Maryland Residents

I'm not sure where the time goes but I blinked and suddenly October is coming to an end.  We have been in our new home for almost a month which seems impossible and after a weekend trip to the Motor Vehicle Administration we are officially MD residents.  Relinquishing my Texas driver's license was not easy emotionally.  I guess I will always be a Texan at heart.  So far I am loving our new home and enjoying the glimpses of brilliant Fall colors.

Field behind our apartment where Dora like to play.

I keep asking Scott if Fall is really here.  Most of the trees are still green or look like they're dying.  I've enjoyed the touches of red and yellow but was expecting more colors.  I think it is still early though.

Scott is halfway through week 3 of his rotation.  He seems to be enjoying it..except for the part where the alarm goes off at 4:30 am each day.  I think he is learning a lot even though he hasn't seen a ton of patients so far.  After this week he will be spending more time on the hospital floors.

I have been spending my days driving all over the state (not really but it feels that way) interviewing for jobs.  I was blessed with 2 amazing offers and accepted a position with a mid-size local accounting firm yesterday.  I am blown away by how fast the process went.  I start my new job on November 7.  

We are in week 3 of the Engine 2 challenge (http://engine2diet.com/tools) ...no meat, no dairy, no oils.  I must say it has not been as difficult as expected.  The biggest challenge has been meal preparation; I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen chopping vegetables.  Some of the meals have been delicious...black beans and rice, "meatloaf", pizza.  Others have been terrible...tofu steaks (If anyone out there has ideas for making tofu appetizing please send them my way.)  Overall I have experienced less discomfort after meals (acid reflux, bloating, abdominal pain) and feel full most of the day.  In addition I have lost 4.5 pounds while eating larger portions at each meal than I am used to.  Scott has lost 3 pounds, for the first time in a really long time his blood pressure is normal, and he has plenty of energy to get through the day.

We have a faced a few challenges in the last couple of weeks.  For Scott, he has turned down many yummy meals provided by drug reps at the hospital including sandwiches, cookies and pizza.  For me the biggest challenge is grocery shopping...there are so many delicious looking prepared foods that I have to pass by.  Also it is almost impossible to eat out or even have dinner with friends.  So far the benefits outweigh the costs.  I don't think we will adopt this lifestyle 100% but it has definitely changed the way I look at foods and we will be eating more plant based meals from here on out.

Greetings from Maryland!

Scott completed his first clinical rotation on September 22...6 weeks down, 72 to go!  The next day we packed up the car and headed to Maryland.  We decided to extend the road trip and visit some dear friends along the way.  After stops in Columbus, GA, Decatur, GA and Lynchburg, VA we arrived in the Old Line State (nickname for Maryland...had to look that one up).  

After one exhausting day of apartment hunting we settled on a 2 bedroom apartment in a quiet complex in Columbia, MD...across the parking lot from our friends Ryan and Sarah.  We are surrounded by trees and nature trails.  Dora is in heaven!  There are grassy fields where she can run around and even a family of deer that occasionally wander up to the front door.  I have been overwhelmed by the hospitality shown to us by strangers.  So far we are loving are new home and so thankful it will be home for at least a year!

Scott is back to the grind.  He kicked off his 12 week Internal Medicine Rotation yesterday with his very first 12 hour day in the hospital.  I have a feeling I'm not going to see much of him in the next 12 weeks...but he should learn a lot.  I have begun the job hunt and have a couple of interviews lined up next week.  I'm praying God will open up the right doors.

In other news we have decided to take the E2 28 day challenge.  This link has the info http://engine2diet.com/tools.  Basically for the next 28 days we will NOT be consuming meat, dairy or oils.  Today is day 2 and all I can think about is ice cream...this could be a very long month :-).  I will be sharing more info throughout the next few weeks.

Since we have not taken any pictures of our new home I will leave you with a few from one of our last days in Miami.  Scott woke me up early one morning to watch sunrise on South Beach.  The view was breathtaking.

Dora loved the beach