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The light at the end of the tunnel. I did it!!

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It’s been an amazing journey. I’m still having a hard time absorbing the concept that graduate school is over and that I can now say I have a Master’s level education in Nursing.
 
The entire day yesterday was a wonderful experience. Both my parents and my in-laws were able to share this occasion with my wife and I. We all travelled the 70+ miles to attend the ceremonies. Due to the late time of the day, we all pre-arranged to stay overnight in town. So we could have the traditional post-ceremony dinner without the worry of traveling such a far distance.
 
It was a beautiful ending of a long and enduring adventure. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate it than with the very people who helped make this entire process possible.
Without their love, support, understanding and tolerance I would not have been able to walk across that stage last night. From the bottom of my heart and soul I hope they understand how much it all means to me.
 
Even with the hiccups of big-city traffic and the ridiculous parking-roullette that you just expect to play, our experience ‘down town’ was pleasant. I was thankful that no one got lost, there no vehicular accidents and we made all of our scheduled events on time.
 
I especially want to thank my family for suffering through the actual graduation ceremony. You would think after having done this ‘dance’ on 3 other occasions, that I would have caught on to the concept of how ‘LOOOOONG’ the graduation ceremony and procession really is. Even WITH guest speakers that are engaging, brief and to the point,  the event is somewhat torturous. Sitting in one place for greater than two hours listening to people talk and watching person after person walk across the stage is not something anyone would call ‘enjoyable’. 
Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have changed anything, and I don’t regret attending or asking my family to be with me. I just wish there was a better way to pull it off.
Whew..
 
To top things off, the waitress we had during our dinner was a breath of fresh air. She kindly delivered my dessert on this plate to congratulate me on my graduation:
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It’s pretty tough to see it due to the bad lighting, but you can see the words congratulations & 2013 written on the plate as well as a picture of a cap with a tassel. All of which were drawn in chocolate!! Which I kindly ate.
 
I think I’ll take one more day to let it sink in, then it’s on to the next step. I have a house to sell, packing to complete, a move to make, successfully study and pass my boards, before finally starting my new job!!!
Things are just happening so fast… 
 
=)

It takes a village…

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As I sit here on the eve of the big event, I can’t help but think how none of this would have been possible without help. A LOT of help. I can’t even begin to describe  to you how many moments I wanted to give up, how many moments I had someone ‘carrying’ me through a tough time, and how many moments I wasn’t alone.
 
In the end I had to absorb the knowledge. I had to assimilate the concepts. I had to perform the skills. I had to pass the exams. But those were the few times where it was all about me. Over the past three years of my graduate school journey I’ve lost count as to how many people offered a helping hand. Some have stayed, others have come and gone, and some are still by my side as I type these words.
 
I’m overwhelmed with emotions. I’m saturated with appreciation. I’m beaming with pride.
 
My cup runeth over.
 
Thank you all for being a part of this journey. If you are reading these words, than you participated in this play. Thank you.
 
…
 
Thank you.

Road Trip..

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We’re heading out on the road for a reconnaissance mission. The first of many trips to our new ‘home’, or at least the many potential domiciles that could be called home.
 
Of course it had to snow today didn’t it?
 
Ahh well. 

1 WEEK??!!

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I really need to pinch myself. I know I can’t seem to stop talking about my impending graduation, but it’s such a personal milestone. These past 3 years in grad school and the previous year finishing up my bachelor’s have really impacted and affected everyone in my life. So I’m celebrating it not just for me, but for all the amazing people who have been a part of it.
 
This graduation is momentous because I get to move on, and I get to step into a new set of professional shoes.
 
A lot of amazing changes are beginning to happen in my life, and graduation is just the first of many!!!
 
Thank you all for sharing this journey with me.
 

2 weeks??!!!!!! Wholly Carp.

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I’m starting to believe this thing may just happen?? I bought my cap & gown this week and now it’s only 2 weeks away!!!
 
I’m having such a difficult time realizing this is coming to an end because my life WAS school.
 
Whew..
 
It is a good feeling.
 

Which Moment From Your Life Would You Choose To Relive If You Could?

