One year ago today we dragged 5 suitcases, 2
carryons, 2 backpacks, and one camera out of
Heathrow airport and got on a bus bound for Oxford. We were apprehensive, but mostly excited.
So many things were uncertain. We weren't sure that our bank cards would work. We didn't have a bank account. We didn't even know how to get to our flat. We weren't sure how demanding Scooter's schedule would be. We didn't know if I'd be able to find a job. We weren't entirely sure that we wouldn't run out of money. We also could not have known, when we arrived that day, how wonderful our year was going to be. We had no idea how much we would love riding the buses and walking the streets. We didn't know then that all of the things we were nervous about would be fine. We didn't know how many amazing places we would have the chance to see. We didn't know that we would be able to make so many great friends. We had no idea how attached we were going to become to the place - no idea how deeply we would miss it when we left.
Before we left we even questioned our decision some days. Going to Oxford meant a delay in starting medical school. It meant throwing off our life plan by a year. It meant a bit more financial uncertainty. It meant a lot of hassle - moving internationally is never easy. It meant hours of complicated paperwork and lots of international phone calls. It was knowing that we would be missing every family get-together, birthday, vacation, holiday, and not seeing or speaking to our friends very often. It was scary, but we have never regretted doing it. It was the best year of our lives.
We are so grateful that the opportunity was given to us. We hope no one ever thinks that we took it for granted. Every single day we couldn't believe that we were there. Sometimes we would just look at each other and laugh because it was so amazing. We are extremely grateful for whatever committee decided that Scooter should
receive a scholarship. We are so grateful for the support of our family and friends. We are so grateful for the people we met and the conversations we had. We are grateful for the great education Scooter was able to get. We are most of all grateful for the experiences we shared and the time we were able to spend together.
Today, on the anniversary of the beginning of our adventure, I decided to just put up some pictures of the place that, to me, still feels more like home than Kansas. Some of them aren't good pictures and are even blurry but they represent a part of the city that I love.
Well, my job search is finally over. I've been working in the cytology lab at the University of Kansas Hospital for a couple weeks. It was such a struggle to find a job. It's obviously a terrible time to be looking for a job and it was really frustrating. I was basically sitting at home for two months spending all my time searching online, applying online, and waiting to hear from places that never called. I hate online applications. I hate sending my resume into the internet abyss. I hate not knowing if the application that I just spent two hours filling will ever be read. But, I digress, I don't even want to recount the experience because it makes me frustrated all over again. I'm just happy to have a job. There are some perks to my job - I only have to work Monday-Friday, which is really nice. It has been a while since I have had a set schedule and it is nice to not wonder whether or not I will be working the upcoming weekend. Another bonus is that KU med school and the hospital share a campus so Scooter and I will be driving to school/work together everyday. It is sad when your life gets so crazy and busy that driving ten minutes together twice a day is something to look forward to, but that's what med school has reduced us to. The other great benefit is that the health insurance is awesome. Overall, I'm really happy to be a workin' girl again!
