This year is winding to a close before I can even being to comprehend all that went on in it! What a year indeed… The first half of it was pretty rough, I have to admit. Chris and I were in the middle of potentially losing our home before we’d even really begun to enjoy it and because of a bank not crossing all it’s Ts and dotting all it’s Is before a foreclosure went through. My dad had been diagnosed with cancer and we were all on pins and needles waiting to see how it turned out. And in the midst of it all, I decided to take a new path in my career and become a nurse practitioner. But, of course, that all turned out well in the end. House is ours, dad is well, I was accepted to school and many other good things happened this year to drown out the bad.
To elaborate on the schooling issue: Yes, indeed I was accepted to a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program at University of St Francis here in Albuquerque. They come highly recommended and unlike my alma mater, realize that nurses in this program need to work during school- so they encourage you to and encourage you to take your studies at your own pace. While that might bump my graduation date out a few months, it also means I can work during it all- which I must do. I’m excited to start this new phase in my life. I’m more than a little nervous about going back to school after almost 5 years, but I think I can get the hang of it quickly. I’m jumping right in with a couple theory classes, so I’ll either sink or swim pretty decisively! I’m not sure what I want to do with my degree when I’m done. I’m pretty attached to the ER, but the idea of family practice is really attractive to me too. I’m going into this to be a more effective healthcare provider, and really the biggest need and the place I can make the biggest impact is in primary care. I’ll see how it goes once I’m in clinicals and actually experiencing that kind of care first hand. Reality is always much different than the ideal we come up with in our minds. :) Is it surprising though that my biggest qualm with going into primary care are the hours? I’ve been so spoiled by working 3 days a week…
I’ve also had the opportunity to sit in on a grand jury the last few months. I had no idea that this aspect of the legal system even existed, but being the referee between offenders and district attorneys is a pretty powerful position to play. While going 2 days a week on top of my regular job has been painful, I’m all the better for having experienced this. I haven’t been terribly surprised by anything I’ve seen- the ER cured me of that quick, but interacting with people I ordinarily would never have come into contact with has been pretty eye opening. I pretty much only talk to my family and to friends who work in the medical field, for the most part. Interacting with engineers, teachers, retirees and the unemployed has really changed my point of view on a lot of things. I guess my best example is when one of the jury members asked me if heroin was really that dangerous after a Possession charge came our way. The idea that that kind of information isn’t commonly known by everyone was a bit of shock to me. But, if one doesn’t *have* to know these things in his daily life, why would you want to? I only know about this nonsense because of my profession- and unfortunately I know way too much about it. Otherwise, I’d be just as clueless. But, as interesting as grand jury has been, I will NOT be sad to see it go. Those 2 days a week are going to have to start becoming homework days… Eeeek.
I’m glad this time of year, which is my FAVORITE, is being met with such good things this time. Last year was pretty miserable… So, I find myself actually enjoying the holiday- singing the carols, decorating, wrapping gifts and knitting them without a weight on my shoulders. This time of year means so much more when one is at peace with things as opposed to feeling like everything is terrible and the whole world is against them. I appreciate my family, my friends and my life so much more this year than I think I ever have- and I really owe it to the experiences I’ve had in the last few years.
I said it around Thanksgiving, but I think it bears repeating as the year ends: Instead of considering this a horrible year, I’m grateful it’s ending on such a high note. So many good things are ahead of me, why look back at the bad?
