Life Update . . .

Well, after having been thoroughly reprimanded about not writing anything here for a while, I decided to send an update. (Hi, Janna!!) :) I honestly didn't know when I last wrote on here, so I just checked. Not a whole lot has been going on since I went to the fun Fairfax Festival. I did get to switch back to day shift starting on Wednesday of this week, which is a HUGE answer to prayer. So, I'll hopefully have some exciting outings over the next few weeks since I'll be more awake. One thing that is different is that I woke up yesterday morning without my voice. Funny how even I (someone who's not known to be a big talker) take the ability to speak for granted! Not that I'm a complete mute, but I do sound more like a croaking frog than a human at this point. Hopefully this will be short lived. :) Some good news . . . I found out last night that one of my best friends will be coming up here for a visit in a few weeks to celebrate our 29th birthdays!! How fun is that?!? Well, that's about all I can think of "update-wise". Have a terrific weekend, and hopefully I'll have some interesting news next time!

Festivals

This weekend is the "famous" Celebrate Fairfax Festival!! In case you've never heard of it, don't feel too badly. I'd never heard of it until this week. :) Anyways, Fairfax is a city and a county near here, and they apparently have a big festival every year. I decided to go see what all the excitement was about today. Being on a strange sleep schedule lately, I got up (for the second time today - woke up starving at 4AM, ate some breakfast, and went back to bed) - around 1PM and headed west to the mall where you park & catch a shuttle to the festival. After walking around for a few hours, I'm still not quite sure what we were "celebrating". But, I did get to hear some local bands (acoustic, jazz/blues, and rock), which I loved! I also got a free souvenir cup from the Fairfax Water Company with fresh, cold ice water. Very nice since it was a little warm in the sunlight. They also had the normal carnival food and rides I've come to expect at fairs. Ben & Jerry's had a booth, also, which made me very happy!! :) I had actually planned to stay for the big concert which featured Smashmouth, but my bladder had other plans. The only restrooms were port-a-potties, which I don't use on principle! So, I decided to leave early and catch the shuttle back to the mall. Thankfully, I had parked near the Macy's, so I could use a real, clean restroom and do some shopping. :) All in all, a very fun day!

Virginia's "Niagara Falls"

I went exploring today. Every Sunday, as I'm driving to church, I pass a sign for Great Falls. I never took the time to head out there last year while I was here, so I decided to go have a looksie today. Granted, it's no Niagara Falls, but it's pretty!

When I got there, I found the trail & headed out. Of course, I went the wrong direction. :) As I walked along, I kept seeing signs warning about the "strong undercurrent", but all I could see was calm water. I found this quite amusing. I walked & walked and ended up at the dam, which I thought was "the falls". Not too impressive, but since I'd walked so far, I decided to take a couple pictures anyway.

After I turned around to head back to the visitor's center, I realized what I'd done and went to see the real falls! It was so nice to get in the middle of nature, even though surrounded by city, and spend some alone time with God without the distractions that pop up at home. As I walked along the trails beside the Potomac, I was reminded of a poem all of my English teachers had on their walls:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost

Now, believe me, I'm NO literary (as most of you already know), but it made me think about life. (I promise to not get too philosophical on ya!) I've been on my personal "less traveled" road for almost a year now. (travel nursing) Many of you have asked me what made me decide to make this huge change in my life - knowing I'm not a huge proponent of change! :) Well, here are some of the reasons - some mature and some not so much!

1. Get to see different areas of the country


2. Learn how things are done in different NICUs - aka become a better nurse


3. Self challenge in depending on God and flexibility!!


4. People all but dared me to do this, and I couldn't let them win :)

Since I left Texas, which was a HUGE step out on faith for me, I've learned a lot about depending on God. He has continually taken care of me! So, as I come up on my one year anniversary of this new career, I'm asking that you pray with me about the next step. I'm praying for God to clearly lead me where He wants me to be, whether that be settling down somewhere or continuing with my current travel position. Thank you for your prayers over the past year, and I'll keep you updated on any new developments.

