Let's Play Catch-up!

Wow... long time since I've been on here! My bad! So I just read through my last post... my only post and I was on a major high, as I should have been. Things were going great back then, everything was falling into place. I was having a blast! Not to say that things are still going well... they just aren't quite as great!

So the road trip to Nashville... AWESOME!! I loved Music City! I think if I ever left NC that would be one of my top choices of places to move to. When Rick took me to down music row and I saw all the little houses converted into studios and saw all the different labels... I was just in awe! I wanted to jump out of the car and run into one and start recording! I think they might of looked at me funny... that or called the cops! I'm thinkin more the second one! haha. Rick also took me rock climbing for the first time. I had always been afraid to try it. I don't have a whole lot of upper body strength, so I've had this terrible fear of making a fool of myself because I wouldn't be able to get more than halfway up the wall. Boy did I prove myself wrong. It was HARD but so much FUN! I proved to myself that I have a whole lot more strength than I ever thought. A few other highlights of the trip... The Opryland Hotel... HUGE... Honky Tonks... so chill and fun... the fashion... so different but awesome! All in all a great trip.

On to March... HONDURAS!!! I was able to work out that trip! OMG... life changing! We got down there and my cousin Jocelyn and I were thrown right into a medical clinic about 20 minutes after getting off the plane! It was awesome. The children are sooo cute! I could hardly understand them... I don't know a whole lot of spanish... but I did learn quite a bit. While down there we ran three medical clinics. The first clinic was at a small church next to the Hope Center were we were staying (www.hopecenterhonduras.com). I started off the day shadowing Tyane Jurka. She's been working the clinics for years. She taught me what kind of questions to ask and what kinds of things to be looking for in the patients. After lunch.. I was on my own. I was diagnosising and prescribing medications for my very own patients!! It was surreal! I missed a couple things, but luckily Dr. Smith's wife, who work's our pharmacy caught what I missed. She came and told me the kinds of things I was missing and what else to look for. I learned so much that first day. By day two... I felt like a pro... sort of. I was a least slightly more comfortable. My cousin Jocelyn who is still in nursing school sat by my side and helped me out. Plus Dr. Smith was never far away when I had a question to ask. Oh I have to give major props to my translator Diego! Without him.. I would have been lost!!! So then comes clinic day three... at the Prison! We're all getting ready.. next thing I know... I'm in the bathroom SICK!!! See, while we were in Honduras, there was a flu bug going around. Lucky me... I got it! I was sick in bed throwing up the entire day!! Thank goodness I was there with a Dr. and he had Phenergan!! That stuff works.. and really does knock you out!! I literally slept the entire day!

So back at the orphanage there are 14 children that live there, plus John and Tarah's (mom and dad to all the kids) two daughters... so 16 total kids!! They are the CUTEST kids ever!! The family has hired some young girls, college age that work and live in the orphanage that teach the kids and babysit/nanny them. Me and my cousins became good friends with those girls, especially Cinthia and Debbie. One of the nights while we were there us girls all decided to make some music videos to kill some time... and get some good laughs!! We had a blast! I think "Single Ladies"was our favorite to make. Here's a picture of us girls and our Awesome costumes... if you want to call them that!

So other than the clinics and some fun times at the clinic... we did some shopping and sight seeing... it was an AMAZING experience!!! I can't wait to go back. I hope I can work it out to go every year!

Well, this I'm sure has gotten long... not much has happened since I got back from Honduras mid March. My hockey team the Carolina Hurricanes and kicking some butt in the Playoffs... just knocked out the BEST team in the NHL!!! I'm so proud of them!!! Now if they could get their act together and start winning some games against the Penguins I'd really appreciate it!! I dated a med student for a month and a half... then he just stopped talking to me and disappeared... story of my life! It's a real bummer.. his eyes were to die for!!! haha. I always knew getting involved with someone in the same field.. let alone a Dr. was not a good idea... they're just too busy! Let's see... what else... my brother graduated college and might be moving in with me at the end of summer... Goodbye freedom! I've enjoyed having a house of my own.. but I tell you what.. having help on the morgage will be soooo nice. My best friend Dana is getting married next month.. can't wait... bachelorette weekend is coming up June 5th-6th! Gonna be a blast! Alrighty... I think those are all my updates for now. I'll be better and more interesting in the future! Until then... Meglio Stasera!! (hehe... that song was playing!)

