Change of Plans

Over the last week things have changed a bit with the direction Jon and I are headed (mostly Jon- but it affects me as well). As soon as he finished the Fire Academy, he was supposed to be volunteering on ambulances or at a hospital to gain some medical experience. To get into the Paramedic Program, you need medical experience and 3 letters of recommendation from medical professionals. Well, I bugged him the first week he was out of school, and he kept promising he'd do it soon. The second week came around (last week), and he still hadn't called anyone to set anything up. I won't lie that I have enjoyed having Jon around in the evenings again, but I knew that if he kept pushing this off then there was no chance for the program in January (Spring semester). He would have to wait and apply for the Fall semester instead, which I really didn't want because I am SO ready to get out of Utah and ready for him to have a real job. Not that there was really any real guarantee he'd get into the program for Spring semester, and I knew it was still a possibility we'd have to stick around longer than we hoped. I just thought he would want to give it a try because who knows what would have happened. Well, last Wednesday, he asked me what I thought if he didn't do the Paramedic Program. I will admit that I wasn't happy to hear this because it's hard to find firefighting jobs in the West (where we would like to live) without being a paramedic. Plus, he'd get paid much better, and I thought he was interested in one day getting onto a Life Flight helicopter. He continued to tell me that he could still get a Bachelor's degree in his major, but he would just have to change his concentration. He told me that all he'd have to do to get the degree is take two semesters worth of online courses (somewhere around 25 more credits). I reluctantly told him that if that's what he really wants to do, then that's fine... all I've asked of him is to get a Bachelor's degree. Then I realized that classes at UVU hadn't started yet, and asked if that means he could get signed up for the classes he needed for the Fall to get it going and over with. So that brings us to today. School technically started on Monday (I think), but his advisor just barely added him to the classes yesterday (even though Jon emailed her the same night we had this conversation, a week earlier). This means that, as long as he works hard and passes all his classes, he will graduate in April!!!! But this also means Jon can start looking and applying for firefighting jobs, and we can move before he finishes school (but after the baby arrives, of course). Most of the jobs we have found have been in Texas, unfortunately. It's not really where I want to go, and it's much further East than I want to be. But I'm in the mindset that if Jon gets a job, it'll be good for us no matter where it is. He just needs to get the experience (and hopefully, become a paramedic in the first few years), and then, when a place we want to go to opens up for employment, he can apply and, hopefully, have a better chance at getting the job. Some of the other places we've found have been in New Mexico, Washington, and Nebraska. Yeah, like I said, nothing where I really want to be, but it'll have to do for now... Although, the Washington one is on an island west of Seattle and pays ridiculously well (like twice the salary of most of these other places)!!!! So I definitely wouldn't object to that! This next month Jon will be filling out applications to fire departments... and he'll, at some point, have to travel to all these places to take a written examination. Then, if the department is interested, he'll have to go back for a physical agility test and interviews. This is pretty crazy, but I am excited to see what comes of this (if anything). I just really hope we can move early next year. If not, Jon will probably do wildland firefighting again next summer (but maybe somewhere different this time??).


Oh, and I guess I never mentioned what his new concentration is, but I don't exactly know what it's called... it's more emergency administration, I think. But from what I understand, he could get a job working for a city and help to create emergency plans/evacuations specific to that city (for any kind of disaster).... if he wanted to, at least. I think that would be something he might consider doing when he gets older though.