Our Next Big Adventure

After much anticipation, the verdict is in! This summer Brian, Tigre, Patches, and I will be moving to......

OKINAWA, JAPAN!

We are super excited, especially since this was one of Brian's top choices, and can't wait to see what this new chapter of Navy life will bring! We don't have a set-in-stone moving date yet, but it will likely be in late July/early August. Brian will be working at the main Navy hospital there with a couple of our favorite Pediatric people (yay for knowing friends already!), and I'm already working on applications to hopefully be able to teach there as well. Even with all the excitement, I still have some slight apprehension about moving--mostly stemming from being so far away from my family and not knowing the language (yet)-- but we luckily live in a day and age where FaceTime, email, airline travel, and Rosetta Stone are all pretty readily available so I know it will all be ok. Start saving your pennies now, friends! Our future guest room awaits your presence ;) We'll keep you posted as new developments come along, but are happy to share this big piece of news with you for now. 

This Veterans Day

Growing up the only veteran I really knew (or at least knew well) was my grandpa. I knew that he had fought in WWII, received a purple heart and some other medals, and was lucky enough to come back home to live a full life with our family. He never really talked about the war, partly because of how young we were but also because it was something you didn't really talk about.

My grandpa, Wayne Richard Matteson: WWII Army Veteran

He was my only connection to the military and what it meant to serve our county, and I remember the concept of Veterans Day feeling almost foreign--something that I knew I should respect and honor, but something that I deep down knew that I didn't really understand even with a close family member who had served.

This year as I scroll through my Facebook newsfeed I am flooded by the images of friends and family members who have served in our military or who are still serving today--and to be honest, it's almost overwhelming. Overwhelming in that I never thought I would be embedded in the military community like we are now.

There are so many people that we care about who put themselves into harm's way on a daily basis. Who sacrifice time with their loved ones. Who move half-way around the world to take care of others and their families, all while missing their own. Who deploy to dangerous areas. Who come back changed, or don't get to come back at all.

And strangely enough, sometimes it still feels unreal. When you hang out with all of these friends out of uniform it's easy to forget for a second that they are the men and women who serve our country--not because you actually forget*, but because these are real people who have selflessly chosen to serve. They are friends, and brothers and sisters, children and classmates, who chose to defend our country in a variety of ways. And often they just blend into our midst.

Would you know that almost every person in this photo is actively serving our country if I didn't tell you?
There are about 20 of them pictured here.

And that's just it. That's why Veterans Day is so important. Because of the real people in our midst who serve our country and sacrifice daily for the common good. They might not talk about their experiences, especially if they are dealing with wounds internally or externally, but they have given more than many of us can fathom.

And with that said, there's so much more we should be doing to take care of our veterans besides saying, "Thank you for your service." I don't think I can succinctly address it without going off on a bunch of different tangents, but please consider going beyond the holiday. Words of thanks are nice (and saying them in recognition is a good thing!), but many of our service men and women have had difficulty transitioning back into daily life after serving overseas. They need support more than once or twice a year. They need more than a standing recognition at sporting events. Take the time to get to know a veteran, learn about what they have gone through, help support veteran's affairs with your time and your voting, encourage your company to hire veterans. CNN posted some great suggestions here about ways to honor veterans beyond Veterans Day if you have a chance to check it out.

I am extremely proud of my husband, and of all of our friends and family who have served our country. I am thankful for their bravery, their selflessness, and their service. And I hope that we can continue to support all of our veterans in the ways that each of them may need.

*Trust me, you definitely don't forget it when it is a part of your daily life, so please do not take this statement out of context. 

There's Comfort in Knowing

When we arrived in San Diego in 2012 we knew that we would be here somewhere between 1 to 4 years--no shorter, no longer. Navy medicine doesn't really make it so that you can stay at a teaching hospital immediately following residency training, so we knew we wouldn't be staying longer than that. But that window was pretty vague in and of itself. How do you mentally manage an unknown, limited time frame that is completely out of your control?

About halfway through the first year we found out that we were staying put for a little while, which allowed the uncertainty of Navy life to take a back-burner spot while we just lived and enjoyed our time here. We knew we would probably be here for just three years, the time it would take Brian to complete his residency, but there was a small possibility for a one year extension if he were to become the chief resident.

While that all sounds great, that extension possibility leads to a lot of questions and some general frustration. Is it worth applying for that job if we have to leave in June? Can we plan this summer trip with friends or will we potentially be out of the country? Do we need to really start tackling our San Diego bucket list now or do we have a little more time to check off those boxes? I try to have a carpe diem-like attitude when opportunities come up, but there is an element of planning and sometimes a sense of urgency (or lack thereof) that comes with being more certain about the near future.

Well, for better or for worse, the wait for those answers is finally over--our time in San Diego will be ending at the completion of this residency year in June of 2015, destination still to-be-determined.

