My parents came to visit over Labor Day weekend! The original plan was to have it off because it was the weekend I was originally going to be moving home, but since I extended it turned into a nice staycation with the parents visiting. It was their first time really visiting the area (driving up for less than a day to move me in doesn’t count) so I was excited to show them around (and also visit some places I hadn’t been yet). They came in late on Thursday while I was at work, so it was wonderful getting off work to find them at home.  

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Wow, just like that August is over!! The weather is cooling down ever so slightly and I’m actually already done with my first contract term, wow! I can’t believe it. It really feels like I haven’t been here that long (which I guess I haven’t). Looking forward to the next three months and getting a glimpse of what might lie beyond. 

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Happy August! And just like that a month has gone by since my last update. I have mostly spent a lot of my time working, but I did go back home last week for Sisi’s wedding! It was really nice to see everybody again and reconnect with friends back home. It also happened to be on my birthday weekend so getting to celebrate with family was really nice. It was a really really great way to break up the day to day of living alone. I’ve otherwise have been working a lot, sleeping a lot. Stuart invited friends over, then they went on vacation, then they came back, and then one of the spiders violated the treaty so I had to kill it. After that, Stuart moved out and I haven’t seen him since… I also made some yummy food, tried some yummy food, and met a new kitty friend in the unit next door. Also, I extended! Big news. 

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Happy birthday, America! This week, my home came to me as some people from PSALT visited for a jam-packed 4th of July weekend adventure. An even more jam-packed work week followed and I am exhausted. Still counting my blessings and giving praise to God in that tiredness for really being able to settle and feel more and more “at home” while I’m here. And in a couple weeks, I get to go home for a visit! I’m so so excited and can’t wait to be home and see everyone again. 

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Sorry for the late post, I had kind of a weird schedule with working the weekend then being off Thursday and Tuesday. This week, I got my second MMR vaccine, had a fever dream about bread, interacted a bit more with Stuart the bathroom spider, and drove across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge with some ladies from church to visit a cute little town called Saint Michaels.  

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So! I made it through my first week on evening shift, explored some new places to eat, hung out with Angela’s parents, went out with some people from lab, checked out a new church, and waged chemical warfare on all the bugs in my basement apartment (except for one spider that lives out of the way in my bathroom). I’m doing better and Tobi is too! 

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Well, everything happened super fast, but for the uninitiated, I left my job at NC State’s veterinary hospital to be a travel lab scientist. Like travel nurses, travel techs are employed by agencies who are contracted to fill critical staff shortages at various facilities and institutions so they can get by until they fill the staffing shortage. This can be due to things like general staff shortages, sudden retirement, people going on maternity/paternity leave, and so on. The standard contract lasts 13 weeks, which is about 3 months, and you have the option to extend if you choose. My first contract is in Annapolis, Maryland! The sailing capital of America. But more importantly, the crab capital of America. :) 

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