Looking forward to 2014... better late than never ;)

Hello!

I usually do a new year post in early January looking back at the previous year's big steps, big news, resolutions and then looking forward to the next year. Well, I will blame my late post on technical difficulties... Matt and I got a new computer a few weeks ago that will become our shared computer, and I just now got around to transferring all of my files, links, pics, etc. So, this post is late, but better late than never ;)

So, looking back on 2013
Our resolutions were to:

• Continue to knock things off of our bucket list
• We are really concentrating on seeing all of the professional sports teams that we haven't made it to yet - which are a lot (Jets, Giants, Mets, Knicks, Rangers)
• UPDATE: I would give us a so/so on this. We did do a lot of things on our bucket list, but we did not accomplish as many things as we wanted before leaving NYC. In fact, we didn't get to any of the sporting events for the teams mentioned above, and we didn't get to a lot of the northeast states that would have been easy to get to from NYC. OH well..
• Improve the efficiency/effectiveness of my study time.
• UPDATE: I think I did this pretty well. I am still a slight procrastinator at heart, but I do try to practice self-control and good study habits. I am in school (again!) so I have ever more opportunities to practice this, but more on that later.
• Picture books.
• I really would like to capture our NYC life in pictures. Especially before it becomes a truly overwhelming task (may be too late for that ;))
• UPDATE: I made all of one picture book, and it was about the marathon. SO, kind of a fail on this one. Argh...
• Blog more.
• This goal is going to be adjusted to every 2 weeks or 2 times per month. I think I can commit to this.
• UPDATE: HA! Massive fail. I am going to stop saying that I am going to blog more, because it never happens :)

Our big events/goals were:

• June 2013 - Carissa's Graduation - WOOHOO!!!!! I did graduate with my Associate in Applied Science (Nursing), and that was a big accomplishment for me. My parents came to NYC to see me graduate, which meant a lot. You can read all about it here and here (this link is mostly pics).
• June/July 2013 - cruise to Greece to celebrate mine and Matt's 5-year anniversary and my graduation. We went on a 9-day cruise to Italy, Greece, Turkey and Croatia. It was absolutely amazing. You can see/read about it here.
• (Carissa) Pass the NCLEX on first try - I did pass the NCLEX on the first try and in 75 questions (the minimum amount of questions it will give you). I received my RN license in August.
• Nov 2013 - NYC marathon - This was another huge accomplishment for me and Matt. We both finished under 4 hours, which was our ultimate goal. You can read all about our experience here. We have a bit of the marathon bug and are hoping to run Chicago in 2015.
• Get a job!! (for Carissa) - sadly and frustratingly, this is still in the works.

Any new goals/resolutions for 2014??

Not really. We don't seem to have any big things on our plate or planning anything big in the near future. I would like to get a RN job at a hospital, but I am doing everything I can in that regard and just hope it comes to fruition soon.

School (again!) and the job situation

If you have any nursing friends (especially new grad nursing friends), they will tell you that the nursing job market sucks. I know, I know... you always hear of a nursing shortage. Well, that is an assumed nursing shortage that is projected to have an effect sometime around 2020, but for now, the job market is really tight. I have sent tons of applications/resumes, with no response. Of course, being that my nursing degree is an Associate Degree, that doesn't help. So, I am back in school. I am taking classes online through Grand Canyon University to get my Bachelor of Nursing. It is kind of intense (each class is 5 weeks long), but I should be finished in December 2014, so that is good.

I do have a job as an RN. It is a part-time RN position at an adult day care for mental health participants. It is by no means the job I thought I wanted, but it is working out fairly well. The part-time hours give me time to work on school, and the pay is enough to cover the cost of my school plus a little extra, which is nice. I am getting some experience (not the full experience I would get as a hospital RN, but some experience is better than none). The other nurses I work with are pretty great, and the participants are very nice and appreciative of us being there to help them. I am actually enjoying my job, and I even told Matt the other day that it doesn't really feel like work, which is a good thing! Hopefully, in the next 6 months - 1 year, this experience plus me completing my Bachelors will lead to bigger and better things. But, I am also open to the idea that this is where I am supposed to be right now, and it is all working out as it should. So, we will see what the future holds.

Anyways, I hope everyone is doing well. I do hope to see you here again soon, but I am not promising any frequency of blog posts :)