Trail Wanderings

Just spent the last two hours exploring/wandering around the trails here in my neighborhood. I had never ventured out to explore them before. Not sure why--because the entry point is literally at the end of my driveway!  A lot of the trail followed and crossed back and forth over the natural creek bed. I've known we've had a number of large ponds, but until today had only seen one (near the main road). Today I saw all three. Someone has put wooden park benches and log benches along the length of the trail at appropriate places. It's a really nice woodsy trail for a neighborhood. I'm not sure what the official off point is (unfortunately it's not a loop) so I still need to back and figure that out...

When I left my house I had planned to just walk on the main road-oh maybe be out 30-45 minutes, but then when I hit the end of my driveway (100 feet?), I made a spontaneous decision to try out the trail. I popped my mp3 player in my ears, turned on my Lent playlist and let the Lord lead me. I really spent the time trying to come to terms with the emotions that are going on inside of me. Frustration, anger, fear, insecurity, confusion, hope, peace, longing, desire, impatience etc... Many of the songs on my Lent playlist gave words to the mumblings and ramblings of my heart often inducing tears. But the songs also spoke God's truth into my hurt and reminded me that I am not alone. I don't have it figured out, I am still not completely yielded. Still angry, still hurt, still insecure, still longing, still impatient. But God met me and heard my cries. How sweet it is to just be heard. With God, I can rant and rave and He's never offended, befuddled, or confused by my anger or tears. He doesn't withdraw, back-off or leave. He knows, he understands, he loves and enters into my hurt and grieves with me. He's my refuge. That is my comfort.

I am tired and spent. I just want to crawl back in bed and sleep the day away (it's cold and gloomy outside). But I will resist. I'll bump up the thermostat, warm up some soup, take a 25 minute nap and then hit the books (Pharmacology exam #2 has to be taken next week).

Yay for SOSI Therapy!!!

Today in central VA it has been so beautiful! My friend Katherine and I did the Monticello trail. There were a lot of folks out there today enjoying the warmth and sunshine! So I got my SOSI therapy in for the day! Now looking forward to having my parents come to town tomorrow for a quick visit.

Gotta hit the books for an hour to finish up one assignment due by 11pm tonight--then I can officially enjoy Spring Break!!!

Later,
Joy

Off-Topic | Little Red Haired Girl

I love being a "Little Red-Haired Girl."  Enjoy this short video.



Whenever I watch one of Charlie Brown's monologues about the Little Red Haired Girl, I get all marshmallowy inside and think "Aww...he has it bad, she has no idea how big CB's heart is for her. If she knew, I think she'd like him too... he just needs the courage to take that step towards her."

--Aww, hoping my "Charlie Brown" makes a move soon. :}

Spring Break | Spring Forward

Okay, why do they call it Spring Break when Spring doesn't actually start until NEXT Sunday?

It's really hard to believe that it is finally Spring Break. I haven't had a spring break in a very long time. Well, I've had them in the past couple years, but I've still had to go to work full-time so it never felt much like a break. My family has never been one to celebrate spring break with a trip or big activity simply because mom and dad worked and were putting kids through Christian school and colleges... AND generally we'd stay in town to celebrate Easter at our home church (usually spring break was scheduled on one side or the other of Easter).  

So I'm a little at a loss for how to spend my spring break. Yesterday was a clinical day, so afterwards around 3pm,  I stopped by Lowe's to look at flowers (thinking this would be a good week to plant some pansies and possibly plan ahead of summer flowers/herbs). I came home, had a small snack and then decided to take a nap. I never really woke up from the nap. I think it was probably 5:30 or 6:00pm when I fell asleep. I woke up about 2 am and turned off the lights that were on in the house and then went back to bed. I was a little afraid I might not be able to go back to sleep...but I was out again within 10 minutes! And I slept until 7:30 this morning. Must've needed sleep! Lately, I've wondered if I'm dealing with a bit of depression this semester. Wouldn't surprise me...SAD (seasonal affective disorder b/c of less sunlight exposure), living alone, not enough outdoor exercise, constancy of school obligations, minimal social interactions, etc. I don't actually feel any better for having slept that long last night, but I don't feel worse. And here it is Saturday afternoon and I want another nap! When I have my physical in May, I'll probably be asking to have my thyroid levels checked just in case. But since Daylight Savings Time starts this weekend, the increased daylight should help-- plus I'll be more apt to get out and walk/run with increased temps. Exercise and sunlight can do a lot to increase mood!  I guess I'd better get back to my SOSI plan (Sunshine, Oxygen, Social Interaction). There's already some SOSI in the works for tomorrow after church. Woot!