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[My absolute favorite picture #photooftheday #instacc #instacc365d0121 #hug]
Reflection
My wedding day was pretty awesome. In the greater realms of things, it was one of the highlights of my life. It wasn’t the so-called ‘perfect’ day, but it cam damn close.
I mean my best man was running late during the pre-game, and I’m pretty sure over the course of the weekend festivities I got into an individual argument with almost everyone who was a member of my wedding party (true story).
But somehow it turned out to be an amazing time, an amazing experience, and just a down right fun day.
The weather during that September day was beautiful. And for those of you familiar with the fall weather in Western PA… it can be unkind at times. The sun was out all day, the sky was clear and the temperatures were comfortably warm with a gentle breeze. During the wedding party photos after the ceremony, we visited a local park. It made for some amazing photos.
The wedding ceremony was small, quaint and extremely personal to us. We had our family and friends there to celebrate our love. It was exactly what we wanted.
The wedding reception was unparalleled. The facility treated us like a king and queen. Pre-arranging to have the wedding party eat before the first guests arrived was the ideal situation. We didn’t have to worry about eating, meeting and greeting all at once. We got to spend the time we wanted talking with our guests.
We set a new record with the fun factor in my opinion. Not many wedding receptions are so full of life and just down right fun that the facility employees joined in on the festivities. We had the bar staff and waitstaff out on the dance floor cutting the rug with us (we have pictures)!~
To make things even better, the pictures our photographer took were amazing. He captured some of the most amazing moments that simply could not be described better than with a photo.
The best prize of all was the woman I love became my wife. What better way to spend my day???
Yep, I’d relive that day any chance I got.

Dodged the mother nature bullet

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Well thankfully I was able to dodge the wicked storm that was pelting the northeast. We were predicted to get a boat load of wintery nastiness that included rain / sleet / freezing rain / snow. Ironically we just gotten a lot of rain and drizzle. The snow and cold temps have not arrived (as of this evening).
 
I couldn’t be happier, since I had my LAST commute for my clinicals, EVAH. It was nice to not have to sit in my car for hours on end (I’m speaking from experience).
Or worry about wrecking my car on ice.
 
That’s always a good thing, right?
 
This past week has been a whirlwind of busy-ness as well as a roller coaster of emotions. I’ll blog more about it it later, as I start to unwind.
 
Another hurdle completed.
 
 

I’m good with counting..

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It’s all happening faster than I expected. I can remember having a mini-party with my classmates over the summer when we reached the “1 Year” mark, and now I have less than 3 months until graduation.
Wholly crap.
 
I seem to be getting a lot of questions recently from staff nurses I’m working with during my final clinical rotation for school.
“Would you recommend it? Is it worth it?”
 
If you would have asked me the first year of grad school I would have told you to run the other way, but this past year has been an exciting, eye-opening experience. It has solidified the fateful decision I made back in 2010 to pursue my graduate degree and become a Nurse Practitioner.
 
It’s all been worth it.

The Student In Me Is Feelin’ the ‘Fat-Effect’

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I took this photo earlier this week while on the unit during my clinicals. I’ve been logging so many hours with clinicals and studying for my comprehensive exam, that I haven’t seen the inside of my gym in over two weeks… and it’s starting to mess with my psyche. Heck, I haven’t seen the light of day in almost two weeks. 
 
You know that horrible feeling that you’ve gained 50 lbs all because you haven’t exercised, or haven’t followed your normal exercise routine to some degree. Yeah, that’s me. I haven’t changed my eating habits in any way, but my exercising activity level took a nose dive.
 
My priority has been school this month, and I’m in over-drive studying for my big comprehensive exam, so I don’t have much time for the gym right now.
 
I don’t want to look back on the exam and say, “I should have studied more”. I’d rather say, “I feel fatter, but I passed that damn exam!!”
 
The reality is, this comprehensive exam is a ‘do-or-die’ situation. You have to pass this exam in order to graduate!
 
Sooo… yeah. The exam is way more important than burning some extra calories right about now.
 
Oh, and in case you were wondering. I chose the beat up banana. Not those delicious looking muffins. It was a tough call.