Canadian celebration :)

Do you ever get the feeling that time is both standing still AND speeding ahead at 100mph? That's exactly how Patrick and I felt when we realized we were right on top of our One Year Anniversary. How could a whole year have gone by when it seems like just yesterday we were standing at the altar? 

And at the same time, so much has happened and changed in our lives...has it really only been a year? I think this is what adults meant when they told us as children that time flies when you're having fun.

So while I could wax and wane about the bliss of married life or reflect on the year passed, I'd much rather tell you what we did for our anniversary. We went to Niagara Falls! 

We left early Friday morning, drove nearly 8 hours to the New York state/Ontario border, then crossed the Rainbow bridge (no joke) into Canada. While there, we stayed in this amazing tower overlooking the Falls, wandered the cliffside paths for unclose sightseeing, and even took the Journey Behind the Falls (yes, I'm attaching video, because it's awesome!). 

We also sampled some stellar dining, namely at Brasa...if you ever get the chance to try this Brazilian steakhouse, do yourself a favor and GO! Pat has been raving about it since we left :)

Anyway, this place is so much better seen than talked about, so I'll do just that! I only wish the pictures could do it justice, but this world wonder is way more epic in person...

The Rainbow bridge and American Falls, aka "Bridal Veil"

Canadian, or Horseshoe Falls, straight from our window!

Getting a glimpse behind the falls

It got to be nearly 80 degrees, so the mist felt goooood :)

Right on the brink...

A gift from our waitress after dinner, yum!

The journey takes shape!

I usually hate self-abasement. It's becoming on very few people, because it's only believable when it's sincere. There's a part inside each of us that says "yeah...I deserve good things to happen to me, and I earned this!" So we feign modesty when really we want the world to know all about our justly gained victory. I hate this tendency. It leaves no room for acknowledgement of God's work in our lives. True humility is a tricky thing. So I don't know how to express how sincerely awed we are at the things that have begun to take shape in our lives.

Backing up a few weeks: Patrick and I were just entering our second month of work (February) at Yale-New Haven when our unit manager approached us and asked if we would be interested in extending our assignment here. Our first instinct was yes! This could be the answer we were looking for - we would have a good job, we wouldn't have to move. The only catch is that it would have to be a shortened assignment so we could get to Washington for my sister's wedding. No big deal, right? Wrong...

Upon asking for this, we were given a swift "no". Nope! Can't be done; we need you both for an additional 13 weeks or not at all. In other words, door slammed in face. So now what??

Panic. What's our plan B? Where else could we go?? We can't stay in New England, in this place. I need my family. We need to go home. Let's go to Washington. We could just move back and be safe. Everything will work out. WE can make it work. But thankfully, God's plans are bigger than our plans.

After a handful of interviews and job offers, I just couldn't accept any of them. Nothing felt right. Going west felt like a cop out. Like we were giving up. So we waited...and in the midst of the turmoil of waiting, God answered the biggest prayer I've had in years. We received a letter from Mercy Ships - we have been accepted to serve. 

Oh dear God. It's happened. This one thing I've wanted for so long may actually become a reality. If you haven't heard of this organization, please check them out. Mercy Ships has been a dream of ours since before we got married, and a dream of mine since before nursing school. This is one of the reasons I became a nurse - to literally be the hands that bring healing to a nation in need, to touch lives and to be changed in the process. My heart aches for this. And this fall, we are slated to go...unbelievable. I could literally write pages about this endeavor, but I'll save that for a later date.

In the meantime, the weeks go by and we remain without our next assignment. But there's a peace in the waiting this time. No more panic, no more plan B. After all, if He cares enough to hand us this huge future dream, of course He is going to provide for our needs leading up to it. And just this past week, He gifted each of us interviews at John Hopkins. Um, what?? How is that even possible...? 