Happy Memorial Day!

Hug a HERO today!!

Back to the District

I had today off, so I went into the city. The weather was absolutely perfect! It was so nice to walk around for a few hours in the sunshine. Believe it or not, I actually saw stuff that I had missed when I was here for 6 months last year!! :) Here are a few pictures I thought you might enjoy.

This is the Jefferson Monument. He's SO tall!!

This next one is of the Lincoln Monument. (duh, huh?) :)

Lastly, here's another view of the White House. They were letting us get right up to the fence today. Later, as I saw Marine One returning to the House, I realized why we were given this kind of access. :)

Have a wonderful week!!

Things I've learned . . .

I finished my little road trip adventure this afternoon when I arrived in Arlington, VA. It's been a fun and educational adventure over the past week. I was talking with my mom this morning, and it's hard to believe it's been less than a week since I left Alabama! I've gotten to see & do so much, it seems like about a month! As I drove along, singing at the top of my lungs, I was thinking about some of the strange things I've seen & learned on this trip, so I thought I'd share them with you.

1. The term "speed limit" means COMPLETELY different things in different states. For Alabama & Georgia, it seems to be a goal that's never really reached. If you want to enter a highway where the speed limit is 65 or 70 going 40, it's perfectly fine. We'll just get out of your way or slam on the brakes so that we don't crash. South Carolina seemed to drive faster - driving at least the speed limit was the norm. Once I reached North Carolina, it seemed that the "speed limit" was really the "minimum speed required for survival". As I drove through a large part of Virginia today, I realized that driving ONLY 10 MPH over the posted speed only inconvenienced/angered about 2/3 of the people on the highway - as opposed to angering the entire population driving by actually going the posted speed.


2. If you ever want a large variety of miniature golf places in a small area, just go to the northern part of South Carolina on HWY 17. I must have passed 15 mini-golf places in as many miles!


3. The PERFECT time to visit Myrtle Beach, SC, is the last week of April or the first week of May. Beautiful weather, and no crowds. :)


4. There's a "Ni River" in Virginia! If you've never seen Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail, this probably doesn't mean much to you. But when I passed it today, I just chuckled to myself thinking of "the knights who say 'NI'!!"


5. The city of Durham, NC, seems to have two, completely unconnected Main Streets. And yes, I drove on both of them a few times looking for Duke University.
6. 
   At least two families in North Carolina have a lighthouse as a next door neighbor!
7. The majority of the people working the desk at the hotels have no idea how far Texas is from the east coast. When I checked in to the hotels in North & South Carolina (both of which I checked in between 2 & 5PM), I was asked if I had driven in that morning from Texas! Um . . . That would mean that I left at least at midnight of the night before. Did I really look that tired?!? :)
8. Lastly, but most importantly, I'm SO grateful to have a job that doesn't require me to live in hotels the majority of the time!! It's next to impossible to have a "jammy day" (which y'all know I'm a huge fan of) in a hotel.

Not important or life changing lessons I learned, but fun thoughts that fill my head. Speaking of apartments, here's a picture of my new place.

Thank you for going on this journey with me and reading through all of my rambling thoughts! I hope you at least enjoyed the pictures!! :) By the way, they're playing "Taps" across the street at the Army base - something I haven't heard since January.

FINAL LICENSE PLATE TALLY: Well, today I only saw one lonely Illinois tag, which brings the grand total to 13. I was amazed at the number of New Jersey plates I saw during my travels! Maybe next time I'll count those instead because I'm sure the number was at least 3 times the number of Illinois plates!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Raleigh/Durham, NC

Yesterday morning, I left the beach and headed north - getting ever closer to the final destination!! I drove up the coast a couple hours so I could see some lighthouses. (at least that was the plan) I did find one of them, the Oak Island Lighthouse.

