Friends in all the right places

While I keep my eyes open and my ears to the ground, for new opportunities, nothing else seems to quite fit.  Being a locums physician suits my lifestyle.  It allows me the freedom to practice clinical medicine on my terms, to travel, to write and to spend time with friends and family.  I’m sure I get asked at least once a week, “So, you like all that travel…?” or “When do you plan to settle down and get a real job?”  For now, I’m content.  Though, I’m making new friends, and creating new families, I still like to keep the old ones too. 

A few weeks ago, I stopped by my last place of permanent employment.  The visit brought back feelings of anxiety and excitement, just like a visit home.  Though I’ve been gone for almost four years, returning to the hospital always feels like going to visit family instead of past co-workers.  Initially, I was worried that things may have changed and I wouldn’t remember my way around or maybe no one would be working that day that I knew.  But I found my way around just fine.  I was greeted with surprised eyes, smiles and hugs.  And just like visiting relatives, my plan to stop by for a minute, turned into a two-hour visit.  Complete with the “since you’re here, go say hi to…” and “let me call Denise and let her know you’re here…”

There are those who have moved on like me and those who are moving on soon.  One day I will return and I may not know anyone or I may forget my way around.  But I am grateful that day has yet to come.  I’m not sure when I’ll make my next trip back to Norristown.  This trip was prompted to clean out my storage unit, the unit I opened the day before I moved out of my apartment almost four years ago, to start my locums journey.  At the time, I thought I’d give it a year or two to see how it goes…  Four years later, I’m happily nomadic, and it was time to officially cut the physical ties to my old home.

Moving on can be bittersweet, but just like the places I lived before, Norristown will always have a special place in my heart along with all the wonderful people I met there. Though the physical ties have been cut, the friendships are forever.