Dreams/Nightmares

Last night I had a dream that I was in a big hotel or convention center that was going to have some sort of large event the next day. They needed help and were hiring, but they didn't really know how many people they needed. So, they brought a bunch of us in and were training us just in case. The training consisted of (literally) running through the hotel for a tour - I was going as fast as I could to keep up and kept losing sight of the people in front of me in line and the tour guide. Then when I finally caught up, they were showing everyone how to carry plates of food. They handed me three plates to balance on my arm and then kept piling more and more on...plus cutlery and napkins and I was worried I was going to drop everything but also intent on holding onto it all so I would get hired for the event the next day.

Okay, any guesses what I'm worrying about after 2 weeks of school? Is this dream transparent, or what? You guessed it, the work load in this accelerated program is crazy to say the least. We have 16 hours of class a week, hundreds of pages of texts to read, plus lab skills practice. And oh, by the way, in your free time, don't forget to do the independent math class, the OSHA/HIPPA exam, and the Cultural Competency self-guided study. Still not enough? Well here's some recorded lectures to listen to from the day of class you all missed on MLK day. Argh - I was literally in tears on Friday, overwhelmed by the sense that there was no human way possible to get it all done. But, I'm getting really good at skimming the reading, prioritizing, and just taking one step at a time. And they promise us that after the first 10 weeks are over, things will get better. I hope so because I don't know how long I can keep juggling all these plates of food!

Adventures of the Academic Kind

As I sat down to write this evening, I let loose a heavy sign without even thinking about it. Nursing school starts next Monday and I am filled with a sense of impending doom! Not knowing exactly what to expect, my anxious little brain immediately goes to the worst possible case for the next year: I won't read any books except textbooks, I'll never have time to workout, I will do nothing but go to class, do homework, and otherwise try to survive. In this spirit, I have been scrambling this week, trying to finish every possible errand I can think of because I'm just certain I won't even have time to go to the pet store to buy cat food once school starts!

Okay, I know it's a little nuts, but I've been so spoiled this year with fun travels that I am reluctant to trade all this in for the classroom....even if it is for just a year! Having said that, I know this year holds promise for adventures of a different sort, and I look forward to new challenges and explorations into Pharmacology, Foundations of Nursing, Research, etc. And I already have learned a few tips to pass on:

1. Visit campus a few days before orientation to get an ID, parking pass, and buy books. Lines are nonexistent.

2. As much as possible, try to avoid buying books in the bookstore. Given the constantly updating scam that textbook writers seem to love, this isn't always possible. I would have spent nearly $1000 in textbooks in the bookstore, but was able to save $140 by buying some of them on Half.com.

3. Fill the freezer with as much food as possible so no cooking will be necessary. (That's kinda just me being a mom....I will feel a little bit better if my "babies" at least are eating right!)

4. Cram lots of fun into the last few weeks before school; just in case life as we know it really does come to an end!

On that note, I'll post a few pictures of adventures for the past few weeks. We spent Solstice up in Yellowstone staying in the snow lodge and cross country skiing around the Old Faithful area during the day. I highly recommend this mode of seeing Yellowstone - fewer crowds, no cars, brilliant snow, lots of wildlife (bison, elk, coyotes, bald eagles, swans), and a beautiful contrast between the hot bubbling geysers and the cold snow and ice. Very very nice.

The rest of our holiday break was spent in Driggs, ID where we went nordic skiing, visited friends, and hung out reading. The temps were actually a bit on the warm side for Driggs this time of year (mid to upper 20s), but good enough for skiing up the Teton Canyon. One day, we broke trail up into the South Teton Creek where we saw a bunch of tracks that we thought we moose. After skiing a little bit more, I suddenly spotted movement across the creek where I saw 2 bull moose. I quickly shot this picture (a little too far away)

and then threw my ski poles to Ben so I could stalk the moose with my camera. Even with skis on, I was sinking into the snow down to my thighs so I was really thrashing around. I was able to get a little closer together and had a really good view of the two moose so started shooting again:

Unfortunately, my timing was terrible and I barely caught the moose's antlers as he emerged from one tree...and then got his hind leg as he ducked behind the next tree.

Oh well, it was still a treat to see them! And it was a great way to end our trip....

I have to say goodbye to our Driggs playground until at least next August when we have our fall break. I took a picture of my favorite rocks to gaze upon until I can return: