life update
Last week I wrote about what a funk I was in. To be totally honest, the entire month of February has been something else. You may have noticed something a little different about what I’ve been talking about on the blog (Jeri noticed, as did Sarah and Allie). About a month ago, I decided to end my relationship with James (aka the Rocket Scientist). I didn’t want to mention it right away because I wasn’t ready to go super public with it, and I wanted to tell people on my own time versus real-life people reading it on here. I don’t want to dwell on the issue other than to say it was very difficult for me to do, but I really believe it was the right thing to do. I have nothing but good things to say about James and that will never change.
That being said, I did move to Pennsylvania to be closer to him, and I am not sure what the future holds for me right now in regards to where I want to live and what career I want to do. It’s easy to see that I’m not happy in my current situation, but I feel like I need to try another nursing position before I totally jump ship on it. It could very well be the hospital that is terrible instead of nursing
I’m currently 25 and single, have a fair amount of savings (okay, and some school/car debt…any financial advice out there??), and the world is at my fingertips. (Yikes!) I can pretty much do whatever I want and go wherever I want to go, which is both exciting and terrifying. The key is to figure out what exactly I want to do and where I want to go…
If anyone has any ideas (or a really good Magic 8 Ball), please feel free to share. 
runninggg
After my amazing 17 miler in Durham, my IT band started bothering me again. Since I didn’t want to take a month off of running (and I had zero energy last week…), I took a week off instead. I didn’t miss it. I had a bad week at work and kind of in life, and I couldn’t even fathom running the Boston Marathon in April. The rest was good for my IT band (and maybe for my brain…), as the sun was shining and it was in the high 40’s and I immediately felt like I had to run…I missed that feeling!! I ran in shorts and a tshirt (the tshirt was probably a bit much…should have thrown on long sleeves instead!) and it was amazingggg. Spring, please hurry.
Monday, March 1
4.01 miles in 29:53, avg pace of 7:27
Oops…I guess that’s not “easy” pace…
I’m just planning on jumping right back into Pfitz’s training plan that I’m using (12 weeks up to 55 miles per week)…this week is actually a cut back week so I won’t be jumping right into a 55 mile week after taking a week off. Five miles for today, and it was glorious. All I could think about while running was how much I love running and how I miss it and how lucky I am to be able to run. I took care of a 30-something paraplegic yesterday…talk about perspective.
Tuesday, March 2
5.25 miles in 40:06, avg pace of 7:39
Still feels easy. Love it.
So glad to hear you’re feeling better! February was a rough month for me as well. Yesterday and today have both been absolutely (still a bit cold though), and have definitely ‘lifted my spirits.’ And the fact that you say a 7:39 mile is easy is AMAZING!! Seriously, I’m determined to eventually make it down to an EASY 8-minute mile! Here’s to being 24 (well almost!) & 25 and single!
Okay this post pretty much spells b-a-k-e-r-y!!!! The world is at your cupcake-making fingertips
Alright. I’m gonna be patient. I feel you on the ‘terrifying’ part. I know you’re not a planner but for me not having a plan freaks me out.
Hope your IT band pain stays at bay. I hope your work week goes relatively smoothly….keyword being relatively.
everything will fall into place and come together soon enough
glad you are feeling better, your post sounds much better!! take your time and figure out where you want to go etc, because like you said, it IS all at your fingertips right now 
awesome job on the running too!
I had noticed the RS wasn’t getting mentioned and then he wasn’t in your Texas wedding pictures, so I figured something was up, but I didn’t want to say anything about it.
And I’m with Allie here. Maybe this is your time to do the bakery thing. Picking up and quitting a job is scary, but maybe now is the time to hang on to the job for a bit, sock away some savings while you work on a business plan. Then once you’ve got that figured out, quit the job and do the bakery.
It really seems like that’s where your heart is. And if it fails (which I hope it won’t) you’ve got family and friends to fall back on until you figure out what’s next. You’re not tied down to anything, so what’s stopping you?
(And yes, I realize maybe I need to take my own advice there too, but it’s so much easier to give out advice than take it lol!)
Yeah I was wondering where he went… Remember I am single too
How about…a “choose a career magic 8 ball” business concept? You can sell it at the cupcake shop.
I can’t wait until you find the job of your dreams and/or the hospital of your dreams. It’ll be a good day in nurse on the run land.
You know what else would make a good day? If a 7:27 was an easy pace for me. :p Hate you…. Ha.
