My Journey

This is my attempt at putting my life into words. I have never been a good writer, but with all the crazy stories I have I figured it would be entertaining for my friends and family to follow along. Hope you all enjoy reading my blog :)

Thursday, June 13, 2013

The Man I Learned Everything From

With Father's Day quickly approaching I have been thinking about what to get my Dad. I know that if I ask him what he would like I will get the same response I get for every holiday, "save your money for school, bud." I would like to buy him that brand new mustang convertible he has been salivating over for the past decade, a tropical vacation, or anything else his heart desires, but unless I sell a kidney I don't see that happening anytime soon. Of course I will send him a card, and attempt to take him out for dinner when I get home, but anyone who knows my Dad knows that he deserves so much more.

As young boys we search, without knowing it, for someone to be our role model. In our early years we end up looking to athletes, writers, actors, or other figures to fill that role. We choose these people because society tells us that is who we need to become to be considered "successful." When I came to the realization that I was never going to throw down a major dunk in an NBA game like Michael Jordan, or score the game winning touchdown in an NFL game like Emmitt Smith, I had to find another role model. Fortunately for me, the greatest role model I could have ever asked for is my father. 

I tend to be a person who likes things to be written in black and white. You can imagine my discouragement when I realized that there was no book on how to be a man. What I didn't see then is that my Dad was writing that manual for me every day with how he lived his life. Even as a young man of twenty-two, I am able to look back and see the life lessons my father has taught me. 

He taught me to develop a strong work ethic through his commitment to his company. If you have ever worked construction, you know it's not easy work. The days are long, the labor is difficult, and your task often goes without thanks. I was lucky enough to work with my Dad during the summers from 7th-12th grade when I wasn't playing sports.  While I was a terrible builder, I was able to see him put everything he had into his work, and to lead the crew of guys working with him. I hated working construction at the time, but the lessons I learned continue to affect my work ethic to this day.

In my opinion, one of the biggest responsibilities placed on a man, is that of being the leader of his family. We are expected to provide for, guide, and love our families to the best of our abilities. In more ways than I have time to mention he has fulfilled this responsibility. My father has shown me unconditional love. Admittedly, I was a turd growing up, and found myself doing some pretty stupid things. He was never demeaning, judgmental, or unrealistic with me. When I messed up he made sure that I knew where I had gone astray and how to avoid those situations in the future. I may not live in the Ritz, wear the most trendy clothes, or drive the hottest car on the market, but I have never had to worry that I would not be provided for. By working hard and making a lot of sacrifices, he made sure that my sister and I always had what we needed. In fact, I can think of several times my Dad passed up on his own needs to make sure that we were able to get/do the things we wanted. 

However, even bigger than all of those things, my Dad has shown me that life is not about the size of your paycheck, the girl you are dating, the car you drive, the house you live in, or even how expensive the outfit you are wearing is. Family, true friends, a job that you enjoy, and love are far more important things to acquire in your life. Most importantly, he taught me that life is about following God and furthering his kingdom. 

Dad, I want to thank you for all of these wonderful life lessons. The man I am today is largely in part to the way you've lived your life. Thank you for being my best friend, role model, and also being my father on the days that I need a kick in the pants. I wouldn't trade the memories we have made in the past twenty-two years for anything. If someday I am told that I am a lot like you, I will consider my life a success. Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Mother's Day

Mothers deserve to be celebrated every day of the year; but on this day specifically, we get to spend a few hours honoring these wonderful women. Many of us make meals, have a picnic, or do odd jobs around the house to let our mothers know we care. Unfortunately, I do not get to partake in any of these events this year as I am half a country away in North Carolina. I purchased my mother a card (which is currently en route to her via my father on an airplane) and gave her a quick phone call, but I wanted to do something a little more special. I wish I could buy her a piece of fine jewelry or send her on a trip to a tropical destination, but my current college debt and non-lucrative job put a damper on my ability to do such things. One thing I know she has always enjoyed are my blog posts. In fact, she may be one of the few people that actually read the silly thing (clearly I don't do this for fame). So, on this Mother's Day, I decided to write a blog dedicated to her.

