Wednesday, October 28, 2009

work count down...

17 more days at my job..so excited about thanksgiving VACA and then free time to spend with everyone here in goood old NC!

Monday, October 12, 2009

prep...prep...prep

"Idealism is difficult to maintain in the climate of the modern medical system." - med school is hell website

I am so back and forth about medical school. I have spent a big chunk of the last few weeks working on my medical school apps - somedays I am so excited. I am going to use any gifts the Lord has given me to practically care for people and I love school, four + years sound great. And other days I wonder if I will be bored to death with the politics, mundane tasks and insurance issues I see frequently from working in a doctor's office.

Being in a small room with with lots of time to think most of the day (since I am doing diagnostic testing essentially in a dark cubicle) I have lots of quiet time to myself.Somedays it's great - I pray, I relax, I chat with patients. Other days I have cabin fever and I rethink my budget, make 98 to-do lists and today I attempted to guess and plan how much Rach and I would spend to make it across the country. That of course leads to the fact that I need to finish all my apps before we leave, that Rach and I need to find jobs and an apartment etc. Sometimes this is exciting, sometimes overwheling.

At least one thing has been constant. Our road trip is going to be amazing and I cannot wait.

SUPER EXCITING NEWS! Gig told me today that her, BB and Kt-bug are going to try and make it out in March to see us! So excited. When we first decided to move back I didn't consider the fact people might come and visit. Now I am so stoked about showing them a new place and getting some amazing time with them after being away for a few months.

So need to go to bed, Should not have had caffinated coffee with Gig at 10:00pm. So worth the conversation however...

We Road trip in 71 Days!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Le Italia....

" You may have the Universe if I may have Italy" - Temistocle Solera

"Open my heart and you will see graved inside of it, 'Italy'"
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Rachael sent his update after landing in Italy...

ciao!

Just wanted to let you know our flight landed in milan safely! going over the italian alps was amazing, the clouds were so thick they looked like huge piles of cotton between the mountains, and then another whole layer of clouds above them.. i got to see the sun rise from the plane and then sky was shooting lines of pick and orange.. it was amazing.. im not describing it well...

the drive over to turin was scary to say the least.. but exciting.. steve got a manual car.. and he hasnt driven one hardly ever.. so many stall outs and almost being hits later we arrived in turin. i had to ask a taxi driver how to get to settembre 70 which is the address of townhouse 70 that we are staying at, and surprisingly i understood his few directions. i have only been here a few hours, but im in love with it already. the family is alseep in their room upstairs, mine is not ready yet, so insteasd of sleeping i wandered around the city for a bit and ended up in the piaza.. or city square.. it felt like i had just stepped into a movie.

back at the hotel now and and the staff here is so nice, i had a short convo with some of the cleaning staff..which was fun, and the manager here is so sweet.. he is like a cartoon character and just super hospitable.. i just had my first official italian caffe.. and it was amazing!

i think that is about it for now.. nothing crazy has happened yet, surprisingly, bc something always does when steve and sarah travel.. i get in my room in a few and the plan is shower and nap... i have slept maybe an hour, and it is bedtime now.. it is 1 in the afternoon on thursday here.

Love you and miss you all and i will try and send an update soon.. and maybe some pictures if i can figure out how to upload on here... arrivederci