Yes, that's a street lamp in front of the lighthouse. :) It's really very bizarre! This lighthouse is in the middle of a neighborhood! After success in finding this one, I set out to find the Bald Head Lighthouse, which is supposed to be just down the road about 30 minutes. Well, after about an hour of searching, I gave up and headed towards Raleigh.

Today, I set out exploring the Raleigh/Durham area. I first went to Durham, where Duke University is. There's a beautiful garden you can walk through there. The roses were in full bloom and smelling amazing!

When I finished with the garden, I walked around the campus for a while. Seeing all the hustle & bustle of this time right before finals made me SO GLAD that I'm through with that part of my life!! While in Durham, I also found the Bulls' old stadium, where the movie Bull Durham was filmed. The team doesn't play there anymore, but it was neat to see the "old-timey" stadium. Then, I headed back to Raleigh where I drove around downtown. I circled the capitol and snapped a few pictures.

Just west of the capital is the Oakwood Historic District. I drove through that area and looked at all the pretty houses that have been refurbished. I don't know that I'd ever want the stress & expense that comes with that kind of "fixer-upper", but they sure are beautiful once completed! I didn't get any pictures of them because I didn't think the families living there would appreciate someone taking pictures without permission. :)

That's the extent of my adventures here today. I had to get back to the hotel to do a little bit of work stuff. The good news is that my apartment will be ready tomorrow afternoon, so I'll be headed to DC tomorrow morning!! I've enjoyed my little adventures, but I'm ready to unpack and get settled in my apartment.

Have a wonderful Friday!

Myrtle Beach

When I left Savannah, I went over this HUGE bridge, and I ended up in South Carolina! :) (which was the plan, by the way - not another "Jenn Detour") I wouldn't recommend this particular stretch of HWY 17 North because it's mostly not nice places. Anyway . . . After a couple hours of driving and only one "Jenn Detour", I ended up at my final destination for the past two days - Myrtle Beach. What a gorgeous place!!!! If you've never been, I highly recommend it. If you have, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. :) I had originally planned to stay there just one night, but after I arrived and played in the VERY COLD water for a little bit, I decided I couldn't leave that quickly! So, I stayed a second night to be able to enjoy the water all day yesterday. Other than having to do a few hours of work on the computer for my next assignment (which I was a little upset about them bothering me on my play day!), I got to sit under an umbrella overlooking the beach & waves all day. Is there anything better in the world?!? Here are a couple pictures I took while there. The first is the sunrise from yesterday morning (yes, I get up that early without the aid of an alarm - sick, I know!)

The next is of the "moon rise" last night. If it wasn't a full moon, it was really close!

I have to admit, the camera can't capture all the pretty colors I was able to see, but it can give you a general idea. :) I hope you enjoy the pictures!!

License Plate Tally: Another slow day. . . As I left South Carolina, headed to North Carolina, I only saw 1 Illinois tag. This brings our grand total to 12 so far. Only one more day of real travel, which will be on Friday. :)

Savannah

Well, I arrived in Savannah, GA, Sunday evening. It's a pretty drive across the state, and I was very happy to see the magnolia trees starting to bloom! Savannah is a quaint little city with several WONDERFUL restaurants. Sunday night, I had dinner at a little Irish Pub named Molly McPherson's (at least I think that's how you spell it). It was delicious, and the music was great. (Mom, it had mostly bagpipes, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for you.) :) Then, I got to walk around downtown a little before it got too dark. There are 22 city blocks solely dedicated to being parks in that city. It's so nice to be going along and see yet another area of trees, beautiful flowers, water fountains or statues, and park benches. What a fun place to live!

Monday morning, I got up and boarded my trolley tour of Savannah - with the senior citizen groups. :) I enjoyed getting to know the others on my trolleys. It was like having a bus load of grandparent substitutes all morning! (the only thing better was if it had been my actual grandparents) On the tour, we got to see where different films were made - like the bench where Forest Gump told his life story (The actual bench is gone, but the place where it sat is marked with a sign.) and the Six Pence Pub where Julia Roberts caught her cheating husband in Something To Talk About. They mentioned some others that were shot in Savannah (like Matt's The Legend of Baggar Vance), but we didn't see where they were filmed.

