April 3, 2018
What are we doing next? When is our wedding? Where will we live? The answers to all your most frequently asked questions.
We are moving into an apartment (we already have it reserved) in Norcross, about 15 minutes away from Brandon’s parents and in the exact middle of our two schools in Atlanta. The apartment has an extra room, called a “den” that we will use as a guest bedroom and office for studying. We move in May 21, and will be taking a big Uhaul down with all our furniture and decorations.
Then we get married on May 26 in Spring Hill, TN. Spring Hill has no significance to us other than the fact that it is central to Dickson, Murfreesboro, and Nashville (where many of our guests will be coming from.) The venue is Rippavilla Plantation, a gorgeous old civil war era mansion and grounds. The ceremony will be outside under a giant tree, and the reception will be under a large tent (which is the rain back up plan for the ceremony as well).
We leave first thing (6 am) May 27 on a flight to Miami, where our Carnival cruise to the Caribbean will be leaving from. Our cruise is 6 nights and stops in Ochos Rios, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. We are super excited to spend some time in an all-inclusive environment that requires virtually no planning!
We return on June 2nd, and will immediately drive back to Atlanta, our new home! I start work at Walgreens (where I have been working in Green Hills for 3 years) on Monday June 4th. This summer we will be working to save up money, as well as settling into our life as newlyweds, and new location. We plan to go to Colorado for my aunt’s Air Force retirement ceremony in mid June, attend our dear friend’s wedding in July, and accompany Brandon’s family to the beach right before school starts in August.
Brandon starts orientation and classes near the beginning of August at PCOM (Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine), which is a DO medical school. This program is 4 years long (2 of traditional classes, 2 of clinical rotations), followed by a 3-4 year residency in a speciality that he will likely choose during his rotations (possibly anesthesiology, pediatrics, or emergency). We will be stationary until his graduation, and then will both move wherever he gets a residency placement!
I start pharmacy school mid-August at Mercer University (Atlanta campus). This is also a 4 year program, with 3 years of traditional classes and 1 of clinical rotations. Pharmacists can do residencies, but at this time I do not plan to do one so that I have more flexibility to move wherever Brandon gets a residency. I hope to work full-time at Walgreens during his residency, and eventually use my Pharm.D. to work in the non-profit sector and teach at the university level.
We would be pleased to settle down to raise our future family after residency in either the middle TN, Nashville/Murfreesboro area, or Atlanta. Only time will tell, but we are so excited to go on this journey together!
