H A P P Y N E W Y E A R ! !
As much as I love the feeling of a fresh start at the beginning of a new year, I always feel a let down after the end of the holidays... Christmas brings with it such joy and spirit, and just as quickly as it begins, it's over... and the focus shifts back to maximizing productivity, with an increased emphasis on overhauling our lives. Granted, "New Year's Resolutions" can be motivating, but unless it's practical, more often than not they are forgotten before the end of January. I'm not the biggest supporter of the "Resolution" movement, only because I like to think that I can make changes to my life and follow through with them - no matter the time of year. It's amazing - I've found a way to make the most of change... I now thrive on it; it gives me more purpose and direction in my life. Speaking of... I have made a huge decision regarding my future, and taking a different direction: I have decided to forgo the Nurse Practitioner program at Hopkins, and instead will work toward acceptance into the Midwifery program at the University of Utah. It has been a very drawn-out and prayerful decision, but I know now where my passion lies, and I feel that it would benefit me (in many ways) to pursue the rest of my education at the U. It is a very reputable program, and the environment there would provide me with a great deal of experience and a variety of patients. Prior to starting that program, however, I plan to work for at least 2 years, in order to have a stronger foundation and understanding of the field. That leaves me with another huge decision... where shall I work? I have been pondering this difficult decision and praying about it, and I will keep you updated as soon as I figure out where I am meant to be.... whether that be here in Baltimore or back in Salt Lake, I'm not sure. I know the Lord will give me direction as He sees fit. Seems slightly funny that I travel all the way out to Baltimore to return to Salt Lake, but the Lord has His way of handling things... I recognize the many reasons I was meant to be out here in Baltimore, and I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given and the experiences I've had, but I've learned not to argue or question the path the Lord has prepared for me, no matter how convoluted it may appear. But I still have another 2 full semesters of school ahead of me, so I have to stay on track and focus on the task at hand! And they aren't wasting any time... I start classes tomorrow, and I already feel the pressure of the course work that will be required. I'm excited to start again, I just hope that I am prepared adequately for clinical this week... I have been placed at Hopkins Hospital, on a general Adult Health floor, and we will be expected to be on top of all our patient's assessments and meds... I keep reminding myself that it will be overwhelming at first, but with time and exposure, it will become easier. At least coming out of this rotation I will feel much more like a nurse! And I'm excited to finally be working at Hopkins... finally I'll be able to learn what all the hype is about....
But today is still technically Winter Break. So, although I am mentally preparing for school to start, I am still trying to enjoy a bit of my freedom! And I want to fill you all in on the holiday happenings in my life... it's been a busy past couple weeks! I already told you about the snowstorm that we survived 2 weeks ago (really? only 2 weeks? wow...) that shortened my trip to California, where I stayed with one of my dearest and oldest friends, Brenn (we go waay back to 4th grade!) for a few days. It was so good to see her, after having her out here for our historical exploration of the Chesapeake region back in September. I hadn't been back to California in over a year, so more than anything, it felt great to be "home" again. We ventured back to our old stomping ground, Westwood (Brenn and I were roommates while at UCLA together) and then traveled to Malibu to visit my mom's beautiful residence (with Pacific Ocean views, no less) and visit with the monkeys that her friend Monique owns. There are 7 in total... and we had a wonderful time getting to know them all!
A majority of our time was spent in Hermosa Beach, near Brenn's lovely little home... we treated ourselves to a Bikram session, massages, and shop therapy. Much needed, and deserved (I think), let me tell you!!
