This was the hardest most difficult year I've ever been through to say the least. It challenged me physically, emotionally, mentally, academically, and spiritually. I've grown so much this past year though, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I've met some amazing people, lost some people, and made some pretty legit new friends.
In August of 2011 I arrived back at school after vacation.... ready to dive right in to Junior year of nursing school. I was taking a peds class and doing clinicals in Richmond, VA at St. Mary's Hospital. I fell in love with the hospital and the people that work there. Potential job possibility? Maybe. I survived first semester by the skin of my teeth. That was academically. Emotionally and mentally I went through a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Like I said... one of the hardest years I've ever been though. During that semester, I asked myself the question... Do you really fall in and out of love? Or does that love simply change? I'm still not sure if I know the answer to that question... if you've got any insight I'd love to hear it.
Because of some new friends that I made, I was able to try new things, see more of Lynchburg than I ever knew existed, and actually begin to feel like a college kid that got to have fun. So thank you, if you took part in any of those things. You know who you are, there are too many people to name.
Over Christmas break, I worked a crazy ton of hours. I think my last tally was 110 hours in 3 weeks. I did night shift, early morning shift, and anything in between. Now that I look back, I was nuts. But I loved it. I got to spend time with my family, and my little man, Ross. It never gets easier saying goodbye, but coming home is just that much sweeter because of him.
96 year old lady: "Do you have any kids?"
Me: "Ummm no, I think I should probably have a boyfriend before that thought process happens."
96 year old lady: "Hmmph. You should get on that. My wheelchair van driver is single..."
He arrives and is like 30 something with a beer belly and balding... NO THANKS.
Coming back for second semester... I got to spend an entire week with my best friend taking a New Testament intensive. What a BLAST. We hung out with some pretty cool people, and had a ton of fun packed into the week before actual classes started. I also began my 2nd job that week, working with an elderly lady who has Alzheimer's disease. A challenge, but so rewarding. The semester started off with a bang, jumping right into clinicals in the Emergency Department where I fell in love with it!!! Had some crazy cool experiences with patients, level one traumas, and meeting some really awesome people, and also finding out some bad news during one of those clinicals. One of the lady's I did my CSER with for over a year had passed away... becasue of this news I got to feel the love and encouragement from my clinical group. Bonding with my clinical group was one of the best things ever.
During this semester... somewhere right after Christmas... I got the brilliant idea to kill myself and graduate early. I was working two jobs, taking 17 credits, and was going insane. Everything was falling into place for me to graduate in December of 2012, 6 months early. I would have completed the nursing program in 3.5 years without transferring any credits in. Right before Spring Break some people walked into my life and some people walked out. Those people have become very dear to me, and have forever changed my life, the other people, are missing out. Spring Bring was an awesome experience with a road trip down to Florida with 4 amazing girls. We had such a blast, met some really neat people, and were completely sun-burnt and exhausted when we returned. After Spring break, school returned to a semblance of normalcy, if you can call Nursing school "normal." I started long-boarding again, wrecked up a few times, but had a ton of fun. I've figured out I need to learn to carve... which basically means turn. I've got the scars to prove that I'm working on it. I pulled the first all-nighter of my college career. NEVER AGAIN. I say that now.... but it'll probably happen again. We sat and talked in a church breezeway, had a glow stick war, made and drank 3 pots of coffee, had homemade pancakes at 5am, then stayed up to be at work by 8am the next morning. It was exhausting, but I got to know a very special person a lot better that night, which made it all worth it, and I got coffee and a muffin out of the deal the next morning.
Next on the list was the SGA election for Student Body President and VP. I had such a fun time campaigning... even though it was early mornings... late nights... and no naps! Everyone's hard work paid off, and Chad & Josh won the election.
Since then, end of year tests are done, finals have come and gone, but God has gotten me through. I have moved 3 times this semester, and I'll be moving again in the next two weeks hopefully. I'm venturing out and trying something new, I'll be living on my own, in MY apartment. Scary, intimidating, terrifying, exhilarating, and exciting. I'm having so much fun planning out room arrangements and decorations. I sign the lease hopefully this coming week. On another note, over the past week or two I've been having second thoughts about graduating early. Was it really worth it? Would I miss out on my last year of college? All sorts of questions were running through my mind. I started taking it to God in prayer. I told him he'd have to make it really obvious if I wasn't supposed to graduate in December, because all the plans had been made. My schedule was chosen, classes were paid for, and everything was lined up. BUT God had other plans. As of right now I will be finishing nursing school in May of 2013 like I originally planned. And I'm ok with that, because its what God clearly showed me I'm supposed to be doing. He's going to use me right here in Lynchburg, and then I'll start off my career and the rest of my life on May 11, of 2013.
I'm excited to see who God is going to bring into my life in this next year. Which people will walk in, and which people will walk out of my life. The relationships I have right now with people, will they grow? Will they remain as they are? Will they turn into something more? I don't know, but He does. More importantly I'm excited to see how my relationship with Christ will grow and change.
I don't know what the future holds... but I know Who holds MY future.
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