Labor Day Road Trips

Destination: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Total Miles: 1,500 (roughly)
Total Cost: Somewhere around $150



What better activity to do for Labor Day weekend than to go visit out-of-state family?! Having a slightly longer weekend and the option of leaving a little early on Friday presented me with the perfect road trip opportunity: visit Will and Kara in Fort Wayne (while the weather is still decent enough for this Southern girl).

I will admit that the weekend came up faster than I had thought it would, so Thursday night and Friday morning found me scrambling to pack and prepare before work Friday morning.

The previous two weeks had been spent in ICD-10 preparation (more to come on that journey!), and I was anxious to get out of the office and away from the computer to hit the roads for a few hours.

Will (my "little" 6'5'' brother) and his wife, Kara, moved to Fort Wayne around Memorial Day. Her family is from there, and the timing worked out for them to move (much to the Guidinger Clan's dismay since it's the farthest move of any of the siblings to date). It is about 9 1/2 to 10 hours from Greenville...and conveniently takes one within 6 minutes of Grandma's house in Knoxville!

First stop of the trip after driving through the beloved and much traveled I-40 mountain stretch was at Grandma's exit for some Starbucks and a quick visit with Grandma and Pap. After a refreshing drink and visit, I was back on the road with an audiobook to entertain and about 5 days worth of music to pick and choose from for listening.

Saturday morning found me waking up at my usual 7 a.m. Kara had to work the morning, so Will took me out for a bicycle ride around a path they like to ride...it was great to catch up, and we even managed to get caught in a torrential downpour (no thanks to the weather channel app that did not show a chance of rain that morning!). To dry off and warm up post-ride, we headed to one of Will and Kara's favorite little coffee shops for more catching-up and cappucinos.

The rest of the day was spent hanging out with Will, Kara, and a couple of her brothers. We stuffed ourselves and had some good laughs at a Brazilian restaurant, went to the Dollar theatre to see Inside Out (yes, I cried...it was one of the best Pixar movies...and I've seen almost all of them), and managed to squeeze in a couple games of UNO in the evening while snacking on our favorite: Oreos and milk.

The weekend was definitely a weekend of firsts for me! Two of the biggest were on my bucket list of "Things To Do Before I Turn Thirty." Namely: Laser Tag and learning to drive stick-shift. Both of which I thoroughly enjoyed! We played two rounds of Laser Tag, and Will taught me on Sunday after lunch how to drive manual transmission...which was a lot of fun in spite of my initial difficulty pulling forward after stops.

Sunday was a busy and fun day: we visited a church near their apartment for the morning service, ate a delicious breakfast and lunch prepared by my amazing sister-in-law, drove around learning stick-shift, went to DeBrand's for some amazing iced hot chocolate and a chocolate Sundae, and a side road trip to Ohio for the afternoon/evening (which bears some explanation--see the post-script).

On Labor Day, we all slept in until 9 a.m. and lounged about, playing UNO until Kara won a hand. I decided since I don't get DeBrand's a whole lot, that we should go back for a brunch...which then turned into a stop at Panda Express for lunch. Definitely a huge fan of their Orange Chicken. :)

After lunch, it was time to hit the road home, and after the goodbyes, I headed South a little happier for having spent time with people I love.

Last stop of the trip before home was, of course, supper at Grandma's! She had specially made tacos (my favorite!), and it was so fun to visit for a few minutes before taking on that I-40 mountain stretch.

More trips to blog about...stay tuned!


PS:
So...to explain the Ohio trip, three words: Chocolate. Zucchini. Bread.

I am friends with a lot of people, and one of the things I love about being friends with others is having the opportunity to meet their friends and family. In my Sunday School class at church, there are two brothers who are from Ohio. Over the past few months, I've gotten to know both of them a little better. At the beginning of the summer when my zucchini plants were producing their bumper crop, one of the brothers shared their mom's recipe for chocolate zucchini bread with me. It's amazing. With that, came her phone number in case I had questions about the recipe or whatnot. We've stayed in touch throughout the summer, and on the Friday morning that I was leaving for Fort Wayne, I decided to look at a map to get the basics on where I was heading. A town in Ohio caught my eye, and I remembered one of the brothers saying they were from Spencerville. Sure enough, it was only an hour and a half from Fort Wayne. I decided to see if it would work out for me to meet and give my personal thanks to the mom for sharing the recipe. Not only did it work out, but I was able to go to church in the evening with the oldest brother and then go to a graduation party and play a couple hours of volleyball with some of the church people. The brothers' family was so gracious, and I thoroughly enjoyed my side-trip to Ohio and am thankful for new friends!

