Final Weeks

So I've been away from LA for about 2 months. I've been meaning to write this final post before I forgot all of the details...

We'll see how we do. I basically want to highlight 5 things:

1. SFMC Beach Bonfire
2. Closing Retreat
3. Final Days at The Medal
4. Where I am now
5. Where I want to go from here

SFMC Beach Bonfire:

Michelle and Sergio planned a going away party for Holly and me. It was at Huntington Beach in Orange County. It was pot luck and we had a bonfire. A ton of the staff turned up with their families. I'd wager 70+ people came out for this. It was such a blast. I mean, a day at the beach is always fun, but we had so much good food, games and great company. It was great to see everybody outside of work.

The staff also presented me and Holly with some really awesome gifts, which include personalized embroidered hoodies, engraved iPods and a SFMC coffee mug (for Holly this was a cookbook). Everything had SFMC on it and I treasure them all because of who they were from and what they represent. It really caught me by surprise but it was really the icing on the cake of an amazing day that showed that we're all surrounded by love. SFMC 8th Floor Family.

VSC Closing Retreat:

The sweetest part about this is that we went to the Hollywood Bowl and watched "West Side Story" but the music was edited out ant the L.A. Phil played the music. It was awesome! You could see the entire bowl and the Hollywood sign off in the distance. Having the whole VSC crew there and a handful of the support people there made it a nice closing event.


The next day everyone said their good byes. While at the DePaul center we got one last "tree picture". It was done quickly as there were hundreds of ants in the tree. None of us recalled ants from the first tree picture, which was taken 2 weeks later in the year. Oh well. It turned out just fine.

Final Days at The Medal

Holly had to leave a little over a week before everyone else. Her departure marked the beginning of several sentimental farewells. Personally, it wasn't so much that she was leaving (I'd see her in a few weeks back in MN) but rather that it was our family was starting to part ways. The following weeks was marked by a good number of "lasts". Last Pho; Last Yogurtland; Last J & S; Last Stoop Time. It was also marked by a lot of cleaning and classic MM antics. We also worked down the last perishables with great creativity (turkey/mac & cheese spring rolls) and polished off the last of the alcohol.

Jonathan Sunday; Fischer Monday; Jess & myself Tuesday; Laura Wednesday and Adrienne headed back up the coast a few days later. That was that.

Where I am now

I flew in from LA and embarked on a 2 week journey of friends and family. I had my job interview in Duluth and got a call the next day. I then spent two weeks finding an apartment and enjoying my time not working. I crashed and Kenzie & Eric's place for a week as I awaited the move into my new place in Duluth. It's been 4 weeks tomorrow and I've settled in nicely. It's not especially homey at this point, but I'll get there. It's bizarre living alone. I think I will need a housemate(s) down the road.

Work at St. Mary's is going very well so far. My orientation period is rather long (roughly 4 months) because I will orient for a few weeks on all the units and then a few days on the floor. There are also education days peppered in there as well. I spend six weeks in Neuro/Trauma. It's great to be back there and catch up with all the people that I know. I'm already halfway done with my stint there.

It's been about 5 weeks in Duluth. I'm getting settled nicely into work and home. The weather is changing, which is refreshing albeit chilly. I'm getting my finances together now that I have student loan payments and other bills. Once that happens it will be time to get my own vehicle and give Rainbow Stu his buick back.

Where I want to go from here

I can see myself spending a few years at Essentia and then moving on. Where? Beats me. During those years, I'd like to really get a handle on my Spanish Skills. I'd like to do more traveling. I'd consider doing travel assignments for a while, especially if I dig the float pool gig. I'd also like to do more volunteering. I'd most likely combine the traveling and volunteering. Grad school is likely down the road. Ultimately, I just wanna see new places, meet new people and eat lots of things; jam with the people I know and love; and rest just enough to give me the energy to do it.


That's it. That's a year of post-grad volunteering. It's been real. It's been fun. I would do it all over again.