#2017

I suck at being a blogger.

I passed my NCLEX!!! Hooray!!! 

Finding a job however, was not an easy feat. I spent many a day applying to hundreds and hundreds of jobs for months on end. I did't start an actual job as an RN until September 18, 2017... just a reminder that I graduated December 22, 2015. I was so close to the 2 year mark and it was not a milestone that I was looking forward to hitting. 

I am absolutely LOVING my job. I'm in an area of nursing that I never expected to have an interest in but it surprises me everyday and I could not be happier.

The job did require a move.

I am living in a city where I know very few people.

Thank goodness for my cat. 

{LilyBell💙}

2016

Well I did it. I graduated from nursing school. It all felt very anticlimactic... probably due to my last day being December 13, 2015... so close to Christmas. I am officially a nurse. No more papers {thank goodness} I just have to apply to write the NCLEX and once I pass that, there is no stopping me. 

The plan is still Hawaii. I'm hoping to get a job here for at least a year, then head off to the island for a couple years before returning here... or somewhere else entirely. Who knows at this point. Problem is, I don't have a job. I applied for a bunch as soon as I graduated but I haven't heard anything back as of yet {probably because of the holidays... I sure hope that's why}. I'm not worried. I'm just so very happy to be done.  

Ramblings...

I have been trying to find a balance, which has been more difficult than I would like. 

But such is life. 

This past week has been filed with birthdays and much needed school break hang outs. I've been trying to make good choices, but I have also been enjoying cake and adult beverages. Every day is a new day to do my best and make healthy choices & that has been my mantra. 

What I have started to do again without fail is yoga daily. Starting today. I am going to try to do it in the mornings as soon as I wake up so I don't have the day to make up excuses as to why I can't/don't have time. We'll see if I actually manage to wake early enough tomorrow to do it before school. I am not intentionally trying to set impossible goals for myself… I believe I can do it. 

Juicing Day 2...

So much colour !!!

I started officially juicing yesterday with the addition of eating a salad for lunch & dinner. 

{Although I couldn't finish either salad, I attribute that to being full but also having a cold} 

Carrots, apple & ginger mmmm

Today I decided to just do juices. 

I got sick a couple days before I decided to start this so it's really hard to determine what I am feeling because of juicing and what is from just being ill. 

Day 1 went fine, I felt kind of foggy all day & had a headache but I felt the same the 2 days before, so I think it was mostly my cold.

Today is going a little better. My cold is on its way out.

I have had:

Hot water with lemon

Juice #1: Carrots (3), apples(2) & lemon (1)

100% Coconut water (500mL)

Juice #2: Swiss chard (3 giant leaves), orange (1) & apple (1)

Juice #3: Beets (2 small), orange (1) & apple (1)

That's ice floating on top, I like my juice cold

Juice #4: Kale, cucumber, carrots, pear & ginger

All prepped & ready to be thrown in the juicer!

I am probably going to have a dessert juice later on, I'm thinking perhaps pineapple & pear. I'll also have a tea and I've been drinking water all day long.

I had some cravings today. When I made my lunch juice I also grabbed a frozen cupcake from the freezer & a Tbsp of natural peanut butter to put on it & made myself a coffee with cream… but once I finish my juice I felt satisfied and threw the cupcake out, dumped my coffee and put the pb back. I was proud of myself for having the willpower to just listen to my body instead of eating it anyway as I usually would have. I am really trying to change my relationship with food and although it is only day 2, I am still super excited about juicing and I feel like a switch has been turned on inside of me to change my life & get healthy for good.

Juicing….

I have decided to detox my body. I am feeling pretty awful having not been able to exercise since my surgery and I've gained some of the weight, that I worked so hard to lose, back. I recently watched Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead on Neflix and it really got me amped up to do what Joe did. So today I went out & bought a juicer. 

This one!

I made my first juice in it today to try it out {after taking it all apart and cleaning it} and it was DELICIOUS! Mind you it was mixed greens, apples and oranges. I love it a lot though. Well worth the purchase.
So starting on Thursday I am going to consume only fruits and vegetable for 30 days. Mostly in juice form.
I am ready to take control back of my body and get rid of my insatiable cravings.
I chose Thursday as it'll allow me the weekend to have my horrible coffee withdrawal headaches and cravings at home rather than at school.
I am super pumped about this.
I may even do it for longer, depending on how it is going.
I look forward to the weight loss it will bring, but I am mostly excited to feel healthy and have more energy. 
:)

Procrastination...

The problem with only being in two classes and not working right now is I have wayyy too much free time to procrastinate the work that DOES need to get done. 

I am a known procrastinator.

I am well aware that it has been a problem for me for many years.

But this semester of school is quite possibly the first time in my adult life that I have had so much free time to just do as I wish.

Granted, I am in this situation because I broke a body part…

Regardless! I need to make a schedule for myself, so I can start being ahead of the game rather than up-until-5am-the-night-before-it-is-due my usual, being behind the game. 

Today I had class {NURS 474 - Future Directions of Nursing} from 8-11am. 

We talked about nursing mixes in hospitals… {RN, LPN, HCA}

I decided to drive myself this morning so that I would have the freedom to do as I wish afterwards.

& boy did I!

I ran some errands that I had planned, but then instead of going home and getting started on school work I went to a movie {Blackhat} 

That face was worth it
Photo cred: IMDb

It was an alright movie, I didn't love it though. I would recommend it as a renter. So strange to think that renting a movie doesn't have the same meaning as it used to… unless you use RedBox, which I often do & love. It reminds me of old times, going down to the local Blockbuster or Rogers Video. It still makes me sad that those places have been phased out. 

MY PLAN!

Tomorrow morning:

1. Make a schedule of the readings I need to get done for next week.

2. Start said readings.

3. Bike for 15 minutes.

4. Appointment with surgeon @ 1pm

5. Swimming with sister & nephews @ 4pm

Solid.

Typical Tuesday...

Today was pretty typical.

Had class {NURS 472 - Leadership} from 8-11am.

Walked over to the Starbucks across the street from my University to study.

Got to hang out/study with my best nursing friend {who is now in the semester ahead of me since I had to stay behind :( }. She gave me the scoop on how stressful the first 5 weeks of the last semester of nursing really is… O_o

Studied there until around 4pm when I got picked up. 

Came home.

Read an additional article for tomorrow's class.

Rode the bike for 15 minutes.

Cuddled this adorable creature…

Watched the latest episode of Revenge.

& now I am laying in bed at possibly the earliest hour that I have ever been in bed on a school night.