RN, BSN!
Hello blogworld- it’s been a while. What can I say? Time flies when you’re having fun!
First things first, I passed my dreaded NCLEX, which means I am now officially Victoria Chambers, RN BSN- but you can still call me Vickie. Words can’t describe how excited I was when I learned that I passed, and I’m not even sure that the happy dance I did was enough. Passing this exam means that I feel like I’m FINALLY done with nursing school. Up until then, my degree wasn’t really worth much (other than about 120K) and school didn’t feel complete, since I was still (somewhat) studying. Now, I can officially say that I am a nurse, and it feels GREAT!
I spent about 10 days at home between camp and heading back east- most of which were full of studying and catching up with old and new friends. It was a true joy to watch so many of my dear friends get married, but I’m planning a post dedicated to that soon. Then Lacy, one of my oldest friends, and I packed up my trusty Mazda and headed east. I tried to remember along the way that she hasn’t made this drive before, so we should stop at some of the (few) cool things along the way. We even took a detour to make sure she could cross Colorado off her list of states visited. It didn’t take me long to realize that after spending so much time in my car alone this summer, having a traveling companion that you not only get along with, but enjoy and laugh with, makes the hours go by much faster. We even got to stay with our friend Sarah B in Omaha, and it was great to catch up with her as she starts PT school at Creighton. Lacy is getting ready to start her final year in OHSU’s radiation therapy program, which is something she’s been wanting to do since we were in high school. She’s also planning her wedding to a boy we’ve both known since middle school, so it was fun to talk school and life with her in the hours we spent together. We even got to spend a Friday afternoon in Chicago, with absolutely gorgeous weather, and she got to hang out with my Valpo friends that night. Let’s just say it’s probably a good thing that Lacy and I didn’t go to school together since I’m not sure we would’ve survived. I’m so grateful that after all these years and miles spent apart, she and I can still remain such great friends. It gives me hope for the relationships that I cultivated at Valpo over the last four years.
Speaking of which, I’m currently sitting in one of the brand new on-campus apartments, and it’s been both good and weird to be back. In some ways, I think this will always feel a bit like home, and yet I was surprised how fast it changed into a place I don’t recognize. All that really does is solidify what I already knew- the Valpo experience is about the people, not the school.
Because I was in the Midwest with no real reason to hurry east quite yet, I figured I’d stop by and see a few of those people in their new homes and it was encouraging to see how happy and successful they have become. Tracy is settling down and planning her wedding in Milwaukee while finding her footing on a rehab floor in downtown.
Bethy, or Ms Richter, is thriving in a sixth grade classroom in Watertown, WI. Laura loves finally getting paid to do what she wants, and thinks she’s decided that the telemetry floor is a good fit for her. Rooms, or Ms. Fix, is teaching two classes of biology, two classes of introductory chemistry and physics and one class of ecology at a high school just outside of Indy, and I’m pretty sure her students already love her, a mere five weeks in. (or at least get a few good laughs out of her)
Tomorrow I finish the journey east, back in Millersville in time for the Glee season premiere. My bank account may be almost empty, but my heart is full from a summer of feeling loved- which was exactly what I needed.
Guess it’s time to find a job, eh?
First things first, I passed my dreaded NCLEX, which means I am now officially Victoria Chambers, RN BSN- but you can still call me Vickie. Words can’t describe how excited I was when I learned that I passed, and I’m not even sure that the happy dance I did was enough. Passing this exam means that I feel like I’m FINALLY done with nursing school. Up until then, my degree wasn’t really worth much (other than about 120K) and school didn’t feel complete, since I was still (somewhat) studying. Now, I can officially say that I am a nurse, and it feels GREAT!
I spent about 10 days at home between camp and heading back east- most of which were full of studying and catching up with old and new friends. It was a true joy to watch so many of my dear friends get married, but I’m planning a post dedicated to that soon. Then Lacy, one of my oldest friends, and I packed up my trusty Mazda and headed east. I tried to remember along the way that she hasn’t made this drive before, so we should stop at some of the (few) cool things along the way. We even took a detour to make sure she could cross Colorado off her list of states visited. It didn’t take me long to realize that after spending so much time in my car alone this summer, having a traveling companion that you not only get along with, but enjoy and laugh with, makes the hours go by much faster. We even got to stay with our friend Sarah B in Omaha, and it was great to catch up with her as she starts PT school at Creighton. Lacy is getting ready to start her final year in OHSU’s radiation therapy program, which is something she’s been wanting to do since we were in high school. She’s also planning her wedding to a boy we’ve both known since middle school, so it was fun to talk school and life with her in the hours we spent together. We even got to spend a Friday afternoon in Chicago, with absolutely gorgeous weather, and she got to hang out with my Valpo friends that night. Let’s just say it’s probably a good thing that Lacy and I didn’t go to school together since I’m not sure we would’ve survived. I’m so grateful that after all these years and miles spent apart, she and I can still remain such great friends. It gives me hope for the relationships that I cultivated at Valpo over the last four years.
Speaking of which, I’m currently sitting in one of the brand new on-campus apartments, and it’s been both good and weird to be back. In some ways, I think this will always feel a bit like home, and yet I was surprised how fast it changed into a place I don’t recognize. All that really does is solidify what I already knew- the Valpo experience is about the people, not the school.
Because I was in the Midwest with no real reason to hurry east quite yet, I figured I’d stop by and see a few of those people in their new homes and it was encouraging to see how happy and successful they have become. Tracy is settling down and planning her wedding in Milwaukee while finding her footing on a rehab floor in downtown.
Bethy, or Ms Richter, is thriving in a sixth grade classroom in Watertown, WI. Laura loves finally getting paid to do what she wants, and thinks she’s decided that the telemetry floor is a good fit for her. Rooms, or Ms. Fix, is teaching two classes of biology, two classes of introductory chemistry and physics and one class of ecology at a high school just outside of Indy, and I’m pretty sure her students already love her, a mere five weeks in. (or at least get a few good laughs out of her)
Tomorrow I finish the journey east, back in Millersville in time for the Glee season premiere. My bank account may be almost empty, but my heart is full from a summer of feeling loved- which was exactly what I needed.
Guess it’s time to find a job, eh?
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