I have no idea what "blog" even means: October 2012

So much has happened since my last post. It's ridiculous. Literally, the day after that post, I landed a job in Billings, Montana. Ok... not exactly the tropical paradise I had been hoping for, but it's better than nothing! Yesterday it was 80 degrees in my hometown and 25 and snowing here in Billings. Brrr. So much for that swimsuit binge I went on before leaving Indy.. Won't be needing those here! After a week of orientation, my first day on the unit will be tomorrow. Hoping for the best and determined to enjoy my 3-month stint here.

As far as my CRNA adventure goes, I had my interview and did not get into their program. Whomp.. Whomp. I have mixed feelings about this. Of course, I am a bit disappointed since I worked very hard to get in, however, I also realize that this has now opened me up to other opportunities. For instance, once I take organic chemistry (hopefully this spring or summer), I will then be able to apply to Michigan CRNA schools. Michigan school equals in-state tuition and being close to my family and (wait for it...) TC guy. So although not getting in was not exactly the result I was hoping for, I am not devastated by it either.

TC guy is pretty darn amazing and we are determined to make things work through these next 3 months. I cannot even begin to express how ridiculously smitten I am and I am fairly certain he feels the same. That being said, after this assignment I plan to move back to my hometown, get a job there, and see where things go with Mister Mister. Yes, Miss Picky has finally found someone who she cannot get enough of. Weiiiiirrrddd. He makes me ridiculously happy and I cannot wait to be back in the mitten and see him again. (Feel free to vomit... I know this paragraph was a bit gooshy.)

So there you have it. No CRNA school for 2013. Working in Montana for the next 3 months. Head over heels for someone 1400 miles away. That pretty much sums it up.

Also, I would like to apologize for all of my boring and blah posts from the past few months. After re-reading them I realized that they are not the most positive posts. Typically, I am not that negative of a person, but hey, everyone is allowed to have a few rough patches, right? Forgive me few avid readers that I have... I promise to provide many more exciting posts in the future. I already have a few themed posts in the works about dating and opposite-sex friendships.. so stay tuned!

Chilly Billings... Steep Cliff.. Pretty View..

Ok... so this whole travel nursing thing has not exactly turned out as I thought it would. I definitely saw things going a lot differently in my head... First off, I am still unemployed and living in my parents house. Fabulous. Seeing as I have a significant amount of experience in a large teaching hospital on a highly acute ICU, I thought landing a travel assignment would not be a problem. Wrong. The travel nurse companies make it seem like finding a job will be a snap, but the reality is that this is not the case.

Most hospitals who accept travelers will only interview applicants that have previous travel nurse experience and who are currently licensed to work in that state. I have neither of these qualities. That being said, not every state is that easy to get licensed in. For instance, if I were to get licensed in Michigan, it would take 2 months before my license would get approved. That's a long freakin' time. So, in an attempt to make myself more marketable, I applied for my Florida license about 3 weeks ago in hopes that I could start applying for Florida positions. $250 and 2 sets of fingerprints later, I am still waiting. (This license also takes about 6-8 weeks..) My plan was to get an assignment somewhere else (anywhere else) and after my first assignment was complete, would then take a travel assignment in Florida. Well, the first assignment still has yet to come.

Per the advice of my second nurse recruiter (the first nursing company I worked with hasn't really been working out, so I applied with another company), I applied for my Texas license. There have been a ton of job opportunities posted in Texas and it is a relatively quick state to get licensed in, so I figured applying for my license there couldn't hurt. That license cost $215 and I am now waiting for my fingerprint sheets to come in the mail so I can once again get fingerprinted for another license. So, right now, not only am I almost $500 poorer, but I am also STILL without a job. Super Ugh. I have had a few phone interviews, but most hospitals said that I did not have enough experience, even as a charge nurse in a highly acute ICU. To say that this process has been frustrating and discouraging is an understatement. I NEVER thought that I would still be unemployed right now. Yet, here I sit. Blah... At least I am learning to be patient, right?

In other news, a week ago I found out that I got invited to interview for CRNA school in Cincinnati. YAY!! This is the LAST step of what was a long summer of dedication and studying. My interview will be on October 15th and I will have my fingers and toes crossed that I get accepted into the program. I want this so badly!

Also, as my luck would have it, I have met the most incredible person here in Traverse City and it is making my decision to do travel nursing seem much less appealing... He is very fun and awesome and I am a bit smitten. Needless to say, my life has the worst timing, ever. Whether anything comes of TC guy or not, at the very least, I now know that decent, respectful, and confident men still exist out there. That in itself is refreshing enough. And I got to ride on a motorcycle for the first time ever. Huzzah!

So there you have it. That has been my life for the past month. It has been nothing like I had planned, but has been everything that I needed. I am not really sure what my next step is going to be since my whole travel nurse plan isn't really panning out, but I am open to whatever opportunity may come my way. Bring it on world.. At this point I've got nothing to lose!