Comments:
Geez, where to begin? After barely graduating in 1989, I focused on finishing my training as an Army medic, and once that was over I focused on partying with my buddies for a time. Inspired by my military experiences to do something in health care, I finally went back to school in 1991 and entered field of nursing where I have been since. I most recently worked in intensive care and in surgery over the past 6 years before starting grad school. I was first married from 1992-2000, had no children, and was subsequently divorced in 2000. I re-married later in 2000 and have been with my wife, Tamara, for over 10 years now. We have both been academic late bloomers: she (Pleasant H.S. Marion, OH class of 1990) is just 5 semester hours from graduating from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah and I just recently graduated from the Master of Science in Nursing--Nurse Anesthesia program at the University of Cincinnati--I guess maybe playing the age card can help one edge out the field when applying to otherwise competitive academic programs (LMAO)--who knows? We are just glad to be fast on the way to bigger and better things. I have also been in the Army Reserves for over 23 years now--I was enlisted for about 15 of those and have spent the rest as an officer (currently a Captain). One of my best friends (Vance Switzer) and I were lucky enough to be deployed together for most of 2003. I have two children so far: Maya--my 5-yr. old daughter, and Rowan--my 2-year-old son (yeah, I got a late start on that too).
I stayed in Ohio (Fairborn and Springfield) until 2002 (though I had threatened to leave many times prior to that, however, encumbered by an unexplainable reluctance to part with the swarms of bugs, stifling humidity, and relative lack of topography here--I stayed for reasons that remain enigmatic to me). After several road trip vacations helped me sort out that I really needed to cut the cord with the Midwest, I let go of my inhibitions, "popped smoke," and emigrated westward. I lived in Pocatello, Idaho from 2002 (minus my deployment) until 2006 and in Salt Lake City, UT (beautiful scenery, great snow, but oh what an ODD place to live...I 'll just call it "culturally challenging" and leave it at that) 2006-2008 until I moved to Cincinnati in Aug. 2008 to attend grad school at UC. At first, it was strange coming back to Ohio, but it has been nice to be near the support of our extended family and especially to share our children with them (plus UC's Nurse Anesthetist program is perennially ranked 10th-11th out of over 100 such programs in the U.S--it was a no-brainer when that acceptance letter came--it was my #1 choice for many reasons though I have no idea how I made the cut).
I love anesthesia and I know I am really going to really dig my job (plus I am pretty sure it is going to pay the bills even if my beloved spouse decides to go work for GreenPeace, the Sierra Club, or "Save the Prairie Dogs" for like $10K/yr. or something after she takes the bar exam).
We recently decided to stay in Ohio for at least 2-4 years to remain closer to our extended family and will be relocating to the Dayton area (Springboro, Centerville, or Beavercreek) this summer. I will be working in Dayton at Good Samaritan Hospital. We loved the geographic landscapes out West, but the people landscape is much more hospitable in good old Ohio. I am sure to be deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, or who knows where in the coming months and I will feel much better knowing my family is near the people they know and love.
Sorry I could not make it to our/your reunion(s), but I was swamped with academic responsibilities and clinical/call/rotation obligations. Now that I will be closer to many of you for some time to come, I hope to see some of you.