Because when we plan this big, God plans THIS big. He knows our every need, better than we do. And sometimes I think He just gets a kick out of blessing the socks off of us! So here we are, finishing out our final weeks of this assignment, and then we will head south to Baltimore to work at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the country. Oh, and they are giving us time off for my sister's wedding. Seriously.

But before I get carried away with the future, God has more than met our needs right here in New Haven. We found a church that seeks to radically change the face of authentic Christianity, and we have been challenged to rise to that standard. We were surprised and thoroughly blessed by the friendship of Jeremiah and Teresa, this amazing couple who lead our small group. And we have met a myriad of great people who have opened their hearts to this little couple from eastern Washington. This was a huge answer to prayer for us because our biggest fear coming here was to be isolated for three months. But somehow we have come upon genuine friendship and community over 2,500 miles from home. Which, to me, is something worth being in awe over :)

First friend from home!

This past weekend we were graced with our very first trans-continental visitor! Our dear friend Becky made the multi-flight trek from Washington state to be with us and see our east coast life :) 

We did our best to expose her to all that New Haven has to offer (read: ridiculous drivers, Best Video and Coffee shop, Yale/Hogwarts campus, and pizza). But when we had finished with Connecticut, we all hopped on the metro and took her to the big City.

There we met up with another of our nearest and dearest, miss Rachel, and her sister Esther. Becky had never been to NYC, so the troop of us did our best to give her the city in a whirlwind! 

We started in Times Square...after all, where else ought you to start in this place?

We tasted local tastes (Shake Shack...mmm) and enjoyed an off-broadway show (RENT!!). 

We tromped to Battery park and gazed at Lady Liberty as the sun set. (This photo courtesy of Esther, who managed to capture her in the wee corner opposite us, hahaha)

We ended our day with Indian cuisine and got back to New Haven before the clock struck twelve! 

The next morning we woke up our friend at the awful hour of 7am - 4am her time, and went to church. We spent the afternoon baking and cooking, and that evening went to my husband's gig at the Outer Space. This was truly fitting, because Becky and I used to attend Pat's shows together back home every Monday night. It seemed right that she be here for it :)

We bid her farewell the next day, and are now back to our daily lives. But it was great to have her here, even for a couple days. I had forgotten what it was like to spend time with someone who has known us for more than two months. Somehow her visit makes the fact that we're here seem more real. 

She will be missed :)

Lenten reveries

Right now I'm listening to the drizzle of DC rain, sitting in a cozy brownstone on Massachusetts ave. No, we didn't suddenly move to the nation's capitol. I'm visiting my sister :) Friday is a busy day for her on the Hill, so I'm taking the afternoon for daydreaming. There's something lovely about being in a city where no one knows you, expects you to be anywhere, or to do anything. Even in New Haven, I can easily become too absorbed in to-do's, and don't take the time to just be. 

During this season of Lent, I've decided to take a sabbatical from social media (and while I realize that I AM writing a blog, I think of this more as external processing than social interaction). This is a lot easier said than done. I didn't realize how difficult it would be until I subconsciously reached into my pocket to see if that vibration I just felt was a new post. It's like having one ear always tuned to another conversation while trying to speak with the person right in front of you. Something is terribly wrong with our, or at least my, priorities...

I remember when social media first exploded on the scene. I was a freshman in college, and it was as if the world was suddenly open. Everyone I knew could be at my fingertips! I could see what they were up to, show them what I was up to, and even leave witty comments on their cute pictures. What a grand pastime! But as the years went by, and this one site in particular became more and more engrained in daily life, it became less an exciting connection with others and more a daily chore. In fact, more like an albatross. This nagging tug that told me to check in, even though I wasn't interested in what so and so had for dinner, or affected by what such and such did this weekend. It began to invade my downtime, penetrate my work life, even assault my family time. Seriously??

Since when did technology become a hindrance to being present?

