3/29  The Long Kiss Goodbye

Today is the day that I was supposed to make my first leg of my awaiting adventure of travel nursing. It isn’t though, because yesterday I was informed that my 4/4 background check was not back yet. I had to have a background check for my KY license. I got my KY license because KY is what is considered a compact state. Basically, I get reciprocity in 25 other states with my KY license. So I took advantage of my KY residency. I had another background check for the state of Virginia. Yet another due to my proximity to Washington DC. And yet another background check for the hospital that I was headed to. Needless to say, I have nothing to hide. J Anyway, since my background check was not back, I had a couple of days to spend with my close friends and gather advice and say my “see you laters.” Northern Kentucky will always be home to me, so this is not goodbye.

 4/1 It’s Gametime!

Today I got the call from my recruiter that my background check is in and tomorrow and can begin my trek to Arlington, VA. It’s very hard to believe that tomorrow I will drive away from everything I know and love for an undetermined amount of time. I will miss all of my friends dearly.  This is the hardest thing I have done in a long time and I get sad when I realize I can’t share this experience with my main man, my dad. My dad and I spoke about travel nursing and I promised him I would not stray from venturing out due to fear. Good thing I made him that promise, because in my head I have wanted to be the Lion from the Wizard of Oz several times. So this is for you Dad! Luckily, when I needed my dad’s advice and guidance the most, I was staying with one of the most amazing men I know other than my brother and father. He was there to give me some fatherly advice. Thank you. You know who you are.

 4/2 Driving through the Tears and Fears

I awoke this morning at 0520. This girl does not enjoy waking early. My dear friend Rachel, whom took me in as a boarder for the weekend, got up and made sure that I ate a good breakfast before taking off. I handled driving away from everything I have known and loved for the past 18 years in the same manner I did while taking care of my dad. While taking care of my dad, I was solid and sound when I was in nurse mode. Then when I shifted into daughter mode, I just crumbled and felt broken. As my traveling start approached, the adventurous side of me was ready, excited, and happy. Then there were moments that the fear got the best of me and I would break down. As I drove away through the tears, scared and alone, I knew great adventures awaited me.

So I took off towards Dayton/Wheeling and started my trek east. I am proud to say that I never got lost at all on my drive to my new residence. That is saying a lot for this girl. I am very much a “Life is a journey, not a destination” type of girl.  Little detours don’t bother me.

Things I learned today:

Maryland is a beautiful state. I had no idea.

Compressed air is free in VA. Yay!

I packed WAY too much stuff!  I need a Bell boy.

As I drove into the area where I would be residing, I immediately notice bike paths, bike lanes, and dogs everywhere. Already my kind of town! Bike lanes and bike paths? Toto, I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore.

I also saw a bald eagle fly overhead while I was driving in on the George Washington Pkwy along the Potomac River. Only the second one I have ever seen in the wild. Amazing creatures!

4/4 Washington DC by sight, Cherry Blossom Hunt, and Barack, it’s me Shannon.

Today I set out to conquer the MetroBus and MetroRail! Anyone who knows me, knows I got quite lost in the bus system in Cincinnati. It was pretty much an epic failure X3. So, I felt a bit crazy to take this task on alone. Let’s just say, I rocked it! The bus and rail part that is. I did have a nice police lady help me get my card for the metro, as I was struggling a bit there. That’s what happens when a country girl heads into the city. I hopped off the metro at the Smithsonian and looked right to see the Washington monument. So I walked, what felt like a mile(after looking it up, it is 1.2 miles) , a long way down to the monument to get some pictures. Only to turn around and see the Capitol building way down at the other end.  So I walked down to the capital building to get some pictures. I will admit that I was a bit ADD in my travels. The excitement of where I was could not be contained. For those not aware, April is Cherry Blossom time in Washington DC. That is all anybody talks about, here, there, and everywhere in reference to Washington DC. Cripes! I have to get some pictures of the Cherry Blossoms! A good friend told me the Cherry Blossoms are most spectacular down around the Reflection Pool and Tidal Basin. Soooo, these sites are opposite the Capitol where I was, so I walked back down to the Washington monument end and then left to the Tidal Basin/Reflecting Pool area, only to find out the Cherry Blossoms there had not bloomed yet. L After this sad sight, I decided to find the White House to talk with my boy Barack. Wow, talk about dropping a mansion right downtown. I had no idea it was so right there. I had great visions of lying in the grass on the front lawn, but the police are ever present in that part of town and a bit touchy when it came to the grass. J So, I figure a picture will do. After walking 5 or 6 miles easily, I decided it would be best to head home from my day of adventure. I can’t wait to go back and see all the museums!

 First week of work: Gotta love Nurse Practitioners!

So at my new place of employment, NP’s pull arterial sheaths, swan ganz catheters, chest tubes, pacing wires, and wipe the back ends of the bedside nurses. What? I’m sorry, can you repeat that? Now, let me say, I could not work here forever, because I have seen what I can do as a CVICU nurse. I loved my job at TCH. But wow, what a nice break! I can do this. And how much are you paying me to do this? Nice! All jokes aside, it is awesome to have a nurse practitioner right there within arms reach at all times and the surgeons actually get to sleep at night. It makes them much nicer in the morning. But when the surgeon should wake up on the wrong side of the bed, the NP gets an earful before the bedside nurse. Another nice feature I am not used to. I do miss my 0300 calls to a particular TCH surgeon stating, "Let me speak to the charge nurse." Never good when the nurse having called the surgeon states, "he wants to speak to the charge nurse." Everyone here is very welcoming and excited to have a travel nurse here. They must have heard prior to my arrival that I am a pretty big deal. :-)

4/9/13   CHERRY BLOSSOMS!!!!!

So, one thing that I learned about my perfectly timed arrival to the Washington DC area in April is that it is Cherry Blossom time. Holy cow, that is all anybody whom lives here or from afar talks about! So the trees that I initially thought were the cherry blossoms, yep, nope those were Magnolia trees. Yes, we have those in northern Kentucky and no I have never paid much attention to them when they bloomed. I told everyone here that Magnolia’s are not prevalent in KY, trying to save face. Luckily, that bought me some  time. J

I started my day out with a nice relaxing  30 mile ride down to Mt. Vernon. For those like me, whom are pathetic at history, that was the home and garden of George Washington. Going to have to return and take a tour to get my education on. There I admitted it! On my ride there, I was keeping an open eye for bald eagles and cherry blossoms. No bald eagles were seen, as with a limited number of cherry blossoms. It was a very nice ride along the Potomac River on a bike path. Very weird feeling to ride on a bike path and not have to ride uber defensively waiting for a motorist to pass very closely;  throwing a pop can at me or yelling obscenities at me. I loved it!

After returning from my ride, it was the hunt for cherry blossoms. So I hopped on the bus and down to the metro into DC in search of the famous cherry blossoms amid some monument sites. Another day of lots of walking. Normally, not something to complain about, but I just finished 30 miles, so I was trying to be a little more focused today. The cherry blossoms are scattered about downtown, but they are most amazing around the Tidal Basin near the FDR memorial. Finally, I found them. My search has ended and got some pictures to share.