In a few short months, seemingly everything in my life is different than it was. Here's a quick rundown of everything that's changed in the last few months:
May:
Graduated dental school
Set up my move to Colorado Springs
June:
Wife quit her job in Oklahoma City
Actually moved to Colorado Springs
I left for COT (at the tail end of June)
July:
Wife got a new job in Colorado Springs
I did the COT thing in Alabama for 5 weeks
August:
Flew home from COT
Wife actually started her new job
I started my new life as a resident at the AF Academy
Dang. That's a lot. It was a lot, still is a lot, and definitely feels like a lot. I'm not going to get super deep into any of these things in this post for a couple of reasons.
Reason 1: It would be a novel
Reason 2: I started a new tab called "Additional Resources"
In the "Additional Resources" tab, I'll be posting full documents of various experiences I've had. When I started this blog in 2010, I was chronicling my dental school and Air Force journey. As I've gotten older and time has moved along, some of these things have actually ended. That's awesome because that part of my life is now in the past and nothing about it can change again. This means I can post full documents detailing every little thing I want to talk about in a place that you can access and refer to without having to jump on my blog to read! For example, I'm almost done with my full writeup about COT which is a very common topic I receive questions about. I'm also planning to do one about dental school in general as well as one about what it's like to be a student on the HPSP scholarship. I'm technically active duty now so my HPSP days are over. I've also done a full move with the military so I can definitely give you some start to finish information on that as well.
Here are just a few thoughts I have about the last few months.
When change happens in life, embrace it. Understand that it is temporary but very necessary for us to move forward. Think of it like a rocket on the launchpad. It will never fly without a fast and abrupt change. The fuel must be ignited and that can be very scary. Eventually the rocket reaches outer space, does what it needs to do, and now a whole new thing has started because of that. Just like our life, we can't sit on the launchpad forever. Talking about doing something and doing it are very different actions and if you want something new, something has to change.
With that said, let me talk briefly about a few things that I'll dip into more detail on later:
Moving: This is really nice because the military will move all your stuff for you for free. You can move part of your things and that's totally fine. I would definitely take valuables with you in your own car (if you are driving). They are efficient up until you want them to deliver it. Expect delays of up to several weeks in the summer. Call the moving company and keep tabs on the progress of your move.
COT: This is not an easy month but it was worth it. You will learn fast and you don't have a choice. It's a 5 week flood of information and you'll feel like you're in some weird Air Force blender for 5 weeks while you sweat and march all over Maxwell Air Force Base. Be prepared to be sleepy on a daily basis but keep a good attitude. When you're being yelled at, ignore the volume and listen to the words. Keep a good perspective and it will go by quickly.
The Air Force: In-processing involves getting an ID card, making sure your pay is correct, doing computer training, etc. It's a long process but embrace it. The military is a massive system and it's a wonder they keep things as straight as they do. Respect those ranked above you and enjoy the process. If your mindset going in is "I can't wait to do my time and be out" you're going to hate it. Even if you are planning on getting out, you can't for a few years so make the best of it!
Time to run but hoping to keep the blog a little more consistent this year! Starting to see patients in a couple weeks at my AEGD so that should be a blast. Be sure to check out the "Additional Resources" tab in the coming weeks for a whole new set of awesome information!
