2015 Resolutions

As promised, here are my actual new year resolutions:

• Volunteer my time at least once a week. Whether it be a local organization or just time helping friends or family, I want to spend my time wisely.
• Explore someplace new. Both Portland and the greater Tacoma area are perfect places to find little nooks and crannies full of gems. Not to mention all of the other places in the world I have not been yet.
• Continue learning. I will graduate sometime in May with a BSN and will take the NCLEX in June/July, but I will not stop learning there. At this point, I do not know what I want to learn, but whatever it is I will share it. Of course, this includes in part my goal of reading 52 books in a year.
• Write more consistently. Blogging weekly is a goal, as is finally accomplishing NaNoWriMo. I am hoping to send more letters this year – everyone loves a handwritten letter!
• Last but not least, I want to relax. My anxiety level has continued to rise the last few years despite my attempts to assuage it. I hope that this year, I can finally learn to control my anxiety better and be a generally more easy-going person.

Whether or not I accomplish my resolutions, they are now set in place. Hopefully in December I can reflect on the year and see how I have changed.

What kind of resolutions are you thinking of or would you ever consider committing to?

2015 New Years Resolutions

I do love good lighting. Wintertime is the best time for mood lighting – and what better way to light the mood than by stringing white Christmas lights up everywhere?

My new years resolutions are based on six characteristics I would like to foster in the new year. The chosen characteristics are ones that I may have but are underdeveloped or ones that I feel I lack entirely. I have written resolutions based on the characteristics I want to exemplify – and some things I just want to accomplish.

The six characteristics are as follows:

1) Patience

One can never have enough patience. This year especially I have noticed how my patience has grown and how much I still need to improve.

2) Trust

I have been challenged more than ever to be trusting of others in my professional and personal life. I hope that in the next year I can develop a sense of trust that will enable me to care for my loved ones.

3) Wisdom

Of course, this does not simply mean “learning.” It goes without saying that my education will not end when I graduate next May. I want to develop the wisdom that comes from experiencing joy, tragedy, love, and laughter. I hope that this next year I can truly devote myself to the relationships I have previously nurtured.

4) Faith

My faith journey is a very long and twisty one. I hope that in the coming year I can foster good habits in my prayer life and pass along only the best for my friends.

5) Courage

This one is a difficult one to explain. While I may be able to advocate for my patients, I want to develop my own sense of courage. I want to be able to withdraw from relationships and revoke bad habits that hold me back from becoming the best person I can be and providing the best care I can as a nurse. This will be especially beneficial as I progress in my nursing career.

6) Compassion

The above being said, I hope to have the compassion to understand others and develop relationships that will benefit others. I want the compassion I develop to transfer to the patients I care for.

Now I know this post does not necessarily cover my new years resolutions themselves but there will be another post coming that will cover them. Although, I’m curious as to what others’ new years resolutions are… Two of my more practical ones are to exercise more regularly and finally learn how to snowboard.

Spring Break: Day Seven

This morning was the essence of “chillax.” For those who may be unaware, the word “chillax” is derived from a combination of the colloquial term “chill”, meaning to be calm, and the word relaxing. For example, laying in bed half the morning working on homework, reading, and watching YouTube videos was very chillax.

Once the afternoon hit, I became increasingly lethargic and managed to convince myself that a nap was appropriate. I always struggle with naps, because as much as I enjoy sleeping, the repercussions are always much worse than I care to handle. This time, however, I tried to fool myself into thinking that it was not a true nap if I was reading and just happened to fall asleep doing so. 

 

On awakening, I prepared myself for Stations of the Cross and a study/hangout session with a friend afterward. Stations of the Cross always has a way of humbling me and refocusing my spiritual compass. It helps me become more aware of the sacrifice Jesus made and reminds me that I am accountable for his suffering every time I sin. As harsh as it may sound, I do not think of it as the stereotypical “Catholic guilt” – instead, I think of it as the most endearing thing a loved one could do. 