I consider myself very fortunate to share a great relationship with my Mom. Many people would call me a Momma's Boy, and I wouldn't disagree with them. My Mom is one of my best friends, and the relationship that I share with her is one of my greatest treasures. Throughout life she has been my biggest fan, but also my biggest critic, never being afraid to tell me when I have gone astray.

I feel that many mothers shelter their children, always keeping the training wheels of life close in case they start to wobble. My Mom was not afraid to let me fall and skin my knee every once in awhile. Don't get me wrong, it pained her to see me struggle, but she knew that I needed to learn to navigate life on my own. When I would fall, and fall again, she would always be there waiting to help me pick up the pieces and prepare for another try.

My Mom always pushed me to the best I could be. She knew when I was going through the motions and was never scared to bring it to my attention. During high school and college I called this "her being too hard on me," but now I realize that she knew I just needed a swift kick in the butt every now and then. By doing so, she taught me to expect more in myself, to never settle when I knew I could do better.

I could spend several hours writing about what my Mom has taught me, but I actually want to focus on a few of my favorite memories with my Mom. Listed below you will find some of my most cherished memories shared with her. You all may find some of them sappy, or even cheesy, but frankly I don't care because it's Mother's Day.

1) In high school I used to get soooo nervous about football games. For some reason I thought that everything in my life was riding on these games and that if I made a mistake my world would come crashing down. To get me to loosen up before my games my Mom would stand on our kitchen table and give me pep talks. At the giant height of 5ft 2in tall you can imagine that this was more hilarious than it was inspiring. However, I will never forget these little pep talks.

2) My sophomore year of college my parents chaperoned a group of my friends and I on a cruise. On this particular cruise we made a stop in Belize. Those of us on the cruise know what happened in Belize, but I won't go into any more detail than that (ask my Mom).

3) My graduation ceremonies. Looking into the crowd and seeing the excitement and pride on my Mom's face made every sleepless night and hour of studying worth it.

4) Her Irish jig. For those of you that have not seen this, you are definitely missing out.

5) In high school my Mom used to cook my friends and I lunch once a week. She would let us know a week in advance what she was going to cook and we would decide a day of the week that worked best for us to attend and she would always have a hot meal waiting for us.

6) When I was little my Mom used to read me a book, "Love you Forever" by Robert Munsch. I will never forget the words of that book and quote it often in letters/cards to my Mom.

7) Our yearly trips to Dairy Queen. When I was in school my Mom and Deb Rohloff would take all of us to Dairy Queen to celebrate the beginning and end of the school year.

8) Our trip to the Mahaska County Fair. My Mom thought it would be a great idea to have me ride the tea cups. Needless to say I turned green and have yet to ever ride them again. I should point out that she already knew at this point in my life that I HATED carnival rides/roller coasters. Yes, I am one of those kids.

9) On my route to and from school there was a narrow road that passed between a cemetery and a green house. This road was only big enough for a single car to pass at any given time. Early in my driving career I encountered a situation where I met a car in the middle of this road and it wasn't budging so I threw my car into reverse and tried to back out. However, I was not so good at backing up and side swiped the back half of my truck on the side of the green house. Luckily I drove an '89 Chevy pickup, but it did leave a nice scrape down the back side of my truck. Being the wise child that I was, I told my parents that another car had side swiped me in the parking lot at the basketball game when my car was parked. Fool proof idea, right? Wrong. The next day my Mom comes home and asks me if I "would happen to know why there was a big red scrape on the side of the greenhouse?" Of course, I denied my involvement, but then she noted that the color was oddly similar to that of my truck. Following this statement she asked me again what had happened in the parking lot. I knew I was a goner and accepted my punishment. I still have no idea how she knew.

