Residency Life - Part 2

So, what I have I done in the last 21 months while Hubs has been a resident?

Unfortunately, I have to admit that I spent the first 9-12 months pouting. I was not satisfied in my job or our church or our life. I was lonely because I spent all week working and we didn't know that many people and the people we did know were much busier than we were, so we didn't see them very often. After some attitude adjustments and other changes, I stopped pouting and realized how blessed we are.

We had decided that I needed to find a job while Hubs was in school. We have a mortgage and cell phones and we need to eat - all of that requires money. [Remember, we shell out the money each semester so that Hubs can work hard to be an Orthodontist.]

Job searching is not my favorite thing to do, but I spent my first weeks in St. Louis applying to lots of jobs. I am so thankful that most jobs allow you to apply online. There seemed to be a good number of job openings, however, there are also a lot of people looking for jobs. So, I applied for anything. By July 11, I started a job as a Receptionist at a large CPA firm. I knew I was going to be bored at the job and it didn't make what we were hoping to bring in, but I needed something. After I was hired, I got offered another position I had interview for and got calls for interviews at other places I had applied. Even though I wanted to, I didn't take those opportunities and stayed where I was. Although I was thankful for the job, it was a lonely job and I was so incredibly bored that I didn't like it at all. I won't lie - I cried often and even kept applying for a different job. I also worked from home in the evenings and on the weekends and it kept me very busy. I was stressing over the work, and the house was not the welcoming environment that Hubs needed.

After six months, my boss noticed I was bored and started giving me more ownership of projects. I didn't necessarily love what I was doing, but it was getting better. After a year, I was offered a new position in the company and I really enjoyed it. I had a fantastic boss and I was able to work closely with her and learn from her excellent project management skills. I was very happy with my work situation and I found that I didn't dread going to work on Mondays quite as much as I had.

I realized that, in a way, I was getting to live one my dreams. I was working in the tallest building in downtown St. Louis, riding the train to work and getting to read for an hour a day, and although I didn't have a corner office with a view, I was able to see a parking garage and a tiny bit of sky if I looked through the office closest to my cube. The days were long, but I was able to quit working from home as much and I enjoyed that extra time.

Then, another opportunity came to me. It was doing what I love to do - serve the church. And so, that is where I am at now and I have a great schedule and enjoy the work. I am able to keep our house cleaner and happier. It was a hard transition, since I had come to enjoy my corporate job in the big city, but I'm glad I made the switch.

Being a resident's wife is the same as being a regular wife. You adjust to the situation you are in and you learn how to serve your husband in the way he needs. For me, it is occupying myself in the evenings and on the weekends, but Hubs spends so much time with me, I could never complain about him needing to study. He has definitely made that a change from when we were in Dental School. Unfortunately, I think I have completely failed in serving him during this stage of life. I have been super selfish and thought mainly about my needs, dreams and desires. I still have 9 months to do a better job.

The final edition of Residency Life will cover our life together and how we have tried to view this 30 months in our life.