Changes

February 1st, 2014 was the day we drove fifteen hours from Castro Valley, California, all the way to Spokane, Washington.  I had never heard of Spokane before this assignment, but the thought of living in Washington State for eight weeks seemed pretty cool.  We drove in that first night, stayed at the Montvale downtown since we hadn't really found a place to live, and the solid inch of ice everywhere was already giving me second thoughts about being here.  I could barely walk anywhere in my TOMS.

A delicious breakfast at Frank's Diner while a couple of inches of snow fell the next morning did change my opinion somewhat of being here.  The people all seemed so warm and friendly, especially after three months of California's less friendly climate.  Within the first week here, we moved into a lovely condo in Rathdrum with even lovelier landlords, drove through our first snowstorm, and experienced our first negative temperature weather.  Not to mention we felt accepted very quickly into the fold at Deaconess with our 7 Tower co-workers.  Over and over again we both kept saying how this assignment felt like a dream compared to our last one.

So we renewed our contracts again, then again, and then one last time.  And as of this week, we have officially been hired on at Deaconess as permanent employees!  I am no longer a travel nurse... which is a little bittersweet.

What would possess me to move almost three thousand miles away from home?  I have a feeling there are many people, possibly in my own family even, that don't understand it.  There has been something about being out here, being away from all that is familiar, where culture and life are different, weather is different (I mean, I still don't even own an appropriate wardrobe for a real winter).  And I've never really been able to put into words why I love it out here so much.  I'm excited to be a bit settled for awhile, to have my furniture and my own things out here with me.  I'm excited to be living somewhere again instead of just staying somewhere.

I'm excited for this new chapter in my life!