I started taking pictures of all of the state signs on my way out to LV... On the way home we stopped at every one of them and I actually took my picture in front of them. I couldn't do that this time obviously because I was by myself but I tried to at least get a picture of them.
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 Driving into a toll... I hate tolls. Driving through PA is just beautiful. I was driving through the mountains just as the sun was going down and the fog was over the treetops. It looked like a blanket over the trees- different than anything I had ever seen. Amazing. My pictures don't really ever do anything justice- but especially the views I saw on my drive. God did a great job... |
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| PA is beautiful.... |
I was so shocked to start seeing signs for New York City... I'm not sure why either. I knew I would on the drive but for some reason knowing it in your head and actually physically seeing them was so surreal for me. I have never been to this part o the country so I was very excited to know how close I was to NYC. And to think I'm living here.. for three months- 30 minutes from the ocean- 90 minutes from NYC... about 45 minutes to Boston.. it's amazing. I live in New England. It's surreal. of the view..in PA and NY.
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| This picture is as raw as it gets..and my headband is slipping off my head- but hey- it's my blog, right? Horrible pictures are allowed? The view at this stop was amazing... in New York State. |
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| This sign will explain itself to a lot of you- I was secretly hoping if I took it I would end up at my families summer cabin.... |
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| A fun sign in PA. |
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| Any Questions? |
PA had the best signs.
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| Finally in CT!!!! |
My apartment is in Middletown and is very nice. It's a one bedroom- plenty big enough for me. Here are some pictures for anyone that's curious...
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| Living room- the door goes to a patio. |
I feel safer here than I did in Vegas, and not just for the obvious reasons of it being a different city- but it's just a more secure building. You have to buzz in at the main door to get into the building before you can even get to my door. In Las Vegas anyone could have come in... the door or the windows- God was protecting me!!! The pool, hot tub, racquetball courts, gym, and tanning are right in my backyard- it's nice.
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| Front door- Kitchen on the left- living room to the right. |
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| Bedroom. |
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| Having my own washer and dryer is amazing after not having them for so long- Bedroom to the left bathroom to the right. |
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| Dining room to the kitchen. |
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| The stupid smoke alarm that is driving me crazy. |
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| An impressive walk in closet..Well- plenty impressive for just me. :-) |
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| Closet again. |
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| Bathroom....need I say more? |
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| My pool..the clubhouse with everything else is to the right.... |
The hospital I'm working at is right in downtown Hartford, about 20 minutes from my apartment. I spent all last week in orientation- almost 3 full days of sitting at computers trying to learn computer charting and taking tests. LONG days... The first day I was at the hospital for orientation they asked us if any of us had ever worked in an inner city hospital before. I said no (although I do remember some very scary families both in DM and LV). We were given tips on staying safe- not walking alone outside and staying on hospital grounds. The direct blocks around the hospital are all bad news and I guess they have had some scary things happen even in the parking garages (stabbings, shootings..etc). I'm sure like with all cities it comes down to common sense and when that can't pull me through I know HE will.
I did get to spend a couple days in the NICU. It's a much smaller unit- only 26-28 beds MAX... This week they averaged using about 7 nurses per shift. It's a whole different feeling working with only 7 other nurses...so small and intimate. It has been so fun and interesting for me to see the differences between DM to LV...and then now CT to both the west and midwest. One big difference here is that they don't staff RT's in the NICU. I'm used to having a RT staffed on the floor there to help with anything I need regarding a vent, resp treatments, etc. They don't have that here- so I'm expected to know how to adjust settings (rate, pressures, alarm limits) and also how to change modes (CPAP-SIMV) on the vent. We draw and run all of our own gases here which is way different. Almost every baby that has been intubated is ordered neb treatments after extubation- and nurses do them all. So nurse friends- be thankful for your friendly RT's!!! Also be thankful for your OT/PT friends. In LV OT/PT worked with the babies but they did not do a good job educating staff or parents at all. Here the developmental care seems to be a little better but still nothing compared to DM. Be thankful for the OT/PT in DM!!! Charting... it's all paperless here. I am still scared of missing an order or something but I LOVE doing my assessments on the computer. It's fast and easy. Those are the big differences so far..... (more than most of you wanted to know but this will be fun for me to read someday so bear with me)!! That is one thing I love most about traveling. As frustrating as it can be sometimes it is awesome to be able to see how different hospitals, or NICU's more specifically, do things differently. Hopefully by being able to adapt to different policies and procedures I will continue to grow as a nurse. I know for sure that not one way is the RIGHT way and that is not always an easy lesson to learn!! It's not easy to leave what you know- but I know for sure that I am learning more and more everyday- and I guess that is what matters. Growth is hard.
