Week 10

Today marks the beginning of the tenth week of my J1 semester of nursing school.

More importantly, today marks only eight weeks left of J1 semester.

Someone asked me awhile back, “Why is it that nursing students always want people to know that they are nursing students? And once they’re nurses, they want everyone to know then, too?”

Another comment was made to me after I told a story about school one day: “Oh, are you in nursing school? I didn’t know…” (sarcastic, obviously)

While comments and questions like this are somewhat hurtful, I must admit that I am proud to be a nursing student. And I’m proud to be proud of it. There have been multiple times these last few months that I have questioned what I’ve gotten myself into…what I have willingly chosen to put myself through. I have already been through four years of school and none of them were this hard. I admire the girls that go about this process the “normal” way and begin nursing school their junior year. I know that God was looking out for me when He had me wait – He knew I was not ready for this back then! I worked hard my first four years, but this is entirely different.

Needless to say (especially if you know me and have been around me at all) I have felt a whirlwind of emotions these past ten weeks. But I wouldn’t trade the crazy ups and downs for anything. A lot has changed… and with every change that happens around me in my life I can feel myself inwardly changing even more.

Y’all… this is hard. Really, really hard. Admitting that I struggle is not an easy thing for me to do and nearly brings tears to my eyes. I have always worked in college and I ultimately made the decision about a month ago to take a break from working and concentrate on this chapter in my life. One of my closest friends was extremely shocked when I shared this with her, if that tells you anything. I am challenged on a daily basis, and I learn/see/experience the craziest things that the vast majority of people never will in their lifetime. Every day is a learning and challenging experience. But the way I see it, the way all nursing students see it really, is that we are so lucky.

There is nothing easy, or glamorous, about this pursuit or the end result of the profession itself. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Not everyone is supposed to be a nurse, and for obvious reasons. Just like not everyone is made to be a financial coach, marketing guru, teacher, equity syndicate manager, etc. So, yes, we are proud of what we are pursuing and like to talk about it. Not out of self-promotion or narcissism or bragging; but because this is the coolest thing in the world to us. If you don’t feel this way about what you are pursuing, or what you are already doing as a career in your life, I suggest you do some reevaluating. Because everyone deserves this feeling.

Xoxo

My Top 5

The post-college nostalgia is really setting in. And I mean… really setting in, y’all.

The newest class at the University of Arkansas is starting to move to the hill, and I am really enjoying getting to see it all take place! There are signs all around campus pointing them in the right direction to their respective dorms and TJMaxx, Target and Walmart are all practically empty. Which is a little unfortunate for me, but I don’t even mind because it reminds me of when I was doing all the dorm shopping.

I can’t believe it’s been four years since I was in their shoes. It really seems like it was just yesterday that Scarlett and I were moving in to Reid Hall, preparing for sorority recruitment.

What’s funny to me, is how obvious it is that certain parents and their children are in the process of moving in to a dorm by how they act.

Things I heard last night in Walmart:

“Should we get plastic cups over and over again, or just get a set of normal cups and wash them?”

“Can this be microwaved?” / “Well honey…you don’t even have a microwave. Do we need to get one??”

“What kind of snacks do we want?”

At one point I couldn’t help myself as I was weaving in and out of two girls and their parents… I asked, “Are y’all dorm shopping??” The girls giggled, somewhat awkwardly, and the mom smiled as they all answered with a nervous/excited “Yes!” I responded, “Ugh, that makes me want to cry. It’s been four years since I did that. Good luck!!” As I was walking away a dad asked me, “Any advice??” I laughed and said, “Oh there’s so much information in this brain that I could give you!” We all laughed and parted ways… But, as I continued walking around Walmart I asked myself, if I really had to give them five serious pieced of advice for this next chapter of their life what would I have said??

This is what I decided:

1. Stay positive

Many things can beat you down and make positivity seem impossible at times. But there is always a bright light at the end of even the darkest tunnel. Positivity can get you through a wide range of negative situations. So stay positive!

2. Be focused

There are millions of distractions that can make it hard to stay focused (which I’m sure your parents have told you, just like mine did). Have fun!! But be sure you make time for yourself and especially for your schoolwork.

3. Patience is of the upmost importance

I don’t know about y’all, but anytime I’m frustrated with anything the first person I want to talk to is my mom. I’m 22 and she is always my most recent call and #1 on my favorites list. Patience isn’t always easy and you’ll often find yourself wanting to jump right in to the next phase of your life, or getting frustrated with the one you are in now. I still struggle with this… but take it one day at a time!

KEEP CALM AND CALL YOUR MOM! (or whoever is best at calming you down)

4. Be true to yourself

You will constantly be meeting new people, but you must always stay true to yourself no matter who comes in to your life. These four years will be lived to the fullest if you just be yourself and persevere in what you believe. Surrounding yourself with people who love you for who you are is key.

5. Don’t take yourself to seriously

You will be asked one specific question countless times in the near future: “What do you want to do after college?” This question made me feel like I had to have a plan. Well let me be the first to tell you that plans don’t always work out. My life is going in a completely different direction than I originally “planned” for myself. After all, there is a plan for your life but you are not the one who creates it. Do your thing and don’t take yourself too seriously because everything will work out the way that it’s supposed to.

