45 Hours in Alaska

3 weeks earlier... Matt had just arrived in Fairbanks for his OB clinical rotation and I was preparing for PA orientation. Late one night, Matt and I were skyping (way past both our bedtimes) and somehow Matt ended up looking at flights to Alaska. Thanks to a voucher for a previously missing bag, we impulsively purchased a round trip ticket so I could visit over Labor Day weekend. I'm so glad we did. 

Saturday - September 5th 

I landed in Fairbanks, Alaska after flying all night at 2:30am. Matt picked me up and we went straight to bed! Well I did, Matt was paged for a delivery a few minutes after he turned out the light. After a few hours of sleep we ate breakfast and headed out to the local farmer's market. Surprisingly, the weather was warm enough that I could wear flip-flops! :) After walking around the farmer's market for a bit and admiring all the wooden crafts, moose earrings, giant (8lb) cabbages, and Alaskan wildlife photography, we headed to the Alaska Coffee Roasting Co. to get some studying done. 

HA. It turns out that lack of sleep and being in Alaska with my hubby (after 3 weeks of separation) is not conducive to studying pathology... or anything school related. I tried (really, really, really hard) to focus, but one unproductive hour later we were out the door to hike some trails behind the University of Alaska. Our hike started off well until our trail turned into a moose trail, which led us into a swampy creek area filled with moss that oozed water and sank about 5 inches when you stepped on it. Needless to say, Matt ended up giving me a piggy back ride most of the way so my mesh running shoes wouldn't get soaked (they did anyways). Eventually, we found our way to the highway, where a construction worker directed us to the correct path back to our car. 

We headed back to Matt's place, ate some lunch and took a much needed nap. On our way to dinner (yay Thai food!) we stopped at a park and looked at a glacier river. I should have taken a picture, but I forgot. One thing I noticed about Fairbanks, was how quiet it was. There is not a lot of traffic noise and when you're surrounded by nature, that's all you can hear. It was a wonderful break from sitting in a classroom all day. Also, Thai food seems to be a staple around here. I think I counted 10 thai restaurants as we drove around. After dinner, we made a quick grocery store trip to get snacks for our hiking trip and stopped at the hospital so Matt could check on a patient. Then we picked up another OB med student named Kat and her husband, and drove outside of town to star gazing and look for the Northern Lights. The stars were gorgeous and the Northern lights were breathtaking. The lights were a pale green color and not super vivid, but still beautiful. Watching the aurora borealis change shape and direction across the sky made it worth the freezing cold wind. 

Sunday - September 6th

Sunday morning we accidentally slept through our alarm, but still made it out the door at a reasonable time to drive to Denali National Park. The weather was crystal clear and Matt was advised to take this opportunity to go see the mountain. Apparently, very few visitors actually get to see Mt Denali because clouds usually obscure it. Luckily for us, we saw the snow-covered mountain several times on our drive to the park. 

Even if we hadn't seen Denali, the drive to the park alone would have been worth the trip. Fairbanks is transitioning into fall - all the trees are shades of yellow, gold, orange, and a few patches of red. The colorful trees, rolling hills, and peaks of snow-covered mountains created a picturesque drive. We   I couldn't resist taking a few photos on our drive over. 

When we arrived at Denali National Park we headed towards Mt Healy overlook trail. Matt and I seriously lucked out with weather - we could not have had a more beautiful day to hike this mountain. The views were spectacular and absolutely worth the grueling straight-up-hill trek. Once we reached the peak of Mt Healy, we decided to go another mile in with the hope of seeing a closer view of Denali. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see Denali from where we stopped, but the 360 views were gorgeous. We ate lunch and admired the views until the wind sent us back down the mountain. Much to my disappointment, we didn't see any bears or moose.  

View of our end point from Mt Healy. We hiked to the second peak.   

