Dear family and friends,
My apologies for the extremely long silence. The second and third semesters of nursing
school sucked me into specialty rotations, tests, papers, presentations, and
the unfolding journey of becoming a nurse.
It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and a challenge I was
ready to meet. I truly love being a
nurse: the honor and privilege of caring for other people at their most
vulnerable is something that gets me out of bed in the morning and keeps me
awake at night, pondering the possibilities of and the meaning behind different
illnesses. Specific days and tests are
foggy, but every patient I cared for will remain with me, both as people and as
opportunities to learn.
I moved from southwest of downtown Nashville to East
Nashville at the beginning of July. It
was time to make the move—I am now in a smaller two bedroom, one bath apartment
that is much more comfortable and feels much more like home than my first
apartment in town ever did. I have spent
some time this weekend making new art projects and hanging pictures, and I feel
a lot of ownership and a sense of home!
Let me know if you’d like my new address.
My first year of nursing school ended on July 26th,
and I left for a whirlwind two-week tour of the Pacific Northwest. I saw my parents, brother, my mom’s sisters
and their families, as well as friends from college. I also had some time to relax and enjoy the
brief break from school.
During my break I also received authorization to take the
NCLEX, the RN licensing exam. I will be
taking it September 8th.
Please think happy thoughts!
I am now back in Nashville, preparing for the start of
orientation for Divinity School in the morning.
Classes start next Monday. I am
very excited to shift gears into a more academic setting and ask the hard
questions about faith with others on the journey. I also feel that I am more prepared for Divinity
School than I have ever been. After a
year’s worth of work in nursing I feel that I have begun one part of my
professional preparation, and now I am open and ready for whatever the next
part of my academic and professional journey will be.
While I cannot promise any kind of timeliness in terms of
future updates, please be reassured that no news is good news on this
front. I think of all of you, my support
system, frequently, and know that I love you and miss those of you I don’t see
regularly!
Love,
Caroline