 

I know from my own experience that if I had remembered these five things during my freshman year, and through college thereafter, things would have been a little easier. I still struggle with some of these things today, four years later, as I’m sure all of us who recently graduated college do. Not one of these five pieces of advice is easy to maintain on a day-to-day basis, nor is one more important than the other. They are of equal importance and they all go hand in hand.

 

GOOD LUCK to all you new freshmen!! You are at the beginning of an incredible adventure!

& good luck to anyone who has graduated and is going back to school, like myself. We get a little more time to figure this whole thing out!

 

xoxo

Sarah Katherine

Loving Yourself First

First off – forgive me for my long absence. I have still been writing, just not really publishing anything. My senior year of college was more than hectic…but so incredibly wonderful at the same time.

That being said…I’M BACK!

xoxo – enjoy

Loving Yourself First 

I like to think that I am someone who 99.9% of the time puts others before myself. And I feel pretty confident that most people who know me well would agree with that. There are very few, if even more than one or two, situations in which I would think of myself before anyone else. I am here to tell you about one of those situations, as I am currently experiencing it.

You must first love yourself before you can love anyone else.

I am newly single from a relationship that lasted almost one year. While my ex and I don’t have any negative feelings towards each other in terms of the breakup, it hasn’t been the easiest thing to deal with because we share so many of the same friends. (I think a lot of couples my age that don’t work out in the long run face this post-breakup problem). Before this most recent relationship the only other “serious” one I really had was one that lasted three years, which ended almost three years ago. (That statement makes me feel really old…).

During the years between these two relationships I spent a lot of time figuring out who I am as a person – what I want, believe, enjoy, what is most important to me, etc. Yes, I met people and dated around; but I also focused a lot on discovering what life means to me and what I want from life while having a ton of fun along the way.

This time around feels a little different. I’m 22 and I now have a pretty good idea of what I want in my life, so I’m a little confused as to what this time of transition is supposed to bring for me. Most people my age are settling down… By that I mean most of them have “big kid jobs” and moved on to the grown up world, some people are engaged and planning a wedding, some are already married. Then there’s me – still in Fayetteville, going back to school in August for two more years, and newly single.

When I think back on the plan I drew up for myself almost 5-6 years ago, I am shocked by how different my life actually turned out. It’s a beautiful thing, time. And it’s even more beautiful the way that it can change everything you think you know.

At this stage of life there is this pressure, on top of all the other day-to-day stresses I deal with, to find “that person” who will turn my life into what I’ve dreamt of. It’s almost as though I should be on the same page as everyone else. And then I realized…the only person who can make my life exactly the way it’s supposed to be right now, is me. I only need me. It’s not like any guy my age knows what they really want anyway. The ones who actually do are few and far between. And there’s nothing wrong with that!

I am on my own page of my own story and the chapter where I find the person I am supposed to be with for the rest of my pages is not something I can just write for myself. It is already planned and perfect just the way it’s supposed to be in the chapter where it belongs. Just as everyone else’s!

 

So here’s my new “plan” – to be in a relationship with, and to truly love, myself; then the rest will all fall into place.

 

CHEERS! To thinking about myself for a while. If you’re in the same position I am, I hope you’ll consider doing the same.

 

Xoxo

Show Me What You’re Made Of

Have you ever felt as if you are being tested, or that your integrity is being challenged?

And I don’t mean in the typical, everyday “everyone faces challenges” kind of way… I mean by someone who is literally sitting in front of you, telling you things about yourself that you do not believe {and no one else believes} to be true?

I have. & it sucks.

But with consistent belief in myself and wonderful people telling me that that one particular person is not right, I moved on and I am becoming better because of it.

Take the challenge that you are given. 

We all face challenges every day (like I mentioned before). We must make decisions in which the outcome could hurt ourselves or others…and it sucks. But you live and you learn, and your skin becomes a little thicker with each day, and you figure out who you really are. I have had a whirlwind of a week since I returned to my home in Fayetteville – I started my summer class, I worked 25+ hours, I dealt with some pretty serious and defeating shit (excuse my language…). But I also had a really cool revelation, which is the key point of this post.

I have realized that I may be taking a pretty serious turn in my career path. I will still take the GRE in three weeks {panicking}, I will still apply to graduate schools over the next 6 months, and I will still hope for the best in those endeavors. But…I thought to myself that I want to give this whole writing thing a real chance. I love writing and expressing myself in a way that some people never get the great pleasure of discovering. Writing, for me, is wonderful – wonder filled, really. It is magical and it is free. And if I could make a living out of doing something I love, why would I not try it??

That being said…

I will be opening a separate folder of very particular blog posts. They will help me build a portfolio of my writing style and the different things to write about. I am currently brainstorming ideas and getting some help from family and friends; but be looking for the first snippet in the next week.

Show me what you’re made of! Show others what you are made of! Because no matter what it is, it is you and that is all that matters.

I, myself, am made of many layers. I am a friend, sister, daughter, student, a lover of what I love & a fighter for what I believe in, an amateur chef, an HGTV addict… and I am a writer. And I plan to find out what all of these things can do for me. I encourage you to do the same for yourself – explore yourself! It is one of the most exciting adventures you will endeavor.

xoxo

Sarah

–> happy July!