On our way out of the park, we stopped at a Christmas store and picked up an ornament to remember our trip and some coffee to keep us awake on the ride home. The time flew by and I couldn't believe it was already time to pack up and head to the airport. It's hard to imagine I was in Alaska for less than two days, but Matt and I packed the time with memories and new adventures. Fairbanks was gorgeous and the weather was perfect. I'm so happy I had this time with Matt to explore someplace new and reconnect after our time apart. We're both so busy with school that it's easy to become preoccupied and forget how much fun we have walking through life together. 

Now... only 18 more days until Matt is back in Boise for good! 

My Other Guy...

Let me be honest - a medical marriage is not easy, especially during the school years. Matt spent the majority of his time in class or studying, and I needed to develop new friendships to stay sane during our year in Seattle. In late August 2014 I met a very special guy. He's a part-time student and lives with his parents so he also had a lot of free time. We hit it off the second we met when he professed his love of the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. Since that fateful day, we've spent many afternoons together and he's just the cutest! He notices when I paint my toenails and compliments my outfits and earrings on a regular basis (usually if I'm wearing something Disney related - score!). Not to mention, we enjoy the same activities. Tickle fights, walking on the beach, reading, going to the zoo, doing puzzles, watching Disney movies, the list goes on! On a daily basis he makes me laugh and I always look forward to seeing him. On the rare occasion when I've spent the night, we cuddle and he tells me he can't wait to see me in the morning. 

Heart melted.  

Sadly, our time together is coming to an end - 13 days to be exact. :( And I tear up when I think about it.  Matt undoubtably has my entire heart, but this guy... he occupies a portion Matt just can't have (and he's ok with it). 

Look how cute he is!   

Where are we?

Friends and family have asked about our move to Idaho, how Matt's clinical rotations work, and when does Sam start school again? To sum it all up... 

• Matt is already in Idaho living with his parents. 
• I am in West Seattle living with my nanny family until I move to Idaho on August 17th for ISU's orientation.  
• Matt is doing all of his clinical rotations in the Boise area, except an OB rotation in Fairbanks, Alaska which starts August 17th.  

At this point, most people stop me and ask with bewilderment, "you're not living together? Wait... so you're apart for how long?" 3 months... or 12 weeks or 84 days. However you want to look at, it's a long time for us. Thankfully, Matt's transition weekend (when he moves from Boise to Alaska) perfectly aligns with my cousin Katie's wedding in Portland (thank you Jesus!) For a brief 39 hours -yes, I counted - we will have time to reconnect before Matt relocates to the land of sketchy t-mobile phone service and I dive into grad school. 

So this is where we are right now. Thankfully, I'm surrounded by two adorable kids who give me lots of hugs and kisses and constantly say, "Sam, let's play!" These kiddos keep me entertained and occupied so I don't miss Matt as much. Meanwhile, Matt is so busy with his pediatrics rotation that he doesn't have much time for anything.

Overall, our situation is working out really well, but I still miss living with my best friend. We've been apart since July 5th (24 days) and are starting to reach the point where texts are misinterpreted as snippy instead of good-natured. More often than not, I feel more alone when we say goodnight than grateful we had the chance to catch up. I have to remind myself how lucky I am that Matt's an 8 hour drive away, and not over an ocean in Afghanistan (kudos to military families - they put up with so much and I don't think I could do it). Everyone has their own struggles, and living apart is currently ours. We are trying to make the most of it by staying connected through skype calls and snap chats to keep each other updated and uplifted. Thank goodness for technology! Snail mail does not work for this girl. 

Kauai 2015

Did I mention our weekend together in Portland is only 16 days away?!?! :) 

Seattle Bucket List

When we moved to Seattle in July, we tried to adopt "the one year city experience" mindset. Yes, Seattle is expensive and traffic stinks and it rains a lot. But where else can we live right next to the beautiful Puget Sound and see how breathtaking Mt Rainier can be on a sunny day? With the Olympic mountains west and the Cascade mountains east, there is no lack of a beautiful view. Even living in the city, there are plenty of green parks where I can escape and enjoy some R&R. Not to mention, we find delicious ethnic food everywhere! Over the past year we've been creating a Seattle Bucket List, and it seems like every time we cross one off, we add two more.  