10) Her photo albums. My Mom made a family photo album just about every year when I was growing up and made my sister and I a photo album every year of high school. Yeah, she rocks.

Well I hope you all enjoyed hearing a little bit about my Mom today. I truly hope that all of you have been as lucky as I have been to have such a wonderful mother growing up. To all of you mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day!

Preston Sereg



Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Still Here!

Hey Everyone,

For those of you out there that enjoy (c'mon play along) my blog, I am sorry for not updating it in the past few months. It has been a very busy past few months full of wonderful adventures and new opportunites. I know the majority of my blog posts are focused on what I have been up to lately, but I figured you all may be interested in catching up with my life lately so here goes nothing.

Since I last posted I have been in several locations: Houston, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin. I really enjoyed my time in Wisconsin and loved seeing the sites in D.C. However, I absolutely hated the rest of D.C. I found the areas away from the touristy sites to be very dirty and overcrowded. If you all want to hear some funny stories let me know :)

I am currently working in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. It is a VERY large hospital (800+ beds, I think) affiliated with Wake Forest University Medical School (thank you captain obvious). They have essentially every specialty you could possibly imagine. I have been working in Pediatric Cardiology and Urology thus far with plans to begin working in Opthamology and Pediatric GI. I am loving my time in Cardiology and find it fascinating. In my opinion, the heart should be the 8th wonder of the world. AMAZING!

North Carolina is a fantastic state. I have only been here for approximately two weeks, but no one would have to force me to stay here longer. I joined the local YMCA here in Winston-Salem and have been spending a lot of time in the evenings playing basketball. Last weekend I made the trip to Asheville, North Carolina, which is appropriately labeled 'Beer City, USA.' The dowtown area alone is home to five or six breweries. For a craft beer fan like myself, I thoroughly enjoyed tasting the local brews. Asheville is located just inside the Appalachain mountains providing absolutely beatiful drives and scenery. The town is just slightly bohemian/hipsterish, but a great place to relax and catch some live music and just hang out. This weekend we are driving about an hour and a half South to check out Charlotte and are planning a trip to the Wilmington (on the coast) in a few weeks. Needless to say, I am really enjoying my time here.

I actually put in my 'notice of leave' with the company this week and will officially be done working for Elite Medical Scribes on July 1st. I can't believe that next month will make one year with the company. When I started the job I thought there was no way I could survive a little over a year of traveling and being away from my friends and family. It has definitely been a roller coaster ride, but I know I made the right decision and have already begun to see some of the benefits of this experience.

I will be taking the month of July to prepare for St. George's and making sure I am ready to move down to Grenada. I never got to have a summer break in college so I am going to do some traveling and take time to enjoy my friends and family before heading to Grenada. I will officially leave for Grenade on August 11th for my first semester of my MD/MPH program. Words can not explain how excited I am to enter this next chapter of my life. It is going to be a very challenging and very long journey, but I feel so blessed to have this opportunity and I can't wait to see what God has planned.

Well I think you all are finally up to speed with my life over the past few months. I hope this blog finds you happy and well. I miss you all and can't wait to see you in the near future. Feel free to shoot me a text or give me a call some time. I know I would love to hear from you!

Preston Sereg

Friday, January 11, 2013

Right Out The Window

Hey Everyone,

It is hard for me to believe that another year has come and past. The year of 2012 was filled with happiness, sadness, smiles, tears, hellos, goodbyes, and so many important life events for me. In the future, I believe I will look at this year and remember how much I was forced to grow.

As many of you know, I graduated college this year with my Bachelor's Degree in Biology from the University of Northern Iowa. I consider this one of my greatest life accomplishments to this day. The life lessons I learned in college will follow me for the rest of my life, and I would never trade the time I spent at UNI for the world. While in college I worked almost full-time between my two jobs, volunteered at my church, volunteered at the hospital, and somehow managed to balance some sort of social life. It was extremely hard at times, but I would do it again in a heart beat. The friendships I made over the past four years are some of my greatest treasures in life and I cherish the people I was fortunate to spend these years with. Some of the hardest moments of my life were spent saying goodbye to these peoples as they went on to pursue their dreams and begin their lives elsewhere. To say I miss college would be an understatement.

