Aria's Alpha

I pulled my car into a parking spot in the coffee shop parking lot. As I exited the car, I stretched. The drive from home to this picturesque wilderness town was lovely. I looked around and took in the beautiful nature surrounding me. The recruiter was correct. This place was beautiful--situated on one of the Great Lakes with towering forests behind me, the blues and greens seemed more vivid and clear. I was excited about this job interview. Having just finished residency, I was a year into my first job at a doctor at a large metropolitan hospital. I worked as an obstetrician, but I was not satisfied with the type of practice I currently had. I was interested in rural care and had research interests surrounding small towns with limited access to pre-natal and maternal care. When a recruiter contacted me about a small community-based hospital job opportunity with killer salary and benefits, I jumped at the chance to interview. I popped into the local coffee shop to grab a latte before finding my hotel. It was just as cute on the inside, and I could see myself spending days off here. The latte was phenomenal and it made me wonder who the coffee distributor was. I would love some for a home brew. The baristas were friendly and gave me a couple of suggestions for local places to eat when they found out I was visiting. As I walked out of the shop, a couple of guys were standing by the front door waiting to enter. I was preoccupied looking for my keys, so I didn't pay much attention. As I walked by them, I had a strange sensation in my gut that I couldn't quite describe--like excitement or a quickening. I ignored it and assumed it was just nerves before my interview tomorrow. I got in my car, hooked my phone into my hands free and took off for my hotel. I wanted to do some interview prep and then get acquainted with this beautiful town to see if I could imagine myself settling here.