Category Archives: Michigan

How to Become a Doctor: Ben’s Journey in Pictures

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Ben graduated from residency! He’s now a full-fledged physician.

If you’ve been following our journey for a while, you’ve seen snippets of his path to medicine through stories of our lives at American University of the Caribbean in Sint Maarten, to Detroit, to Arizona, to California, and back to Arizona.

But I have yet to share the process from start to finish. Here’s what it takes for someone to travel from high school student to doctor.

High School in Kenya: Discovering His Calling

Surgery in Kenya

Ben’s interest in medicine started when he nearly died of spinal meningitis in Kenya during high school.

After graduating high school, Ben flew to the States with two bags and a couple hundred dollars in his pocket. He started college at Arizona Christian University.

College in Arizona: Pre-Med

Ben and his lab partner, Bizi, in pre-med classes at Arizona Christian University.

Ben worked on pre-med and began to tackle the Medical College Admissions Test. Studying for the MCAT was a lot of work.

Graduating from college was just the beginning of his path into medicine.

Gap Years: Applying for Med School

Ben taught science for two years while applying to med school (and waiting for me to graduate).

Photo credit: Eyeshot Photography

We got married in 2014.

In 2015, we traveled to Los Angeles for Ben’s interview with American University of the Caribbean.

Med School in the Caribbean: Learning How to Become a Doctor

Soon, we were on a flight to Sint Maarten for medical school.

Arrival in Sint Maarten. We were as exhausted as we look.

Ben’s white coat ceremony was the first of many reasons to celebrate during med school.

Most of students’ time in med school is spent in class or studying.

Bern studied constantly (we made that shelf out of two trash cans and a board from the dumpster).

We had fun in the Caribbean, too. Here’s Matt and Ben surfing.

We loved living on the island.

Getting into the community to volunteer and make friends was my favorite part.

Hard work paid off! Ben made the dean’s list each semester of medical school in Sint Maarten.

Lab work for a zika virus study was a great opportunity.

Med school honor and service society. Can you spot Ben?

We moved home from Sint Maarten after two years. We gained a dog.

Clinical Rotations in the States: Immersion in Hospital Work

Ben was a third-year med student in Michigan. He did one year there, nine months in Arizona, and three in California.

We spent a lot of time at home in Detroit since we were both in school and I was working from home.

The 4th year of medical school is a student’s 20th year of schooling.

For med school year four, Ben transferred to a hospital in Arizona so we could be near family.

Ben became a daddy during fourth year of medical school.

Residency interviews took Ben all over the country. I went with him to this one in Palm Springs.

Match Day during the last clinical rotation in Bakersfield, CA! Ben matched at his #1 choice of residency. We got to move home to Phoenix.

We went to Florida for med school graduation.

Quite the crowd of family members attended Ben’s med school graduation. He had a huge cheering section!

Residency in Phoenix: First Three Years as a Doctor

Here’s the official Dr. Johnson in his long white coat at work. Ben spent 3 years in his internal medicine residency.

Residency is tough, and not just because of the 28-hour shifts. Working in the ICU during a pandemic was draining.

But he made it. Finally, residency graduation! Oh, happy day!

After 11 years of this journey, we’re celebrating the end of a chapter. Can’t wait to jump into the next one!

MLK

Blog, California, International Travel, Michigan, Nature, United States

Happy MLK Day to you! For those of us who got it off, it was a very happy day indeed, for everyone else, sorry. Hope you enjoyed all the MLK quotes on social media, either way. I know I did. King had a lot of wise words that transcend the decades.

Today, we spent our day off enjoying a hike outside our town. What an amazing view we had! Kito was able to go off leash, which made her very happy.

Our hike in t-shirts was very different than last year, when we walked the city streets in the swirling snow.

Last year, we were in Southfield, Michigan, which is part of the Detroit metro area. MLK Day is a very big deal there! It was cool to be a part of a community that goes all out to celebrate the amazing Dr. King.

Despite the icy weather, Southfield citizens gather and march through downtown each MLK Day. The march ends at the civic center, where there is a big celebration with speeches, entertainment, and refreshments.

After my early morning classes with VIPKid, Ben and I suited up in our snow clothes and drove through the icy streets to a local church, where the members were passing out coffee and hot cocoa to what appeared to be half of Southfield. There were hundreds of people there! People representing every socioeconomic group, race, religion, and age were packed into the church gym and flowing out the door. Everyone was smiling, even as we stamped our feet to keep our toes from going numb. It goes to show what a big impact MLK had on our society!

