One of my friends wrote on my wall the other day he was so happy to see I'm keeping up with my blog. I think he may be crazy, because I feel like I haven't updated in forever! All the times in my life where the most is changing, I don't think to update because the amount to update is so overwhelming! I'll try to think of some highlights.

I am officially off of orientation. I'll be all on my own starting Monday. I'm nervous, but I hope I can handle everything. The good thing is there are always people around to help out. I'll never be truly alone. I might have a lot of responsibility (oh, just you know, people's lives in my hands), but I have people to ask questions of and to help me. I look forward to the day when I can repay them and am just so efficient that I have time to help them out, too.

I think I struggle with a lot of things other new nurses struggle with (maybe this can help any nurses-to-be out there). We're told it from the beginning, but prioritization is one of the biggest. No day is like another, and there are always new needs to juggle. It's difficult when something unexpected happens or conflict occurs (which seems to be almost inevitable almost every single day) to know what to do. It's difficult to get out of a patient's room who is a talker. This one was difficult for me, because I feel like a lot of patients just need someone to talk to and listen to them. Unfortunately, if you did this, you would neglect the rest of your patients. It's difficult to know when is appropriate to contact a doctor and whether it's appropriate to call them at 3 AM to tell them something about a patient. Most of all, I have had to learn that I am not superwoman and am not going to save all of these people's lives. I come into their lives, and I do what I can to help. I cannot do everything for them. I have nights that are extremely stressful (they are getting fewer now), but I go home happy knowing that I am doing something meaningful and something that is helpful in this world.

This summer has been super fun so far. Matt's out of school, and it's so nice to have more time to hang out! It's also so nice to hang out with Matt when no serious homework is looming over his head. It's funny how much of a difference it makes. He did really well last semester. I'm proud of him. Part of me wishes he were finished with school soon, so that I could always hang out with super fun Matt! He's taking a class this summer where he gets to go to parts of Nashville he and I don't usually see and see what urban ministries are occurring here. He's having a blast. Basically, we've just been watching wayyy too many episodes of Criminal Minds (thanks ION TV for the marathons) and eating too much Jet's pizza.

Last weekend was really fun. Matt was out of town, so I was determined not to just sit around on my butt in my apartment. I hung out with my friend Kendra who works at the children's hospital. She's really great. We watched "Say Yes to the Dress" and went to this BBQ place one of my patients was raving about (it was pretty good). I hung out with Jaye, who is starting her master's at Peabody next Fall. I hang out with Matt's friends down here, and I suddenly realize I am the only one not pursuing a master's (yet)...though I do have more degrees ;) It's nice to be making money, though!

I discovered last weekend there is a Plato's Closet here, and I introduced it to Jaye, who LOVED it. I think she and Matt's sister have similar tastes in clothing. Matt's family is coming up the week Harry Potter comes out in July, so I am preparing to buy us midnight tickets to see the final installment(and it won't even mess up my sleep schedule)!!

But before that, Matt and I are planning on seeing Bridesmaids this weekend. I've heard really good things about it, and I'm excited he actually wants to see a chick flick...or is it even a chick flick? It's about weddings and has Erin from "The Office" in it, so I'm in!

I need to start writing in here more, because I want to have more time to write about the little things in life that make my day :) I love reading about that kind of stuff in my friends' blogs. Until then!