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The Great Plains (Chapter 6)
Meet Wilson -he is a cord chewer, a wachutu, and a self-proclaimed lap dog. We had to have our big dog (Boobie) put down recently, and it was traumatic (blogged about in a previous post). We were so involved in the emotional trauma of losing him, that we didn’t fully realize how important he was…
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The Great Plains (Chapter 5)
It has been a hard push to continue to work towards our facility goals and get ready for the holidays while being away from home. So much so, that I have found myself worn completely down, and sick. I have a tendency to delay seeking care for illness. I come by that naturally. With my…
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The Great Plains (Chapter 4)
I will be making another quick trip home this week (one day home and two days traveling). I am always so excited for the opportunity to go back home. I envision rest and relaxation, but really, it is always another competing prioritization situation, no different than work right now. Should I spend the day cooking/baking,…
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The Great Plains (Chapter 3)
I am in the “thick of it” here. It is the time of the assignment where it feels like the hole is getting deeper and deeper, and the light at the end of the tunnel is getting further away. I have had recent days that my “mood elevator” is in the dungeon, of which I…
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The Great Plains (Chapter 2)
I have knitted Wookie a couple of new sweaters and I am now working on some winter gear for my husband. He found a trainer nearby to bring his horses to and requested something to keep his neck warm. A scarf isn’t practical for someone riding a horse down the arena, so… I designed a…
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The Great Plains (Chapter 1)
We arrived to our new destination last week. We had a few days of warm weather to allow us time to make adjustments for winter. It isn’t easy to keep a camper maintained in cold weather. It can be a challenge to keep the interior warm when the walls and floors are so thin, and…
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Traveling On
It is hard to believe that I have been home for almost two months. It is the longest that I have been home in almost 2 years. During this time I have started another flock of guineas and chickens, planted herbs in my green house, performed fall cleaning/clean out of our home, baked bread weekly,…
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In a Border Town II
I had the opportunity to return to the facility on the border. This time I spent the 8 hour drive listening and learning Spanish instead of crying. I felt very excited and proud of my accomplishments when I left last week. I went into this assignment with confidence, but I was quickly humbled. I had…
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In A Border Town
I spent a few days this past week working per diem at a facility on the Texas border (8 hours from home). I have a few possible opportunities pending at home, but I wasn’t able to find any local per diem shifts to work while waiting for one of them to come to fruition. I…
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Leaving the Islands
We made it back to the islands with just a few weeks left on my assignment. We spent that time revisiting the places that we enjoyed the most, knowing that we may never be back. We have the best of intentions to return one day, but you never know what life has in store. It…
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The Island (Week 8 & 9)
It has been difficult the past two weeks. So many things… The positive: I made plans for a quick trip home. I couldn’t wait to see Wookie. It had been 8 weeks since I had seen him and prior to this, we had never even gone 8 days without seeing each other. I took him…
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The Islands (Week 7)
This past week was the one year anniversary of my twin sister’s death. It forced me to re-acknowledge that she is gone, which brought up a wealth of emotions. I realize now that I have spent this entire past year angry at her. Very few people know that. The anger has been strong enough that…
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The Islands (Week 6)
When we first arrived, I remember losing sleep and being slightly annoyed by the footsteps above me and the loud birds in the jungle surrounding us. Now I find it comforting (more evidence that perspective is relative). It is the first time in my existence that I have been alone. My husband went back home…
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The Islands (Week 4 & 5)
There are no pretentious people here. I mean that. I have yet to see one person in a suit and tie, high heels, or carrying a brand name purse. It is refreshing. There doesn’t seem to be a “rat race” and no one is chasing “the next best thing”. I have never been around a…
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The Islands (Week 3)
I just finished a stretch of 4 shifts in a row that have left me exhausted. When I chose the condo that I am currently in, I knew that it was 54 miles from the facility. To some people that may sound like a long commute, but I made that decision based on travel conditions…
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The Islands (Week 2)
We have been our own tour guides here. Every day, we utilize the internet to find our next adventure. Every place/beach/hike has at least two names here, so it requires some digging to piece it all together, but we always find something to do. I think that is my favorite thing about this place. I…
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The Islands (Week 1)
This past week has been full of “firsts” for me. Let me tell you about it: I flew in an airplane for the first time! It is something that I have spent most of my adult life avoiding for sake of fear. I have been able to justify driving my car every time we have…
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Intermission IV
Saying goodbye is always hard, as I have mentioned in the past. But this one was a Damn good, good bye (like Mike Ryan’s song). We went out with a bang that last night in Red Cloud, Nebraska. It was a wonderful time spent laughing, hugging, and reminiscing. The relationships that I developed on that…
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The Midwest (Week 12)
Murphy’s law has been in full effect this past week. If anything could go wrong, it did….. I sent everything to the board of nurses for my new license. I got an email from them that they would be returning the money orders. I sent the amount listed on the application, but they sent me…
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The Midwest (Week 11)
Happy Nurse’s Week! My sister sent me this cup as a gift to celebrate. It’s a time in which we honor Florence Nightingale (The lady with the lamp) and commemorate her birthday. She was a legend in her own lifetime and one of the most famous women in British history. She became a nurse despite the…