 

With that in mind, I cheerfully joined my friend for what was supposed to be a night of coffee, catching up, and studying. Instead, we decided to try the hot chocolate from Moonstruck Chocolate (DELICIOUS!), study, and grab some dinner at Little Big Burger (veggie burger and truffle fries for me, of course). 

 

All in all, it was a very pleasant semi-end to my spring break.

Spring Break: Day Three

My Spring Break checklist is near complete. I have successfully slept in (10am), eaten good food (sushi, Chick-Fil-A, In-N-Out, salmon, etc.), finished a book (Sea of Hooks – review to follow), spent time with my sister, watched movies, and caught up on my YouTube subscriptions. I have even had a little opportunity to study!

 

My sister has unfortunately had to return to work, but I have had the freedom to do all the lazy bits and bobs of a typical Spring Break. In fact, the majority of my checklist was completed today. What can I say? It’s been an eventful Monday.

 

It is weird to think that I have one more day with my sister before heading back to Portland. She and I are mentally inseparable. Lately, what with me still being in school and with her working, it has been harder and harder to stay in touch. My schedule is, for lack of a more succinct way of putting it, not really conducive to my family’s schedule.

 

I have always said I make time for those I love, but lately it is seemingly more difficult than normal. Times like this, when I can spend quality time with my family, I despair going back to school and the rigorous schedule I uphold. As much as I love nursing, growing up is hard.

 

Knowing that my family is a “weakness” of mine, I have conversely been able to use them as a strength. I know I can rely on them for support as well as motivation. I have several photos of them surrounding focal points in my room and look to them whenever I start to feel stressed. Of course, I pray as well, but it is nice to have a physical reminder to relax.

 

Anyway, I am determined to make the most of all the time I have with my family. If that means doing whatever they want to do or making all the arrangements, so be it. For the meantime, I will do what I want in preparation for spending quality time with them.

Seaside, Oregon

 

The first day at Seaside… Awful, but not bad enough to keep me away from the beach!

This weekend I had the opportunity to join my godmother and her friend for a trip to Seaside. The mini-vacation was much looked forward to as it fell the weekend after the first week back to nursing school. Though I had to prepare for the trip by studying additional material for the following week, it soon felt worth the extra efforts.

 

The drive over was long, to say the least – at one point we were stuck in the same spot for an hour. It was ample time to get on good terms with my godmother’s friend who had known me since I was little, but with whom I had never really had a conversation. We discussed many things, ranging from books we loved to pet peeves. As strange as it sounds, I felt like an adult. Not a student, not a youngin’, but a proper adult.

Of course I ordered pancakes!

When we arrived, a full-on storm was raging and we hastily rushed to our room for cover. Though it was late, none of us had eaten in a while so we arranged a motley dinner for ourselves. Unbeknownst to us, such diverse dinners would be our specialty for the weekend.

 

The next morning I arose early enough to read a book, watch the news, study a little, and make breakfast for myself. The weather had not much improved from the night before, but I ventured out for a run – and came straight back to a hot shower. Eventually we dragged ourselves back into the outside world for dinner and a shopping trip (it did not last long).

 

My excitement could not be contained…for long.

One of the things I was most grateful for was the easy-going spirit of my godmother and her friend. For instance, when trying to decide where to eat dinner, I half-heartedly suggested Pig’N’Pancake, a restaurant I remember going to with my family. I figured the women would want to try something a little more upscale and would not go for something more… traditional. To my surprise and delight, they both agreed to indulge me. One may imagine how thrilled I was.

 

Our dinner that night, however, was a little more low-key. It was Mediterranean-themed with and abundance of grapes, hummus, bread, hazelnuts… and triple chocolate chip cookies. What can I say? I do not mind being healthy once and a while. Honestly, it was a fun, chill night. We sat in the warmth of inside, listening to the storm while we watched This Is 40. Although I enjoyed it, neither my godmother nor her friend liked it so we immediately moved on to Kate and Leopold, a film we all knew we liked.

A beautiful last morning of vacation.

