Live from Dallas | Part II

So another couple of weeks have come and gone here in the good 'ol state of Texas.  If there was ever a moment I wished time would slow down, now might be one of those moments - only for the reason that I LOVE being in Dallas and yet again I am not looking forward to going back to St. Louis here in a few short weeks (although I absolutely can't wait to see Jen, my PA loves and float the river!!)  Working at a children's hospital has been just the experience I was hoping for.  I absolutely LOVE it, just as I thought I would.  Working in the emergency department has been the perfect mix of everything that I love - and the three 12 hour shift per week make the lifestyle pretty legit.  The only thing that would make it better right now would be to be receiving a pay check.  Working for free...and actually paying tuition to work is not cool.  Especially with the AMAZING shopping Dallas has.

Over the past several weeks I've seen a variety of things in the ED.  Some sadder than others.  I've seen fear in children's eyes relieved by a simple grip of the elbow and a twist of the forearm (Nursemaid's elbow).  I've sutured gashes so perfectly closed leaving childhood memories in the form of scars on almost every body part imaginable.  Ripped foreskin?  No problem - I'll just use Dermabond and glue that back together.  Broken arm?  I got it - I'll drug your child up, reduce the fracture, and put a cast on it...all under the close supervision of my preceptor of course...PA Fisher (also quickly becoming a great friend again).  Then there's the not so fun cases like telling a 13 year old girl she was infected with chlamydia from the first guy she ever had sex with.  And then having to report it to social work.  Thank God for social workers.  I'm pretty sure she instilled the fear of life in that child to never have sex again and gave her the guidance her mother never shared with her.  It makes me realize how truly blessed I was to have a mother who cared about me and every detail of my life SO much, even when I thought she was the meanest mom in the world.

The social scene in Dallas has continued to impress.  While I haven't been kicked out of any more bars, thankfully (as told in Part I), I have enjoyed every night I've gone out.  I'm sure a lot of it is because it's new to me.  But the people here are so friendly and every time I go out, I meet new people.  The social scene is ENDLESS.  There are so many places to go to.  And so many things to do.  Every single night.  I've been working on being a social drinker...and not a drunk.  I had dinner with two friends from Pittsburg (my home town) last week and we came to a conclusion that when you're from a small town, you never learn how to be a social drinker.  You only learn how to get wasted because there's really nothing better to do.  People in Dallas go out every night of the week.  But they don't necessarily get trashed every night of the week.  I plan to master this skill as well.

Yesterday I got my first REAL taste of a true Texas Honkey Tonk in the form of Ft. Worth, TX. Holy Texas! When I first told my uncle I was going to head to the stock yards for the Fourth of July he smirked and told me to get ready for an experience. He wasn't kidding. In terms of Dallas/Ft. Worth, he called Dallas "sophistication" and Ft. Worth "country." Now I won't go as far as to say Ft. Worth has no sophistication at all, but damn....it sure is night and day. Cowboys, Wranglers and shit kickers...with dried shit still on them. I saw a black cowboy (which apparently isn't too common) as well as an Asian Cowgirl (she was quite the two-stepper) and of course several, tattooed and toothless coming-out-of-the-cracks total W.T. wearing far too little clothing.




And on a final note - Classy With a Side of Sassy will be moving south as of December.  I've decided to make a change and a move in my life.  And there's no better time than now.  Don't get me wrong, KC - I love, love you dearly.  But I'm afraid if I move back, I'll always regret that I never gave Dallas a chance.  I'm afraid I'll get settled in to life in KC with the same circle of friends, the same bars, the same scenery and never meet anyone new.  Dating in KC hasn't been successful thus far, so I think it's time to give Dallas a chance.  I know it's going to be hard without my strong circle of friends.  But I also know, I'll meet new people in no time.  There are tons of Jayhawks down here...more than I probably realize.  And the added bonus - the medical community in Dallas is phenomenal!  PAs are in such a high demand I should have no problem finding a job.  And even better - they make bank!  It's time I face the challenge and take the plunge.  Bring it on Dallas.  I'm ready for you!

"After all, things change, so do cities.  People come into your life and they go. But it's comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart...and if you're very lucky, a plane ride away." -SATC

-Stay sassy, xo