Update Part I

It's been forever and a day since I've blogged. I'm not sure I remember how to do this. Well to catch up a little.....

I graduated!

A week before graduation we had a dinner at Pizza Factory with our whole class and then afterward drove up the canyon to burn our scrubs. It was so fun! It was great to spend a night with all the people I had spent so much time with over the three years of nursing school, who I literally spilt blood, sweat, and tears with.  Burning our scrubs was the best part of the night!

Burning my scrubs.

My best friend. I couldn't have done it without her. I'm so glad that not only did BYU give me a degree it gave me a best friend for life. 

Kristen is a continual constant in my life. I'm so grateful for the incredible friendship and relationship that I have with her. I couldn't have done it without her.

Words can not even begin to describe how I feel about these two people. They are my best friends, my advisors, my confidants, and my rocks. I owe everything I have and everything I am to them. I love them with all my heart and am continually grateful for all they have done for me, all they do for me, and all they will continue to do for me. I couldn't have done it without them.

BYU College of Nursing Class of 2012. I love all these girls (and boys) so much.

A few weeks after graduation, I flew down to LA to spend the week with Laura and her family. It was a blast. I attempted to surf for the first time. I was scared, but I did it and it was actually really fun after I got over the fear of drowning or being eaten by a shark or being smashed by the real surfers. I boogie boarded for the first time. I had the best strawberry I have ever eaten in my life. I got an awesome $20 asian massage. I watched the whole second season of Downton Abbey with Laura and her sister. And I went to my first Dodger's game and ate my first Dodger Dog. It was the best week. 

For graduation my awesome parents sent me and my mom on a cruise to Alaska! It was the best thing ever. I loved every minute of it. Cruises are so fun. And Alaska is breath taking and spectacular. It was easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! I had such a great time with my wonderful mom. We made some great memories that I will never forget! 

Well that's a long enough update for now. Stay tuned for part II.

Dreams

My dreams are coming true!

Sometimes I remember that I'm going to Ghana and I get so excited. I'm going to Ghana. I get to help change the world in Ghana. I'll be there for 4 short weeks, but I have 4 weeks to change lives there. And I can't wait.

Dreams really do come true.

So Good

My life is so good right now.

School is hard and it's kickin' my butt. But I love it! And despite what my test scores say I'm learning so much.

Clinical is exhausting and it's hard to go sometimes. But every time I don't wannna go I love it when I get there. One of my favorite things is when the nurse I'm working with puts my name on the white board in the patient's room next to "Nurse:"!

Sometimes I see the doctors and the surgeons and I think "I wish I was in med school. Why did I decide against that?" But then I remember the incredible feeling I've felt countless times telling me that I'm where I'm supposed to be doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

My life is good.

Once In A Lifetime

I'm going to Ghana!

And I'm so excited.

When I told my dad he said I was gonna get AIDS or gonorrhea. I told him I would get neither. He's scared for me. I think he's just scared to be without me for a month. :)

I have the great opportunity to go to Ghana in May with the nursing program. We'll work in the community and a local hospital.

I've wanted to go to Africa for a long time! And now I get to go be a nurse in Africa!

I can't wait to serve the people of Ghana!

Cross Your Fingers

I have an interview on Monday to spend a month here next summer!

I'm nervous.

Wish me luck!

P.S. this is gonna be awesome!

I wish.

I wish I had all the money and time to be able to do what I most desire.

I want to change the world!

I want to go to Africa and Ukraine and Romania and China and Mexico and Ecuador and India. And so many more.

I want to teach them how to read and write. I want to teach them how to find clean

water. I want to teach them good health practices. I want to immunize them and take their blood pressure. I want to teach them about AIDS. I want to take them food. I want to build them homes and toilets. I want to play with the little children. I want to give them glasses. I want to give them shoes. I want to give them clothes. I want to give them my time. I want to give them my love! I want to teach them! I want to improve their lives! I want to change their lives!

I want to change the world!

Dreaming

I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can play together all night.

I've been having a lot of dreams lately. They feel so real. And they are pretty great most of the time.

I wake up. And I want to go back to sleep. I wake up. And I'm sad because the dream is over.

I try to go back to sleep to get back to the dream, but my alarm keeps beeping. I must get up to start my day.

The dreams are so real. And they just have one thing in common.