Here are a few of the things on my 'to do list' during Spring Break:

• Clean house (saved for rainy day)
• Yard work (flowers, debris pick up/blower)
• Go to see Grace Card with mom/dad (probably Monday)
• Shop at the new Kohl's Department store (so happy it's on my side of town!)
• Make soup to freeze--Chicken Tortilla probably (rainy day?)
• Virginia Taxes (while watching TV?)
• Oil Change & other misc. car maintenance
• Wash/Vacuum Car (just in time for pollen season???)
• Get exercise/sunshine every day (walk, run, hike)
• Solid focus on Lent activities: readings, soul-searching, repentance, etc...
• School work -- I have a HUGE write-up for clinical due in three weeks (but would love to get as much done now , + start study for Pharm exam, NUR 112 lecture exam, ATI modules)

I have a fair amount of school stuff to catch up on or get ahead on. I have a Pharm assignment due tomorrow night  (it's not officially Spring Break until I turn that in). Test 2 in Pharm is the week after spring break...then NUR 112 lecture test is not far behind (March 28). Plus during testing weeks, I tend to fall behind with current reading, while I focus on studying for exams...so it'd be nice to get some advanced readings done this coming week...but all of sudden it's going to feel like a normal school week. Ack! Not good! Not good at all!  But maybe I'd be more motivated without deadlines?? Nah, probably not.

But I *do* have some school work I must do. So tomorrow evening I will probably sit down and make out a schedule for that. Not sure if I'd prefer to just spend 1-2 days on schoolwork or if I'd do better to set aside 2-3 hours every day. Hmm?

Basic School Stats for post-Spring Break:

• 3 weeks of clinical left (approx 5-6 days, one of which will be training on UVA's new software-EPIC)
• 6 weeks of classes left
• 2 Pharm Exams, plus final exam
• 2 Nursing Lecture Exams, plus final exam
• Everything is completed by May 11th! :)

I may be crazy, but I am looking at a trip to Haiti that will leave before final exams are finished!  I'd have to get special permission from my nursing faculty to take my final exams early. It's probably insane of me to even contemplate, but it's the only MTW trip to Haiti scheduled for this summer. There is always possibility another team might form, but can't count on it. I'd really prefer to go with a known organization and not try my luck with a group I've never heard of before. There's a another local church with connections in Haiti who I'm planning to contact this week in hopes they may have a team or two going this summer. And I've also emailed the organization that I went to Liberia with to see if they are aware of any groups doing medical work there. Hopefully something will materialize.  I'd be open to another country--who am I to dictate what would be best for me. Aside from wanting to go to Haiti, I also have to consider the cost. I think Central or South America would be okay destinations cost-wise. However, African or Asian countries are just not a viable option because the airfare would be cost prohibitive. I think I'll save Asia for the future as I have two cousins that reside on that side of the world. There's no guarantee of a job/income this summer, so I'm really stretching it to even consider traveling this year since I have to make my savings last me through summer of 2012. Fundraising is an option, but after doing that for 12 months of expenses for Liberia, I really don't want to think about doing that again.

Well, tonight we set our clocks ahead one hour...plus I'm also making an effort to attend the early worship service during Lent...double whammy tomorrow morning! oof! So I better go start setting those clocks ahead and head out for a short walk while there's still light! I am a little nervous, that after having slept 13-14 hours last night (!), I may have trouble falling asleep tonight (+considering I'll go to bed an hour earlier).

Until Later,

Joy

 

Earthquake in Japan

Up early for clinical hearing reports of the 8.9 earthquake off shore of Japan. My cousin and his family live in Tokyo and I know other who have loved ones on other Japanese islands. Praying. Nothing much I can do from here other than that. Lord, please have mercy.

This is when I wish I worked for Red Cross or a humanitarian branch of the U.S. military. I'd drop anything to go when natural disasters strike. Nursing school is my first step--the rest of the story has not been written.

Update: I'm in conversations with my denomination's mission agency about possibility of traveling to Haiti this summer for a couple weeks.

Off to clinical...

UPDATE: Good news. My cousin and his family are fine. He apparently was not in Tokyo at the time, but his family was... his wife was with youngest daughter at school when it hit...went home to find son under kitchen table (scared). Then more tremors so the 3 of them stayed under table...but then they had to rush out to get oldest daughter who was still at school waiting to be picked up. Their neighborhood is fine, but they have friends in Sendai (where buildings collapsed).  So grateful they are okay. I'm sad to be missing the FB chatter and updates from them.

Side Benefits

I am giving up Facebook for Lent. I have other more personal reasons for choosing to give up Facebook, but the obvious is that Facebook is simply a huge consumer of time for those of us who are on it daily.

