Home Sweet Home

We arrived in Miami 2 weeks ago.  In some ways it feels longer and in other ways time has flown by.  Scott is in his second week of the semester and is still trying to get in a routine.  The schedule is different every day but he is learning to go with the flow.  I know you are anxious to see pictures of our new place so here you go.

We love our home!  It is huge compared to our last apartment and feels very homey.  There is a Home Depot and a grocery store across the street, as well as many other shops and restaurants within walking distance.  There is even a dog park a couple of blocks away.  We could not have asked for a better location.  Finding a place to live in Miami was not an easy task.  I could go into the struggles in detail but I think that would get very long and boring...so I will give you the Reader's Digest version and tell you what we learned.  If you want the whole story then give me a call and I will fill you in.

Our move to Miami was a test in patience, trust, and surrender.  I spent more than a month trying to find a place prior to leaving Dominica and nothing worked out.  Scott, Dora and I spent 2 days with a realtor looking for a place in Miami after leaving Dominica and still nothing worked out.  Anxiety and fear set in  during our stay in Texas as our anticipated move date got closer and closer.  Finally on Wednesday, May 5 (the day we had planned to leave Dallas) our realtor sent us pictures of a cute little townhouse in Coconut Grove.  It was in the exact location we wanted to live, walking distance from a dog park, and was not a condo in a huge highrise.  We could not have asked for anything better.

We left Dallas the following day to spend a few days in Baton Rouge.  We emptied the storage unit in Dallas and loaded everything into a Penske truck.

We spent several days in Baton Rouge hanging out with  my in-laws; Haven, Patti, Chris and Keith.  It was wonderful to spend time with family and have a chance to relax.  Dora had a great time playing with their dog Jazz and was very sad to leave.  On Monday, May 17 we left Baton Rouge to complete the cross country road trip.  At that point we were still unsure if we had the apartment.  But thankfully our realtor called that morning and said all that we needed to do was sign the lease and we could pick up the keys on Tuesday.  We made it as far as a Red Roof Inn in Orlando that night.  The non-smoking room wreaked of cigarette smoke and we did not sleep very well...even Dora was restless.  We arrived at our new home around 2pm on Tuesday.  It was not what we were expecting.  The complex was definitely built in the 80's and from the outside looks like a set from Miami Vice.  Inside we had to contend with a narrow curving stairway that made it insanely difficult to get furniture upstairs.  But after lots of sweat and a few tears it all worked out.

So what did we learn?  I think it can be summed up by the following verses.  "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails" Proverbs 19:21.  And..."Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord" Psalm 27:14.  I hope everyone enjoys this Memorial Day weekend.  Hopefully I will have some good news about my job hunt in the next post.  Thanks to all your prayers it has been an encouraging week. 

Miami - 5th Semester

We have been in Miami for a week now and I would say we are somewhat settled.  Most of the boxes are unpacked and many pictures now cover our walls, we have cable and Internet as of yesterday, and Scott started back to class on Monday.  I know some of you are confused as to what exactly we are doing here so let me clarify.  

 

Medical school is divided into 2 parts.  The first 2 years are spent in the classroom learning the basic sciences....anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacology, etc.  The last 2 years are spent in the hospital observing doctors and  learning about clinical medicine.  In the U.S. all medical schools are associated with a single hospital which is usually right across the street.  Students have an opportunity to acclimate to the clinical environment during all 4 years thanks to the proximity of the hospital.  Ross University is a little different since it is a Caribbean school.  Scott wrapped up 4 semesters of basic sciences in April.  During those semesters he spent a few days in the hospitals and clinics in Dominica observing.  We are in Miami for him to complete 5th semester which is Advanced Introduction to Clinical Medicine.  For the next 12 weeks he will spend a few days each week in the classroom and the rest of the time in the hospital.  This will help him gain basic understanding of clinical medicine so he will be ready to start his hospital rotations in January.  He will also have time to study for his first board exam which he will take in the Fall.  

5th semester will end at the beginning of August then he will take a couple of months off to study for his first board exam, Step 1.  After he takes Step 1 we will have to wait a couple of months to get his scores back and then get placed in his first of eight (I think that is how many there are) rotations.  After this we will either stay in Miami or move to another state with a Ross affiliated hospital.  We are hoping to stay in one place for the final 2 years.

Hopefully this clears things up a bit.  I promise to talk about our journey to Miami and include pictures in my next post.  We are here, safe and sound.  Please keep us in your prayers; specifically pray for Scott tomorrow (May 20) because he has a Comprehensive exam at 8am.  This exam covers the first 4 semesters of medical school and he has to pass it before he can sit for Step 1.  Please pray for me as I look for a job here in Miami.  I have had a few encouraging interviews with recruiters and have spent hours filling out online applications; pray that I start interviewing soon.