Follow On...

Hard to believe that just a year ago I was preparing for graduation, elated at the passing of my comprehensives, quitting my job, searching for a new one, and (with some fear and trepidation) anticipating where the Lord would lead me next.

Fast forward a year.

I have moved in to an apartment (which I love, have decorated, and even planted a small garden!), gotten a pretty crazy/cool roommate who is quite possibly even more of a nerd than I, traveled a fair amount (currently up to 145,000+ miles on Mr. Darcy!?!), seen my favorite team win their 5th NCAA championship--GO DUKE!, and been working at Parkside Pediatrics (quite possibly the best pediatric office ever) for a little over 7 months.

I'd say that makes for a pretty spectacular year on this adventure that I like to call "Life."

Many more trips planned (as my time off allows) for this summer/fall...including a big road trip, a wedding, and the Highland Games in October (for which I shall traverse across the continental USofA)...so stay tuned!

If 29 turns out to be half the adventure that 28 was, it's going to be a fabulous year!

Follow on...for the open road is waiting!

And May the Road Rise Up to Meet You!

The journey of...137K?!

How fast time passes! I have merely turned around and found myself facing the end of the year with its busyness. In the last 4 months, I have moved twice, started a new job, and put a few more thousand miles on Mr. Darcy. I now find myself settled into a comfortable apartment and sitting back to reflect on this one night of the entire month which I have free.

FIVE YEARS!

It has been a whole five years to the day since I first purchased my awesome Honda Fit, so-named Mr. Darcy because that happens to be one of my favorite literary characters.

It's been a crazy five years, in retrospect. And in that time, I have put over 137,000 miles on my vehicle...and spent several hundreds (if not thousands) of hours traversing here and there and a bit of everywhere in between.

I have also managed to put over 60 (yes, sixty) bumper stickers on his windows, making him the most tastefully sticker'd vehicle that ever roamed the highways and byways (and, if I may be so bold to say, one of the most photographed vehicles in the Upstate of South Carolina...not a week goes by that I don't catch some other driver or passenger or pedestrian stopping to snap a picture of my photogenic little vehicle).

Truly, I am very thankful for the Lord's provision in a reliable vehicle that is also fun to drive and a willing partner in my adventures (though, it is fortunate that he cannot tell of ALL the places we have been together as that might raise some alarm).

So, here's to an amazing five years with the coolest vehicle in town...and to another five should the Lord allow!

Procrastination

With a capital P.

No...I have not been sitting around for the last two months, idling the time. And I have not been studiously studying this whole time either.

(Though...there has been A LOT of studying going on...).

I took the ANCC Family Nurse Practitioner boards towards the beginning of June and thought that would be the end of studying. But God had other plans, and I was two questions shy of passing.

Which meant more studying.

And I have been studying like a fiend. But I've also been traveling and taking some time to enjoy the summer (which has been relatively mild for South Carolina).

So after loads more studying, some quick trips to Virginia, New York City, Knoxville, Gatlinburg, Cowpens, Townsend, and Charleston, and some more studying, I took the AANP Family Nurse Practitioner boards in Knoxville on July 19. And passed! And by a good margin, too!

All that studying (and traveling...and studying while traveling) paid off...though, I suspect that the Lord had a greater hand in all of it and allowed for the circumstances.

So...what did I do to celebrate? Work at basketball camp for a week, then travel to New England for 5 days. True road trip style!

But, this brings me back to my title: procrastination.

Because of my constant guilt of doing anything productive when I was not studying, I put off blogging about all those trips. And, once I passed boards, I put off blogging because of how much there was to blog. And I didn't want to tot my computer around during camp.

