On February 14th 2018 I got an email that made my life path change in the best way possible. I was running an errand for work and decided to check my mail. There in the local Walmart parking lot I opened the email that proudly proclaimed "Congratulations on your acceptance into our Occupational Therapy Graduate program!" I immediately began crying (ugly) happy tears as the weight of three years of anxiety lifted from my shoulders. I was officially accepted into graduate school. A school in Billings, Montana none the less!
From that initial moment I knew there was going to be a lot
of work to figure out the logistics of actually making such a big life
decision. But, I am incredibly blessed and as I began to make pro and con
lists, look into finances and living situations things seemed to fall into
place one piece at a time. There was one minute in particular when over a
family dinner full of talking about details my mom looked at me and stated
"Your really going to Montana aren't you?" I felt a certain sense of
peace as I simply said back "Yeah, I think I am."
Now here I sit, knowing that in three months (3 months 16
days and 15 hours to be exact) I am headed 25 hours across the country to
Billings. As I have been planning and figuring out all of the things that need
to be done before I can load up the moving van, it has officially hit me just
how far away I am going. I was born in Birmingham, raised in Birmingham, and
after four years at Auburn University (not even two hours away from Birmingham)
I moved back here for a year to figure out my next step. I have been here
forever and it is starting to sink in that I am going "far far" away
(as my mom has now deemed it). There are going to be so many differences- in
the culture, in the land, in the weather, in the people. But I have to remind
myself that people make moves just like this, if not bigger, every day.
Whenever I tell any of my patients or clients where I am moving to the response is always one of surprise, immediately followed by one word. "WHY?"
Whenever I tell any of my patients or clients where I am moving to the response is always one of surprise, immediately followed by one word. "WHY?"
The answer to why is really quite simple. The phrase
"the mountains are calling and I must go" has always resonated deeply
with me. I get this honestly from my parents who both love the West and
anything to do with it. I have always felt a call to move somewhere that
challenged me and where I could experience the wondrous outdoors that make up
the Western US. But I am too much of a realistic and to practical to just get
into a car and drive out there with no plans, no job and no money. I knew that
if I ever were to really move I would need some solid reason.
When it came time to apply to graduate schools I applied to
a few in the South and then on a whim I applied to a few in Arizona and
Montana. My thought was that if I was meant to be somewhere out there then it
would all work out. And work out is exactly what it did.
Sure I might not be the most confident person ever, but I am
beyond excited that my future is shaping up like it is. I am figuring it out
every day, but one thing is certain- I am forcing myself out of my small, safe
comfort zone. I am pushing myself to go and experience the world and some of
the things it has to offer.
Yes, there is going to be some
differences out there for this born and raised southern gal. But that's the
reason I created this blog. To share some of my experiences and hopefully even
one day motivate those wandering souls who need that little push to just say
"go and do it!"
KR
No comments:
Post a Comment