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Last week was a special day. A holiday. A day I celebrate each year with pride. I love my birthday and each year I feel increasingly blessed that I have the wonderful opportunity to enjoy this day with family and friends. I find my birthday a natural point to reflect on where I’ve been and where I’m going.
This week, two years ago, marked the last week in my full-time job and the beginning of my journey as a locums physician. It represented a re-birth, if you will. The start of an adventure that in 2017 has led me to embark on a 6 month volunteer assignment in Mutomo, Kenya. Many people as me, “Why Kenya?” There is no short answer to this question. I have wanted to live and work abroad since medical school. Working with the underserved has always been a part of my mission and purpose in this country and working in a resource poor environment in another country feels like a natural next step as part of my growth as a person and as a physician. CMMB is an organization that focuses on improving the overall health of women and children in many countries. Our Lady of Lourdes had a specific need for my skill set and I was matched for a position in their mission hospital. I have never been to Kenya. I have only lived out the country for five weeks as a part of a Spanish immersion course in college when I studied in Guadalajara, Mexico. I lived with a host family and my roommate was a young woman who taught Spanish in Kansas City. I saved every extra dollar for two years to afford the classes, my dad gifted me his airline miles, my aunts and uncles slipped me fives and tens on the holidays… “to help me get to Mexico”. It does indeed take a village. I was grateful for that opportunity and I am grateful for this one.
My village has once again surrounded me in support. I hope that you will keep me in your thoughts and prayers and I look forward to sharing this experience with you. I hope that as you approach your birthday, you ask yourself are you living your best life? You only have one. Make the most of it!
