I start nursing school in three weeks. Part of me thinks, "Hallelujah! An end to the everlasting boredom!' and another part groans in anticipation of the heavy workload and packed schedule. I'm very excited. I've been sure that I want to be a nurse for over two years, and I've been working steadily toward that goal ever since. Now that I'm finally at the point where I can begin my actual nursing training, I'm nervous and full of anticipation.
I pray I'll do well, but I've heard a lot of doom and gloom from current nursing students about how EVERYONE will fail a test at some point (::gulp:: I don't think I've ever failed a test in my life) and how sometimes you'll just sit in your car and cry (not cool). This has resulted in somewhat less self-confidence than I had a few months ago.
I really do think that I'll thrive in this career though. I love helping people. I don't mind doing the dirty jobs if someone needs me to. I do what's necessary, but I manage to be extremely empathetic in the meantime. Not to mention this field is very versatile. My long-term goal is to be a stay-at-home wife and mother, but nursing is something I can do if God doesn't have that for me. I could also use it to supplement my husband's income if necessary, or even take it on the foreign mission field, if I feel called to do so. (I would love to spend a short time working on the Mercy ships, or something similar. We'll see.)
Anyway, that's what has been consuming most of my time, thoughts, and effort lately. Who knew beginner nursing students needed so many textbooks and supplies? This is getting expensive. Some of the rest of my time is spent babysitting (lots of fun), tutoring (Algebra One), and spending time with friends who are like siblings (you know who you are).
Also, my grandfather has not been doing well lately, so my mother has been staying with him for the last few weeks, and will probably be there for a couple more weeks. He doesn't know our Jesus, so we would appreciate any prayers.
Something else I've been up to lately is volunteering at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. I don't think I've mentioned it on here before, which a surprise considering how much I enjoy it! It's taken a small step in bravery to get used to talking to strangers (specifically in front of other volunteers who know more about the Fort than I do), but I love telling children about the history of the Fort and what our ancestors used to do. That's not a surprise, considering how much I love children in general.
Another bonus is that I get to wear amazing costumes. Sure they're not the most comfortable at times (hot in summer and difficult to move in all year round), but they look fantastic. Well, I do have to admit they had strange ideas about which hairstyles were attractive back then, but I can deal with it.
Then, one of my bestest friends in the whole world also volunteers there. She started a year before me, and so we get to volunteer together all the time. Our little sisters are both taking the youth-interpretive training (teaching ages 9-18 how to interpret to the public at the Fort) this year, and we are both helping to teach it. I'm not very experienced, but the 16 or 17 girls who are taking the class are very sweet and loads of fun.
As I was saying, this girl is one of my bestest friends. She has several sisters and a few brothers. My younger sister and I are practically adopted at their house. In fact, just last week her older sister referred to me as "the only one of the siblings who..." My point being that she referred to me as being one of the siblings. That made me laugh, especially since people think I belong to their family all the time. Some of the kids and I actually do look somewhat alike, except for the fact that I'm a couple inches under average height and they tend to be a few inches above average height...at least the fully-grown ones...ahem.
So that's a wee update on my life in the past year. Maybe I'll come back with some more information in a few days. Maybe. ;)