After graduation I accepted a full-time job with Elite Medical Scribes based out of Minneapolis, MN, working as a scribe trainer/project manager. Essentially my job is to travel to new or existing sites and train new employees to work in the hospital setting. I took this job thinking it would be the experience of a lifetime, but it has by no means been easy. I have always been a very social person and I have put my self worth in the relationships that I maintain (probably not the wisest decision). I quickly learned that a traveling position, and a full-time position at that, leaves little time to visit those you love back home. It has been one of the hardest adjustments of my life. However, I am greatful for the employment opportunity that God has granted me and I choose to believe that this job has taught me several life lessons that will make more sense in the future. I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with dozens of physicians and learn medicine directly from them. Plus, seeing a gun shot wound is never dull!

A future as a physician is still in sight. There are several twists and turns that loom in the distance, but the path is becoming more clear each and every day. I am learning that I have no cruise control or GPS for this journey and that I will have to rely on faith to direct my path. Each day presents a new challenge and a new opportunity in this journey. There are some days I wish I could see the finish line ahead, but I am learning that the journey has the potential to be just as beautiful as the end goal.

This year was also full of several memories that I never want to forget. Two of my best friends, Molly and Seth Webb, were married in May and I was fortunate enough to share in their special day. My parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary....what a testament to what true love really looks like. My sister and her fiance got engaged, and I look forward to their ceremony this year. I am also happy for so many of my other friends that got engaged/married this year and can't wait to see what the future holds for them.

I thank you all for the roles you played in my life over the past year. Odds are that if you are reading this you are very special to me and I hope you know how blessed I consider myself to have you in my life. I wish you all the best in this new year and hope that all of your dreams come true. It is my prayer that you will continue to grow in your faith and let God take hold of the reins as you navigate through life this year.

Happy New Year!

Preston Sereg

Monday, November 12, 2012

The Month of Gratitude

The month of Novmenber has to be one of my favorite months. I have never been a big fan of holidays (ask my family), but Thanksgiving is an exception. I enjoy the symbolism and religious meaning associated with the other holidays, but I feel they have been too commercialized and that we lose sight of what the point is. I would be lying if I told you I didn't enjoy all of the wonderful food associated with Thanksgiving, but the holiday encompasses so much more than my love for great food. It seems to be the one time of year that everyone, myself included, is forced to think about the things we are grateful for. 

I feel that gratitiude is something that we often overlook. It is so easy to focus on the illusive curveballs that life throws our way that we forget to remember the blessings we have in life. I know that I spend most of my time sulking over the things that I deem unfair. My daily life is dictated in my subconcious by the things that go wrong. I remember getting a speeding ticket or a co-worker drinking the last cup of coffee, but I forget to remember the blessing of owning a car or having a job in the first place. In fact, I would be willing to bet that you and I could make a longer list of things that went wrong today compared to those things that went well. For those of you that can win that bet, props to you. The fact of the matter is that we all would be a lot happier if we treated every month like November. Facebook, one of my greatest sources of news these days, is jam packed with things people are happy for. This is a nice alternative to the "my world is falling apart" statuses that seem to dominate the Facebook world every other month of the year. But like they say, "misery loves company."

One of the things I love most about my parents is their inability to let me sulk. Believe me, I often call them simply wanting to hear them say, "Yes Preston, it is okay to be upset about this." Much to my chagrin, they never let me win that battle. They often concede that it is an unfair situation, but they always remind me of their "life is not fair" philosophy. A dark and ominious philosophy, maybe, but fitting nonetheless. The worst part is the fact that they always point out the blessings or life lessons hidden in my laundry list of struggles. By forcing me to focus on the good things they make it almost impossible to be upset about anything, almost. The lessons they have taught me hold more value to me than any other thing I will ever acquire. 