So my Lenten pursuit is to shed this awful tick, this habit of perpetually concerning myself with a virtual stream of endless updates from afar while real people around me are waiting to be talked to. Encouraged or uplifted. Heard. Seen. Could it be that every time I look down at the device in my hand, I'm missing an opportunity to be a light to someone around me? Even smiling at the person that passes me on the sidewalk matters. I want to be open to whatever or whoever comes my way, mentally present and willing to engage. But it's more than changing the way I interact with those around me. It's an attempt to change what frequency I'm tuned in to.

What if we all quieted our minds and our smart phones and listened? Listened in that sweet silence for the still, small voice that only a tranquil soul can hear. What if all that updating and commenting is really only a means to preoccupy me, to distract me from listening deeper? Sometimes I'm afraid of silence. I think most of us are. But I truly believe that's where we hear God best. When we pull away from the noise and the hurry, when we center down, we can tune in to the Voice that matters most. My prayer during this Lent season is that I might be present, take the time to be still, and listen up.

The place my dad was born

This past weekend, Patrick and I decided to put a few more miles on the Jeep and 

take a trip to the Ocean State! 

We have been wanting to see what other old towns are like across New England. 

Our destination: Newport, Rhode Island

We didn't know much about the place before we got there, but armed with Google and Wikipedia, we learned as we went :) Newport was established in 1639...yep, before the U.S. was a country. We learned that not only was this City By the Sea a trade port, it was home to pirates! In honor of this heritage, we dined at the Red Parrot Restaurant on historic Thames Street. 

Best seafood on the east coast to date.

I could bore you with lots more historical facts, but apparently these days Newport is most notable for its mansions. This was the summer play place for big time southern plantation owners in the mid-1800's. Along Bellevue Avenue there are dozens of these sprawling "cottages", some open for tours. So we had a look at one called the Breakers.

Pat in front of their enormous gate.

We couldn't take pictures inside, but they didn't call it the Gilded Age for nothing...expensive tapestries, sculptures, mosaics and gold leaf literally covered the interior. Who knew??

After wandering those halls awhile, we decided to go enjoy the natural scenery too. We took a walk along a trail called Cliff Walk, which skirts the mansion properties and the coast.

This place gets most of its tourists during the summer months, who flock here for the sailing. But the ocean was just as beautiful in February, and we got to introduce our puppy to the sea!

Before leaving, we had one more stop to make. Another little known fact about Newport, RI is that it is the birthplace of my father :) I'm sure the hospital has changed much over the years, but at least we can say we were there! (Drive-by photo, I know, lol)

We grabbed a tasty treat at the Sailor's Sweet Touth, then we hit the road. Another day trip, conquered! Til our next adventure :)

The stretch

Do you know what the best part of working a three-day stretch is? Coming out the other side, taking a deep breath, and allowing my proverbial cup to be refilled by doing the little things that make me feel human again. Drinking a cup of coffee without looking at the clock for when my break is over. Having a conversation with a friend that doesn't revolve around the patients we both have. Reading a book. Taking a bath. Because this job literally takes everything you've got, and it's not easy to go on giving everything day after day without allowing yourself to be replenished.

Every nurse knows what I'm talking about.

You pour yourself out each shift; diligently monitoring, providing care for, and offering comfort to complete strangers. It's not only hard on your body, it's hard on your mind and heart. I'd almost venture to say, your soul. To care for others is no easy feat. And the longer I work over here at Yale-New Haven, the more I believe this to be a truly universal concept. People are hurting everywhere - the same in Spokane, Washington as in Connecticut. So if I boil it down, travel nursing isn't hard. It's NURSING that is hard. If you endeavor to do what the job actually requires, it stretches you, and can sap you dry.

I've recently started reading a book called Celebration of Discipline with a dear friend, and it begins by introducing the concept that the harder I "try" to accomplish closeness with the Lord, or to be a better person than I am, the more I will stumble. This is because I am relying on myself to do the "doing". But if I would hand that job back to God (where it belongs), He will do the necessary work in my life to make me what I am supposed to be.