rach

Saturday, October 3, 2009

the early blog addictions

" God loves me a BARGE" - Courtney Seigler
So we have not even left on our travels yet and I can see how easily this blog will be addicting. It could quickly become georgia style with the wonderful internet technology of our cell phones so that there are posts at 8:05 am of - "Driving", followed by another post at 8:09am - " still driving". No matter what we will have fun with it. Rach is headed off on a Italian jaunt here shortly and will hopefully update us via this blog. I am jealous, but only slightly because I really want to see Ireland, Scottland and England.
On a completely different note I have begun telling friends we are headed west and have started the ardious task of selling what little furniture I have and getting rid of clothes I wear infrequently. Part of it is really freeing and its a good reminder of how much stuff I accumulate and simply don't need. Other parts are harder because it makes our move more concrete, more real and it means letting go of things, such as my amazingly beautiful desk, that I have a sentimental attachment to. My friends have been amazing and so supportive. God knew exactly what he was doing in bring all of our individual personalities, dreams and quirks together and I couldn't ask for better friends. There is so much securty in that because I know no matter how far I go, or where they end up in life we will always be friends because Christ is the center and ultimate foundation. Our relationships may change but they won't disappear because our center is secure - We are sisters in Christ, Were family:)
Getting excited to see my baby brothers, who are not so little anymore and friends we haven't see in years. Today I talked to Carmen - who happens to be Ashley's mother, who happens to be my best friend from first grade who we will be vsiting on the trip. They live in Texas, which I have never been to and its going to be a riot to see them again. Ashley came and spent time with us every summer from second grade to 7th grade!
So welcome now to my ramblings, if you continue following this blog my random, thought wandering will become more familiar.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Le First Posting...

" And Thank you for Jesus" - Grandaddy Metzger

In case you were unaware Elizabeth is the pen name of the infamous rachael metzger in honor of a much beloved heroine(Elizaeth Bennet) and Jane is the pen name of her older sister Autumn (Jane Bennet) If you have not read pride and prejudice stop reading now and go and get the book because you have been living under a rock. We are hoping to meet Fitzwilliam Darcy and Charles Bingley along the way, though we want to avoid red bottomosity, thus solving our jobless, homeless dilemia. Also note to selves if any posts are spelled wrong it means that Autumn was typing and if there are run on sentences and a lack of grammer you can refer it to Rach.

So in anticipation of our upcoming travels we spent a non productive saturday mapping out what our road trip itinerary would possibly look like and as the title suggests it is bomb.com! Here is a basic low down, more details to follow - noting as we put in the description we have no where to be at no specific time so things are subject to change and often do with the two of us



Leave Raleighville December 22nd 2009
Arrive in Boone, NC Dec 22nd - Dec 23rd
Dec 23rd - Dec 27th Franklin, TN ( HOOORAY CHRISTMAST WITH THE METZGERS)
Dec. 27th - Pass through Huntsville, Alabama to see kendall
Dec. 27th Arrive at Bienville National Forest - CAMP OUT
Dec. 28th - Dec. 30th - Arrive Nacogdoches, TX to hang with the one and only Aunt Noni
Dec. 30th - Jan 2nd 2010 - NEW YEARS with Ashley and Carmen in Houston, TX HOLLLAR
- Attemt to see the gulf coast at some point
Jan 2nd - Jan 3rd - Stay the night in Dallas (with someone, there is bound to be a metzger there somewhere)
Jan 3rd - unknown - We are driving 10.5 hours to reach the next national forest and camp out (NM?)
Jan 4th? - Arrive at Las crusas NM - birth place of Rach
- Jan 5th Maybe Santa Fe and Albequerqe??? - possible stay in some random national forests (its free!)
Jan 6th/7th/8th - depending on where we stay arrive in prescott AZ visiting Sarah's dad - David
Jan 7thish - Jan 9thish - Spend time in Prescott/phoenix
Jan 9th-10th - GRAND CANYON
Jan 10th - 11th - Zion National Park
Jan 11th- Jan 12th - Mojave national desert reserve
Jan 12thish - Jan 14th - Visit the Mecklenbergs in Orange County, CA
    - hopefully see hollywood, LA etc??
Jan14thish - Pacific Coast Hwy ( going to be gorgeous) to San Fran
Jan 14thish - Jan 16thish -SAN FRAN and surrounding areas ( possibly staying with friends)
Jan 16thish - Jan 20thish - Pacific coast hwy through every little town we want to stop in along CA/OR coast
     - Stopping in Redwoods national forest, Depoe Bay and New Port
Jan 20thish - Arrive Florence, coast of OR stay witth the Duvals
Jan 21st - Head to Albany, OR to see the rents!
SURPRISE

- SLEEP FOR A WEEK AFTERWORDS, the move into our new amazing portland apartment



* If you have made a road trip similiar to this in the past and have any suggestions please let us know!
We le luuurrvvee you