let's make it work.

Here is to my twenty-second year.

I may not have completed all of goals for life in Greenville, but I made the best of it. While I don't miss nursing school even a tinsy winsy bit, I truly miss the dear friends I made over the years there. I will always have a special place in my heart for the people that made Greenville a place worth living in.

So now I begin my journey this year. Soon to be married, soon to be a home-owner, soon to be an EMPLOYED registered nurse (whenever that may be!), and too soon-to-be twenty-three next year. Time definitely flies by... I didn't even really get to say goodbye to twenty-one and here I am one month into twenty-two. bizarre.

I really look forward to all of the things Jared and I will get to do together. He's my best friend and I love the time we spend together. We have a lot of goals for the near future. One of which is to start running together. I know that seems so simple, but running literally has a unique place in my heart. Running is associated with family and some of the most amazing memories that I have from my childhood. Now that Jared and I run together, it rekindles something special for me. So yay for that.

Having my own home with Jared is also oober exciting for me. I've always desired to have a place I could be glad to have people over to. Now I have the opportunity to fufill my hostess desires! Jared is glad too, although he's not too sure about hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas anytime soon.. I'm thinking more along the lines of endless game nights and dinner parties. But we shall see.

On the job front this is what I have to say: Dear Nursing Positions all over the Charlotte area: Please hire new graduate RN's! After trying since April to find a job and literally being turned down this whole past week from every job-opening I've called, I'm a smidge frustrated with the economy and the lack of jobs.. Well don't get me wrong, there are plenty of nursing positions available, however as one lady put it "we are looking for seasoned nurses..." Well I may be a bland new grad but how am I ever supposed to be seasoned if they won't toss me in the pot! But no worries, I have not lost heart. I know that God has bigger plans for me than I have for myself and something better than I ever thought will come out of this situation.

Speaking of the economy.. while I was in college I was pretty much oblivious to the "economic crisis" occuring in our country. I was going to and from school, soaking up my financial aid/scholarship money and really, I had no reason to notice what was going on in our country. Now that I'm home, no longer a student and have joined the unemployed crowd that is consistently growing, I feel a tiny slice of the pain and frustration that everyone else has been feeling for quite a time now.

This year has a lot of promises in it. I look forward to seeing where it takes me.

So hello twenty-two. It's nice to meet you. Let's make this year work.

fast forward!

well.

shame on me for not keeping up my end of the journal!

here i am, one day after graduation.

i feel free-ish but not completely free.

you see, i still have four days of review classes (for the state test).

four days that will last from 8am to 5pm each.

just when i thought nursing school had finally cut the chains, i realized they still had a rope around me!

but i'm fast forwarding to friday, May 15th 2009, my real date of freedom.

but then again, not really since i have the state exam.

(let's just forget about that for now :))

i will probably never walk into that nursing building again.

and most likely will never see some of those students again.

for once, there's no "have a great summer, see you next fall."

it's "hope you have a great life."

that's a pretty bizarre concept, but i'm ready for it.

after i take the state exam, i can set my mind free.

my time will be free.

my heart will be free.

my brain will be FREE.

that makes me very happy.

despite all of the stress, tears, heartaches, and headaches that came along with nursing school, i know that it was ALL worth it.

granted i can finally play video games, catch up on books that i've been putting off, and actually finalize wedding plans, i can also look forward to really making a difference in this world via my career.

sigh.

i will defininitely post more soon.

p.s.

my family is amazing. i love each and every one of them.

my friends are pretty great too.