My job is going well though. I still get nervous going into work each day but it gets better with time. One odd struggle I've had is that it's hard for me to find a balance between doing my own thing and not worrying about what the other vets there would do with my cases vs. asking the other vets opinions on everything. Since I was on my own most of last year, I relied on my own knowledge and skills so now I need to readjust and learn how to "depend" on others again. Because it is a corporate vet clinic, there are some standards that new hires usually follow but the lead vet has given me a lot of freedom with seeing appointments and doing surgery as of week 2. She helps build my confidence level, especially regarding things I questioned last year and now learning that I was doing the right things on my own, even when I didn't know it. Everyone is very supportive and gets along really well for the most part. The other doctors are extremely approachable which I appreciate immensely. The 12 hour shifts get to be very long especially when we don't always get a lunch break, but other than that, things are going well. The environment helps me realize again that I DO want to be a vet.
Federal Way has proved to be a decent place to live for now. It feels quite removed from Seattle and even Tacoma, which is just 15 minutes away. Because Federal Way has everything we need for daily living, I feel a little isolated and definitely need to get out on my days off and go somewhere else -- just to remind myself that we do live near a big city. I guess it is considered a suburb of Seattle but it feels so much more different than living in the suburbs of Phoenix or LA. I find the worst part to be the neighbors. I've now called the cops on two of my neighbors due to EXTREME noise in the middle of the night. I couldn't do that with my loud neighbors in Park View because it was too easy for them to figure out that it was me... but here no one knows :-D
Nate and I went to the Museum of Glass today in Tacoma. It was our first day off together since July 22! It was a very fun day. Here are some pictures!
