Update!

It's been forever since I had a blog update and a lot has happened!

First, my job!  I am so happy that I got hired at Coastal.  It pretty much was fate.  I've been hired a bit over a month and a half, and then I have been working a month.  I love it there.  My coworkers are so nice.  What I love now is that they're teaching me new things since I'm in nursing school (well, the nursing program since it's four years) and the fact that they do that means a ton to me.  Being here just further confirms the fact that I want to be an ER nurse.  I love learning- even the stuff that may not be a big deal.  It's nice working with people who really care for each other and who really like their job.  My phone broke on Saturday and I got to leave just early enough to go to the Verizon store and get it fixed.  I just love my job. Even the bad days aren't so bad because my coworkers make it better.

Second, school! I can't wait to start. I haven't had much chance to meet people because I'm working a lot (not that I mind, yay money!).  My loans are falling together (now if they would just show up, I'd be grateful) and I'm ready to start fresh at a school that isn't NCWHS squared.

Third, life!  I have done so much lately!  This past week I've hung out with a friend, but due to complications I won't be able to again which stinks, and we went to Fort Fremont twice.  It's this abandoned fort from some war (haha, I haven't been in school in a long time...) and there are beaches galore.  I saw dolphins, jelly fish, hermit crabs, oysters and...sand.  Then today I got to ride a boat!  Just a little boat, but nothing compares to standing up and feeling the wind in your face and smelling the ocean.  Nothing.

I compare Beaufort Co. to Bloomington all the time in my head, and Beaufort Co. is winning.  I know without a doubt I belong here.  I saw my first corn field in two months today.  It's so nice being able to go so many fun places in just a 30 minute drive.  A 30 minute drive in IL is to Peoria (which isn't exciting) or Champaign (which again, isn't exciting).  I love the beach being so close by, and the marsh.  A 30 minute drive seems like nothing here because there's so much scenery! The roads are a ton more complicated, but other than that they're great.

Overall, I love it here.  I've had one major uh-oh, but other than that it's been great.  I can't wait to start doing more :D

Workin'

Hi blog world!

Tomorrow begins my third and final day of hospital orientation! The first three days went pretty well. Monday we had to go down to Hilton Head Hospital and go through the rules, what's expected of us, ect .ect.  I think the only truly long part was when we watched a video about a lawsuit Tenet had.  Other than that, it wasn't too bad.

Tuesday was all of our e-learning.  E-learning is when you have to go onto a program and watch a few power points and take a few tests.  Most of them I had just done for my old hospital, so I went straight to the test. Everyone was very nice and helpful.

And yesterday was when we got to go look at Coastal.  It's a very small hospital. 40 beds, a 21 bed med-surg floor, a 4 bed ICU, a 10 bed post surgical floor, a wound care center and a 12 bed ER.  I like it. Everyone knows everyone and they were so nice and welcoming.  We also got a ton of really nice, free things like water bottles and bags.

Today we went to the beach, which was nice. It was Coligny, which is the big, tourist beach, but it was pretty nice despite being crowded. Some people caught a baby shark and got told off by a life guard because you aren't allowed to fish on beaches for that reason. Then some people were messing with a crab (the kind with the giant shells and tails, I forget the name) and dropped it, even though it was still alive.  So when my mom and I walked by I mentioned that I wouldn't like it if someone picked me up and dropped me on the ground. When we came back, they finally had stopped messing with it.

Tomorrow will be a pretty good day.  In the morning I'll go to Coastal and learn their computer program and then I'll spend the afternoon at the pool.  Sunday is my first day of 'work' work in the ER, and week after next I'll be on nights :)

Workin' On My Fitness

Well, I'm a month in to SC and so far, so good.

Well, except for today when some poop-face tied their dog up outside in the 87 degree heat. I hope they get Ebola for endangering a doggy.

I've managed to work out almost every day. Being in shape is kinda fun. Illinois made me kinda flabby. The other half of our neighborhood has a 'fitness center' with brand new equipment and weights. Plus it has really cold air conditioning! 

I finally registered for my classes. Psychology, A & P, Spanish and English 102. Since I tested out of English 101 and 102 at Heartland, they let me go right to English 102, which is fantastic. Spanish will be hard after taking two years of French and one year of Spanish, but it's required for all Nursing majors. Plus I've heard good things about the teacher.  Psychology shouldn't be too bad.  I got to put off Math for another semester since I'm in remedial math and my advisor wanted me to be in the 'special kid' class where we have a lab to go with the class just to do homework. 

It's been nice here so far.  I have work orientation next week.  Then it's three shift of days (I'm working 12's! Yay!) and then I switch to nights! I'm soo glad they don't have a dress code here like Beaufort does (just matching scrubs, no black and no patterns. My only pair of black scrubs have a pattern!) I celebrated by getting a new pair of pink scrubs and a bright blue pair.  

We got a new kitchen table and it's pretty nifty. Not that the internet cares, but I like it.

Well, I can't think of anything else to say, so bye blogland!

South Carolina thus far

I haven't updated in a while, so here is the SC lowdown:

-Gosh, it's hot.  Like, 95 degrees on a daily basis.  Thankfully, we have a sea breeze coming in most of the time and you get used to the muggyness after a while.  But man, do these people here LOVE their ac.  It's weird having to take a sweater everywhere even though it's melting.

- Getting in touch with friends I had to push away is nice.  For those who don't know- I disconnected myself with 95% of my B/N friends so I could move here without being guilted/pulled back/have my mind changed.  I had so much stuff I had to focus on- not that I still don't- but those who I really appreciated are still talking to me and understand. That's all that matters.  I'm glad I'm here.