I don't mean to imply that I am a gratitude guru, as I am likely one that has the most to learn. Those of you that know me well can vouch for the fact that I tend to be slightly pessimisstic and that my thoughts are easily consumed by the negative factors in life. In fact, this blog is more for me than anyone else, sorry for my selfishness. Rather than post my list of things I am thankful for over each day for the rest of the month I have chosen to list 30 things that I am thankful for below. I hope that this post has in some way forced you to reflect on the things that you are thankful for this holiday season. If nothing else, I hope it at least provided some comic relief after a long Monday. Regardless, I hope that things are well with you and that life continues to treat you well. 

1. My family
2. My education
3. My faith
4. My job
5. My friends
6. Books
7. Social Media and Facetime
8. Living in the wonderful United States of America
9. Starbucks, yum. 
10. My health
11. Freedom
12. Movies
13. Pickles
14. Football
15. Prairie Lakes Church
16. Buffalo Wild Wings
17. Oskaloosa, Iowa
18. The election is over
19. The U.S. military
20. The University of Northern Iowa
21. Days off work
22. My mother's cooking
23. Peanut Butter
24. Knowing that I am loved
25. Growing up in the Midwest
26. Beer, I promise I am not an alcoholic. 
27. Nature
28. Ground Transportation- I hate flying!
29. Music
30. A place to call home 





Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Traveling Man

Hey Everyone!

Wow, it has been quite some time since I have posted any updates. For my loyal followers (if you exist), I apologize and hope you enjoy this post. If we haven't talked in awhile you should stop what you're doing, send me a text, or give me a call. I would love to hear from you....promise :).

I am currently concluding the last day of a two week hiatus at home. It has been a nice breath of fresh air for me following approximately two months of 70-80 hour work weeks. Needless to say, I was getting pretty run down and was in much need of a little rest and relaxation. I was able to come home for a wedding at the beginning of the month and have been working at home since then. I could definitely get used to working from home.....I should have gone into business! Tomorrow I will be headed back to New Hampshire. I will be working there for approximately ten days at a new site for the company in Nahsua, New Hampshire. Nashua is approximately 30-45 minutes North of Boston and within an hour from my two previous sites in New Hampshire.When I finish up in Nashua I will be heading to Rockford, IL, and will be there for approximately two and a half weeks. I will be very glad to return to working in the Midwest and to be much closer to home. After Rockford I am scheduled to be working in Texas! When I took this job I had no idea how much traveling I would be doing. I love seeing everything there is to see and enjoying all of the new experiences, but I am going to be all traveled out by this time next year.

Some other updates:

1. I have ALMOST overcome my fear of flying.....my friends know how big of an accomplishment this is for me. My heart still pounds every time I get on a plane, but after holding hands with the person next to me for several minutes I can usually calm myself to a minor whimper.....just kidding.

2. I have a medical school interview :)

3. I've lost 35lbs since most of you have seen me last. Don't worry I won't blow away in a strong wind...yet.

4. Tim Jacobsen thinks that scholarships make college more expensive.....ask him about it.

I know this was a pretty boring post for all of you to read, but I figured some of you may want to know what I have been up to. I am pretty terrible about keeping in touch and this is my attempt to at least try. I hope that all of you had a great summer and are enjoying being back to work, school, or whatever else it is you do. Thanks for reading :)

Preston Sereg








Sunday, July 8, 2012

Wrapping Up

Hey Everyone!