Of course we're both a little sad. We've grown to love it here (I mean, who doesn't?) and have made some fantastic friends that will make it very hard to leave. But on the other hand, it is so nice... so comforting... to know when our general "expiration date" is here. It's akin to the "live like you are dying" mantra, but obviously not nearly as intense. It motivates me to do the SD area bucket list items while we can (like the weekend trip to Vegas we haven't taken yet, the sailing or surfing lessons, the road trip to Julian, the Temecula wine tours... all the things!), and it finally allows me to plan some things out.

We still don't know where they will send Brian, and consequentially me as well, next (we do luckily come as a packaged deal for the most part since he's in pediatrics). But strangely enough, that doesn't bother me in the slightest. I know it won't be here. It won't be DC or Portsmouth either. It could be as far away as Japan or Guam, or as close as Camp Pendelton--but it won't be here.

I guess that's where the flexibility has to come in. I could spend my time stressing out about where we are going to go next--which, let's be real, won't do anyone one lick of good--or I can just accept the fact that it won't be here and enjoy the time we have left accordingly.

My good friend Heather once told me she didn't think she could do it--the not knowing all the time. Sometimes I wonder how we do it, too.... but I think it boils down to embracing the things we do know, and letting the rest just happen. We know that wherever we'll be, we'll be there together. We know that wherever we end up, it's only for a short time in the grand scheme of things. We know that wherever we are, we have a network of amazing people in our lives that will help support us along the way. And now we know when we'll be starting our newest adventure.

There's comfort in knowing.

November Update

Hello family & friends! It's been too long! This fall has been a crazy, busy, and life-filled season for both of us.

Brian is doing well and looking studly in his new glasses courtesy of our optometrist friend Ketan, who finally helped convince him to get new ones.

His second year of residency is going well, too. There is much more responsibility, but he's taken it in stride and is confidently taking care of the area's youngest. It really is amazing to hear all of his stories and to realize how freakin' smart he is (don't tell him I said that--can't encourage him too much, you know).

As for me, the fall has been a litany of things: wonderful, stressful, educational, tiring, and yet encouraging. Even with 5 years of teaching experience under my belt, it is always difficult to start a new school year in a new place--especially with a new-to-me content area and curriculum--but difficult doesn't equal bad. I love my school, my students, and my colleagues; I've learned a lot about myself, my teaching style, and my content; and I've been blessed with lots of invaluable support to help me along the way. I'm slowly figuring out what needs to be done to make it all work, and it's definitely been getting better/easier as I go. It's just hard sometimes to be the "new kid," ya know? Especially when you're like me and want to do it right/well the first time. But, as with many things in life, I have to learn to take it in stride since "being new" will be happening many more times in the future as we continue our military moving adventures. I find this quote to be extra relevant and motivating when thinking of these types of things:

Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.  Theodore Isaac Rubin 

With all that said, I'm tired but I'm happy. And I'm continually encouraged by the hard-working, dedicated educators that I work with--today especially. We went as a staff to a study group through the San Diego Area Writing Project (SDAWP), and got to collaborate with other area educators on how to improve student writing. We put ourselves in our students' shoes, writing on six different topics,  and had to be vulnerable enough to share what we wrote others. It really makes you think about the process students go through as they are learning to write--not to mention how difficult it can still be even for grown people who have been writing their entire lives. My particular study group will be focusing on digital writing (which is what prompted this slightly disjointed post) and I'm excited to see what our readings and discussions will bring about in terms of improving students' digital writing worlds.

Ok, that's all that my brain can produce for now. Until next time, friends. :)

August is Awesome

Can you believe August is halfway over already?? Crazy how quickly the time can fly! August has been an especially good month so far for many reasons:

It's my birthday month :)
This is the first time in the past couple of years that I've been "home" for my birthday. Dinner with close friends, singing, and dancing was the recipe for the night and it turned out wondrously. 

Mom & Grandma came to explore San Diego. 

(I'm counting this as August since they were still here on the first and also because we didn't write a July post... or a May/June one for that matter....) 

We did as full of a tourist experience that we could cram into one week including the zoo, safari park, the beach, etc. Mom & Gram even got to experience a bunch of home cooked meals by yours truly, which was quite the shocker since they've never known me to cook at all back in Michigan. Good news is, they survived all of it (cooking included!).

I started my new job at SDGVA.

I'll be teaching middle school English most of the day and a class of Spanish each afternoon. I love the school I'm working at (it's where I did almost all of my subbing this spring) and I'm super excited to see what this new year & new content area will bring!

We sang karaoke to my heart's content.

If you haven't heard or seen my renditions of Hakuna Matata or Total Eclipse of the Heart then you're really missing out!

Brian is on a lighter rotation, so he actually has some time to relax & hang out.

And Brian having free time usually means taking ridiculous pictures. Never mind the fact that I often prompt the taking of said pictures. Ok, moving on now.

Dan & Sarah came to visit from Florida. 

