If all goes as “planned”, sometime this afternoon I’ll hop in the Subaru and head “west”.

Why the scare quotes and what is the plan?

Well the plan is sort of no plan. I have some goals, but not a strict schedule. This includes even when I’m leaving.

But let me back up a bit.

I’ve kept mum for various reasons, but now I’ll give the details on the PA program I accepted an offer to attend. I’m proud to say that on May 27th, I will be starting my orientation with my fellow PA-S1 (that’s the lingo for first year PA students) at the Christiana Delaware campus of Arcadia University. I already met a few of them at the open house a few months ago, but on the 27th I’ll meet the rest. On 28th, we buckle down and start classes. I mention specifically the Christiana campus because Arcadia is one of the few (may be only) schools to run to simultaneous programs in a parallel manner. The other cohort of PA-S1s will be at the main campus in Glenside, PA (outside of Philadelphia).

Now, the savvy reader who is hip to their geography have probably figured out that I won’t be easily commuting on a daily basis between Delaware and upstate New York. The solution is that I’ll be renting a place for most of the duration of my time in PA school. This is an unfortunate added expense to deal with. So, one of the things I have planned before the 27th is to sign a lease (I have an apartment complex picked out already).

So what to do between now and then?

The biggest step was putting in notice with my current employer; Albany Medical Center. May 8th will be my last official shift as a full-time equivalent. I am looking to continue in a position where I’ll be able to pick up a few shifts over my rare breaks but that’s just to keep my skills sharp and for the enjoyment of it.

In the meantime, I’ve decided to take a bunch of my banked vacation days and travel a bit.

The original plan was to start yesterday morning right after my shift. A delay in my car repairs and because they really needed techs last night, I moved my start to later today (after I pick up the car and pack it.) The goal, to see some of the country, visit some national parks, hike, relax, etc.

Those who know me well would understand when I say that at times I can be a control freak, even over myself (perhaps a better way might be “self-disciplined”?) If I set a goal, I do my best to meet it, or often to exceed it. This can be good if I’m setting a goal to study or exercise. But it can also add stress when I’m attempting to reach a goal I set for no specific reason.

As I planned my trip, I initially set out specific goals for each day’s travels etc. Very quickly I realized how unappealing that was becoming and how rigid it would be (as shown by the fact that I’ll already be leaving probably 32 hours behind schedule!)

So I decided, since my next 2 years will be rigorously scheduled for the most part to turn my vacation into a loose set of goals with a loose timeline.

The biggest goal, get to the Grand Canyon and ideally do an overnight or two in it. And visit Bryce and Zion canyons.

After that, we’ll see. I’ll probably head north, but who knows how far. I’ll probably check out a few more national parks. Eventually I’ll have to head back east in order to make my May 1st scheduled PA shift. So how long will I spend “out west”. We’ll see.

I’ll post updates as I see fit. But no promises. Again I want to relax for a change.