-I've ridden 50 miles on my bike this week.  5 miles on 4 days, 10 two other days and 12 today.  Or somewhere around 50.  Today was the worst- the asphalt was hotter than anything and just radiated up.  I'm glad we have bike trails here, though.  You can literally ride to the coast towards HHI until you have to stop.  And the trails are really well maintained.  I'm finally getting into shape!

-I got accepted as the new ER tech at Coastal Carolina Hospital.  It is a really great, new facility and the people are so nice and caring.  It makes me miss the amazing people I worked with at Joes, but I know i'll love it there. Plus, I'm a night tech. 3 days a week, 12 hour shifts. And I make about four dollars more than I did as an IL CNA.  I'm just going to let my IL license expire and keep this one.

- We're mostly unpacked. My room still needs one curtain hung up and a rug or something, but everyone else is set.  We re did my bedroom from the bottom up, so nothing from my old room matches any more.  And I have a desk now.

- Living at home has been great. Free food is always nice.

-The Tanger Outlets will be the death of me.  Everything is so cheap. I've re-done almost all of my summer wardrobe for under $300.  New clothes are fun :) Especially here, since everyone dresses nice. I haven't seen one person in sweat pants in public since I moved here.  And I've only worn jeans twice.

-I love, love, love it here. It's perfect.  I've never moved to a place that felt instantly like home (I've moved 12 times). Even my 7 years in B/N didn't feel like home.  It wasn't where I belonged. I belong here :)

Annnddd, that's all I can really think of. So...bye for now!

Why I want to punch FAFSA in the face,

I hate FAFSA.
I mean, I appreciate the government by (hopefully) giving me money, but I did my whole FAFSA on www.fafsa.com, when I should've been going to www.fafsa.gov, so I did it on a scam "check your form" website.

Thankfully, I didn't pay for it.

We got our SC plates today, so I'm no longer connected to IL in any shape, way or form.

Related to that, I got denied for in state tuition, which equals a year of paying triple the tuition.  I will be able to pay it off eventually, it's just frustrating. I don't want to take another year off, so I'm just going to deal with it and hope for a good scholarship when nursing school comes around.

That's all that pretty much happened today, thankfully. Though at the license branch we had some woman look at us and go, "4 cars? Can they even do this?". Apparently owning four cars is a lot, they should be glad we didn't move there when we had six :D

Why college makes me want to rip my hair out

So, I haven't even started school yet, and I'm already ready to rip my hair out.

At Heartland, I had to take placement tests and tested out of Eng 101 and 102, but here, they didn't get my transcripts (THANKS HEARTLAND!), so I have to re-test.  But I can't take my placement tests because I have a hold on my account. I can't get the hold off of my account until I go in Monday and change my residency form (which is complicated in itself, my car isn't my own, but I'm paying for my own college.)  I'm a non-traditional Freshman, which is just fancy talk for "I took some time off, took a couple of classes, so I'm kind of starting over but not really.".  Thankfully, my 12 HCC credits transferred over so it's less classes I need to take.

But to even take the classes, I need a loan. But before i'm allowed to apply for a loan, I need to fill out FAFSA, even though I know I don't qualify for it.

It's just very frustrating. Though, orientation went well and I know what my plan is, I just have to sign up for everything.  I'll be working 1-2 nights a week, which will equal gas money.

Today's been just a really lazy day, I haven't done anything :P.  I just can't wait to finally be enrolled and ready so I can get my books and actually get started.

A Week and a Half In

We've been here a week and a half already! It's gone by pretty fast, and a lot has happened.

Well, a lot as mostly unpacking.  We have a lot of stuff, plus now we have the things from my apartment (I lived on my own for six months and moved back home so I could move down here. I wasn't staying in IL alone. Plus, free food is nice.) My room is unpacked except for my shoes. We found those yesterday! I thought we had left them at home, which made me worry. I have over 20 pairs since I wear kid sizes and they're cheaper, and I wear almost all of them.  All that's left is the dining room, but we don't have a table there yet.

Mother's day was really fun. Dad and I went to get the Miata washed, and as we were coming home dad changed lanes and some silly person in a bug decided to merge over, no signal (and maybe it's just me, but people from Georgia NEVER use their turn signals. It must be a Georgia thing...) and dad had to swerve. So, right as dad swerved the bug swerved back and hit another car. If he would've hit us dad would have been seriously injured (it's a convertible and we had the top down). Thankfully, there was a cop near by and we pulled over and told him.

Now to the fun part of mothers day: the shopping. We have Tanger outlets here and they have a discount Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, Coach, American Eagle and more. I got $300 worth of clothes for less than $100. In Bloomington there wasn't much shopping- this will be hard to resist.

Yesterday I became an 'offical' resident.  You have to get your new license within 90 days, but on my IL license I look like a boy, so I went and got a fancy SC one.  The DMV wasn't too bad, aside from the fact that I had to leave, go to the bank and get a letter saying I lived here, and go back.  They even took my IL license from me, and I registered to vote (aka jury duty) and signed up to be an organ donor.  All I have to do now is get my plates changed over (well, my parents, since I don't own my car) and I'll no longer be connected to IL.

I had a job interview Monday as well, and my second interview on the floor tomorrow. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, this job seems perfect. I won't say where or what floor, but it's great. Though the hospital is maybe 1/4 the size of Joes. I never thought their ER was big until Monday.

Well, i've got to go, but this pretty much summed up the past week or so, give or take a few things!