Praha, Wien, Budapest

Can you be homesick for a place that is not your home? I got back from my European adventure a week ago. It was a dream. An absolute dream. As hippie as it sounds, I think I was born to roam this great big beautiful Earth. Traveling makes my soul happy. My favorite city was Prague. Everything about it was so pretty! Ancient buildings, spires, cathedrals and castles. I felt like I was in a fairytale. Here is a picture of the Charles Bridge at dawn. I'll see you again soon Europe, I need to reclaim my heart after all...

Earth

My mind is almost always consumed by traveling. Where I've been, where I want to go next...traveling is such a beautiful thing.

98 days until Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.

Quick Update

A lot has happened since I last wrote. I PASSED my boards in the minimum amount of questions (75) and got hired onto an advanced heart failure unit! I actually got offered 2 positions, one on the telemetry unit I worked on during school, and the other on the HF unit. Neither were my first pick as I would love to work in the ICU, but it's okay! I am a new grad with a JOB. I am so grateful and thankful for all these wonderful opportunities! I can't wait to further my experiences as a nurse. Right now, it's overwhelming and frustrating at times, but hopefully I get the hang of everything soon. It still hasn't really set in that I'm an RN now. The NCLEX wasn't exactly difficult, but it was definitely the most tricky test I've ever taken. So much so, that when the computer shut me off at 75 questions, I had nooo idea whether I had passed or failed. I was so exhausted though (it took me a few hours to take it, yes I overanalyze, sue me), I almost didn't care how I did at the moment because all I wanted to do was drive to Sonic and buy some ice cream. Which I did. Fast forward 48 hrs. later, and whaddaya know. I passed.

Thank you God. I am so blessed.

NCLEX and Nerves

Ay yi yi...I am so stressed out. A lot has happened in the last few months. I graduated from nursing school, obtained my dream job of working in the critical care setting, and spent New Year's in California. Whew! Lots of fun for sure. However, now that the fun is all said and done, I'm studying for the test that will determine my liscensure. The ominous NCLEX. Up until this point I've felt pretty confident. However, with the test at the end of this month, lots of time away from studying, and undesirable scores on my recent practice tests...well...I'm freaking out. I'm freaking out and frustrated. I feel disconnected, rusty, disorganized, and generally a frazzled mess. Why didn't I start studying or at least organizing myself sooner? (I really tried to, I'll give myself that.) I hate hate hate NCLEX style questions. They are so difficult, tricky, and don't apply in the real world.

I'm going to need a lot of prayer for a calm mind these next couple weeks. I know I can do it with God's help.

Deep breaths. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jer. 29:11