Sunday was a wonderful day. I had a proper sleep-in, rising after three snoozed alarms and reading in bed for half an hour. The morning was bright and sunny, perfect for a walk to a coffee shop with the anticipation of a beautiful, steaming cup of espresso (as well as fast wifi). Mass was relaxing and put me in a great mood to go for a long run. My run was only shortened a few minutes by the appearance of clouds on the horizon and forceful gusts of wind, swelling the sand around my feet, foretelling the inevitable return of Our Great Hydration.

With the decline in forecast and my early-evening departure by bus, we decided to make our way over to Astoria in the afternoon to do a little sight-seeing. In actuality, we made it to one pier, took some pictures, sat and drank some coffee, and shopped for antiques.

 

I cannot express enough how pleasant and refreshing the weekend was after the shock of returning to nursing school. Although nothing terribly difficult or horrible occurred during the week, my mindset was a little boggled and I needed the extra time away from campus to settle myself back into the groove of studying, critically thinking, and caring. The weekend allowed me to catch my breath before diving back in to the chaos that is nursing school.

 

 

Taking Care of Sore Muscles

My muscles have been feeling a little sore from yoga strengthening sessions, especially my legs. Despite all the stretching I have been doing, my legs are still fairly stiff, so I decided to try an Epsom salt soaking solution. I found the Dr. Teal’s brand at my local pharmacy and decided on the Relax & Relief solution with Eucalyptus and Spearmint. 

 

As I ran the bath with the Epsom salt, I smelled the glorious, refreshing scent of the herbs and knew I would be soaking for a while. I grabbed a book from my currently reading pile, played the jazz mix my sister compiled for me, and settled in.

 

The bath left me feeling rejuvenated and my legs felt like new! I am so grateful for the soaking solution. The scent lingered in the bathroom for a few hours, but as it smelled so good it was a welcome guest. Also, there was plenty left for future baths which was nice – a great value!

The “Almost Family” Effect

I worked throughout high school primarily as an audio technician and in college as a food service worker and Resident Advisor. I had thought that when I started my job as a professor’s assistant I would have a very professional mindset and deal with everything accordingly. Not so! Considering the fact I was given the job so graciously by a friend I met through theatre, I should not have expected such formalities. Instead, I have met and made friends with faculty that care about me as a student as well as a person. For instance, my “boss” sent me an encouraging email after finding out I had my assessment tonight. The professor simply suggested taking a walk or running before the lab to help me relax and wished me well, but in doing so I knew I would become as fond of my boss as I have my other bosses.

 

I also became fast friends with one of the people I will be relying on and working closely with. She immediately offered her assistance with anything I might need help with and noted that I was a theatre enthusiast. We spent a good half an hour talking about theatre and the struggles of being a nursing student while having so many theatre opportunities in the area. She came up with the idea of getting a group of students together to see a local theatre’s season opener and proposed the idea to my friend who is, coincidentally, also on student government. I was so surprised at her resourcefulness and her ability to make me immediately feel comfortable.

 

Fast forward several hours… I emerged from the elevators thinking that I would have some time to review one last time, but no. My clinical advisor is waiting at the open door with two of my fellow classmates and offers to get me started if I was ready. Not wanting to hold up the procession, I went into the lab and began the assessment. Afterward, my advisor mentioned one of my strengths as my ability to make things “flow” what with my almost constant conversation and demeanor. I know it was only a practice round for the real thing, but I hope I can be like my friend earlier and make the client feel as comfortable as she made me feel.

 

Obviously it is hard to be fully at ease in the healthcare setting (unless, perhaps, you are a healthcare provider), but I think people appreciate being treated by people that make one feel like they are almost related. I like to think of it as the “almost family” effect. Treating people with familiarity and kindness relaxes them and convinces them that you are as trusting as a family member might be. Not that you want to pretend or trick your client, but allowing them a sort of excuse to divulge information or respond in ways that they might not normally.

 

As you may be able to tell, I am very much looking forward to our time at the clinical sites. I hope that whatever happens, it will be a learning experience that I can benefit from somehow and share.