holding hands and sharing life...

Okay, I am really scared that by merely stating the following words, they are going to rapidly become untrue, but I am going to run the risk anyway: this semester seems pretty easy, and I feel like I have a ton of time on my hands.

WHAT ON EARTH!?!?!  When does that ever happen?  And during the last semester of my college career?  Did God think that after 9 brutal ones, the 10th semester should be a breeze?  Reminds me of those punch cards that you fill up then finally get a free drink.  I am doing rather well academically right now, it's a welcomed change of pace.

I am loving my clinical.  It's community nursing, so instead of walking up and down the halls for my experience, Trooper, my trusty Trailblazer, and I have been spending a lot of quality time together going to home visits and different clinics and health clubs.  It's organized chaos, but I'm finding that I love all the troubleshooting and flexibility it involves!  It's fun to do teaching and listening and helping people piece together action plans that are going to better their lives.  I have the coolest major, no doubt.

All of this free time is also giving me the opportunity to catch up with people in my life - sooo nice!  As wonderful as my friends are, and as understanding as they have always been about the mass amounts of homework I always seemed to have, I have really appreciated the chances that I've had in the past week or so to talk to people about life.  It is so refreshing to hear others' perspectives on different situations and be blessed by the strengths that they're bringing to the table. so cool.

I think that's really what I've been learning the most about this week - how rewarding and wonderful it is just to jump into real conversations - no holding back, no testing the waters with your toes, but just diving in.  And let me tell you, I've been diving, doing cannonballs, and pretty sure I've even been able to a backflip or two.  I'm slowly, but surely, becoming a conversation-plunging acrobat.  God is so good.

Random things I've learned lately

• Sea otters hold hands while they sleep so they don't drift away from each other - precious!
• Hope nursing students really are holistically competitive - grades, patients, and dance marathon lip sync competitions...
• I am Blue Lagoon > Lemon Parfait > Boysenberry > Folkloric.
• Dancing in your car while driving is ALWAYS a good idea, even if your friends walk by and shake their heads at you. A real friend dances with you.
• I'm pretty sure "Just Dance" for Wii could cure depression.  Seriously, I've witnessed its powers, even the most stubborn person falls in love with it after one song.
• American Girl dolls are waay cooler than Magic Attic dolls.
• All it takes for someone to learn is for someone else to believe that they can learn.
• Being a doctor doesn't mean you understand how to educate and being a student doesn't mean you can't significantly help change someone's life for the better.

Something to add to the bucket list:

be a medical missionary.

Until Next Time,

Andi

The Inaugural Post

Hello again!

Well, I've decided it is time for me to get back into the blogging world!  It is something that I really enjoy doing for Hope, and I loved keeping everyone updated when I went to Vienna.  But a couple of things have been happening lately that brought me back to this site, excited and ready to deliver my thoughts to the "interwebs" again.

This past weekend at Hope we had a Veritas forum covering the topic of community and the changes that it faces today.  As part of the weekend-long program, there was a concert highlighting the artistic abilities of several Hope students.  Every, every single time I go to one of these events, I get so inspired and so jealous all at the same time.  As a nursing student, my opportunities for expression are a tad bit limited. I mean, I'm sure my patients love when I start talking incessantly, but really, most of my chats with them are probably too graphic for dinner conversations later on.  It's so easy to get caught up in the "science" of nursing, and the "art" aspect is a little bit harder to pick up on.

However, I miss being creative! So, luckily (?) for all of you - I'm coming back to this.  Why just journal and celebrate the days when I'm roaming around Europe or trying to promote how awesome my college is.  Why not stretch myself to really reflect on the joys that are so abounding in my every day life?  They always say "it's the little things," right?

The correct answer to that is yes, btw, which brings me here - sour cream cookies.  What the heck?  Well, another event that went down this weekend is that I spent Saturday afternoon raking in the cash by working at the concession booth during a women's basketball game.  I tell you, my life is exciting.  However, unbeknownst to me, while I was busy dishing up pulled pork sandwiches and making sure the mustard pump was working (worst part of working there, seriously. mustard is so nasty.), my boyfriend dropped of some of his excellent sour cream cookies at my house.

Yeah, that's right, my boyfriend likes baking cookies.  And they're awesome.  You should all be extremely jealous right now; I'm a pretty lucky girl :)

Anyways, I celebrated those cookies.  And by "celebrating," I mean I downed three of them as soon as I realized they were sitting on my kitchen counter - they are so good!  And I'm going to do my best to share more memorable, everyday moments; to be on a continual search for the small things that make each day special.  This blog is just me, going through life, and finding the random, fun little pick-me-ups along the way.  Musings, questions, stories, things I've been learning - nothing's off limits.  I'm so pumped!

Random things I've learned lately

• One should be mentally prepared to down a 12 egg omelet, and not make the decision on a whim, it could lead to sub-par results.
• The benefit of city doing a terrible job plowing roads? EXCELLENT ice chunks behind your tires always waiting for you to kick them off.
• Green is an addictive color - was switching from the green cardigan to the green fleece really necessary? Probably not since you have your green jacket. ugh.
• Sometimes it's a really good idea to watch a really terrible movie until 3am.
• Socially acceptable people can pull off socially not-so-acceptable mustaches, just love them anyway.
• Growing up is so bizarre.
• Using strictly metaphors, sounds, and hand motions as a way to communicate is totally allowed.
• God knew all of the ways you were going to mess up, and you're here anyway.

Something to add to the bucket list: 

learn to play the guitar.

Until Next Time,

Andi

P.S. Okay, confession time - I randomly found that pic of me on my photobooth the other day, and I've become slightly obsessed.  I look soo tan - what the heck!?!  So yeah, we're all just going to pretend that I always look that sunkissed and good with no make-up on, k? Thanks, I'm glad we're all on the same page...