I got in!

It’s been just one week shy of a year since I decided I wanted to pursue a career in as a nurse.  I’ve learned SO MUCH over the past year and thought about the many different options I have to earn the letters RN after my name.  I started out taking Biology and Psychology at community college in the spring semester, and continued full force through the summer with Anatomy 1, Nutrition, and Ethics.  Almost immediately following the summer session, I started my job at a children’s hospital, where I work as an aid on the nursing staff. 

By the time the fall semester began, I was ready to apply to the Nursing School, while I continued some of my prerequisites including Anatomy 2 and Microbiology.  However, I was also getting nervous about the upcoming TEAS test and the fact that this Nursing School only has space for 30 new students each year.  Fortunately the TEAS test went very well, and once I submitted my application, all I could do was wait and hope!  I am now happy to report that I have been granted admission to the program.  Technically, my acceptance is provisional until I pass the final hurdles like a physical and a background check.  However, I passed similar hurdles just a few months ago when I applied to the hospital, so I’m not too worried. 

I’ve chosen to get my Nursing Degree at a community college, and I feel great about this decision.  First of all, it is located less than 10 minutes away from my house, which makes getting to classes so much easier than other programs that I considered, which range from 20-60 minutes away.  Second, the price of this program compared to programs offered at 4-year colleges makes much more sense financially.  Third, as I alluded earlier, this program is competitive and has a great reputation in this area, so my degree will mean something.  And finally, this was the fastest route I could find, considering the prerequisites and the start-dates, to become a Registered Nurse. 

I should finish this program in the Fall of 2014 with an A.A.S. and the required certification to sit for the NCLEX to get my license.  By the Spring of 2015, whenever I pass the NCLEX, I will be an RN.  From there, all that remains is finding a job that I like in this area, or finally deciding to move away.  It’s not like I’ve been biding my time, but I haven’t had a reason to move (and also I’m happy here).  But if I can’t find a job I like, that will be a reason to relocate.

All this is to say that I am very happy right now with what I have accomplished over the past year.  Literally, this time last year I was completely adrift and the main thing on my mind was how to affix my Medusa hair to my head for Halloween.  Now, I’m filling my head with knowledge, prepping for tests, and formulating my realistic 5-year plan.  Yes, there’s still a long road ahead of me…but knowing which direction I’m headed and a way to get there makes all the difference in the world.

I’m happy where I am, happy with what I’m doing, and happy with what I’m planning.  What more can I ask?

Upon Further Reflection

I threw a party for my friends.  It was a really creative idea, and probably something that has never been done before.  The theme fit me perfectly, and most of my guests played along and dressed up with me.  No, everything didn’t go exactly as I planned.  But I’m not perfect and life’s not perfect, so why should I expect that this would be any different?  It wasn’t perfect, but it was sure a lot of fun!

People sang to me, they gave me presents, they laughed, they seemed to have a great time!  The food was DELICIOUS, the cake was beautiful, and it was all captured on in several hundred photographs.  No matter how you slice it, this will absolutely be a birthday party I will never forget!  Cheers to being 25 and alive!

Things I’ve Learned

I am 25 years old.  It is never too late to reboot your life, and it is never too late to keep learning.  

I had a big ol’ party this year, and many of my closest friends were in attendance!  It was a hoot and a half as we solved (and starred in) a live “murder mystery” event.  The food was great, the decorations were fun, and I had a great time.  If I’m being totally honest, though, this party was my first attempt to throw the kind of party I’d like to have for a wedding reception.  Obviously this was just a birthday party, and not a reception, but a similar level of planning went into it.  

There’s a few things that I’ve come to realize about events like this.  First of all, a great staff can make the night flow effortlessly.  There was a great staff there, and I have absolutely no complaints about what they did.  However, the one piece that was missing was a primary coordinator of the timing of everything.  I guess that was kind of my role, but I didn’t know enough about the logistics to make it run as smoothly as I would have liked.  Basically, there was no one 100% “in charge” of the party, and that would have definitely made things easier.

Second, communication cannot be overstated.  I think the lack of a primary coordinator could have been remedied if I had just explicitly told everyone there exactly how I wanted things to go.  I suspect my guests didn’t notice the difference, but there were just a few things I would have liked to run a little differently.  Also, since minor slip-ups are bound to happen (such as the character actors running 20 minutes late due to traffic), it’s helpful to have a back-up plan.  All said and done, everything happened that was supposed to happen….but it just wasn’t EXACTLY how I wanted it to happen.

Finally, I’m about to say something I probably shouldn’t say…  I’ve learned that when you RSVP for an event, but then back out within a few days (or even hours) of the event, it can really have an impact on the proceedings…and the people who invited you.  I had 1 person back out a day early, 1 person who emailed me an hour before (which I only got after the event), 2 people who never showed, and 1 person left early.  I didn’t plan on any of that when I was putting the event together, and since it was a relatively small event, that threw things off to a certain degree.  It also kind of took away my enjoyment knowing that people who said they would come and spend the evening with me backed out.

Finally, for my lovely guests in attendance, I must admit that it was difficult to spend time with everyone.  Even though it was my party, I kind of felt like I was outside of every little group.  I loved seeing everyone, and I think we all had a good time, but it was overwhelming trying to be the hostess.

I think the best decisions I made for the event were as follows: hiring a photographer, taking the entire menu of food as-is because it was amazing, and speaking up about the kind of cake that I wanted.  The cake was precious!  

Anyway, I’m overtired right now and will probably go back and realize that my tiredness is feeding into my emotional response right now.  The key here is that I’ve learned a lot about planning events like this, and also a little bit about myself.  And I can take that into the future and apply it where necessary.