We all poured out of the door and began to march down the street, across the bridge, and toward the glass and gold buildings of downtown. Fraternities, churches, and businesses unfurled banners. People laughed and joked together.

The best part, to me, was that this was not a political protest march, but a celebration. In fact, politics were almost totally absent from the while thing. It was about what brings us together, rather than what divides us.

The crowds at the civic center buzzed with conversation until the speeches, songs, and dance performances began. The theme of the year was “Youth are Our Future,” so teens led much of the ceremony. It was awesome.

Our hike this year was wonderful. But I will always savor memories of MLK Day 2018, when we marched alongside our neighbors to celebrate the community made possible by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Blueberries for Johnsons

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Have you ever read the classic children’s story Blueberries for Sal? I have, probably a hundred times or more. Ever since I was a little kid flipping through the mid-century monochromatic illustrations in the book, I have wanted to go blueberry picking. I didn’t even like blueberries as a kid (they seemed like big, purple peas to me, and who likes peas?), but I wanted to hear the “plink, plink” of blueberries dropping in a bucket.

 

 

Arizona doesn’t exactly have an abundance of blueberry patches. Michigan, however, does! We moved to Michigan after blueberry season had ended last year, but berry picking stayed on my list until July.

 

 

When Ben’s brother Jesse, sister-in-law Joy, and their boys Zach, Micah, and Elliot came to visit from Africa, I wanted to do some fun quintessential Michigan activities. Something really different than the activities you can do in sub-Saharan Africa. So, I suggested we take a trip to a u-pick blueberry farm. I guess it was a little it selfish, because it was something on MY to-do list for the summer! Luckily for me, it was also on their “America bucket list,” and so we loaded up in the car and off we went. As a bonus, Ben mentioned to his supervising resident that his brother was visiting from overseas, and, on a whim, the resident gave Ben a rare half day to come with us. How lucky is that?

 

 

We decided to go to Dexter Blueberry Farm, which is fairly close to Detroit.

 

 

It was a great choice! The farm’s u-pick arrangement is pretty casual. You walk up, grab a shiny red bucket, and head to a sprawling field of blueberry bushes to fill your bucket. Plink! Plink!

 

 

Of course, we were all more interested in filling our bellies than we were in filling our buckets. Chilled blueberries in a grocery store carton are yummy. Sun-warmed blueberries from the bush are simply decadent. Like, close-your-eyes-and-savor-it decadent.

 

 

Somehow, we did manage to collect enough berries in the buckets! A few pounds of consumed berries and a blueberry war later (I won’t tell you who started it, but his name is spelled B E N), we had filled our buckets and were ready to check out.

 

 

At Dexter Blueberry Farms, u-pick berries are $2 per pound. Compare that to supermarket prices! In the end, our massive amount of blueberries only cost $20. I guess it makes sense that berries in the store are more pricey, because picking those berries is actually a lot of work. It’s a lot of fun for an afternoon, but I imagine it’s a pretty intense full-time job.

 

 

It can be hard to find activities that adults and kids ages eight through 13 enjoy, but blueberry picking was a winner. Plus, we ended up with a massive amount of blueberries that tasted amazing in cereal, ice cream, and snacks for a couple of weeks.

Picking blueberries was the perfect way to spend a summer afternoon!

 

 

Visit Dexter Blueberry Farm

When to visit: Blueberry season is in July

Address: 11024 Beach Road, Dexter, MI 48130

Phone number: 734.426.2900

Cost: Blueberries are $2 per pound. Eat all you want for free!

Good things to know: Wear sunscreen! The sun can get intense. Hand sanitizer or wipes are a good idea, since you’ll be eating out of your hands as you pick. Also, there are only porta-potties at the farm.

Cherry Picking at Westview Orchards

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One of the best things about living in Michigan is the availability of fresh produce. And I’m not just talking about dirt-cheap local peaches at Meijer, although those are amazing. I’m talking about the endless u-pick farms that offer everything from apples to asparagus to strange fruits I have never even heard of.

 

 

During my year in Michigan, I visited u-pick farms as often as possible. One fruit-picking season that I was particularly excited about was cherry season.

 

 

Cherry season just happened to peak during the time that Ben’s sister’s family was visiting, so I drove them out of the city to a cherry farm for some classic summertime fun. Ben had to work, so he missed out on the fun, but he did get to enjoy the result of our visit.

 

 

Westview Orchards in Washington, Michigan is the place to go with kids! Of course, my two nephews were perfectly entertained by picking (well, okay, eating) fresh cherries off the tree, but there were also plenty of other things for them to do, including a hay maze, a unique playground, and a petting zoo.

