Our Summer comes to an end

This year summer went by way too fast.  After a grueling year of classes, this summer couldn't have been more welcome.  Alot of changes happened at Borders, so I was able to work a lot more than I was expecting (which was DElightful!) and Chad was able to continue his supplement education at GNC.  We managed to escape town here and there, making a few excursions to Bend and Medford.  To say good-bye to summer in an appropriate fashion, however, we finally made the trip to CA (TOGETHER) so that after 3 years and 9 months, my birthmother and sisters could finally meet Chad!  The weather was beautiful, the food was delectable, the company was delightful, and I had a gorgeous man to enjoy all of it with!!  But, the trip was all - too- short for my tastes, and now we are back in Klamath Falls, and trying to keep the back-to-school panic at bay.  Bright and early Monday morning we will awake and join the masses flooding campus with backpacks already heavy with $500 books.
Among our studies of trauma, surgery, pathology, and positioning of the skull, our frantic rush to lodge our Visa application officially kicks in to overdrive.  Our externship is riding on getting in in before the end of the month, in order to ensure our contract is signed while still leaving enough time for the program director to plan the site visit out there. We are staring at our checklist, and picking and choosing our next little box to tackle.  Photographs, passports, military discharge documents, diplomas, evidence of health insurance, and proof of $5,000 AUS in funds.  This last one is the only one that has us worried. We are not sure how to make this happen in some 33 days.
These next couple of weeks will obviously be full of adventure, trying to navigate our way through funding options, lots of paperwork, meetings, and emails... oh yea, and lots of homework to study!!
M

Getting Current

Hi. My name is Chad and this is the official first post of the MandC blog.  Melissa and I have created this page as a way for us to keep our family, friends, supports and everyone in between up to date with our progress towards reaching our 2011 goal. Along with our progress, we also plan on keeping you up to date with our day to day shenanigans and whatever else we feel like telling the world.
Before I get too carried away, let me explain our 2011 goal. Melissa and I are students here at the Oregon Institute of Technology and we are both working towards completing a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Radiologic Technologies. The culmination of our curriculum is a 12 month long externship at a functioning hospital. Although the school has gone to great lengths to secure student positions at various locations across the western United States, there is currently no overseas locations. Melissa and I are passionate about travel and quickly decided (before even being accepted into the Radiology program) that we would explore an overseas option for ourselves. After a few years, and countless e-mails and letters to various facilities around the world, we found a trauma-1 hospital that is willing to accept us for the 12 months. We are beginning our Junior year at OIT and the clock is ticking; we have only nine months to get everything ironed out. The excitement is palpable! So here we are, our new year begins on Monday the 27th and we couldn't be more excited. Keep coming back to see how things unfold from here.
Thanks
c
If you have any ideas regarding ways we can raise the funding necessary to complete our 2011 goal, feel free to drop us a line. If you are feeling generous and would like to see two energized and driven people experience a once in a life time opportunity, please click the "donate" button on this page.

The First of Many

Greatings, this is Chad and I am tossing up our first post of many. Stay up with all the happenings going on with Melissa and myself. Thanks for stopping by.