SLC, here i come!

i'm just finishing up packing... i fly out early tomorrow morning.

when i say early... i mean i have to wake up at 3am
(on second thought, I may not even bother with going to bed)
you know, out of all the places i've gone and of all the adventures i've taken,
i think this is the most excited i've been to get back home.

now, don't get me wrong,
i'm really sad about leaving this place and these people that i've come to love.
really, don't take my excitement to go home as a sign that I didn't like it here.
quite the contrary... i've LOVED it.

i really cannot put my finger on what's different this time around,
but i am ready to be home.
i can't wait to
see my momma
hug my daddy
spend an entire week playing with kaitlyn
and catching up with the goonies.
oh, and i'm ready to play in those mountains too!

goodbye, minnesota.
i don't know when i'll see you again,
but you've been good to me.

my minnesota people

Leaving is always a tough thing.
But it isn’t so much the place that matters - it’s the people.
It’s absolutely the people.

these are my minnesota people.

i've been so blessed to spend the past 10 weeks rooming with these chicas.
i'm really going to miss them.

best preceptor...

ever.

we had our closing banquet tonight for the Summer III program here at Mayo.
it was sad to say goodbye to so many people i've grown to love this summer.
like brooke, my rock star preceptor.
i learned so much from her over the last 10 weeks,
plus she was so much fun to work with!

part of me hates to see this chapter closing...
what a sweet, sweet time it has been though!

{jessica, eden, me, brooke}

{me + best preceptor ever}

{guess who the psych patient is in this photo... oh my!}

my rochester family

i had to say goodbye to my sweet little Rochester family tonight and it was really sad.

i have so enjoyed hanging out with Julie, Greg & Jace all summer...
truly some of the greatest people you will ever meet.
i have been so incredibly humbled by their hospitality.

they've really gone so far out of their way to make me feel welcome and at home.
and i'm really going to miss them.


thanks for everything, maddocks!
love you guys!

a summer of...

i only have one week left here in minnesota,
i can't even get my mind around that!
where has this summer gone?

what started as a quick application, a big unknown, a whim, a step of faith,

has turned out to be an incredible adventure...
and I count myself as blessed,
SO very blessed.

this has been a summer of...

nurse geekiness
heart break over mental illness
becoming "Mayo-nnaised"
beauty in brokenness
joy in unexpected places
learning so much from my patients
precious new friends
frozen grapes
mid-west accents & hospitality
furious thunderstorms
"family dinners"
ridiculous aerobics sessions in the living room
riverside walks
thousands of fireflies
working my fanny off
late night ice cream runs
exploring fun new places
visits from loved ones
Hellen Keller jokes (hey now, don't judge)
outrageous stories
dance lessons a la hailey
laughing until my face hurts
good music
shopping adventures
yummy coffee
reading, writing, dreaming
thinking about what might be
whistle binkies
tubing down rivers
hip-hopping
pantyhose, hairspray & lipstick
public transportation
baseball
silliness
missing home
growing pains
cute toes
learning to get over myself
(& how to talk to people)
shark week
snail mail
free PIE nights
rockin out with Jace, Julie & Greg
giant mosquitoes
big life lessons
&
fun... Fun... FUN!

summer 2010, i'll archive you away as a favorite forever.

a glad heart.

hey all! just wanted to say thanks for the encouragement after a tough weekend. the emails/phone calls really helped to lift my spirits. there have been some rough days this summer, but i'm learning how important it is to stay grounded. this little passage has been on my mind all day and has restored gladness to my heart... thought i'd share it with you.

I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
My body rests in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead
or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever.
[Psalm 16:8-11]

amen. and amen.

you. matter.

if i'm here for any reason at all this summer,
it's for those two little words:

you
matter

to help people understand that
they are of immense value...
that life is worth living...
and that there is
hope

last night i encountered
the most difficult situation of the summer yet.
hands down.
i cried myself to sleep
as i replayed the scene in my mind.

it's almost as if i could
physically feel my heart
breaking
as I sat and listened to
some of the most tragic things
I've ever heard.

my chest still feels
heavy
this morning,
but I'm compelled
by the hope I've been given in Jesus

to press on
in helping others understand
that
they
matter

i understand now,
that
is why
i'm here