Dan is one of our favorite people from our time in DC, so spending time with him & his awesome bride-to-be was a special treat. Brian was in perma-grin mode all weekend :) 

Went to my first pro football game.

The Chargers lost to the Seahawks, but we had a good time taking it all in. I'd go again, but I'd much rather be at a Michigan game any day!

Got to spend some quick quality time with Nate & Amy during their brief SD visit.

It's always fun to watch Brian interact with his closest friends--he and Nate could have their own variety show if they wanted to, but don't tell them that!

Game nights, happy hours, more birthdays, and beach time.

Kinley's birthday was a blast too. I love August birthdays ;)

And we're only halfway through! Whew! It's been a busy couple of weeks, but I wouldn't have it any other way. The reality of going back into the classroom paired with doing/writing my action research project to complete my Masters is going to kick my butt soon enough, so I'm happy to enjoy this time of fun, sun, and friends. There's much more to catch up on since we last posted in April, like the infamous Comic-Con, but I'll leave that to Brian to do later as I'm sure I wouldn't do it justice. Stay happy, friends!

Old Friends & New Adventures

This past week or so has been filled with both meeting up with old friends and experiencing new things, which has been awesome for the living-life-to-the-fullest experiences but not so good for my studying. However, I have no regrets about this. Life is meant to be lived and people are an important priority. It just means that I'll have to be on work lock down this weekend, and I'm ok with that.

First I got to have dinner with my rival college pole vaulting friend Brian and his wife Lucy. They've been out here for a little over two years and he is also in the Navy as a pilot. It was really wonderful to be able to meet up, catch up, and share stories. I'm hoping that we'll be able to get together & hang out more in the future :)

Next was a meal with Adrian friend Michael and his wife and daughter. I hadn't seen Michael since we graduated high school so it was really nice to reminisce, talk about family, and what we've been up to since. He and his wife are/were both Navy out here as well, but are getting out soon and heading back to Michigan in the near future. It's a small world and the Navy makes it even smaller sometimes.

Finally Kristin got to come visit for a few days tagged onto a friend's wedding. Seeing a familiar face and catching up like old times is definitely a treasured time. I'm so glad she was able to get a couple of extra days off to hang out for while!

Me & Kristin at Dining Out

Some of the new things I/we were able to do recently were a day trip to Tijuana, an exploration of Legoland, our first attempts at paddleboarding, and my first Navy dining out experience. Tijuana is going to have a be a post by itself--lots learned & experienced there. But here's a pic in the meanwhile.

Planting trees at the Valle del Campo school yard & giving them some water 

Legoland was a fun day! It was great to be a big kid, to ride some (small) rides, and to run around oooh-ing and ahhh-ing at the lego structures. There are a ton of complex, detailed creations there--I can't even imagine how one would go about trying to put those together! Blew my mind!

A Mini-Washington DC, all made out of Legos--so cool!

Hanging out with a giant Lego man named Max

Paddleboarding was something that I would definitely do again. We went with the USD Grad & Law students out to Mission Point, thinking it would be nice, sunny weather when we signed up a couple of weeks ago. No such luck. It was cold, windy, rainy, and very atypical San Diego weather. We stayed anyway, bundled up in our layers, and made it out on the water. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be--balancing on the board wasn't much of a problem and steering around was just like a kayak in many ways. I could see it being a lot more difficult out on open ocean waters with waves, etc, but being in an inlet made for a very positive first time experience.

Bundled up & ready to try it out

So far, so good. Staying upright!

And finally Dining Out with the Intern class. I was told that it wasn't a "real" dining out experience since they weren't in their uniforms and didn't go through some of the traditional things, but we had a great time nonetheless. It was held out on Coronado and included dinner, drinks, and dancing--so authentic or not we had a great time. It's always good for Brian and the other interns to get a chance to relax. They've been working their butts off and deserve a break like this for sure.

All dressed up for dining out

The Peds boys

Lovely ladies

Overall, it's been a great week or so! But now time to get back to the grind and hopefully get some of this work done. The end of the semester is creeping up and will be here before I know it! (So if there's no new posts for a while, you now know why ;) )

A Night at the Opera

New posts in the same week? Just don't expect it regularly :P

On Friday we went to see the San Diego Opera performance of "Murder in the Cathedral". Being a full-time student I was able to get a handful of discounted tickets (only $10 a piece!), so we made a friends outing of it. With the student pricing we weren't able to pick our seats and were expecting to be back in a nosebleed section--boy were we wrong! We had great orchestra seats, just off center, and were able to see quite well. 

"Murder in the Cathedral" is about the assassination of Thomas Beckett and is an Italian opera written by Pizzetti. The set was simple, but beautiful, and it was a fun experience! The only think I think I'd do differently next time is to be sure to thoroughly read the storyline synopsis beforehand so I could focus more on the singing and stage movements and less putting together the plot. 

Opera night with fun friends

View from our seats

The playbill/program

My cute date :)