Goonies.

The concept of home is a strange thing when you're in college. This little red brick house is the closest to home I've known since I moved out of my parent's when I was 18.

Isn't it a quaint little place? It has been such a blessing to be able to live in this house - it's super close to school, it's in a fun neighborhood,and (best of all) I get to live here with
these goonies...

{Christina}

what I love about her:
her heart of gold.
her ticklishness.
the loud noises that seem to follow her (just a little clumsy).
i can tell her anything. and she gets me.
she shares my love for REI. oh, and bags. (and just about everything else too)
best impersonations. ever.
she's a marathon sleeper (it's a gift).
she's going to make a difference in this world (just watch)

{Michelle}

what i love about her:
her beautiful, poetic soul.
she makes a mean taco pie.
her gangsta dance moves.
she's going to write a rockstar children's book someday.
she's always up for an adventure.
she has an eye for beauty in simple things.
she graciously puts up with my baby jokes.
She dreams, dreams, dreams.


{Tori}

what i love about her:
her passion for... well, life.
how her nose crinkles when she smiles/laughs.
she follows her heart (probably more than anyone i've ever known).
diet coke dates & heart level chats.
she is a total goof (love that sense of humor).
her fun, girly style.
her love for dark chocolate and rearranging furniture.
she has mad film skills (watch out Hollywood).


{Carolyn}

what i love about her:
her laugh and incredible sound effects.
her little dance moves.
her delightful perspectives on life.
she says "holay" after everything.
she's brilliant (but doesn't admit it).
her grocery lists (don't ask).
she loves to "dote." (it's time for a puppy, carolyn)
she watches Enchanted over and over (and over)(and over).


This is my 5th year living with Christina, 4th with Michelle, 3rd with Tori and 1st with Carolyn. I can honestly say that in all this time, there has not been one fight. It's kind of insane how well we get along. It's a little unheard of... and I don't take that blessing lightly. I know this sounds super cheesy, but we love each other like sisters... I've experienced deeper friendship and community with these girls than any I've know in this life. Plus, we have a crazy amount of fun together. Like I said, I count myself as blessed to be able to live life with these amazing chicas. We have another year left together in Salt Lake (which we're calling the encore year... or the victory lap) and I'm determined to make the most of it. I can't even imagine "doing life" without them. It's going to be fun to see where we all land in the next 5 years - I have a feeling that we're going to find ourselves thousands of miles away from each other (which is scary), but right now, were are still here! So I'm squeezing everything I can out of the next year. Here's to a kick-butt victory lap!

Love you girls,
{xo. jarah}

p.s. Missing this roommate today. She had to go off and get married. Wasn't she a gorgeous bride? Love you Rach, things just aren't the same without you...

nursing school 201.

I know what you're thinking... "Oh good, another post about nursing school." I don't blame you if you don't want to read another one, but I did promise you a full update. Don't worry, this one is not nearly as bleak as the first. In fact, there is a pretty stark difference between my first and second semester of nursing school. It's not necessarily that things got easier. Actually, my spring semester was a little more rigorous academically. I actually think it was me who had changed.

{me in OR garb after watching a brain surgery}

My schedule was still insanely busy... I had to take 17 credit hours: Global/Community Epidemiology, Nursing Care of Adults, Nursing Care of Adults Clincal, Nursing Research and Cultural Competency/Mutual Respect. Here's the stack of books for my classes this Spring... not quite as intense, although, it's always a bad sign when your text book contains volumes (Medical-Surgical Nursing)!

I still spent a good majority of my time on school work, but my life had better balance to it. Maybe it was because I was "in the groove" from the fall, but I think a lot of it has to do with the conscious decisions I made to stop myself from becoming consumed. I had to learn when enough was enough. I actually had time to spend with friends on Friday nights, and was able to make it to the gym more often. I went to a few movies and spent a lot more time with my family. There were occasions when things got out of balance, but I was faster to notice that tension in myself and take steps to keep things in check.

My clinical group was, yet again, amazing. I absolutely loved my clinical instructor (Melody), I learned so much from her and really appreciated her approach to teaching.


We were at The University of Utah Hospital and had the chance to work on various units: Neuro Critical Care, Surgical Specialty and Transplant Unit, Ortho Trauma and Surgical Services, and many different Operating Rooms. It was a big time of growth clinically - I still have a lot to learn, but am feeling more and more confident as a nurse. Sometimes it seems like that day will never come, but I'm starting to see a small light at the end of the tunnel. It's crazy to think that I've already made it through my first year! It was so full, but also went by so quickly. Only one year to go! And one year sounds so much better than two, right?!?

{xo. jarah}

one last toast to 2009

For those of you who want the reader's digest version of this whole update thing, this is the post for you. At the end of every December I like to take time to journal some highlights from the year. Okay, okay... I admit this might be a little weird to read in May of 2010, but I though it would be a good overview of '09 at large. So, without further ado, here is the unedited toast to 2009 from my journal...