 

 

As far as fun experiences go, though, the cherries really take the cake. We pulled in to Westview Orchards the morning of cherry season’s opening day, and we were greeted by enthusiastic employees who seemed just as excited for the cherries as we were. The gentleman who monitored the picking itself was very helpful, pointing out the different cherry varieties in the orchard and giving fruit selection tips.

 

 

My nephews had a great time in the orchard, exploring the unique tastes of each tree’s fruit, climbing ladders, and choosing favorite trees. Even we adults had a hard time filling our bags faster than we could eat the cherries!

 

 

After a picnic lunch and ice cream, we headed home to bake a cherry pie.

 

 

I helped Annette pit the cherries, and she made the best cherry pie I have ever had. The perfect end to a great day on the farm!

 

Visit Westview Orchards

When to visit: Cherry season is in June, but Westview Orchards offers u-pick almost year-round.

Address:  65075 Van Dyke, Washington, MI 48095

Phone number: (586) 752-3123

Cost: Cherries are about $8 per person, which includes entrance fee and a bag to fill with cherries

Good things to know: Outside food, backpacks, and large bags are not permitted. I was able to take in my backpack camera case without a problem, however.

 

 

Frankmuth, MI with a Dog on the Cheap

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Every Michigander knows about Frankenmuth. There seems to be some debate about whether this is a worthwhile destination or road trip stop. After visiting, I would say Frankenmuth is a must-visit place if you’re in the area, and I wouldn’t mind staying a weekend there! I’ve heard this touristy Bavarian village described as “kitschy,” but I didn’t really find it to be tacky at all. It was really cute, albeit a bit cartoonish in a Main Street Disney sort of way.

 

 

If you’re looking for something fun to do, it’s a great place to go for the day! As a plus, it’s definitely dog-friendly and you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have fun.

 

Ben and I took our big summer trip over Memorial Day weekend. We opted for a classic Michigan road trip– up to Mackinac Island, across the bridge, and up to the UP. This trip served as summer vacation, a celebration of our fourth anniversary, and our babymoon, since we’re expecting Baby Boy Johnson in September!

 

 

On the way back, we decided to check out Frankenmuth at the Bronner’s CHRISTmas wonderland that I keep hearing about.

I actually wrote two or three articles for clients about Bronner’s, even before Michigan was on our radar. It’s one of those unique roadside attractions that everyone talks about, and I was very excited to actually see it in person!

 

 

Bronner’s bills itself as “The World’s Biggest Christmas Store,” and I believe the claim. This place is huge! There are probably a million or two different ornaments inside, You could be perfectly happy wandering around and just looking at the different options, or wandering through the small forest of Christmas trees. I did end up buying some ornaments, because why not get a head start on Christmas shopping in May?

 

How I feel about this store

 

What I liked best about the inside was the international approach. There were ornament sections representing every area of the world! Of course, you can also shop by color, theme, or object.

 

 

We had to take turns seeing the store because the dog was with us, but it wasn’t bad because there are dozens of Christmas displays to check out in the parking lot and lawns around Bronner’s.

 

 

The best part by far was the Silent Night Memorial Chapel. This is an exact replica of the chapel of the same name built in Austria to commemorate the writing of Silent Night.

 

 

You can go inside and learn the history of the song. It’s a peaceful place, and the sort of place that makes you want to stop for a moment and pray.

 

 

Outside, they have the lyrics to Silent Night in dozens of global languages! We hunted down the languages from places we have lived.

 

 

Once we finished with Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, we went to the River Place Shops downtown. The shops were pricey, but most allowed dogs inside. We enjoyed the cool air and the chance to give Kito a bit of crowd training. I don’t know if it was the heat, the long car trip, or just her virtuous soul, but Kito was very well behaved and didn’t touch a thing!

Our favorite shop was Hello Cats & Dogs, which is basically a toy store for pets. Kito was pretty excited to go inside! She was very good and didn’t grab any toys off the shelf, although she definitely thought about snatching a tennis ball.

 

 

We rewarded her behavior with a hamburger patty treat, which was kind of ridiculous at $1, but worth it to give the poor dog something nice after such a long, hot car trip.

Kito quickly became the center of attention in the village. She was so cute and well-behaved, everyone wanted to pet her! If you know Kito, you know she can be a bit crazy! I was glad she was calm during this excursion and didn’t romp around when people came to give her attention.

