Life.

I love that word. I love how it has a standard, everyday definition found in Webster's, but also takes on so many different meanings, depending on the individual. The definition is as evolving as the process itself.

For me, as many of you know, life has been on the fast track for the better part of the past year. However, that chapter has closed and I am now starting a new one. Here's a little update on my life as of late.

On August 11, 2012, myself and 17 of my new brothers and sisters graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from Indiana Wesleyan University. The 11 months of school it took to complete that degree were easily the hardest 11 months of my life. There were meltdowns, tears, illness caused by stress, and feelings of being stupid and incompetent. There were also lots of laughs, amazing friendships formed, and patient stories that not only reaffirmed my love for the profession of nursing, but also gave me a better appreciation for life.

The whole gang. Thank God for these people, I'm not sure I could have survived without them.

I do not think there are enough words to describe how elated I am to be finished with school. I have been enrolled in college for 7 years. SEVEN YEARS. I cannot believe I never have to write another pointless paper, read 2191230 pages, or spend 20 hours studying 9 chapters of material for a 50 question exam. It still does not seem real. Grad school is not completely out of the question, but if I do get my master's someday, it will be several years from now... and only if my workplace offers to pay for it.

I KNOW I could not have survived without this girl. I've never laughed so much with anyone in my life. Sister from another mister.

On September 17, I begin my career as an RN and will be working night shift on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in which I volunteered for over 2 years. I am so blessed to have been offered this highly sought after job, especially as a new graduate, and am so thankful for the nurses on the unit who put in a good word for me. This job will be the perfect transition for me as I am already familiar with the unit and the majority of the people who work there, so the fear that usually comes with unfamiliarity won't be as strong.

I am taking NCLEX, the state boards to become an RN, in a couple weeks. I am terrified of this exam. So much is riding on it and I am not the greatest test taker. I will likely spend the next couple weeks doing practice questions around the clock, so if you could say some prayers that the exam goes well, I would greatly appreciate it.

In non-school related news, I have moved back in to my parents' house. So far, so good. I've only been here a couple weeks, and one of those weeks I was on vacation with a friend, so I really haven't been here much. I really can't complain though- I live rent free, my food is paid for, I have my own bedroom and bathroom, and paradise is in my backyard. Definitely fortunate enough to have parent's who allow their adult child to live with them.

Last week my friend Rosh and I went on a Southern Caribbean cruise. We went to San Juan, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, & St. Maarten. It was a nice getaway and exactly what I needed, but we spent the week following Tropical Storm Issac, so the weather was less than ideal. Nonetheless, at the end of the day I was on vacation in a tropical climate, so it was lovely. And for inquiring minds, of those islands visited, I'd go back to St. Thomas (you may remember I was there March 2011), St. Kitts, & St. Maarten. I'd skip Puerto Rico, Barbados, and St. Lucia (even though the ziplining I did on St. Lucia was so much fun).

So that's that. More changes are probably on the horizon, but those will make themselves known in due time. For now, I'm pretty content. I'm excited to finally start my adult life and see what the future holds for me.