Minneapolis. Needs. You!!! And your amazing nursing skills.
It is easy for me to say, but I think you are in an envious position to be sure! I have been out of school for 17 years. I went straight from undergrad to graduate to work. I have changed jobs several times, and never taken any time off between them. Literally, quit on Friday and start new deal on Monday.
Looking back, I regret not taking more time to explore, be free, sow some wild oats. Move to Aspen and get by. Travel the world. Live in a forest cabin. Something. My school and experience always provides the fall back, and I could have done it. I just didn’t. Now with a mortgage, life, etc., such things become much more difficult. Those things are not limiting you now. So, for what it is worth — from the do as I say and not as I did department — I encourage you to do something that makes you smile. That you can look back on 20 years from now and have great feelings about, even if it didn’t work out as planned. I had a friend spend a year in Europe selling used Levis. That year was incredible for him, and his plan literally consisted of a plane ticket and a duffel full of jeans. The schooling and skill will always be there, and I am guessing when the economy turns, probably easier to segue back into if that is where life takes you.
Good luck, and there are no bad choices.
I’m sure that you had lots of great times and learned lots from your relationship – so in that sense, it was a success! Now is your time to concentrate on you and get to a place where you are truly happy.
I think Memphis is calling your name! I could work on getting you a job in the PICU I worked at! Haha, all kidding aside, I’m sorry February sucked for you! At least it’s a new start of a new month! It can only go up right?!? Although it may be scary, think of how exciting it is to have the world at your fingertips! You can go anywhere and do anything!!
I hope you’re doing okay! I know running can help and be therapeutic at times, but only when you’re ready for it to be. Take it easy on yourself, that’s not an easy life-transition to go through! just always know that things have a way of working themselves out, and random job-searches always tend to yield some pretty exciting opportunities
xo
As far as money, budgets, and debt I’m a HUGE Dave Ramsey fan. I actually heard about him via another fitness blogger, who also happens to blog about her budget/savings now. He’s got a great system to get out of debt and build wealth. Only a small part deals with dollars and cents. Most of his system is really built around changing your lifestyle and attitude toward money and spending. Check out her blog at http://kelsalynnfitlog.blogspot.com/ and Dave Ramsey at http://www.daveramsey.com/
Wow, sorry to hear about everything going on. But it seems like a perfect opportunity to start fresh. Do not give up on nursing! no position is perfect, but from the stories I’ve read on your blog, your current job situation is ridiculous, to say the least. I would consider going by the allnurses.com forums and if you have a state in mind, going to those forums and try to figure out the best hospital, patio to nurse ratio, how management is run, etc. Look into something other than floor nursing (icu??). You rock girl!
I actually was wondering what was going on with RS since I hadn’t heard anything on him in a while on the blog. I’m sorry to hear it, but I’m glad that you’re happy with your decision, that’s the most important part! I wish I could offer you good advice on what to do with your life now, but I feel like we’re in a very similar situation. Why not go to the south/another coast/country? Just explore and see if you can find a job in a hospital somewhere else. If I could move anywhere right now it would be to San Diego, hands down. Actually, maybe Italy.
)
Hey Susan – sorry i haven’t been reading or commenting recently! My crazy hospital life presents me from blog reading on a regular basis. But besides, we go back and forth a bit on twitter so that counts right? Okay then, I think I can dispense some advice, but you probably already know what I would say.
Yes, yes, yes, look for a different work environment before you decide to jump ship on this nursing biz. I know a lot of nurses who were miserable at one place and found great success in another. I know your place is a community hospital so that might not be the best place for you to work at right now. You are a pretty caring person and smart so you are meant to go far in this field.
Sigh, I wish I could help more. Sorry about R.S. I’m glad you’re happy with your decision though.
I am so sorry I didn’t pick up on what was going on! You have the right attitude though – you are a young, smart woman, and the world IS at your fingertips! There is so much you can do
hello!
a friend of mine is a nurse and she signed up with a traveling nurse company so she gets to move and try out a new place and a new hospital every three months (though i believe they have longer contracts avaialble).
she settled in the ER at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles and LOVES her job now.
i think this is a great way to kind of test out different aspects of nursing as well as see different places. If i were single (and had a career that offered this kind of thing), i would do it in a heartbeat.
i can find out the agencies she used, if you’d like.
starting over (so to speak) can be so exciting!