Unfortunately, when you live on borrowed money, it's difficult to splurge and see everything Seattle has to offer. We've explored Seattle a little, but not as much as we would like to. With one month left in Seattle (for Matt anyways) all of a sudden we're trying to squeeze in every Seattle experience possible. With Matt's first board exam on the horizon, we have even less time to experience Seattle... but I'm excited to see how much more I can squeeze in before Matt moves to Boise!

Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery

• SeaHawks game - missed it :( 
• Mariner's game 
• UW football game 
• Sounders game 
• Matt's never-ending list of restaurants 
• Kayaking 
• CSA 
• Ethiopian food 
• Chihuly Garden and Glass 
• Alki Beach 
• Pike Place Chowder 
• Tulip Festival - missed it! :(
• Explore the Olympic Peninsula 
• Ballard Locks
• Wine tasting 
• Fremont Troll 
• Molly Moon's ice cream 

  

  Kayaking near Poulsbo

• Explore Burke Gilman Trail 
• Select WA art work 
• Bonfire at Golden Gardens 
• Whale watching 
• Ferry trip 
• Discovery Park 
• Hike Dungeness spit
• Tacoma half marathon
• Top Pot doughnuts 
• Explore Mt. Rainier National Park

        *Green ones are remaining adventures! 

Biking to Matthew's beach on Burke-Gilman Trail 

Olympic mountains from Hurricane Ridge hike  

First UW football game

CSA harvest 

Lake Crescent camping trip 

Tacoma Half Marathon

Sounder's game rally

Of course, whatever we can't fit in this month just means we'll have to come back! :)

Any other places we should add to our list? 

My Husband the Exotic Animal

Matt just started his final term of MS2, and he we are so ready to be done with the classroom portion of medical school. With less than 8 weeks left, this is the last stretch before Matt starts clinical rotations, or "the fun part," as we call it. For the most part, I've been supportive. Reminding Matt of how fast the time will fly, and chanting "you're almost there, you can do it" repeatedly. Some days I dream of hiding his textbooks, deleting firecracker and Qbank off his phone, and kidnapping him to a warm beach. Unfortunately, that's not realistic, at least not until June 24th (yay Hawaii!) My reality now, that I have recently embraced, is that I'm married to an exotic animal...the kind you have to go to the zoo to see! 

Matt does love bananas... 

My husband the exotic animal, lives in the zoo where he studies, sleeps sometimes, eats, and studies some more. On most days, I only catch glimpses of him as he grabs lunch and heads out the door to school. Like visiting a zoo, you can only see the exotic animals through glass. Even with exhibits designed for guest visibility, Matt's quiet studious behavior makes it seem like he's not even here most of the time. Like any small child, I want to tap on the class (more like pound on it) to make the animal be visible. I want to make him look and notice me! Instead,  I keep my hands to myself and obey the zoo signs to not disturb the animals. Apparently, it's in his best interest, or so I've been told. If I'm lucky and patient, the zookeepers will let me feed him. At least then, I get to be up close and personal for 15 minutes. 

Thankfully, Matt's schedule is more flexible on the weekends so we generally have more than 15 minutes of quality time. Our time together is much more meaningful now that it's limited, and we try to maximize it by turning off technology and being focused on each other. It's not easy, but we're making it work. And with both of us in school next year, I may find myself in the zoo right next to Matt. :)    

Like Mother like Daughter

Growing up, I became quite familiar - if not annoyed, and sometimes angry - with the phrase, "you look just like your mom." Sometimes "look" would be replaced with "talk," "walk," "act," "sound," etc. Ugh. Do I look like a lady in her 50s?! Don't answer that...

Anyways.

Let's flashback to May 2009. During the senior all-night graduation party, a friend turned to my mom (a chaperone) and told her, "wow! I thought you were Sam!" I think my mom was in heaven the rest of the week with that complement - and of course I've never heard the end of that story. 

But all of this is just the backstory, see, with each year I'm realizing how awesome my mom is and I don't mind one bit being told that I'm like her. Now I view it as a complement, and even I must admit, there are a few habits/idiosyncrasies that I've picked up that are exactly like my mom.