Of course, as a nursing student who doesn't have much of a social life (I do try), Facebook is my way to connect with the outside world--to know what is going on. It provides me with a good laugh now and then (Baby who laughs at tearing paper), keeps me in touch with pop culture news (Charlie Sheen crazyness), updates me with local news/weather (I get posts from local NBC affiliate), clues me into unique money saving offers (Chipotle's B1G1), informs me about the ups/downs of my friend's lives (engagements, marriages, new babies, travel, deaths, sick parents/kids, job changes/losses), and ultimately reminds me that there is more to life than nursing school. Sure I post about nursing school stuff, but reading my friend's statuses, posting my own news and essentially interacting on FB is like getting out of the house. Sad, I admit, but true.

HOWEVER...going on Facebook for just 10 minutes is unlikely--especially when you've got as many FB friends as I have. I have many friends from my 14 years in Michigan, 8 years in SC, & 14 years in Virginia. Add to that several dozen connections from my time in Liberia, a handful of FB friends gained through blind dates and then the unique and interesting category of friends of friends. I have absolutely loved being reacquainted with friends from my childhood, many of whom I have not seen in 20 years. Yes, I'll admit there are people I have blocked from my news feeds, but I totally expect that there are people who have blocked me (I do post a lot!). 

I know that the temptation to sneak on Facebook is going to be great, so I'll be taking the FB app off my iPod Touch and removing quick links from my computer, opting out of Facebook email alerts, etc...  And unlike most people who "fast" during Lent, I will not be breaking the fast on Sundays. It's going to be really challenging to unplug from FB for 46 days, so it's gotta be all or nothing. I am going to have to actually pursue my friends and be intentional about making plans--outside of the convenience of Facebook. Human contact is still okay--as is phone and email.

So what am I going to do with my extra time? Well my hope is that I'll spend that time thinking about and studying what the Bible says about Hope, Trust, Waiting, Patience, and Resting. Lent is a season of repentance and soul-searching...and my stubborn, impatient, untrusting heart has some repenting to do--especially in the area of dating/relationships/marriage. I'm also giving up listening to my favorite pop country music --as it feeds that desire/impatience (sorry Keith, Dierks, Lady A, RF). I'm even working on a new playlist that will be compatible with my hopes for this Lent season. Also no watching movies or reading books with romance themes, no journaling about He-Who-Has-My-Heart-But-Doesn't-Know-It*.  And I'm switching which worship service I attend during Lent...all intentional attempts to set aside the distractions that will make it hard for me to be earnest in this season of Lent. I will certainly need the Lord's help!

As a side benefit, I will hopefully be less distracted from my school work during these next 6.5 weeks! (It's just too easy to hop on FB for a "quick break" but still be on there 30 minutes later when I should be back to studying!) By the time Lent ends with the celebration of Resurrection Sunday, this semester will be almost over! At that point there will be less than three weeks left. No new material but only Tests & Final Exams to take. :)

Spring Break starts up next weekend (what am I going to do during Spring Break without Facebook?? haha!)  Spring Break basically marks the half-way point of the semester... ah! nice thought! :D

I'm not giving up blogging for Lent, so until next time,

Joy

*Name withheld for reasons that should be obvious. :D

Feedback

Today, the nurse who had my assigned patient last night was giving report to my co-assigned day nurse (for my assigned patient today). The night nurse remembered me from last week (the same nurse who gave me verbal pat-on-the-back mentioned in my "Poopy Post") and she introduced me to the day nurse as "This is Joy, your nursing student" and then something like "she's really on the ball" or "she's got it together." Something like that.  Wow, how awesome is that?! This is a nurse that some of the other nursing students (and even PCA's) think it kinda "snippy"...but somehow I've earned her respect (as a nursing student) and she's passing that info on to other nurses.

THEN, this afternoon, my co-assigned nurse said to me..."really great job today."  Some nursing students complain that their co-assigned nurses aren't really nice or compassionate to nursing students or helpful. But that has NOT been my experience. I have had some really great interactions with a number of the RN's and PCA's on my floor. Sure some are much more oriented to explaining things than others. Stopping to explain something to a nursing student takes time out of their patient care time. Understandable! But I totally appreciate it when they do take the time to talk something through with me. My goal is to do my job as quietly and efficiently as possible and to consult my co-assigned nurse only when there's a problem or to update them on the status of my patient. I've only got one patient to care for...they've got six--including mine, that they are legally responsible for. 

I definitely feel like my biggest challenge is being organized in my care. I've learned so much in clinicals this semester and last, but still feel like a bumbling idiot sometimes in planning care. Some days I do well...other days when there are interruptions or other issues pop up...it can be challenging to feel organized, efficient and thorough. It's a learning process. But it will come.

Nursing is a field where positive feedback is almost non-existent (at least from higher-ups, peers etc..) ...so it's nice to get this feedback (as a "lowly" nursing student) that someone thinks that I'm doing a good job. It totally inspires me to do better.  So the lesson here is... you inspire others by giving good feedback!