What's next?

I was exchanging stories of miscellaneous adventures with someone in passing last week, and as I started walking away he asked, “So what’s next?”
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I laughed a little and said all that I could come up with without lying, “One never really knows the answer to that, do they?”

I couldn’t just throw a casual “I don’t know” his way because the truth is that I have a fairly good idea of what’s next.  I applied for a job this spring in Duluth, MN, and now that I finished Paramedic school, I accepted that job and am going to be moving further East.  Originally I planned to move to Duluth, but when Suzi and I went to look for apartments it was a little more affordable to live in Superior, WI. Don’t worry though because it’s only across the river from Minnesota!  Kind of how Bismarck is to Mandan. Except right next to the river is the largest great lake, Lake Superior. Shouldn’t be hard to find an adventure.

​I’ll be working for Mayo Medical Transport Services, formerly known as Gold Cross Ambulance, as a full time paramedic.  Of course I’m super excited to begin the long process of mastering the skills that I put such hard work into learning, but the idea of being completely brand new to everything is a little intimidating.  I remember leaving home for MSU-Billings and thinking that it would be alright because all of us were showing up with no experience. Even moving to Medora wasn’t bad because I was supposed to be temporary, and when I started school in Bismarck I was just one of twelve people learning for the first time.  Along with starting a brand new career, I’ll still be taking classes full time to finish my Associates Degree, so I suppose it’s not all new.

Life has become pretty comfortable in North Dakota. I’ve been graced with a village of people to laugh at stupid things with, panic about the small things with, and figure out how to solve the big things with.  We’ve learned how to celebrate the journey of life together, so knowing I’m leaving is certainly strange, but it’ll be nice to work and stretch my adaptability muscles again.