Arizona...

This weekend was one of many thoughts and contemplation of where I want my life to be a year or so from now...

I went to Arizona this weekend for the interview for their amazing nursing program. Boy was this a trip. I flew into Phoenix, where I met up with my best friend, Janessa, and my interview partner Kim. We went to lunch in down town, near the ASU campus. I feel so small in that city. Phoenix is so much larger when being so use to the feel of Reno...the Biggest Little City in the World. After about a 2 hour catch up session, Kim and I hopped into the car and drove the 2 hour drive to Tuscon. We made it to our hospital tour just in time.

The tour was great. We had representatives from all three sponsoring hospitals, who were there to discuss their hospitals and help us make our decision on the hospitals that we will be working at, a bit easier. We did get some discouraging news at this time, however. There were 130 people there, who received the opportunity for this interview. When we had received our invitations, we were notified that there was 96 positions open for the nursing program this year, which gave us about a 65% chance of getting in. When we arrived, we found out that one of the hospitals had dropped the program due to economic issues and not being able to fund their portion, dropping the available spots in the program down to 48, which reduced our chances to about 30%. This was a little hard to hear, and defiantly added to the already present stress.

The next day, we had our interviews and they went well...there were three interviewers and three interviewees in each room so that was a bit intimidating and different but actually ended up being a lot nicer then I assumed it would be. Now, I am playing the waiting game, anticipating being accepted to both TMCC and U of A so that I will have the upper hand and be able to make the decision instead of being forced to do something and have no say. I should know in about a month.

After all of this, Kim and I headed back to Phoenix and met back up with Janessa. We went to some bars on Saturday night which was a good time but left both me and Janessa not feeling so hot the next day. On Sunday, Janessa and I went to Taco Bell to try and equalize our stomachs with grease, and then off to David's Bridal. We tried on many wedding dresses and Janessa looks amazing in them all...she will look beautiful no matter which one she ends up picking and tears came to my eyes, seeing another one of my closest childhood friends getting ready to walk down the aisle with her prince charming.

An amazing weekend with amazing friends and great opportunities for life and my future.

One year...and Many More to Follow...

This weekend, Pat and I spent the whole weekend celebrating the most amazing year of my life. First, we went to dinner with my parents on Friday night, and went bowling with them and my sister...many many laughs and Pat has a lot to teach me about bowling. Then, on Saturday, we ran to the mall and met up with Pat's dad, Ryan and Ashleigh at the car show, where I was called Pat's wife several times...haha! Not yet! We went back to my place and took a bit of a nap and then got all dressed up...for a "Big Night Out" at the Melting Pot. It was amazing...fondue and champagne with the love of my life with a little toast..."to many more to come." A lazy night to follow and a lazy Sunday to perfect the weekend. I couldn't ask for a better weekend.

On Tuesday, I have been with the most amazing man I could ever hope for, for a year. I am so thankful to have him in my life and everything that he brings to me each day that passes.

I have gained a whole new family, a new best friend who is always by my side, a soon to come niece or nephew (Bryce and Chels baby), laughs, dates, cooking, and love.

To the man that makes me smile each and everyday that I wake up, to the man that completes me and perfects me, to my best friend and the love of my life, Happy One Year my love. I could never dream of a better boyfriend. You have no idea how much you give me and add to my life!

U of A Nursing Interview!

I love waking up Friday mornings, knowing that a weekend is to follow...

Yesterday I found out that I got an interview at the University of Arizona nursing school and will most likely be flying out on the 20th of this month to go check out the campus, have my interview, and of course see my best friend Janessa...maybe do some wedding planning with her!

The thing that scares me most about this whole interview thing is that they actually will like me and accept me there. I know this is an awkward statement but I am falling in love with the life I have here and I really don't want to leave. When I applied, I was in one of my many freak out about life moods and the thought of U of A was very appealing because it is a fast track (one year program) and I would have a second bachelors, however, upon more reading more about the program, I have learned that there is a two year commitment at a hospital in Arizona. 3 YEARS!!! That is just hard to imagine, given that I love Reno, I love being near my family and the support I get from them on a daily basis, I love my boyfriend and how things are with him, I have a house and friends that I don't want to leave. All these reasons make me have no desire to leave.

I am super excited that I made it this far though, given that I have had to keep my spirits high, hoping that I will be able to become a nurse one day, so it has been a bit of a confidence booster. Interviewing never hurt anyone though right?! Time will tell...

The First Day's Journey

Because everyone is beginning to do this whole blog thing, I thought that I would try it out as well...what is one more thing added on to Myspace and Facebook to distract me from the mandatory things in life right?!

Yesterday was Pat's 24th birthday and it has me thinking that I am growing up and I don't even realize it. I finally know what I am going to do with my life, am thinking about the future, how to pay for insurance on top of rent and living expenses on a limited budget and still know that there is so much more I will have to pay for when I become an official grown up with a big kid job. One thing I do know, though, is that I love the direction that my life is heading.

With the start of a new year, I have applied for nursing school and am now playing the waiting game with my fellow nursing applicants and this is one of the most stressful things I have ever experienced, however, it will be worth it once I get accepted...thing good thoughts until I announce my acceptance (only positive thoughts in mind). After that, I will have a year before I am actually in the hospitals working. I have the most amazing family, which provides the greatest portion of my support network, and a wonderful extended family including all of my friends and the most amazing man in the world, who I get to claim as my boyfriend!

As for things that I am doing just for me this year, I have signed up for martial arts kickboxing and am loving that. It is a little early in the morning (6am to be exact) but I am starting to grow accustom to it am actually waking up before my alarm every morning. Also, I am taking a phlebotomy class, which seems really interesting and I can't wait to be able to work with actual patients...if you know how long I have been looking for a healthcare job, then you know how anxious I am to get knee deep in the field.

We will see if I am successful in this whole blog thing...only time will tell right?! Until then, this is just a bit of an update on where life is leading me...it is a mystery that is slowly unfolding and I am so excited!