Mid-week weekends

Hey Everyone!

I survived my first two days of internship!  They were actually quite fun, I really like my preceptor (and she's type b - HUGE relief!), and it was a good working environment.  There system at Zeeland is a little bit different than what I am used to from my previous clinicals, so that is going to take some getting used to, but overall I am really looking forward to this experience!  Such a huge blessing, and so far has been way less intimidating than I thought.  I even had doctors complimenting me on how shiny my danskos were.  This place is great.

However, since I was at internship Saturday and Sunday, and I went to bed like an old woman around 9 each night, I didn't have a weekend.  Which was kind of scary considering I had a test Monday morning.  However, that all went well, and I took the test and didn't do too bad.  Then the most wonderful little surprise showed up.

I have a mid-week weekend!!!

This is something that I am really excited about taking full advantage of during my internship.  So far today I have done the following:

• woke up at 7:30 (couldn't help it, by body is adjusting to this new grown-up schedule way more easily than I anticipated)
• however, stayed in my bed until 11:30 (it was beautiful! so relaxing)
• went to lunch with my mom (and she paid! always a bonus)
• bought a "bobble" - a water bottle with a filtration system right in it - from Student Congress, with all proceeds going to Dance Marathon (it was for the kids!)
• worked out at the Dow (and ran into my old Health Dy teacher's class - super fun! just like old times, except for I didn't have to wear the annoying watch and heart strap - score!)

And now I'm writing in my blog, and gonna go tanning with my friend in a little bit. I think I'm really going to LOVE mid-week weekends - so far, it's been a blast!

Things I've been learning lately

• Apparently, iPhones are the coolest thing since sliced bread. It's probably true.
• Blue is a good alternative for green.
• Coffee shops are the busiest on Monday afternoons. Seriously.
• "bobble water" tastes really, really good. Like, smart water quality. I'm not messin' around.
• It's okay to be 97 and your favorite food is still a cheeseburger.  In fact, it's quite precious.
• There is NO alternative for Jet's deep dish pizza with pepperoni and light sauce.
• Coming home from a 12 hour shift to a clean room is one of the best feelings ever.
• "You have to have a stash of cash or your hospital will fall apart. Seriously, keep a stack of 20s somewhere."

Something to add to the bucket list:

create a signature recipe.

Until Next Time,

Andi 

...and we're fighting back with love!

 Hey again!

Okay, so apparently, February didn't happen. WHOOPS! 

Truth of the matter is, February very much happened, it was filled with events that made my mind run at a 1000 miles an hour and stretch me beyond my limits.  I grew a ton in February (unfortunately, not physically - I'm still dreaming about the day I reach 5'6"... I know, I aim high, right?).  But in so many other ways, I have been learning and growing and struggling and crying and making progress.

I could probably write for hours and hours about February.  After all, it was a full month, and a lot went down.  However, part of progress is the ability to keep moving, and that's what I am going for here...

The last half semester classes officially started yesterday - whoa. This means I am done with my practicums and am now heading into INTERNSHIP!  Ah! I am basically going to be a nurse (albeit in training, to some degree) for the next 8 weeks! Am I ready for this?

Like I said, February had me questioning a lot of things, and has really worn me out.  But today I was at the Dow on the elliptical (a big deal in itself), trying to clear my mind with a little music and some sweat.  I was a little disappointed in my iPod, because normally my shuffle does a pretty good job at picking out work out songs, and I just have to weed through the slower ones every once and a while.

Not today. Today, for some reason, it was LOVING all of my Joshua Radin, Brett Dennen, and Phantom of the Opera.  I cannot work out to that, sorry.  I was starting to get frustrated with flipping through so many songs, not really having the clear-your-mind-and-go workout experience I was expecting.... then, BOOM, it was there.

Audio Adrenaline's "Undefeated" popped up.  Never heard of it?  Clearly you didn't go to a little Christian school and graduate with a class of 19 and you weren't allowed to play secular songs for your warm-up music for games.  And clearly you don't still have your old school 1st generation video iPod anymore, and upgraded to something slimmer and cooler, and therefore you don't have all of your high school music on it anymore.

Clearly.  

I made those warm-up CDs, and Audio Adrenaline and Toby Mac were my saving grace in high school.

Which brings me back.  "Undefeated" was one of the songs I put on my jr/sr year volleyball warm-up CDs.  Take a quick look at the gems written in this song:

Trouble always finds me
Everywhere that I go
A cloud above me
Like a kite upon a string
Here in the valley, the valley
I know there is a mountain top
Where I can stand and sing

We are undefeated
And we’re still believing
In the one thing that has gotten us this far
And we can’t be beaten and we’re standing on the shoulders of the ones who went before us
And we’re fighting back with love!

Love conquers all

Love conquers all

Love conquers all

Needless to say, I stepped it up on that elliptical.  Partly because somewhere back in my mind, when I hear that song I know I am supposed to be on my toes running around as best I can.  And partly, because the words of that song were super encouraging to my heart (the next song on the playlist was "I want you to want me"...ugh, the irony! but that's for another time) Anyways...

It's so cool to know that a song that was used to motivate me 5 years ago can come back around at just the right time and motivate me now.  It's weird to think that this is the final stage in this glorious, rigorous, tiring, but wonderful and growing process of college.  I have been molded and shaped and prepared for this task before me, and now I get to start carrying it out.  It's strange that in a few very short months, I am going to be done taking classes at Hope and preparing for my NCLEX and passing on to the next phase of life - eeek!

And it's weird to think of how many times I have been redirected for the better, yet I still struggle with surprises in my life.  When will I pick up on the fact that God has a plan?  I need to work on standing on the shoulders of the ones who went before me - and fight back with love.

Thanks, Audio A.  Thanks, people still reading this entirely too long blog post.

And thanks, God, for the continual reminders that I am Your daughter and you've got my back, no matter how many times I fail.

Random things that I've been learning lately

• um, read above blog post :)
• chobani greek yogurt is absolutely delicious!
• carrying around dry erase markers in your backpack is actually extremely resourceful.
• carrying them in the same pocket as your sillibands makes you look like a 3rd grader. oh well.
• sillibands are still SUPER cool. just FYI.
• it is worth your money to buy brand name tissues.
• Adele? who is she? and why did I not know about her earlier? Oh my goodness!
• whiteboard checklists make doing a ton of homework more bearable.
• REO speedwagon should make a comeback just like Train. It'd be grand.
• "It'd" is an acceptable contraction in English grammar.  I just double checked.

Something to add to the bucket list: 
get something published. 

Until Next Time,

Andi