Revival of my "adventures"

It's not that I haven't been adventurous.

I guess haven't exactly felt the need to blog about my adventures. No particular reason why I stopped, except this blog was originally more of a travel journal of sorts. But the title is inclusive to all of my life adventures. As my generation of college graduates embarks on various journeys throughout the world, my Google Reader has become a regular daily visit to keep up with all of the blog entries. And they have inspired me to reflect on my journey as well.

Senior year at Boston College was surely an adventurous and blog-worthy expedition. The past 12 months of my life have been perhaps the most tumultuous and transitional months of my life (also exceptionally busy). Upon arriving back from my semester in South Africa, my life has been a rollercoaster filled with and defined by savoring sweet relationships at BC, powering through difficult classes and long clinical hours, leading a community of BC students on a service trip to Mexico, participating in a religious pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, working my first job as a nurse... at camp, frantically filling out job applications, traveling to job interviews, and studying long hours for my NCLEX board exam. Through all of these joys and struggles (and many, many more), I find myself, by the grace of God, employed and embarking on a journey of absolute unfamiliarity. Living with two wonderful friends in Brooklyn and (almost) working in a world class health system on Long Island in a Neuro ICU is a dream and it definitely doesn't feel real yet. Everything ahead of me seems that it will be 100% new - and thus 100% exciting and 100% frightening, all at the same time.

It is funny how, if you asked me even just six months ago, I never would have pictured myself in this situation. Long Island? Neuro? Neither were even close to my radar. And yet, as I continue to prepare myself for the first day of work, it seem that this situation is a wonderful place to start my journey as a Registered Nurse - geographically, socially, and professionally. Huh. Life lessons, "YOU'RE NOT GOD" and "YOUR LIFE PLANS AREN'T ALWAYS WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU," strike again. Both seem to be recurrent themes in my life thus far. Maybe one day I will internalize. As I reflect on this journey, a prayer by Thomas Merton comes to mind - one that has guided me through many life transitions over the years:

My Lord God,

I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that my desire to please you does in fact please you.

And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

On another note...
If you are a faithful follower of "my adventures" (although there is no compelling reason since as of July of last year, all the fun in blogging was apparently over) you may notice a change in the background and colors. The change was partially due to a difficulty in reading white letters against a black background (was the just extra difficult because my eyes are tired?). I also wanted to incorporate a funny (and completely random) picture of a book title my sister's (Elizabeth's) friend Becca sent me once - a 1961 novel called "Calling Nurse Linda" by Patti Stone. Who is Patti Stone? I haven't read the book, but maybe I should since I am now indeed Nurse Linda. And the book cover also matched the color I wanted to use for my blog template. 150% random.

The current unromantic adventure awaiting me is packing up all of my useful belongings (key word: useful) to bring to my new home in a lovely neighborhood of Park Slope in Brooklyn. It will most certainly an adventure - and has been already. Heavy lifting, purging of old papers and nick-nacks, and furniture shopping galore.  I still don't understand why I saved a receipt from purchasing icecream in 2005. Life's mysteries perplex me.

Until internet is installed in my new apartment,
Lindapants