What's in Kirksville, Missouri, You may ask???? Alex's place of Medical School, that's what!!! :) We have gotten final confirmation that he will in fact be attending A.T. Still University (i.e. Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine aka KCOM) this upcoming fall. We will be looking for housing (which is VERY cheap in this small college town) in the middle of April. We hear that housing gets leased out quick around the school so we want to get there early and get a good deal. You can rent a house or duplex out there with 3 bedrooms for $650 or less. (We pay a little more than that here in Bountiful for a 2 bedroom apartment.) What a deal! Garage and backyard included!! That is pretty much the only thing that I look forward to so far though... Well, maybe not the only thing, but I sure am nervous about this whole thing.
I have never LIVED outside of Utah. I was born in Colorado I admit, but my home has been Taylorsville, Utah since I was 4 years old! I had a really hard time moving away from home when I went to college. And I only lived 20 minutes away!! I could visit anytime I wanted, which I did. Every weekend I would go home and spend that time with my family. It was almost like I lived at home anyways so it wasn't the most independent experience I've had, but it was good. By the end of one year in school, I moved back home to save a little money (even though I only paid $185 for rent in a little 3 bedroom house I shared with 4 other girls.) During my time back at home (still going to the UofU) I met Alex and by the next year we were married. It was a bit of a fast change, thrown back into being "independent", and my mom swore I'd call every day still to at least talk with the family, but I didn't. We still visit every weekend for a couple hours, but because I have Alex, and now Kyle, I feel like I have moved on finally and that my new family needs me.
Alex has been my real strength in all of the moving we've done over the past year and a half. We first lived in a one bedroom apartment that was probably the size of my parent's living room (kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room included). Once we had Kyle, we had moved into a 2 bedroom apartment, a little bigger than the first, but still quite small. We lived there for only 6 months before we found this place here in Bountiful. Moving that many times in less than 2 years was never my dream as a girl. I always imagined living my life like my parents. I would settle down once I got married and we would live in a nice moderate home with trees and a garden and a wonderful neighborhood. But it hasn't happened that way. Not at all. I still dream of one day owning a beautiful house with a backyard and fruit trees and a wonderful garden with flowers everywhere, but I have to put that on hold for now. With Alex going to school still and an uncertain future of where we will be for the next 7+ years, I have had to really suck it up and pull myself together at times. I knew from the beginning that marrying Alex would mean a lot of sacrifice this way, and I intend to be at his side through it all and be the best support that a wife could be.
But not only am I trying to be a support to Alex in this time, he is a huge support to me. A couple of weeks ago I had a melt down. A MAJOR melt down. Sometimes I feel like the stress of the days and the weeks kind of build up and pile on inside my head and I hold it in and forget for a while til it comes back, and then after it gets so full I can't handle it anymore, the stress explodes and I become useless until it drains from my head and clears up. My kind of stress drains out of my eyes. And this time, it was a lot. My head and my eyes always hurt after the drainage, but after a good nights sleep I feel so much better! Anyways, this melt down was basically about wanting to stay in Utah and have a home in a nice neighborhood just like my dream. But after I talked to Alex about it, we both came to the conclusion that we wouldn't trade all our moves and this chance to move to Missouri for anything. We have so many friends and have had experiences that have made us who we are, and has definitely pulled us closer!
I just want to say that I am VERY VERY nervous about leaving Utah, my life long home. I am scared out of my mind!! But I know without a doubt that Alex and I can do it together. I am pretty excited about the cheap housing, but more than anything, I am excited to start a new life with my little family. Start new traditions and actually make my own Thanksgiving turkey!! I want to be with my family for Christmas, but I really am looking forward to spending some real quality time with my new family during those holidays and becoming so close!!
I hope that if you are still reading this, it hasn't bored you to death! But I want to say to Alex.... Thank you!!! You truly are my everything and I really do look forward to spending eternity with you where ever we end up throughout the years! I love you!
6 comments:
Wow, what an adventure you will be going on! Cheap housing sounds great! And seriously, having a melt down now and then can really help a girl! I know how you feel with it all building up and you just need a good cry to feel better (at least somewhat). Good luck with your plans!
Oh my gosh that is so crazy! My sister and brother just moved out there to Blue Springs. They love it! They got a house for a wickedly awesome deal and the cost of living is way cheap. He said that the best thing he did was not bring alot of furniture and buy it all down there. He got an entertainment center for 15.00 and a couch for 60.00. He also said that their yard sales are the best and craigslist is his new best friend. I think you will really like it Sarah! I am way stoked for ya!
What we do to support our husbands, eh? I have loved living in Michigan these past 2 years and I bet you will have a great experience in Missouri. Ward friends really do become your family. Congrats and good luck!
Oh Sarah! I'm so sorry this is so rough on you! Its a lot of changes huh and I'm really nervous too! It will be nice having other girls to talk to that are in our same situation! I bet you'll make good friends up there who feel the same way. I hear friends you make at med school are some of the best friends you'll have, just because of all the time you have together because there isn't any family around. Its crazy thinking that we won't be around family, but its soo good that we're excited about really creating our own little family life. Thats a big deal and Jake and I are pretty excited too! It really is a good thing to create those strong family bonds and theres no better place to do it. Remember, the Lord only gives us trials he knows we can handle, but they're only beneficial if they stretch us. YOu're a great, strong girl and will do great! And breakdowns are expected--its all part of the learning process I think--no one's perfect. Glad you're feeling better and congrats on the cheap housing and garage and backyard--- I am SO JEALOUS!!!! Good luck to you and we'll keep in touch! :)
Laura White
Wow, good luck! I imagine it will be really hard to live so far away from family, but Alex and Kyle will fill that gap and become even more important and special in your life. Good luck, and we will miss you! I have enojyed hanging out with you guys. I'm glad we have the blogging world to keep in touch!
Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!I can come visit!!!!!!!!! Josh's family lives close to there. They own some land and his father and step mom are moving there next year. Meaning...I can come visit you. Living outside of UT is a little hard, but you will love the experiences that Alex and you will have as you depend whole hearteldy on eachother. Congrats!
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