I will return to all things Cameron in the coming weeks. This week’s post will have more to do with his mother. Almost 11 years ago, Sara packed up her Volkswagen Jetta and drove north to Southern Maine to begin medical school. Because our relationship agreement calls for me to quit my job and move to New England every ten years, I came along for that first year. I’m glad I did, because I can honestly say I was there when this crazy journey started. The training process ends for her with her graduation from fellowship this Friday night.

I don’t think either of us fully appreciated just how long this whole thing would take. When she started medical school, she was thinking about being a pediatrician. Had she done that, she would have begun practicing a few years ago.  By the end of her third year of medical school, she knew she wanted to be a surgeon. That required a six year residency. By the end of her residency, she knew she wanted to specialize in breast surgery. That requires an extra year to complete a fellowship. 11 years later, she’s ready to start practicing, and will begin that chapter this fall at GBMC back in Baltimore.

Having a front row seat to all of this has really been enlightening. The thousands of hours that she has dedicated to achieving this goal has been incredible to watch. It is rare to get to do exactly what you’ve always wanted do for a living. I’ve known Sara for over 20 years and she has always wanted to be a doctor. That is easy to say while you are in high school. It is SO much harder to go out and do it. She sacrificed so much over the past decade in order to keep her dream alive.

It isn’t easy to explain just how hard she has had to work over this time. Once she began her residency, it was rare that she ever had more than two days off in a row. Ever. Seven-day weeks were more routine than five-day weeks. Vacations were often planned around weddings or holidays to make sure she would be able to attend. Fellowship has been easier. No overnight call at least, until you factor in that she spent all of this year either pregnant or taking care of an infant. Starting on Tuesday we have 90 days off. 90 days until she starts at GBMC and hopefully she is able to slowly make up some of the sleep she missed out on over the years.

This week is a bit of a graduation for Cam and me as well. This is the 10th and final full week that we will be home alone together. Until October anyway. We have made it through our first semester together and it has gone just about as well as I could have hoped it would. I have learned so much in my 10 week crash course, and getting to spend 90 days with Cam and Sara is an amazing opportunity. One that I know will likely not happen again.