MOST importantly - at least in my Mema's opinion - I got to see The Lady & Sons. Actually, I stayed about a block & a half from the restaurant and didn't even realize it. :) I admit, I didn't plan too well because when I arrived at the restaurant when it opened at 11AM, the next seating time available for lunch was 2:15PM!!!! So, I took some pictures, looked in the gift shop, and went on my way - knowing that I wouldn't be able to wait another 2 1/2 hours before I ate. (sorry, Mema) The man who wrote the song Moon River was from Savannah - I didn't know that. They have a little restaurant/pub there named Moon River, so I ate lunch there since I love that song! It was fun.

After lunch, I hopped back on a trolley and headed to my car for my next adventure. Savannah is very pretty! My only recommendation is that if you want to actually eat lunch at Paula Deen's restaurant, be at the "host stand" there on Congress St. by at least 9AM!!!! :) (or eat a REALLY late breakfast!)

License Plate Tally: Not too exciting - only 2 new Illinois tags making the grand total 11 so far. On to South Carolina!!

Moving Day . . .

Well, my time in Birmingham has come to an end. It's truly a BEAUTIFUL area of the country, and I highly recommend that you visit the city sometime. The mountains (or hills - whatever they are), the trees, and the plants are gorgeous! And, the people are some of the nicest people you'll meet. I made some great friends while there. Although I griped about the specifics of my job while there, looking back I can see why God put me where He did. Once again, He knows better than I do! (shocking, I know) :)

So, in this small break between assignments, I decided to take a mini-vacation/road trip through the Southeast US as I slowly made my way up to DC. This evening, I arrived in Savannah, GA. I'm very excited to tour the city some tomorrow and hopefully at least get a picture of Paula Deen's restaurant, if not eat there.

License Plate Tally:

A long time ago, when deciding where to go on family vacation, my mom contacted the Illinois visitor center to get information on taking a vacation there. Unbelievably, the person working at the tourism bureau was not just shocked in her tone that someone was requesting information on visiting Illinois, but she actually asked my mom if we really wanted to go to Illinois for a vacation!! With that "recommendation" of the state, we decided to go back to Colorado that year on vacation - ALWAYS a good idea! :) The best part of that vacation was that when we arrived in CO, the majority of the out of state license plates we saw were from . . .
ILLINOIS!!!! They didn't even want to be in their state that summer! It was hilarious. So, it's been a running joke and makes us laugh every time we see Illinois plates.

Well, I got a good laugh as I drove today! In my 6 hour drive, I saw NINE Illinois plates!! The second most from a non-bordering state - the first being North Carolina (which is closer than Illinois). I called my parents, and we shared a good laugh. :) As I travel over the next few days, I'll be keeping a running tally of Illinois plates that I see on this site. (I know, the suspense is overwhelming. Just take a deep breath!)

Have a terrific week, and hopefully I'll have some good pictures for you later.

I love fish!

As far back as I can remember, I've loved watching fish. It's so very calming. I've even had some, starting with Melody Sr. & Lelopy Sr. (yeah, I made up that last name). I think I got them for my birthday before 3rd grade. I don't remember them lasting that long after I gave them some nice warm water to relax in after cleaning their bowl - that eternal relaxation! :) Hence, Melody Jr. & Lelopy Jr. came home soon after. These lasted a little longer having learned that fish prefer cool/cold water to warm. My next fish adventure wasn't until high school when I got Beauford, The Goldfish. He became part of the Poe family sometime after we moved to Livingston - I think between my junior & senior years. He was by far the longest living, non-mammal Poe family member! He went to A&M with me and lived until the spring of my (first) senior year. By then, he'd outgrown two fish bowls (a one gallon & a 3 gallon) and lived in a 10 gallon tank! He was a legend and even made it on my 1st roommate's homepage. :) After loosing such a close friend, I took a hiatus from fish ownership until nursing school. One of my 2nd Row Ladies study buddies from nursing school bought a Beta fish, and he was so pretty, my roommate & I decided our apartment needed one, too. So, off to Wal-Mart one night (probably after 10 or 11 PM so we could see all the strange people that appeared in the night time Galveston Wal-Mart . . . a story for another time!) we went in search of a beta fish. We found one, and named him Bruno. Unfortunately, Bruno didn't last very long, so we then brought home Herbie. Betas are some of the prettiest fish with their deep colors! But none can compare to Beauford, The Goldfish!

