I Don't Understand

How can life be soooo exhausting sometimes?  I don't get it.  This past week and especially today has been quite rough.  While I was digging through a card box yesterday I found a quote that was quite fitting: "If adversity builds character, yours has been getting quite a workout lately".  I can only pray that I will learn and become stronger in Christ.  The fight to remain sensitive to Him and not to snap back at the people and circumstances of the day is a constant struggle for me.  I need help from Him.

It's almost April?!?!?!

When did that happen!?!?

It is hard to believe my first year of nursing is almost over, as well as my 3rd year of college. I can barely comprehend graduating in a year. I don't feel near prepared enough to actually be nursing on clients with no instructor to bounce questions off! I'm doing well in my classes, so far I'm on track for my goal of a B in nursing this semester, but it doesn't mean I don't stress about it!!! haha

I like being back in Maine and closer to my family, but there is a part of me that still itches to be somewhere else sometimes. Maine will always be home, I'm just not sure I will always be home. But, I now have friends scattered throughout the US so I guess I could take off and visit them and nurse in their areas for a while, aye? Or go to India and work with the hospitals and out reaches there! (Slumdog Millionaire got me thinking about that one!!!)

For the time being though, I'm enjoying most of my time here, I've been blessed to meet some more friends here and I would be lost without them. I'm applying for an RA position next year. I would love to do that!!! It is a little nerve wracking during the process though because my mind is thinking, "What if I don't get it? Then what?". I'm also praying about my summer job, the economy up here isn't looking so hot and there have been temporary cut backs and pay cuts at the mill. God only knows if they'll actually hire students or not. The applications are up.......but that isn't much reasurrance, last summer we went all the way through orientation before they told us we'd be laid off for a week!!!

My spring break starts on Friday, I can't wait to go home and spend time with my family and friends downstate! And to sleep in a comfy bed that doesn't have springs poking me in the back!!

In April my friends Adam, Estella, maybe Pam, and I are going to PEI to visit a friend of Adam's and to see the Watoto children's choir! We are wicked excited!!!

I can still barely wrap my mind around only having about 7 more weeks until we are out of school, but I guess I better keep focused!!

Hugs, love, e.

Record Highs!

WOWEE! Yesterday the vast majority of the state had record high temps......Portland's record high was 51.......however up here in the far north our record high was a whopping 37....woot. lol

I started clinical in at The Aroostook Medical Center last week. For my first day I got to follow a wound care nurse around during a wound care clinic. I got to see a lot of venous stasis ulcers and a very bad case of frostbite. Wicked cool and extremely interesting!

This week is going to go quickly I think, I can hardly wait for friday!!! I'm WICKED excited to see my grover peoples :):):):)

I went skiing on Saturday with another guy I tutor with. The conditions were PERFECT and the weather was GORGEOUS!!! I don't think there could have been a better day! It was fun because he could ski well too so we just skied hard and fast all for about 4 hours!! SOOOOOOO fun!

This semester due to some major budget cuts the position of activities coordinator here on campus was cut. That meant we lost our open gym, movie nights, pretty much all on campus organized activities. Stink. A few of us students have formed a student activity committee. We had our first meeting on Saturday afternoon and I think it is going well. We are set to start after we get back from break in a couple weeks.

I had to take a woman to the ER last night. She was really sick and vomiting blood. Thankfully I brought my schoolwork because we were there for a very long time. Turns out she has Bacterial Gastroenteritis which is very contagious.....I've been washing my hands TONS and I'm about ready to clean the bathroom with bleach....lol I guess the incubation period is 72 hours.....I'm praying I don't get it.....that would make me sick over the weekend when I'm supposed to be in Grove City. :(

Well, back to studying, hugs, e.

New Year, New Semester, New Snow

I'm not a big believer in "new year's resolutions", but i decided to make a few "goals" for myself this year. They are in no particular order:

1. Cut all dairy from my diet (I'm allergic and it is making me sick--don't worry I'm taking Calcium!)
2. Blog more frequently.....boy that one is going well!
3. Complete at least 75% of my nursing reading by the day before the class
4. Learn how to play racquetball....but I need a racquet :)
5. Keep my room mostly picked up and clean ALL the time
6. Refresh my Spanish

Not too long or overly exciting but something a little different not the less.

This semester is in full swing. Last week was miserably stressful, I had return demos for injections, clinical site orientation, I almost got in a car accident (gotta love 180s), and I had a Nursing Exam. UGH. Everything turned out okay and I actually did pretty well on my exam :)

I came back this semester expecting to have no hall-mates as my last one moved out at the end of last semester. I was pleasantly surprised to find 3 new women in Heather's place! I like them all and we get along well! Estela is from Portland, it took me quite a while to figure out the reason I couldn't understand her was because she has only lived here for 5 years and before that lived in Egypt and Sudan. She's a hoot and went home with me this weekend. Ashlei is from Jonesport. She's a nursing student, too, and has a thick downeast accent :) Candi is my mom's age and is from Oklahoma. She's pretty overwhelmed with all the studying but is determined! I have to help her every now and then with her computer and DVD player....it is just like being at home! haha

God's been pretty cool thus far. I was really not wanting to live on campus this semester but God didn't give me any peace about moving off. I stayed and God has given me so many opportunities! Last weekend I decided to do an impromptu game night with a few friends, i think there were 5 of us total. We had a blast and a couple of them have approached me about doing it again soon, maybe this weekend! :):):) Sooooo excited! :)

Well, I still have a lot of reading to do. I get to dissect a sheep eye this afternoon in anatomy, woohoo! My lab partner is grossed out and is bringing a mask. heehee

hugs, e.