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I hope you have all had a great 4th of July. I spent the day on Saturday with Laura- a new friend who is also a traveler. She works in Post Partum and is from Georgia. We drove down to a little beach town, about 25 minutes from me, Old Saybrook. I LOVE looking at the old houses and wondering what kind of history has happened behind the walls. The trees are all very tall and beautiful. Fall will be even more gorgeous. (some of these pictures I took off an Old Saybrook website because we didn't stop to take pictures of the houses..but I wanted to show you what I was talking about).
The two pictures above... They have a story to them and I honestly feel a little guilty blogging about it.. but I'm going to because it was far too funny to not share. We spent about an hour trying to find a beach in Old Saybrook. The streets are confusing and it we just had a hard time.. we finally found a good beach and decided we wanted to get something to drink before "setting up" and laying out.. so we drove to this little gas station. Inside of this Henny Penny... we found this guy. Scott Appleton. An author....selling his book "Swords of the Six". He was handing out his card and I took one. Laura and I walked out of the gas station and both just started laughing. This guy was being very sincere and really trying to sell his fantasy book for "only $9.99 at the Henny Penny today!!".. and we thought it was so funny. We laughed..hard. I went back in and got my picture with him.. to remember the moment. I hope he makes it big someday- I'll make a lot of money with that picture!!! HA!
We ended up- after driving around for about three hours- at Harvey Beach. The tide was SUPER low so the beach itself wasn't that nice- but there is something about being near the ocean like that. I could stare at it forever. It's amazing. One of my favorite things. I LOVE that I live so close.
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| Ms Laura at Harvey Beach |
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| Harvey Beach You can see how low the tide was... |
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| A beach day isn't complete without a feet picture in the sand!! It's tradition. |
That is all for now- this is the second attempt at this post and I am ready to be done with it!
Have a Happy 4th of July!!!!
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This assignment so far has been good. I like the area and I have enjoyed getting to know Laura and some others that I have met. However, I'm going to be honest and say that it has been hard as well. It was so hard to be alone and away from home, family, and friends during my birthday (although I have received several cards, messages, phone calls, texts, facebook messages, and flowers..and I am very thankful for those things!!!) It has also been hard this weekend to be away from family. I know all of my family is together- enjoying the holiday. It's hard to be away from home. I like to tell everyone that I'm doing great and everything is great- but in reality- it is hard. I have struggled this time. I miss my family. I miss my friends. I know I went through this in Las Vegas, too. It will get easier to be here. But right now, it's hard. So, if you pray, please pray. Pray that the transition will continue to become easier, that I'll feel more and more "at home" here. If you have ever moved away from home, by yourself, you know how I feel. It's bittersweet... it is fun and exciting- but scary and sad, too. I know that I made the decision to travel, to take on this journey, and I do not regret it. But with the fun stuff, comes the hard stuff. I have made new friends, but lost some, too. I have grown as a person... but sometimes it is hard to change. It's hard to walk away from everything you know. I am thankful for this opportunity, for the change that is happening in me. I'm thankful for what God is going to do both IN me and THROUGH me. I know that HE does not make mistakes and because of that I'm here for a reason. I listen to "Never Alone" often.. the first song on my play list below. It's true. I know that it is OK to miss home, but I also know that I will be OK. Because the truth is, no matter how I feel sometimes, I know am NEVER alone.-------------------------------------------------------
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