I couldn’t be more anxious to kick 2013 to the curb & move on with a new year. What a challenging, challenging year this has been. I’ve been blessed to remain tragedy free and all of my loved ones are safe & reasonably healthy… which I know is a claim others can’t hold onto.
This year has been a year of personal struggle & full of challenges. I wanted to type a full month by month “year in review” post but in all honesty, I just want this year to be over with. I haven’t been hired on at a hospital yet and it’s certainly not for the lack of trying. I’m up to 50 submitted applications & nearly as many rejection letters. It really has only been a month and a half almost exactly since I became licensed but it’s discouraging…. finding a job at a hospital as a new graduate nurse is no joke, folks. At least here in Denver, that is. But, I’m hopeful and trying to take my pastors advice when he urged us to begin our prayers with a “God, I trust you” rather than “God, I need (insert what I need/think I need here).” That’s not easy, either.
Despite the challenge and the disappointment that comes along with being rejected from the jobs I really want, I am so very thankful for my current work opportunity. I am working more hours than I’d like but I am making a nurse salary & I enjoy what I’m doing. Truly, I do. The people I work with are wonderful & I think maybe I needed some time to catch up in a low key, low stress environment. Home health care has a special place in my heart and I can see myself returning to the field later in life. For now, however, I am anxious to utilize the skills I learned in nursing school and create the foundation for my bedside career. Hopefully 2014 will bring the opportunity to do so.
In other news…. 2014 arrives with a birthday. I turn 28 in a few days. God only knows how different my life is from what I thought it would be at 28. Like many young women, I had a goal of being married and nearly pregnant with my first child. Marry at 26, first baby by 29 or 30. How different life really is… I’m no where near marriage. And children? I can’t imagine. I’m still in this selfish stage where I am totally focused on my career, my fitness goals, getting a new dog (German Shepherd, please!), attempting to save money to travel abroad, etc. All that fun stuff young, un-married people can try to do. But don’t get me wrong….Watching the little kids in the family open presents on Christmas and realizing that Christmas would be a lot more fun if I had a little one of my own isn’t the easiest pill to swallow. Especially after spending so many years in dead end relationships. Especially after spending so many years with Andrew. You don’t just spend so many years “dating” without the idea of marriage and children. But again, God only knows what will happen with him. Maybe we will get back together and live happily ever after. The odds are against that… but you never know. Like I said, trust God.
Before the year ends in approximately three hours and 32 minutes I’d like to just mention a couple of things that I want to look back on some day and remember that “Oh yeah…. that was the year I did _________.”
I did live on a ranch from January-May of this year. And it was fabulous.
I also lived in Wyoming for a summer. I use the word “live” lightly as I high tailed it back to Colorado literally every chance I could. The hospital I worked at was amazing… the staff, the opportunity to work in the recovery room. Wow. What a great learning and growing period for me!
I did graduate college. Again! Thanks to my mom and dad for flying out. Speaking of – Dad DID come visit me in Colorado and we hiked to Hanging Lake. I hope Dad moves here when he retires. Seriously Dad. Are you reading? Move here.
I got a new diploma in the mail! Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I need to hang in to the other. How difficult is it going to be to find a matching frame? Ugh… #collegekidproblems
Oh, and this is the year the #hashtag BLEW UP. Pure craziness, I tell ya.
I finally reached my long-standing goal of becoming an RN!
I moved a ton of times…. January-May: Ranch Life, May – August: Wyoming, August – September: Fort Collins, September – November: Denver with Jane/Andrew and Finally, FINALLY: I got my very own apartment (for the first time ever!) in November.
Let’s see what else… I got the legit respiratory flu for the first time ever even though I also got the flu shot for the first time ever. Weird, huh? That flu was no joke. Knocked me on my butt for 7 days. But other than that, I have not been sick this year. How I managed to stay healthy despite all of the stress of moving, school, NCLEX, breakup… I will never know. God is good.
My Papa had his heart attack, went into heart failure, had open heart surgery (quad bypass) & then had an acute stroke. He’s 86 years old and doing great. We spent the day together last week…. He’s my favorite 🙂 So glad he’s still with us and still thriving.
I won’t miss you, 2013. So excited for the new year. Ready to make it count. Begin a real career, run another half marathon or two, add a new member to my family (fur babies when ya can’t have real babies! what what.), take control of my finances now that I have a real salary (student loans are no fun!), read a ton of books on my new Kindle, read the entire Bible (This was my goal this year but I didn’t quite make it…. starting over fresh tomorrow! Genesis 1:1!), spend a bazillion hours with Copper since I spent nearly the entire year away from him, love my family, love my friends, love God and just be happy.
Happy New Year, friends! Make it count.
December 9th ~ with my boy.
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