To dropping everything.
To living in Africa.
To the undeniable work of God's hand.
To heartbreak.
To opened eyes.
To growing up.
To never too far.
To realized dreams.
To beautiful African babies.
To lessons learned.
To reevaluating tradition.
To wise mentors.
To teammates.
To lovely little letters.
To kindred spirits.
To leaving behind pieces of your heart.
To beautiful reunions.
To (re)learning to be an American.
To hard realities.
To difficulty in ministry.
To junior high girls.
To confronting wrong.
To epic road trips.
To pen pals.
To "glory-strength."
To diet coke dates.
To being uprooted.
To relationship blunders.
To obedience.
To letting go.
To the wait.
To challenge.
To walking through a desert.
To lifelongs.
To getting in.
To unlikely friendships.
To being humbled.
To Veterans.
To wanderlust.
To fueled passion.
To desperation.
To pediatrics.
To where to next?
To my sarge.
To stolen cars being found.
To spontaneous adventures.
To success redefined.
To oceans of grace.
To broken knees being fixed.
To unexpected joys.
To an unforgettable year.

2009: I'll archive you away as a favorite forever. Mazel Tov!
{xo. jarah}

nursing school 101.

Oh, I may seem excited in this picture. And I was. But what you may not see is the intense fear that was sitting in my chest after that first day of nursing school. At our orientation the first thing they said to us was, "Congratulations on getting into the U's Nursing program, now get ready kiss your life goodbye." Gulp. I sat there hoping for someone in the faculty to start laughing, but no one even cracked a smile. "... say goodbye to your friends, your family..." I wish I could say they were exaggerating, but life as I knew it began to change.

I've always spent a lot of time on my schoolwork, but it was taken to a whole new level this year. My first semester consisted of 18 credits: Individual & Family Assessment, Essential Concepts of Nursing, Nursing Skills & Arts, Nursing Management: Drug Therapy, and Pathophysiology II. My textbooks for this semester reached an all time high at over $700. Ew.

That first semester definitely held some amazing experiences (more on that over the next few days). There were lots of nursing milestones during those few short months: first catheter, first shot, first IV, etc... I really enjoyed what I was learning and knew that I was where I was supposed to be. There were times where I really felt the weight of the decision I'd made to go into nursing - like when we learned how to do an emergency tracheotomy or during mock codes. Sometimes it would just hit me that peoples lives were dependent on the decisions I made... that's really heavy stuff and is something I'm still learning to deal with the stress of.

Nursing school is really unique in the sense that you go through 2 years with the same group of people. I loved getting to know my cohort and became really good friends with many of them. It was great to have people to laugh with - a good sense of humor really goes a long way with some of the things you get to deal with as a nurse. And as much as those around me encourage me, there is just nothing like having someone by your side that is going through the same thing. My friend Allie and I became inseparable and held each other up during those rough weeks - so thankful for her!

To be honest, Fall of '09 was one of the most trying seasons I've been through in awhile. After 9 months off, I felt like I had whiplash after being thrown into such a demanding schedule. On top of school, I decided to get a job at Primary Children's, volunteer with the FSC and was somehow surviving on 5 hours or less of sleep a night. I have always been one to have a full schedule... but it was extreme. I rarely saw my roommates and always felt like I was behind on something. I became a walking tornado, I just wasn't satisfied if I wasn't doing something productive. As I look back, it was crazy how fast I went back into machine mode and forgot the things I'd learned just months earlier about taking time for people and slowing down.

{falling asleep at my desk during finals week}

School has always been my thing, but I struggled through that first semester. It was really humbling for me to NOT have it all together. My life was extremely out of balance - it was eating away at me and I knew it. I came to a place where I had to admit my weakness and desperate need for God... he gave me a passage in October that kept me going. It has become my creed for Nursing school...

As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not
the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives.
It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy,
thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything
bright and beautiful that he has for us. (Colossians 1: 10-12, Message)

With all of my heart I believe that nursing school is what God has for me right now, and even though it's insanely hard at times, it is bright and beautiful (or at least it will be when I'm finished... ha!). I prayed over and over for the "glory strength" that this verse speaks of, and God answered my prayer. He carried me through Fall '09. It was hard, but I made it! God began to reshape my view of success during that time too - he reminded me that he had called me into nursing so I could show His love to the broken and burdened. I managed to pull pretty good grades, but it mattered less to me than it ever has before. I still struggle to keep things in balance, but now I aim to gauge my success on how well I'm loving my patients and those around me rather than on my grades.

If you've made it all the way to this point, I'm truly impressed. I apologize that this post ended up being so long... lots of lessons in that first semester. There were times that I swore it was going to kill me, but on this side of things I can see I'm stronger for it. Sorry I was such a recluse, I love you all for standing by me through it.

{xo. jarah}