Growth Curve -- Medical Mondays

It's over. The Great Adventure known as "away rotations," that is.

As grateful as I was to come home. As many ups and downs (and, let's be honest, there were more ups than downs) as we had along the way. As overjoyed as I am to know that, a few weeks from now I will not, in fact, be packing and cleaning and driving 12+ hours to some destination. As crazy as it sounds, I was a little bit sad for it to be over.

In addition to fun, adventure, family time, I learned a lot about myself along the way. I think it's the first step of the residency growth curve -- one I think my whole family will experience in our own ways.

St. Louis

I learned (or learned more deeply):

***The value of simple living. Yes, I can wear the same 5-7 outfits for a month. Yes, I can fit a month's worth of clothing in a suitcase. Yes, I can pack the essentials for a family of 3 into the trunk of a sedan. It is truly eye-opening to realize how much you don't need, even if those things are nice to have.

***How to be even more careful with meal planning and smart grocery shopping. I've long been a meal planner, but I took it to a new, no-waste level when we were on the road. I didn't want anything left at the end of 4 weeks. As a result, my grocery bills were consistently lower than they are at home. Admittedly, home shopping includes more non-grocery items and more "stock up on sale" items, but I am trying to shop smarter. And clean out the pantry, full of half-used junk.

Denver (fine, Vail)

***The value of getting out of the house -- to play, to go for a walk, to run errands, whatever. Because we only had one car, I had to get creative with getting out of the house. I can definitely see how my mood changes when I'm cooped up too long. I might be an introverted stay at home mom, but I can't stay in the home all day every day.

***The value of getting out of the house -- to explore, to experience, to do. At home, it is easy to get bogged down with chores, to-do lists, obligations, expectations, ruts, etc. On the road, we were committed to maximizing our weekends -- trying new restaurants, being tourists, seeing family, getting out to see what a new city had to offer. We had so much fun. So much fun. I think that is what made the experience so wonderful and memorable for me. I hope to incorporate it more into our "real" lives, both here and wherever we land in the new (medical) year.

***That we really, truly will be okay wherever we land. Now, I'm not just saying it. I know it.

Wichita

{Linking up with Your Doctor's Wife, From a Doctor's Wife, and D-Isis for Medical Mondays!}