All that background was to explain why I would drive 2 1/2 hours just to go to an aquarium. :) I was off today, so I decided to head to Atlanta, GA, home of the "world's largest aquarium"!! It was probably the best one I've ever been to. (& I've been to lots) It was a little pricey, but well worth it if you like to watch fish. (If you don't, why go to an aquarium?) I'd definitely put it on my "MUST SEE" list of things to do if you're near Atlanta and have a few hours to kill - like when you're waiting for a ballgame to start. :) The first picture is of a Beluga Whale. They look like giant, white dolphins. I probably stayed at this exhibit most out of all of them. These massive mammals were so graceful and beautiful to watch!

This next picture is of a Hammerhead shark swimming above me as I walked through the tunnel.

And last but not least, some pretty, colorful fish.

I hope you enjoy the pictures! Thanks for reading my ramblings. :) Have a wonderful week!!

Softly Call the Muster . . .

Every year on April 21st, Aggies around the world gather wherever they are to remember and celebrate the lives of our Aggie Family Members who have lost their lives over the past year. It's a beautiful and touching ceremony. It always reminds me to live each day to the fullest and to let those I love know what they mean to me. I am so blessed by the people God has chosen to put in my life! What a privilege to get to be part of the incredible Aggie Family with its traditions. Have a wonderful weekend!

Virginia Tech

My heart goes out to the students and faculty of Virginia Tech! Having lived through a campus tragedy while at A&M (although no where near this magnitude), I know it changes the campus forever. I truly believe the ONLY way to survive such tragedy is to go running to the arms of the Great Comforter - Jesus! He knows sorrow, and He is the inventor of healing and forgiveness.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

who comforts us in all our troubles, . . .

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3

HOPE

Because He lives,

I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives,

All fear is gone.

Because I know

He holds the future,

And life is worth the living

Just because He lives!

-Bill & Gloria Gaither

Isn't that reason enough to have hope no matter what you may be facing? How great that we serve a living God who is in complete control of everything. I hope you had a wonderful Easter Sunday, and that you continue to celebrate this hope that we have in Christ all year long!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Well, it's that time again - for me to decide where I'm going next. I have a little less than a month left here in Birmingham, and I've decided not to extend. (I know - not a shock to anyone.) :) This hasn't been the most fun assignment (as far as work goes), but I know God has put me here for a reason. I've met some wonderful people. It's been a great time of relaxation and rejuvenation! My future options for work (as it stands tonight) are Johns Hopkins (Baltimore, MD), Children's (Washington, DC - where I went before), and Duke (North Carolina). Each location has its pros & cons. Please pray for me as I seek out where God wants me to go next!!

Happiness is . . .

My "musical tulip swing"! I went back to the Birmingham Botanical Garden this morning. The tulips were in bloom!!!! :) I stopped by Starbucks for my candy coffee treat and headed down the street to see the pretty flowers. There just happened to be a "porch" swing (minus the porch) right by a huge grouping of tulips, so I sat down, turned my music on, and swang. I'm not sure how long I sat there. I watched some chipmunks or squirrels (not quite sure what they were) playing in the big trees around me. It was such a great way to spend a few hours on my day off - combining several of my favorite things: coffee, tulips, music, swinging, and people watching. I did walk around the rest of the garden eventually to find even more of my special flowers scattered around. I'm sorry I didn't take my camera with me so I could share the beauty with you, but take my word, it was truly beautiful!! Have a wonderful weekend!