And then it was time to head up to Utah... and Brenn decided, on a very spontaneous decision, to join me for a few days in the winter wonderland of Salt Lake after Christmas weekend! I was so happy to have her up to visit. Christmas came and went, and I was grateful for the time I had to spend with my family. Especially when we all made the trip up the canyon to Snowbird for some time on the slopes! It was (albeit windy) a gorgeous day on the mountain, and we had a great time exploring the runs off the tram. The rest of the weekend was relaxing, and it was great to visit with family and friends in the Salt Lake area. Brenn arrived on Monday afternoon, and I had such fun introducing her to life in the snow. We went to Brighton on Tuesday, her very first time snowboarding, and I was impressed with how well she managed on the mountain! She was determined and motivated, despite spending a majority of her time on her back.... haha. Greg came along with us, and we were all pleased with the conditions... light snow fall, making for smooth runs down, but also adding to the picturesque scene of the frosted mountainside. We were definitely happy to return home that evening and put our feet up in front of the fireplace... such a wonderful way to defrost. We had intended to head up to Park City on Wednesday, but a snowstorm prevented us from making the trip... our little shoebox of a car wouldn't have made it up the canyon! A bit disappointing, but we made the most of our time in the valley. She was so excited about the fresh snow that coated the ground outside our house, and I was surprised at how much I missed that climate! Snow in Utah is idyllic... in Baltimore, it's just depressing. haha. After Brenn left on New Year's Eve, I was feeling a bit sick, so I spent that night in bed! So sad. But I know that if I had tried to go out, it would have been miserable. I know I'll have plenty more NYE's to enjoy. The rest of my time in Utah was spent relaxing around the house, enjoying time with Greg, as I took advantage of my remaining freedom before returning to "Charm City" - which is currently under "weather watch" for gale-force winds, which I can hear whipping around our house! I don't even want to know how cold it is outside... currently, accuweather.com says that it is "27" degrees outside, but with the windchill, it's about 7 degrees. GAHHH. When I arrived back in town last night, it was 0 degrees. ZERO. Really?!? What I would give for the "freezing" temperatures of Salt Lake right about now... save me! haha. But I signed up for this... so I'll grin and bear it! Even if that grin is frozen across my face... and with that, I'll leave you until next weekend -- I'll have plenty to discuss after this first week of classes is over! Here are a few parting shots from the past few weeks:
But today is still technically Winter Break. So, although I am mentally preparing for school to start, I am still trying to enjoy a bit of my freedom! And I want to fill you all in on the holiday happenings in my life... it's been a busy past couple weeks! I already told you about the snowstorm that we survived 2 weeks ago (really? only 2 weeks? wow...) that shortened my trip to California, where I stayed with one of my dearest and oldest friends, Brenn (we go waay back to 4th grade!) for a few days. It was so good to see her, after having her out here for our historical exploration of the Chesapeake region back in September. I hadn't been back to California in over a year, so more than anything, it felt great to be "home" again. We ventured back to our old stomping ground, Westwood (Brenn and I were roommates while at UCLA together) and then traveled to Malibu to visit my mom's beautiful residence (with Pacific Ocean views, no less) and visit with the monkeys that her friend Monique owns. There are 7 in total... and we had a wonderful time getting to know them all!
A majority of our time was spent in Hermosa Beach, near Brenn's lovely little home... we treated ourselves to a Bikram session, massages, and shop therapy. Much needed, and deserved (I think), let me tell you!!
And then it was time to head up to Utah... and Brenn decided, on a very spontaneous decision, to join me for a few days in the winter wonderland of Salt Lake after Christmas weekend! I was so happy to have her up to visit. Christmas came and went, and I was grateful for the time I had to spend with my family. Especially when we all made the trip up the canyon to Snowbird for some time on the slopes! It was (albeit windy) a gorgeous day on the mountain, and we had a great time exploring the runs off the tram. The rest of the weekend was relaxing, and it was great to visit with family and friends in the Salt Lake area. Brenn arrived on Monday afternoon, and I had such fun introducing her to life in the snow. We went to Brighton on Tuesday, her very first time snowboarding, and I was impressed with how well she managed on the mountain! She was determined and motivated, despite spending a majority of her time on her back.... haha. Greg came along with us, and we were all pleased with the conditions... light snow fall, making for smooth runs down, but also adding to the picturesque scene of the frosted mountainside. We were definitely happy to return home that evening and put our feet up in front of the fireplace... such a wonderful way to defrost. We had intended to head up to Park City on Wednesday, but a snowstorm prevented us from making the trip... our little shoebox of a car wouldn't have made it up the canyon! A bit disappointing, but we made the most of our time in the valley. She was so excited about the fresh snow that coated the ground outside our house, and I was surprised at how much I missed that climate! Snow in Utah is idyllic... in Baltimore, it's just depressing. haha. After Brenn left on New Year's Eve, I was feeling a bit sick, so I spent that night in bed! So sad. But I know that if I had tried to go out, it would have been miserable. I know I'll have plenty more NYE's to enjoy. The rest of my time in Utah was spent relaxing around the house, enjoying time with Greg, as I took advantage of my remaining freedom before returning to "Charm City" - which is currently under "weather watch" for gale-force winds, which I can hear whipping around our house! I don't even want to know how cold it is outside... currently, accuweather.com says that it is "27" degrees outside, but with the windchill, it's about 7 degrees. GAHHH. When I arrived back in town last night, it was 0 degrees. ZERO. Really?!? What I would give for the "freezing" temperatures of Salt Lake right about now... save me! haha. But I signed up for this... so I'll grin and bear it! Even if that grin is frozen across my face... and with that, I'll leave you until next weekend -- I'll have plenty to discuss after this first week of classes is over! Here are a few parting shots from the past few weeks:
[Rockefeller Center tree]
[Mary Poppins on Broadway]
[Snowstorm on Washington Street]
[Snowbird]
[sibling love]
[Brighton]
[Snowfall on 1500 East]
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