My Heart Belongs in Arkansas

The day that we had been anxiously awaiting for years finally happened…Match Day! And as you probably guessed based on this blog’s title…we are going to Little Rock, Arkansas!!

I feel a lot of emotions about the idea of moving to Arkansas…anxious, nervous, overwhelmed….to name a few. But overall, I am very excited. This will be an exciting new adventure for our family. We always talked about how we didn’t want to live in Indiana forever. I knew the possibility was coming soon, and I truly felt that God prepared me for this. A year ago, I was TERRIFIED of the idea of leaving my home in Indiana…I would have a panic attack if Ryan even mentioned it (I literally cried the first time he showed me the list of residency programs that he was going to apply for). But slowly, over time, God worked on my heart. I prayed constantly…not that we would end up in Indiana, but that I would find peace wherever we ended up. Day by day, my heart softened to the idea. In November, I went to Gainesville with Ryan for one of his interviews, and actually SEEING a place that could be a potential home made me excited for the first time. Picturing myself living somewhere different seemed exciting rather than terrifying. After 13 interviews around the country, Ryan continued talking about his first interview in Arkansas. He loved the area, the program, and the people. He really wanted me to see it for myself, so in February, we took a weekend trip. That trip was a game changer for me. During the entire weekend there, I felt a sense of comfort. I felt at home. I felt at peace. I felt that that is where my heart belonged. I knew that God put that feeling inside me for a reason.

We still ranked IU as his #1 choice…just because this is where our lives are. We knew it was a long shot since the Indiana Emergency medicine program is rated among the top 3 programs in the country. We knew that God would place us where we were meant to be. Well, we are meant to be in Arkansas.

My emotions have been a roller coaster already since finding out a few days ago, and I know they will continue to change from day to day. I’m still scared…but I’m more excited. I’m sad to leave our home where we started a family…but I’m ready to have a new home and make new family memories. I hate the idea of leaving my job and my school family…but I know I’ll gain new friends and hopefully a new school family. I am dreading leaving our families…but I know I’ll still get to see them often and thank goodness for modern technology and FaceTime!

Here are more Match Day pictures, as well as the video of the opening of the envelope…

 

And so the adventure begins…God prepared me for this, so I know He will not abandon me now!