 

 

After exploring the various shops, we wandered across the river. We looked down at the river cruises, which looked like a lot of fun. They are actually not to expensive, and I think dogs are allowed, but we didn’t have time to take one. We contented ourselves with walking across the covered bridge. Call me a dork, but I was pretty excited to see one in person for the first time!

 

 

It was getting late, so we hunted down dinner. It’s apparently traditional to get a chicken dinner when visiting Frankenmuth, but that seemed a little expensive and overrated to me, and we couldn’t do a restaurant with the dog, anyway. We opted for pretzels, because what’s more German than a freshly baked pretzel?

 

 

I found $3 pretzels in the basement bakery of the Bavarian Inn, and we settled outside the hotel to eat them on a bench. Luckily, we were just in time for the free glockenspiel show they do every few hours! The show included music, as well as a Pied Piper story using adorable clockwork figurines imported from Europe. What a fun way to end the day!

It was particularly fun for me to see a German settlement, since I am mostly German and it doesn’t look like I’ll make it to Germany any time soon. I’m sure the town looks a lot different than it did when immigrants first settled here, but I’ll take what I can get.

 

 

In total, we spent about $45 dollars in Frankenmuth, including dinner, Kito’s reward, and Christmas shopping. You could do it for less, or go all out with the big dinners, carriage rides, hotel stays, and tours. Frankenmuth is fun either way!

Is Frankenmuth worth stopping for? Resounding yes! If you have the time, don’t miss out on the photo ops and the fun.

Still Alive Up Here in Michigan

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Hey everyone!

It’s been a very long time since I posted! So, what does life look like from Detroit?

All I do is work, work, work, work, work

Ha ha, now that song will be in your head for the rest of the day. You’re welcome.

It’s just been very, very busy around here! The transition from St. Maarten to the United States has given me the opportunity to work a lot more, and I’ve been taking advantage of that. Gotta pay off those student loans, you know?

I’m still writing, and I’ve been adding new clients to my list of regulars. One of my new favorites is Forever Bride, a Minnesota-based wedding company. I’m loving love!

 

 

I’m also working as an online English teacher for Chinese-speaking children! As you know, I love teaching ESL and I love working with kids. It’s so much fun to see my students online everyday and teach from my desk at home!

VIPKID is the most fun I’ve ever had at work.

 

 

It’s been so good that Ben decided to apply to VIPKID, too. He got hired last week and just finished his first weekend of classes! Woohoo!

If you know anyone in med school, you know that working during medical school is not always feasible.

However, VIPKID gives Ben the ability to choose his own hours and work when he can, whether that’s 8 hours like last weekend or half an hour on a Friday night. Or nothing, like this week.

 

By the way, if you have a college degree and could use a fun job, you should totally apply! Email me with any questions. Here’s a link and a code for your application: 04MXB1

It’s Cold, Boiiii

As you can see, I may have left the tropics but I still took some island slang with me, boiii.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take any of that sunshine. We’re literally taking vitamin D in pill form at this point.

It’s already snowing here in Detroit! Not enough for any photos, but enough for dancing in the cold with a scarf on.

 

 

Kito doesn’t know what to do about this cold. We go on daily walks along a pond near our house, and she keeps trying to walk into the water to chase the Canadian geese!  Today, she was surprised when she stepped through a thin sheet of ice. I haven’t seen anything so funny since I watched Nacho Libre last week.

 

 

Detroit is pretty cool

It’s cold, but it’s cool.

One thing I love about living here is that a lot of the public venues are totally free. Others are really cheap. A lot of the museums downtown are free for Michiganders!

 

Before we found out we were moving to Michigan, we got a U.S. parks pass. We were sad when we found out that Michigan doesn’t have too many national parks!

 

 

However, we have a TON of state parks. And the pass is just $11 per year! We’ve been all over the place between the US/Canadian border and Lansing.

Ben’s brother and his wife live in Grand Rapids, so we sometimes explore a state park with them.

 

 

In addition to the cool places, Detroit has some pretty cool people. We’re starting to meet our neighbors, and we’re making friends at church and Bible study. We finished the membership class at our church, so we have somewhere to belong in Michigan now.

 

Medical school marches on

Ben’s now about 5/8 of of the way done with med school. And yes, I’m counting down the months!

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not so bad. The endless studying of years 1 and 2 are over, and now he’s having a lot more fun doing rotations in the hospitals.

He’s on his internal medicine rotation. He honored the first part of the rotation!

 

 

So, that’s our life in Michigan in a nutshell! It’s starting to feel like home. <3