However, I did not expect certain events in my mom's life to be repeated in my own. In November 2014, I'm walking to pick up one of the kids I nanny from school. It was a bright, clear, sunny day in West Seattle and I'm looking forward to my time with the kids. I take my usual route under a large tree and I feel a wet 'splat' hit my head. Instantly annoyed with the huge water droplet soaking my just-washed-and-almost-dried hair, I threw my hand up to wipe the water away... and something thick and moist stuck to my hand. I looked at my hand in horror, barely contemplating what I was seeing. What was this brown, slightly chunky stuff on my hand?! 

Ew-ew-ew-ew-EWWWW! 

Bird poop! 

A. bird. pooped. on. MY. head. 

I could barely contain my disgust at this revolting discovery. Once my mind acknowledged the incident, my thoughts immediately turned to my mother. My mother is the only person I know who has also been pooped on by a bird, and on her head no less! Like any rational person who has been told a thousand times over that she is a mini version of her mother, I instantly blamed my mom for this unfortunate event. Not only did I talk, walk and look like her, apparently I was also gifted certain life experiences... like being pooped on by a bird.

Thankfully, my mom has only been pooped on once, so I think I’m good. 

However, now I have to worry about stabbing myself in the eye with a fork while eating yogurt… but I think I can avoid that one by using a spoon. :) 

And if I'm lucky enough to inherit the rest of my mom’s experiences, then I should continue to grow into a Godly, hardworking, loving, forgiving, fun and patient woman who may someday be blessed with a daughter.

I love you mom! Happy Birthday!!! <3

I am Sam, PA Sam!

I am thrilled to announce that I have been accepted to Idaho State University's Physician Assistant graduate program!!!!! 

I'm pretty sure my face resembled these happy animals when I read the email... 

It is such a relief to finally know the path I'm on. Matt and I are so excited to move to Boise!! We're getting away from the big city, we'll be closer to his family, and we can finally study together again! I am probably most excited for our future study dates where I can comprehend more of what he's studying, since I'll be learning too! :) We constantly studied together at PLU, and I missed it. 

I'm going to grad school!!!! 

I can't believe it. 

After I found out, I had my own personal dance party, smiled at EVERYONE I saw at Trader Joe's and still screamed like a crazy fan girl in the car while driving home. 

My dream is coming true, and it still hasn't sunk in yet. Never did I imagine I would becoming a PA four years ago. I'm so thankful my path changed its course through the guidance of my faith, friends and family. 

I can't wait for August!!! 

~~

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; 

I will counsel you with My eye upon you

Psalm 32:8 

Calm before the storm

With a cup of coffee and bible in hand I sat down this morning, looking out the window, and contemplating what's ahead for the week. 

I love the sunshine that pours through this window on sunny days

Today is February 22nd. In one month I will turn 24 and tomorrow... well tomorrow is when the storm will hit. This newest storm will alter my course.. and dictate at what speed I embrace grad school studying, apartment searching, figuring out moving details, etc. 

This past week has been a roller coaster of emotions. After a restless night dreaming about life in Pocatello ID, waves of jitters that were only relieved by squishing Matt in massive hugs, and moments of doubt and fear I have finally found the peace and joy needed to brave the storm. 

I'm hoping I will be dancing around my apartment laughing with joy tomorrow. 