I have officially been in New Hampshire for three weeks now! The time is absolutely flying, and I find myself having to double-check my calendar. I hate to say it, but I have fallen in love with it out here. Manchester is a little rough around the edges in places, but it is smack dab in the middle of so many things. An hour to the South is Boston, an hour East and you're floating in the Atlantic, and major cities such as NYC and D.C. are all within a days drive. Everyone out here feels terrible for you all back home because of the heat wave......Did I mention it's only been in the upper 80's to low 90's with very minimal humidity!? Everything is green here, much like in Iowa, but it's mostly trees. I had to drive East to Portsmouth, NH, on Friday and it was easily one of the prettiest drives I have ever been on. All of the houses near the coast are "box-like," are typically two stories, and have A LOT of windows. I've never been one for fancy architecture, and the simplicity appeals to me (not that Iowa is the most extravagant place on Earth).

Before you get your undies all up in a bunch, let me say that I do miss Iowa, very much so in fact. Right now is one of my favorite times in Iowa, driving down the country highways, surrounded by the sea of green. I would love to sit down to a family dinner full of all the proper summer foods.....watermelon, sweet corn, Iowa chops, potato salad, and a fresh apple pie topped with homemade ice cream......YUM! (when you live in a hotel and eat primarily salad and cold-meat sandwiches you begin to dream of a home-cooked meal. ) Oh, I also miss the people. Don't get me wrong, there are a large number of very nice people out here, but it's not like the Midwest. In the Midwest, a nod of the head, a tip of the hat, or a friendly hello are pretty typical pleasantries that most people share. That is not the case on the East coast. I try to keep my overly friendly personality buried a little deeper than surface level out here so that not everyone will think I am crazy......but I'm pretty sure most of them still do.

I finished up my training duties at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester this week, and it was definitely a bittersweet moment for me. Initially, when I came out here I was only going to be here for two weeks. However, that quickly became three, and is now going to turn into something along the lines of five. Needless to say I was a little overwhelmed with the amount of time that I would be away from my friends and family. However, this experience has been one of the biggest blessings for me. The people at CMC welcomed me in, and treated me like family. I absolutely loved the environment. At Covenant Hospital, the hospital that I scribed at in college, I had become very close to several of the nurses and providers. This was something that had made my job so enjoyable, and all of the new hospitals I had been at were lacking that family feel. So when I began to get to know people here I began to feel at home. After three weeks I felt like I had been working there for months. One of the housekeepers even made me a batch of chocolate chip cookies on my last night.....they were absolutely delicious. Unfortunately after several offers to stay, I had to part ways with everyone at CMC. I can honestly say I will never forget everyone at that hospital.

Tomorrow morning I will be headed to Portsmouth, NH. It is about thirty minutes to the East, and is literally right on the coast (hence the name of the town). It is going to be a great time! The town is considered one of the best walking towns in America, and the downtown is primarily cobblestone. Every weekend is jam packed with all kinds of things to do. I am most excited to take Route 1 along the coast into Maine. The nursing staff at CMC told me it is a breathtaking drive, and that there are a lot of things to see. Also, they frequently have fireworks at Hampton Beach (just South of Portsmouth) where they shoot fireworks out over the ocean. It's gonna be awesome :)

As always, there are a few things I have noticed during my travels out here.
1. Everyone loves Tom Brady. Personally, I hope the dude breaks every bone in a career ending injury. However, everyone in New England thinks the dude walks on water. Oh, and the ladies love him.....surprise surprise.
2. Ginger Ale is a huge hit out here. The only time I had ever drank Ginger Ale in the Midwest, was in punch. They even sell it is vending machines out here.
3. If you stall at an intersection for even a second.....be ready to get honked at. (No more spacing off for me)
4. Snapple is also a huge hit. I remember seeing commercials for Snapple, and thinking how they could afford nationally televised commercials. Now I know.
5. Nobody has heard of a Dumbledork.....told you I coined the phrase (Sarah, Tim, Seth, Leah E)
6. The seafood is WAY better than it is in Iowa....call me Sherlock Holmes ;)

Well everyone I hope you all are doing well. I miss you all more than you know, and would love to catch up with you. If you are every looking for something to do, shoot me a call! I can't guarantee that I won't be working, but I will get back to you as soon as I can! I should be home in a few weeks, and look forward to seeing you all.

Preston Sereg