I've already worked four weeks!!!

Not much going on in the lovely state of NC or with me for that matter. I got pink eye last weekend, not fun but it was resolved pretty quickly so that's good. I also got my GPS last weekend and went to a restaurant called Bojangles! which is very good by the way, spicy since it's cajun style but the chicken is good and the fries are amazing :) I love Duke still, I'm learning a lot, it's definitely the best place to be for the type of work I want to do. It's such a great hospital and I hope to maybe work there someday (maybe even someday really soon).

The weather has been ok 40s-60s rain though. Roommates are still great, we laugh a lot.

That's all for now

Snow day!!!!

My day of fun in the snow (notice the absence of my nice blue columbia coat that is meant for the snow, I didn't think I'd need it in North Carolina so I left it at home)

I never thought I'd be able to say that I had a snow day when in North Carolina, but I was wrong! Yesterday they predicted 2-4in. and you would've thought the world was ending if you were around here. My roommates said to not even attempt going to walmart because I wouldn't be able to find a parking space and all the bread, milk, and water etc. would be all sold out, plus around 6:00p.m. the school closings started rolling in and it hadn't even started snowing yet, and from what my roommates say, there are many times where the forecasters predict 2-4in and it ends up being just a dusting. So, needless to say I didn't expect it to be anything huge, I mean I'm from MI for goodness sakes I'm used to have 2-4in and driving and doing normal activities, it takes at least 6in for things to begin shutting down and even then only a few things are closed. Well, when I woke up this morning I got ready like normal thinking, "the roads can't be that bad" but after turning on the TV I discovered that North Carolina people have no idea how to drive in snow, and they have about 1/3 of the plow trucks we have in MI and at that point it was still snowing so they were struggling to keep the main roads cleared and accidents were occurring on the main roads, so I knew that the roads I take to work were not plowed and there was a good chance I would get in accident or my car would get stuck. So, I called my supervisor and he actually said he was going to call and tell me to stay home and have a snow day/work from home because he said that even though I'm used to the snow, North Carolina people obviously are not and he was worried about my safety, and everything was closed basically so it would be slow. All that said, I had a snow day!!!! Kelli, Brandi, and I played in the snow (they were like little kids with the little snow that was on the ground) and we tried to make a snowman but the snow wasn't packing snow, so that didn't go very well. We also had little kids over for a lot of the day (Kelli's nieces) so that was a lot of fun, they definitely kept me going. In between all the fun I did work by doing some research for my supervisor on the internet and reading up on a few techniques he'd like me to learn regarding interviewing clients and therapies, so the day wasn't a total snow day, but it was fun nonetheless.

I'm just glad it isn't sub zero temperatures around here, I don't think I could take that, I applaud all you Illinois people who braved it for quite a while this past week :-)

Going by too fast

I can hardly believe I've already finished two weeks of my internship! Things at Duke are still going really great. The people I work with are really beginning to respect me and value my thoughts and opinions which is really nice because then I don't feel like a student I feel more like a co-worker. It's weird being down here though when everyone at Olivet has only had two days of classes and then two snow days a.k.a. cold days. I feel so disconnected from my friends and the school in general, and it feels like it's been longer than a month since I've been there and been a part of the Olivet community. Not that I am complaining, I don't miss a lot of the things about Olivet, I was ready to move on, but the safety and predictable atmosphere was comforting and it's scary when I have to do and schedule everything on my own, and I can go anywhere and stay out as late as I please (I don't do that though because I have to get up so early!). I also was able to meet a fellow Olivetian Ryan Quanstrom this past week at one of my favorite restaurants Chipotle Mexican Grill. It was nice to connect with someone who could relate to what I am going through and tell me a little bit about Durham and Duke.

As for graduate school California State University @ Sacramento is not working out. This means I will have to live at home for a year while I get my masters, which isn't something I really wanted to do but it looks like the best choice financially and I get the chance to maybe go to the best social work program in the country, which is amazing. But I hope to either move back down here to Durham and try to work at Duke or move out to California and settle down. We'll see where God takes me.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

The first week is already over...

I can't believe the first week of my internship is already over. I know I haven't updated but I figured I would stay away from updating when I had nothing really to say.

The internship itself is amazing, I can't imagine anything that is a better fit for who I am and what my goals are school and career wise, and from what I can understand BSW students are a rarity, Duke usually only accepts MSW students, and I'm the only BSW student, which I just can't believe because that means they saw something in me that sparked their interest and decided to give me a shot even though I'm not on a masters level. I still don't have a great grasp on what I'll be doing but I know that I am going to be working with the pediatric inpatients who have pulmonology (lung, breathing) issues or cystic fibrosis. So it's as close to pediatric oncology as I'll get till my masters.

Duke on the other hand while it is amazing, it is confusing and I'm getting lost each day. I have to park at a parking lot like miles away from the hospital and take the Transit system in, which is weird but also fun at the same time because I really feel like an independent working woman. The hospital is so big their are walkways outside from one campus to the next and their used to be a monorail or tram of some sort to get from one campus to the next (not anymore though). But that's part of what I love I've always wanted to work in a big hospital and I really know in my heart that I can work in a big hospital for a long time, it just feels like home to me so Duke is the best place to start.

Hope everyone who reads this is doing well!

I'm here!!!

Hello again! This blog post is coming to you from my very comfy room in Durham, NC. I arrived yesterday (after a lot of confusion and getting lost of course) and have already had to drive Durham/Raleigh during rush hour which was not fun. Today I have the day to get unpacked and organized and sort of learn my way around and then I start at Duke tomorrow at 10:00a.m.

My roommates Brandi and Kelli are really nice and the house definitely fits my lifestyle. We all like a lot of the same TV shows and books and so far have clicked very well. My room is quite large I have a lot of space and the room even has a futon in it so I think I'll be able to work and do school stuff no problem. I share a bathroom with only one person (which is an improvement considering I've shared a bathroom with three people for the past 2 1/2 years), and have one whole shelf in the pantry (I've had a half shelf for the past 2 1/2 years).

The one thing I have to get used to is the curvy roads and country accent. I stand out like a sore thumb right now, and people keep asking me where I'm from because they know I'm not from around here. But I can get used to that in time I think.

Right now though I need to go shopping for groceries. Keep checking for updates and always feel free to leave comments!