Big Changes

I am 25 and I finally have my life going in a direction that I am happy with. I feel that I have always been so busy, trying to finish school, get a job, doing this trying that.... I've never seemed content with what I have.

Well, I am content, because all in all life is pretty damn fine right now. 

I am graduating tomorrow and they do this silly thing for your nursing graduation where they have a 'pinning' ceremony. You can have another nurse in your family pin you or someone who is important to you. I was struggling to figure out who I should ask and couldn't think of anyone more important than my husband to do it. It seemed silly at first but he has been there for me through the whole thing and supported my crazy schedule and early mornings for longer than anyone should have to, I owe him my sanity.

I am graduating with my RN, will hopefully pass my NCLEX-RN on the first time and quite possibly have a new job on the horizon, things are changing but I welcome it. 

I just worked my last day before my vacation and I am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow, playing with my puppy and spending the evening with my family after graduation... Costa Rica countdown begins!!! T minus 3 days....

Can't Wait!

Contemplating where to go on vacation to this year, it will be our 1 year anniversary and I will be done with school at the end of August, we want to do something special. 
At first I wanted to go to the Dominican Republic and was well into the planning stage of things when I stumbled upon the fact that August is their hurricane season... damn!
So I started Google'ing where in South America was a good place to visit in August... Costa Rica was one that came up....I like the idea of being able to see the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean in one day, traveling from Nicaragua to Panama if we want to... There is jungle, swamp, volcano, rivers, lakes, trails... so much to do.

So...starting August 19th we will be spending ten lovely days in Costa Rica near the Arenal Volcano... I'm so excited. I was wondering if we should be spending the money on a vacation- but my sister Jeni told me I would regret it if we didn't do it and then Mondo said we (I) should have something to look forward to at the end of school. Our hotel had an awesome deal and we have a view of the volcano, I've already looked at tons of stuff I want to do: rafting, hiking, night hikes around the volcano, turtle nesting sites, jungle stuff..... I CAN'T WAIT.... no work, no school... just me and the hubs and no schedule... 

June Update: IT SUCKED!

I was planning on doing my precepting hours in July... I get to tag along with a nurse and basically take over her job- I wanted to do it at the Surgical Center so I could get more IV experience... well my academic advisor was not as efficient as I would have liked her to be and so when she finally got around to getting a contract signed with the surgical center, June 7th, it came to our attention that my contract would only be good through June 30th, the center was merging with Davis hospital and so my contract would be void and I would be in limbo waiting for the hospital to get approval for me to be there.
So... I had 23 days to get in 90 hours, on top of my work schedule, on top of school....
Very long story short, I survived... my diet/exercise schedule has definately suffered, my hair and makeup have seen better days and I maaaaay have forgotten what my husband looks like in the daytime... but I'm done! One more big X on my list of shiz I have to do to graduate... yay!

This go-around in nursing school I really wanted to be able to keep some kind of social life... my LPN year I worked or had school every day- worked every weekend and had school/work during the week... It was horrible and didn't do much for my stress level. Mostly I hated telling my mom/sisters/dad/friends that "Sorry, I have work/school.... maybe next time". My nerves are frazzled but it was definately better to get it done quickly in one month so I can breathe easier in July... August 17th can not come fast enough!

I NEED A NAP!

Dad :D

I've been uber-busy lately- but I had to put in a late entry for my Dad for Father's Day...I love my dad, he is my hero in more ways than one.
We are more alike than I would like to admit to, but different enough that we don't get on each others nerves all the time.
My dad has cheered me on at games, gotten kicked out of some of them, and always shown up for any function that was important to me. That seems silly, but I have a lot of friends who never had anyone waiting out in the audience and now that I'm older, I'm getting pretty sentimental about that kind of thing.
I love that he has entered the technological age and now I get random texts from him--- usually all ending in "Love Dad", like I don't have his number saved in my phone :)
I love that he helped shape me into a strong woman that was able to put myself through school, find a man I wanted to be with- not needed to be, and can help provide for a family I am hoping to have soon.
I love that he trusted me enough to make my own mistakes in life, because quite honestly the "They'll only do it once" philosophy really does work.

I love him lots and lots and count myself incredibly lucky to have him in my life...

Love you Pops!

Since my dad hates the camera, I have few pics to choose from... I need to catch him in the lens more...

Success!!!!

I suck at IV's. I am almost done with nursing school and they still scare the shiz out of me... I don't want to hurt anyone and I'm kind of a perfectionist so I don't like doing things that I'm not really comfortable with- I want to be the IV master!
My first attempt was on a fellow student (Sorry Melissa!) at school. She was super calm and collected, but my lab teacher was yelling like a banshee over my shoulder, "Why are you doing that!?" "Hurry!!" "Why did you do that?!" "No! That's not how you should do it, that's all wrong!" Not exactly conducive to a learning environment...
My second attempt was in an Emergency room with a nurse who seemed to forget I was a 'student' and sent me into a room with a little dehydrated lady who 'has bad veins'. She then watched over my shoulder as I 'blew' this little old lady's vein while her husband muttered "God damn amateurs, don't know what the hell they are doing" in the corner of the room.... Not really building up my self confidence.
I figured I would learn best by being thrown right in the fire- I set up my preceptorship at a surgical center with a pre-op nurse-- IV's all day everyday! Good plan, no?
Thank God that Chelise is a very patient and helpful person, she walked me through the steps several times, let me watch her do several and then actually let me practice on her, Bless her heart!
I do not feel like the IV master yet, but since I was able to successfully stick myself I am actually looking forward to getting to try again....

PS the Davis Surgical Center gives a numbing shot to their patients before they start the IV, so I don't feel like such a bastard trying to place one... yay!

Messican

I am .... Hispanic? Chicana? Mexican? Latina? I prefer American, because I am from America after all, this answer doesn't satisfy people but I figure, eff it- they are being nosy anyway so why do I care?
My parents were both born here as well as all of my grandparents. I'm not from Mexico so I feel awkward saying I'm Mexican. I tell people that I am Mexican to simplify things and all they really want is to place a label on me anyway.
I'm very light skinned and don't look like the stereotypical Mexican. I am often asked which of my parents are white... uh, neither. I don't know when it became appropriate to ask people this, it kind of bothers me. I don't walk up to white folks and ask them about there heritage. It shouldn't matter.
I am subject to racism because I don't look like the traditional stereotype of a "Mexican". People say things to me that they probably wouldn't say to me if they knew I was Hispanic, which is worse because I feel like they are letting their true colors show.
A co-worker once told me that she used her "Mexican" tupper-ware that day. I didn't get it, in my head I was thinking: "Does she only put Mexican food in it? Is it a chili container? Is it red/green/white?" I had no idea and I asked her why she called it that. She told me it was because it was an old butter container and it was "ghetto" so that's why she called it her "Mexican" tupper-ware. I just stood there, shocked. She equates Mexican people with something cheap and dirty.
I look for certain things when looking for friends and not one of those things is what the color of their skin is. It takes all kinds so let's just all get along and be open to what each other has to bring to the table.
There, now I will get off of my soap box :)

Update: July 19th 2012- I went to DOPL to apply for my RN license and they asked me my ethnicity... my choices were Hispanic: Cuban; Hispanic: Mexican and Hispanic: Spanish descent..... I told her I was American :D

Ma

It's mothers day and I have to give props to my mom, she is an amazing lady who has worked her ass off to provide for her family and I am grateful that I get to see her whenever I want and talk to her almost daily on the phone. 

I have never understood people who say, "Ugh, I hate my mom (or dad, or sister or whatever)!" I love my mom, she is one of my best friends. It's as I grow up that I realize just what she has done for me. She is there for me no matter what, she never questions me- she loves me unconditionally. 

While I outgrew her around fifth or sixth grade she can still intimidate me because I have that much respect for her, she means business! I love that there is an ever growing list of words that she can't pronounce (Library, Ideally, Aluminum... to name a few) I live my life to be able to say, my parents are proud of me. I hope that I can be half of the woman that she is one day, let alone the mother that she is. 

 

I'm so glad that she is getting to enjoy her retired life and can spend time with her parents, grandchild and my dad and really get to live her life. I love her so much and hope that she knows how much she means to me, I would be lost without my mom.