I know it has been over a month since my last post and I don't really have an excuse as to why I haven't been blogging. :-(
I had the opportunity to go home for Thanksgiving and I had a wonderful time. I spent a couple days shadowing my mother; she currently works as a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) and was the one who encouraged me to look at accelerated MSN-CNL programs. Now when my instructors explain what a CNL does, I find myself reverting back to the experiences with my mom. I am able to continually see how her actions fit into the definition of what a CNL does. It was a tremendous opportunity and after experiencing what my mom accomplishes in a day and how she impacts patients' lives, I admire her even more.
The rest of my Thanksgiving break was spend enjoying my family. Being home made me realize how much I miss having my family close. There were times before I left for school when I would be at home and feel this unsettling feeling that I wasn't where I needed to be. Now that I have been at school for awhile, coming home makes me wish I could stay home. I think sometimes it takes leaving home to realize how grateful you are to have people around you who love and support you no matter what. I know that my family will continue to love on me no matter where I go, but I definitely miss having them at arms reach all the time. Going home for Thanksgiving was a teaser and I have been melancholy since I returned to Augusta. I would have been completely content shadowing my mom for the next 3 weeks instead of coming back here for finals. ;-)
That is right - I said FINALS! My first semester is coming to a close and only 2 more exams to get through! It is exciting to think that in 12 months I will be done with school and will be looking for a career job again! I currently feel like these next 12 months can't go fast enough. People tell me that I should enjoy that I am in school again, but it is hard to not want to focus on the end. I am loving the learning but cannot wait to be done!
P.S. I promise my next post will have an update of my goals... so stay tuned!