In this same way, if I continually pour into nursing while counting on MYSELF to fuel my efforts, it will be only a matter of time before I run dry. Sometimes I wonder how long I'll be able to do this, how long WE will be able to do this. I see the toll this job takes on myself and my husband. But by relying on God to work THRU me, the effort becomes minimal. The giving takes less out of me. Because it can come from Him if I let Him do the work.

So I'm going to take the day and let Him refresh me. Let Him sustain me. Because He knows best what I need. And He already knows the people that He wants to touch thru me. The other day as I was finishing my shift, one of my patients asked if I was coming back the next day. When I told her yes, she said "Oh good...it's such a comfort to know you will be here." That's why I love what I get to do. Despite the work, despite the cost, I know God means us to be here. And I know He has what I need to get thru the next stretch.

Oh, The City :)

As in, New York City. Apparently on the east coat, when anyone refers to "The City", you're supposed to know they mean NYC. But let's face it, the place has rightfully earned it's reputation as THE City, so I won't argue.

We decided earlier this week that we were going to make an impromptu drive to NYC for a night to go see the one and only Allen Stone play at the Apple store! So, armed with google maps and our new, no-nonsense Jeep, we left yesterday for Brooklyn. To our great surprise, we navigated there without a hitch, and were blown away by the approaching skyline and the mass sprawl that is the boroughs. We were only able to snag one shot - pardon the photo quality, I kinda took this while driving ;)

Thankfully, we had found a pet-friendly hotel in Brooklyn close to a Metro station, so Lady was able to accompany us on our voyage :) We tromped around the neighborhood, admired all the brownstones, and after a quick lunch, took the R line into Manhattan. We found our way to the Chelsea neighborhood so that we could get wrist bands for the show. Despite having been to New York a couple times, I had never been to an area that felt like people LIVED there. Not touristy or bright and loud, but full of people actually going about their daily lives - grocery shoppers, kids going to school, suits carrying briefcases. It was refreshing.

We grabbed bands at the Apple store, and then just started walking. Before we knew it, we had gone about a dozen city blocks and were at Times Square. Still hustling and bustling, like always...

After a few miles of walking, we decided to subway it back to Chelsea and grab a bite to eat before the show. We found an awesome restaurant called Pad Thai Noodle Lounge, where we feasted on crab rangoon and curry to our heart's delight. Then we hurried the one block to Apple, where we met our dear friend Rachel, who joined us for the show!

We waited and waited (and waited), but of course it was worth the wait - Allen never disappoints. If you haven't heard of Allen Stone, do yourself a favor and look him up! Straight from Chewelah, this 23-yr old guy has enough soul to blast a room apart, and is probably one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. He was also recently on Conan. No big deal. Out of respect for the no-photography request, I only took a  pre-show shot, but seriously...this kid and his band bring some SOUND.

One killer show later, we gave him a few big hugs from the Pacific Northwest, bid dear Rachel farewell  and headed back to our hotel. The next morning we decided "well, we made it to Brooklyn, how hard could it be to drive to the Bronx?" So we loaded into the mighty Jeep and away we went! I tried to find a map to do the ensuing chaos justice, but this is the closest I could find....

Let's just say I have NO idea how anybody did this before smart phones. We drove from the lower yellow section, east thru the sherbet orange section, then north and west into the tan section. I still couldn't tell you how, but 45 minutes later, we arrived! We found ourselves in a Little Italy, tried the wares at Morrone Pastry Shop & Cafe (yum!) and then picked up Rach, who guided us to some good ol' mexican at La Estrella. Shortly after, we took the prettiest Parkway all the way back to Hamden. Only an hour away :)

I don't know why, but despite being just a day and a half, this was a really great trip. Maybe it had something to do with the reason we went, or the people with whom we spent our time. And maybe it's because we didn't pack it full of sights and tourist stops. It felt like we weren't tourists, in fact, but could actually enjoy the City and just let it breathe around us. Can't wait for our next visit :)