But in case there is only a smile of gratitude, I will remind myself how I am in the palm of God's hand, and this storm will play out exactly to His plan and for His glory. 

~~~

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.. 

Isaiah 49:16 NIV

2015 Challenge: Being Mentally Present

What a beautiful day MLK day was! Matt and I took advantage of the sunshine and went for a bike ride down to Matthew’s Beach. Blue skies and white puffy clouds was a welcome change in weather after a week of rain. We haven't gone on a bike ride together since August so we jumped at the opportunity to explore the Seattle area more. 

For the past two weeks I’ve been trying to form a new year’s resolution for myself – a phrase I could focus on that would effect several areas of my life. On Sunday I heard the phrase "mentally present" and I knew it was something I could work on. Our bike ride was the first step in meeting my challenge of being mentally present. Sounds kind of weird right? 

Too often I find myself on my phone mindlessly perusing Facebook, reading random articles on my laptop, or binge watching Netflix all day. When I'm not engaged in these activities I plan - I plan out my to-do list, grocery shopping, potential meals, fun vacations we'd love to take but can't afford right now... etc. All these things aren't bad necessarily, but the amount of time I spend on them prevents me from living in the moment and accomplishing my priorities like exercise, bible time and spending time with family and friends. I want to break my habit of pushing things off and telling myself I'll do them later, because I don't. Which is why I'm challenging myself to form new habits that will make me a more joyful person who is engaged in the moment.  

Here are my initial baby steps to living mentally present! 

1. I did not ask my parents for the new Netflix password :) I removed the temptation (even though I'm really sad that I cannot watch Friends..) 
2. Join the Bored and Brilliant: The Lost Art of Spacing Out project. It's a challenge to help you detach from your phone and spend more time thinking creatively. 
3. Find an accountability buddy to stay motivated. So far I have two! One for exercise and one for bible time. 
4. Say "yes" to time with friends and family. Hence, the bike ride on Monday. 

Did you make any New Year's Resolutions or challenges for yourself? 

White Christmas

Oh man, did I take my sweet time getting my thoughts down. I swear 2/3 of this post was done in December! 

Holidays bring mixed emotions for me, now that I'm married and have two families to spend time with. No matter where Matt and I go, one of us has moments of grief for the traditions, relationships and memories we had with our families before marriage.

Before we left for Boise, Pastor Richard Dahlstrom gave a sermon on the upcoming holidays and the frustration that comes with them (1Thes 5:16-18). He explained that many of us look forward to the holidays and the joy they bring, but holidays may also reveal the disappointing gap between our expectations and reality. For Matt and I, most of our disappointment during the holidays stems from experiencing unfamiliar traditions and missing others. Overall, Matt and I are still learning how to adjust our expectations as we alternate holidays and try to blend our family traditions together. 

When we booked our plane tickets for Boise I was pretty nervous. Through a few life events, our two-week trip was extended to three weeks, and I was concerned about spending that much time with my in-laws, and the grandparents in a city I wasn’t familiar with. Matt was planning on studying a couple hours every day so I was left to wonder what on earth I was going to do to occupy my time.

Luckily, the break went much better than expected. The first few days were pretty rough as we adjusted into the family routine surrounded by the chaos of remodeling. Many tears were shed and lots of chocolate was consumed J But as the days flew by, things got better. We did had a few ups and downs as we handled the gap between our expectations and reality of being home for the holidays, but that's family. There were moments when we reminisced for the holiday traditions we had growing up – it's hard not expecting them to be the same, and when they don’t go as planned, it's even more disappointing.  

I think it will be a few more years before we embrace alternating holidays because we’re still acclimating to different holiday traditions.  Currently we try to blend our family traditions by including special food items or family activities that are important to Matt and I. For example, Matt lamented (a lot) about missing his mom’s sausage stuffing at Thanksgiving, so I made it for him at my parents’ house. Similarly, my family always watches the Disney Christmas Parade, so Matt made sure to watch suffer through it with me on Christmas morning, haha. However, the best part of alternating holidays is the late night conversations spent planning our own future family traditions based off our favorite memories.  

Despite the bumps along the way, Matt and I were blessed to take full advantage of the holidays by spending them all with family thanks to my flexible work schedule as a nanny. Last year, my work schedule only permitted us a few days off, so time with family was short-lived. We love our families and the time we have to spend with them; spending a week with my parents in Salem for Thanksgiving and three weeks in Boise with my in-laws was wonderful. I’m thankful we used all the time available to see our families because we’re not sure if or when we’ll have this much time again.

I hope you also had a wonderful and memorable holiday season with your family!

Here are some of our favorite 2014 Christmas memories.

I loved watching home movies of Matt when he was little

Cheering on BSU to win the Fiesta Bowl!

So much fun playing with Moki 

First time snowshoeing

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, 

give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18