Show Me the Money

Show me the Money. Or at least, someone give me some money. I just took a look at the list of textbooks required for nursing students -- just this winter alone I'll be spending several hundreds on books. Granted, most of these books will be used throughout the program and probably provide invaluable information for me for many years, the cost is still overwhelming. Thank goodness for credit cards. Just when I was crawling out of debt, I gotta jump back in that quicksand.

I just wish so badly that I could start in the Spring, versus the Fall, but I'm afraid of vocalizing my wish -- I think out of nowhere, somebody will jump out and chide me, "you should be thankful you got in at all!"

Again, I am beginning to plan things. Is it weird that I just love to make plans and lists? I'm obsessed, but it makes me happy. It is a good thing that I get planning right away, because when I finish nursing school, I'll only have an AS degree and I'll need to work on transferring to a 4-yr university to get my bachelors. I think it would be best that I go straight away and get my bachelors, rather than skip school for a few years. Also, I've been in school for sooooooo damn long that it's frightening to think that I'd be away from school for so long, even if just a year.

I've been looking at employment searchings for various areas of the country -- and schools also. If I do succeed (which really isn't a matter of if -- it took me this long to get in, and I'm not going to squander away this chance by failing!) I will have a priceless license in hand -- a RN license, which can get me a job virtually anywhere in the planet (everywhere except the Phillipines, South Africa, who produce more nurses than they need, and developing countries). I've picked some places I want to live. I have a feeling that I'd be in SoCal forever and ever, but it's nice to think that I have options.

My first choice would be Washington DC. I was browsing on-line and came across a blog that had the image left as a main image. Immediately I became SO nostalgic for DC! Can you get so nostalgic for a city you've only spent a few days in? It's hard to see what it is, but you can click on it to see a larger version. It's the train station. Or is it subway? It is underground, and it's kind of eerie, lit dimly with fluorsecent lights. It is kind of a barrel vault archway, but it has rectangular depressions all over the surface of the ceiling, and it's an enormous space. It has been years since I took public transportation, and more than a decade since I took a subway, and it was pretty exciting. I was so enchanted by the whole area of the station, and I completely forgot to take photos of it. But I loved the city. It's beautiful! I would love to live there for a few years. And I've got my cousin there too.

Second choice would be San Francisco/Bay area. It's a lovely area. What more can I say? And it's got a bunch of good nursing schools where I can complete advanced nursing degrees if I choose to. It's still California, and the weather's probably as nice as it is down here.

Third would be Chicago, IL. Snow. What else can I say? I also have family in Schaumberg, so I won't be too lonely. And I can always watch horror movies with Zarina (if she's still in the area when I finish nursing school, which seems EONS away)! =) And there's a giant lake, if you haven't heard. And ponds all over the place -- even Schaumberg, where my auntie and uncle lives, has a pond per block! I'm sure that makes for a humid summer, but I don't plan to live there forever -- I can deal. And THERE'S SNOW! Did I say that already? After 14 years of sunny Christmas (vs White Christmas), I think I deserve a white one.

The fourth is a tie between San Diego and Seattle. They both seem like lovely cities with much views to offer. I don't know too much about the cities to decide.

Ok. That was enough fantasizing for now. Whew! It made me pass a good hour dreaming about living in other wonderful places. For the remaining of the workday, I will ponder about backpacking through Europe -- visiting Paris and London, etc. I think I'll love Paris. I speak an extremely miniscule amount of French, and the few phrases I can say are not only useless, I butcher them to unrecognizable pieces. I'll have an exciting time in France indeed. Maybe I'll practice by visiting French-speaking portions of Canada. The Congo came to mind, but I really don't want to get shot anytime soon, so ... Well, it's dream time for me. Bye for now.