Sadness in Aggieland . . .

Well, as I understand it, my Aggie basketball boys are out of the running to win this year. I've never really enjoyed basketball. To me, it's like the intermission between Act 1 (football) and Act 2 (my beloved baseball!). :) I certainly never understood brackets and seeds (which until only a couple years ago, I thought it was "seats" - like "1st or 2nd chair in band")! But, as the loyal Ag fan, I actually watched parts of a few games this season. Shocking, I know!! I'm so proud of my Aggies for getting SO FAR this season. They've come a long way since I was a student; it's unbelievable!! I hope they can appreciate all that they accomplished this year and leave with a feeling of success, not defeat because of a loss. I'm sure next year will be great, too. And who knows . . . I may actually watch an entire game?!? Gig 'em, Ags!!

Happy Springtime . . .

Have a wonderful day!!

Huntsville, AL

Well, I decided to go visit the Space & Rocket Center at NASA Huntsville today. It's about an hour & a half north of Birmingham. It was pretty fun. For those of you who don't know, I absolutely LOVE space and looking at the stars. I'm actually the science nerd that watches the NASA channel. :) This space shuttle is named Pathfinder. It has never flown into space, but it was used for practice a long time ago. I think they said it was built there in Huntsville. They also had several rockets to look at. I'm always amazed at the size of these ships and the fuel tanks! The next picture is from the Huntsville Botanical Garden. It's a grouping of 3 trees. (I think they're dogwoods, but I'm not sure.) The picture just does not do them justice. It was breathtaking! The gardens were very pretty, but I was a little disappointed at the lack of tulips. :) I guess it may still be a little early, but I was hoping! They have a hope garden there in honor of patients fighting a battle with cancer. Each spring and each fall they select 3 cancer patients to landscape a section of this garden. The patients get their picture and a brief bio on a plaque in their section. In the center, there's a bubbling little brook with benches around. It's probably one of the most peaceful places I've visited in a long time! On my way home, I had to stop at the grocery store, so I picked up a bouquet of tulips & gerber daisies. I'll get to see my tulips even if the gardens don't have them! :) It was a very fun day.

Road Trip #2!!

Well, yesterday morning I headed out on my 2nd official Alabama road trip! (Very Exciting!) :) I had to run a couple errands around town, and then I headed south on I-65 (towards Mobile). I wasn't quite sure what I was gonna do there, but I felt like driving. I love driving long distances! It's such a great time to sing at the top of your lungs with your favorite songs or to have a solid couple hours of prayer/worship with God. Well, being in the car for probably 8 or 9 hours yesterday gave me opportunity for both! (a few times!!) As I neared Mobile, I saw an exit for Pensacola, FL. I got to go there several years ago with a college retreat and remembered how pretty the beaches were, so I took the exit. About an hour later, I arrived at the beach and got to walk along the edge of the water for about an hour. The water was beautiful & clear, and the sand was so white it was almost reflective! I found a spot (in the shade - no sun screen with me!) to sit and watch the water until someone nearby thought it was a good idea to feed the seagulls. I've NEVER understood why people feel it necessary to feed those poop-machines! So, when the birds started dive bombing around where I was, I decided to get back in Roony and head someplace else. I headed west on I-10 towards Mobile. I'm not sure if I ever actually got into Mobile, though, because I had to exit and take a LONG detour to get some gas. Instead of winding my way back to I-10, I found a highway that I recognized went through Montgomery & near Birmingham. I hopped on and headed north, which was fun since it was different scenery from my trip down. I found my way back home by around 10PM last night. What a fun day! By the way, the picture is looking back where I had just walked through the sand. The water washed up before I could snap the picture and blurred my toe prints. Oh, well!