ship was pretty similar to ortho honestly - you're regaining ROM and strength, just dealing with a bigger wound usually in the midst of it and more skin involvement than bone usually).
I feel like my word for this year is INVEST. I have yet to fully determine where that is after Nov 14th, but honestly, it doesn't really matter. We can invest in those around us, in ourselves, in our long standing friends no matter where we're at. What I also think that means is that I won't necessarily be changing locations every 3 months, but aim for a permanent (gasp!?) job instead of what may have become my comfort zone lately of moving every 3 months (or 10 months as on the ship). When you invest in something/someone, a lot of time it takes more than 3 months. (stating the obvious, I know) What this also means is that I'm going to try to make good decisions on what I invest in, so that I'm not too busy or distracted from things that don't matter to be able to say 'yes' unexpectedly/unscheduled to the things/people that are important. I'm not saying I've really gotten a good handle on this yet since I've been back, but that's my goal for the upcoming months.
The disclaimer on this being how I've talked about being in 1 place, taking a permanent job - God's got things figured out much better than I do and it might not exactly look like that, but that's just my gut feeling of what the next year or so might look like. I do hope to spend more time abroad in the future, but I don't know exactly when that is, or where, or with whom (definitely wouldn't mind going back to the ship at some point).
Thanks for listening to my musings, feel free to call me out on times when you think I'm not investing well as I feel like I'm having to relearn that...
