In an attempt to sum it up, I had a FUN-tabulous visit with so many friends and was reminded multiple times how truly blessed I am. Not everyone can boast having multiple people vying to have you crash on their couch while you're in town, or who will drive you around, or store your belongings in a safe place, or who will listen to the Lindsey Kraft story hour as I relay highs and lows of LA, who will take you out to eat at your favorite places, or who will make time for you and allow your friendship to pick up exactly where you left off.
I started the trip off completely sleep deprived but my energy was restored the moment I landed and had a Chic-Fil-A sweet tea in hand (compliments of Mel)! That sugar was exactly what I needed to keep me awake for dinner. It was just a small, intimate affair...just over 20 people taking over a local Mexican joint! And the good times just kept rolling from there! I'm so glad I was able to visit Providence (my old church) twice while I was in town. Walking the halls on Sunday was a bit of a shriekfest as I kept running into old friends! The words spoke from the pulpits those services were so true and a blessing to my heart as it's been hard to find a solid church in LA. Providence truly is a rare find!
As mentioned earlier I hit my local fave places with my fave locals! To mention a few: Chic-Fil-A with Mel, Raleigh Times with Lori & Matt & Gerald, Pei Wei with Val, Edwards Mill Bar & Grill with Whitney, Lilly's Pizza with Lis, Lynnwood Grill with the Ganjavi's, Bob Evans with Mark (no laughing, their breakfast rocks!) and of course I can't forget coffee & playtime at the William's house!
God knew what a great time I was having (since He orchestrated it all) and gave me an extra day in town, my plane got cancelled due to the snow in Chicago. I was able to watch The Office with my friends just like the old days and it was so fun! I'm so thankful for their fellowship, friendship, support through the miles, acceptance, and the list goes on!
One more highlight I wanted to mention is my visit to Duke. I didn't leave my staff position on bad terms but I was a little nervous about what it would be like to go back and visit after being gone for 8 months. Well...it was great! I saw alot of people that I wanted to and who meant a lot to my nursing career. Of course I did miss some other important ppl as I didn't visit during the night shift hours, or on the wkd as that's a different crew too! It felt good to walk the familiar halls, to still remember where supplies are kept (that's a huge struggle as you go to new hospitals), and to know everyone by name. I miss it there. I started there, but I'm not meant to end there and travel nursing has helped me see that. I left Duke because I didn't feel valued/appreciated in who I was as a nurse and for how deeply I cared for my patients and their families. I was told I didn't have leadership skills, that I lacked confidence and authority. I truly believe that travel nursing has helped me gain these skills and still allow me to retain the level of care I give to my patients. I HAVE to be confident in each assignment. I have minimal exposure to each unit before I'm thrown out on my own, being forced to know where things are, what the policy is, how to care for my patient when I don't know who anyone is (or how smart the residents this rotation are)! I'm glad I left, yet Raleigh is still what I will call home as that's where I chose after college to make my home. I still struggle with why I'm not ready to return...but one day I'll get an answer.
I didn't take a lot of pics while I was in town, but this is one of me with my favorite guy in Raleigh. He's giving me a cootie-free kiss!
Love hearing you are loving No. Cal and glad to know he doesn't have cooties :)
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