(hanging head in shame)

But! Last night (at 2 am when my insomnia and lack of full-recovery from nightshift was in full swing), I determined to be productive and stop procrastinating. Seriously! I am unemployed (and loving it!) and have been so many places this summer with some awesome people...

And who knows how long that unemployment is going to be. Or where the next road trip will find me!

Time to get blogging!
:)

The Journey of a Thousand Miles

"A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn."



Destination: Clemson University
Total Miles: 36.5 (one-way)
Total Cost: approximately $23,500




Ten years ago on May 9, 2004, I wrote a letter for my high school senior English class...a letter to myself. Five years to the day, I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bob Jones University.

And on May 9, 2014, I walked across the stage in Little John Coliseum at Clemson University and received my diploma for my Master of Science.

Trust me. No where in my high school letter was any mention of graduate school. Anywhere.

It's a long story that is filled with tears and much prayer.

(Joel and I, friends since
 the undergrad days and
still friends as we pursue
graduate degrees in
nursing~CRNA and FNP)

I know people think I'm smart, but honestly, I'm not any smarter than the next person. In fact, I had
some of the lowest passing grades in undergrad among my class. I have a very healthy dislike for science (and a VERY healthy respect for it!), and it was a miracle that I graduated five years ago...and I very distinctly remember as I walked out of the FMA that I was never going back for grad school. Ever.

Yet, five years later...the Lord has a sense of humor.

A little over three years ago (has it really been that long?!), I began to seek where the Lord would place me next. I will be very open and candid with you: I had never expected to be turning 25 and be single and in the States. In fact, it was one of the last places I wanted to be. As the official middle-of-my-twenties approached, I began to question the path I was on.

I prayed and sought the Lord's will for the future. And while I cannot say at what exact moment I realized that He was directing me back to school, I do know that when I discussed the possibility with my parents, my dad was literally speechless and my mom fell out of her chair.

After some personal struggling, I sought out a school for midwifery and applied. During the application process, it was made clear that I would not be accepted into their graduate program because I had not graduated from an ''accredited'' BSN program. I was a little taken aback...I knew the Lord wanted me to pursue a degree that would further my abilities to work in foreign countries. This school had seemed the perfect fit. Yet, a rejection was not what I had planned.

After talking with several friends, I decided to apply at Clemson University. I usually procrastinate on everything, but I finished my application and had everything turned in almost a month before it was due.

And they lost my paperwork. Twice. (and people wonder why I procrastinate!)

After waiting for almost 7 months with almost no communication, I gave up hope that this was really the path God wanted me to follow. I applied for some traveling companies and started pursuing that path.



One week later, I received an acceptance email from Clemson which was quickly followed by a letter of acceptance.



From there, life became a little more crazy...I suddenly went from a life of travel and living debt-free to juggling a night shift schedule with classes and a huge bill every semester.

There were many ups and downs...trying to remember how to study, meeting a whole new group of people, writing papers out the wadzu, buying books...trying to flip from nights to days and back again several times a week...and trying to maintain a semblance of a social life and some sanity.

Many people have asked how I did it. Honestly...with the Lord's help one day at a time.

In spite of the craziness, I have never once regretted following this path. The journey, though long and winding (and expensive!), has been one of faith.

I have cried. I have laughed. I have made new friends. I have learned
so much. And I am looking forward to where the Lord puts me next.

As I was hooded during nursing convocation and then later received my diploma, I was reminded of a song that I have sung in choir:

"We walk by faith and not by sight, led by God's pure and holy Light.
Prepare us for the journey, Lord, and may we know Your power and might as we walk by faith and not by sight."

Clemson Lampost Moment

This journey is just beginning. I have taken the first couple of steps and cannot wait to see what adventures await!

Nursing Graduate Class of 2014

Chenille and I

Thomas and I after graduation! We made it!!!!

Thomas and I during graduation
-Got to love alphabetical order!

Can't believe it's done!

My beautiful sister, Charity, who has supported me through it all!

A true fortune!

The Diploma (that's one expensive paper!)

Chenille and I...
we made it!

Baby Lizzie's bib:
"My Aunt is the Best!"

(Go Tigers!)

:)