New Year... New Adventures...

So the first month of 2009 is just about over... already! I can't believe it. Time seems to be flying by. When I was in school, I wished for time to fly by. Now all I want it to do is slow down. All in all, 2009 has had a pretty amazing start for me. I decided that this year needed to be a year for ME. I've never been very good at taking care of myself and doing things for me. I tend to give of myself to others a lot, and that has been very draining. It also, to an extent, made me feel like I lost a bit of myself. Now I'm on a road to discovery... a road to finding who I am! This year is supposed to be a year for change... or at least that's what everyone keeps saying with the election and all. Time will tell with all that, but regardless of what kind of governmental changes we will actually see, we do have a new President and that is a big change... a historical change. I figured I'd join in the fun and do a little changing myself.

So I decided there were a few things that I've always wanted to do and I'm going to actually do them this year. One of those is a road trip! In a week and a half, I'll be taking a road trip out to Nashville, TN. I can't wait. I've always wanted to go to Nashville... music city!! Music is my life! I have a cousin who lives out there pursuing his dream as a musician. So I'm going to crash with him for a few days and see what it's all about! It's going to be a blast. So really I'll be knocking off 2 things from my list. Plus I'll make a pit stop in Harrogate, TN to see my sister and her husband. They moved out there for med school back in July of 2008 and I have yet to see their house! So I owe them a visit... and maybe a little hike through the mountains. In March, I plan to go to Honduras with my cousins for a medical missions trip. I've wanted to go with my cousins to Honduras for years, but could never work it out. Finally I have enough vacation time from work to go! YAY! I'll keep you updated on all that. Later this summer, I hope to get up to Buffalo for Kingdom Bound! It's this Christian Music Festival they hold every year at Darien Lake. AMAZING!! That's not until August... I have some time to plan that out. Throw in a few weddings and graduations and I think I have a fun jam packed year ahead of me!

So on to why this month has been great. First I went to the Winter Jam Concert in Fayetteville. So much fun. I met up with some friends of mine... who I hadn't seen since October... and we spent the day rocking out to awesome music. Hawk Nelson (one of my fav bands) played, along with TobyMac, Brandon Heath, Francesca Battasteli, NewSong, and a few others. The only thing that would have made that day perfect would have been meeting Hawk Nelson after the show... I have yet to meet them. It will happen though.. just wait! So then last week, my friend Heather and I went to see the National Tour of RENT! AMAZING!!! If you haven't seen it... GO! It's a must see.. especially while Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp are in it! They are original cast members from Broadway.. and the movie! They are also super nice.. met them after the show! (see another reason why january rocks). And just a few hours ago I went to see the Ballas Hough Band. They rocked. Most people probably don't know who the Ballas Hough Band is, but the lead singers are Mark Ballas and Derek Hough of Dancing With the Stars... and let me just tell you.. they are even hotter in person!! WOW!! I had so much fun at their show. Afterwards they signed autographs and took pictures. They let me and my friend Heather take goofy pictures. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, so Mark joked about lifting me up over their heads.. I of course said sure.. he laughed and said he was kidding.. next thing I know Derek is picking me up in his arms!! :o) So yeah.. January has been great.. and to top it all off.. my best friend Crystal is coming to visit this weekend for the superbowl!! I can't wait. Now that I've probably bored everyone.. if anyone even reads this.. I suppose I'll wrap it up. It's super early in the morning and I better get to bed. Gotta sleep all day so I can work all night. Oh the joys of the night shift! Until next time...