2 More Months!

Reality is setting in around me as I am in clinic for the last 4 weeks. Next week will make 3 more weeks until I'm back at school and getting prepared for graduation. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! In little over two months I will be Doctor Lacy Mason, PT, DPT. I couldn't be more thrilled. Everything I've dreamed of the past few years is coming to fruition. The struggles of endless nights staying awake trying to study, the nervewracking competencies, staying at school until 11 pm (even when I desperately didn't want to be there) practicing this one last skill or that one presentation... this time in my life is coming to a close. My days are filled with seeing patients, documenting, clinic life. The work is hard, but I much prefer it to the rigours of school and the endless pounding out of assignments. Studying for boards is something I am imminently nervous of, but I plan to study over the summer so I'll be ready in July. Until then, I've filled my time looking into part-time jobs to make extra cash over the summer, made plans with friends to see them, and checked out my heart's content of books at the library to last me all throughout the upcoming months.

On the flipside, my husband recently started school this Spring to pursue his dreams of becoming a doctor. It's weird, having our roles reversed. When I first met him, I was a PT student just barely beginning my third semester of school, tired and frazzled and overwhelmed. My husband gently accompanied me through all of those difficult months. He was a patient practice subject for my friends and I, and he didn't laugh too hard when I did an evaluation component wrong or asked him to act as though he had a flaccid arm during an evaluation. He would brew me coffee late and night or in the early mornings, or make breakfast for me before leaving for school. He'd share lunch breaks with me in between class and keep me company while I studied at coffee shops. He drove me to work so I could study in between jobs, or drove us to hiking on Sundays off to allow me to finish my assignments and still have fun with him. My husband got me through my difficult coursework and some of the hardest semesters of my life, and it's in such huge part to him that he gave me the patience and confidence I needed to flourish both and school and as a significant other.
The roles are reversed: I drive to hiking now while he does school work. I keep him company at coffee shops while he studies! He's up late doing schoolwork and juggling classes while I am learning the finer points of working life. I don't mind the role reversal. I don't envy him - I'm glad I did my time and I'm also done. But I'm glad that it's my turn to mentor and encourage him, to let him know that the payoff will be worth it. The payoff is worth it - it's incredibly hard to juggle school and life and take risks for your future and apply to schools that dictate your future that you aren't sure you'll get into. It's hard having your entire life pretty much come down to a transcript. But we'll get him there.

This spring has got me thinking, "what's next?" I'm 23 - I'm married - I'm about to graduate. I've nearly met my "big" life goals. We aren't really thinking that we want kids. What kind of things do you do when your accomplishments have been met, when you've met the big goals? How do you fill your days? I've done a lot of soul searching these past few weeks to try and figure this out. We've attended church regularly. Made plans to hang out with old and new friends. Got library cards. We take weekend and day trips. We swing dance. I write. We still go on dates. I'm nerdy and I make 5, 10 year financial plans. I guess what I've found from this is that you need to continuously pursue growth and hobbies and passions. Do things that excite you, whether it's coffee once a week, biking, working out, dancing, seeing friends, visiting new places. Enjoying the here and now. For so long, I have had my eyes on the future. "When I graduate..." and, "when I'm done with school I'll do this, or this", or "If only I wasn't in school".
Those what-if's and when's are here now! Now I'm faced with their reality and I'm learning what to do with it all. I can't complain, though. I could certainly have worse problems than figuring out what to do with all of my days. Maybe my plans will involve more school in the future - I'm not really sure - but for now, I'm excited to begin job searching and beginning my career as a physical therapist. The future isn't without it's stressors, its ups and downs and trials, but it's looking bright.