I have officially been on the unit for 1 week! and been at Youville for almost 3. It is crazy how quickly the time passes.

the first week and a half of hospital orientation was good, but boring as we sat in a classroom all day and i tried to adjust to sitting for so long. Now i'm adjusting to standing all day, and I have to say- my feet are very tired!!

over the past couple weeks, I have gotten to know the CNA's, transports, and other employees- it is so fun to walk down the hall and have people call hello! Its starting to feel natural to be at Youville and its also starting to be fun. I know my way around 2West and can find the things I"m looking for. I have also helped other people find what they need!

I have also been getting to know the patients.

My favorite patient is a man with an open stoma in his neck (he cannot talk) he is very expressive and writes on a white board. I have worked with him several times, but today i stopped in just to say hi. He asked me about my christmas plans and i was able to tell him about my parents living in Japan. I have never seen someone get excited like he did! it was incredible to see his entire body light up! It turns out he has studied the Japanese alphabets and loves the language. I wrote up some papers for him to 'de-code' and everyone could see how excited he was. He couldn't wait to get at those papers and figure them all out!

I have another patient who is dying from cancer of the tongue/throat. She and her husband have been married 65 years and I feel like i'm watching a movie when i talk with him. They often nap together, her in the hospital bed, him in a chair next to it, holding hands. When you ask him what he did for a living he replies that he loved his wife. He is so eager to help and so good at anticipating her needs, that I have very little to do for her.

Its moments like these that I am so thankful for my job. While these situations did not occur because of my advanced knowledge, or nursing skills, working in a hospital allows you to enter people's lives in such a unique way. I know that these people I'm working with are dramatically touching my life

In my spare time, I'm also seeing more of Boston. Recently, I have travelled the Freedom Trail, shopped the pastry shops of the North End, eaten on Newbury St., hung out in the commons, run a 5k in Somerville, and officially joined a gym! Life seems to be going full-pace and I see no sign of slowing down... I will be working my first holiday on both Christmas Eve and Christmas day, but got enough time in between days to visit home in North Carolina and see the whole family! 

I've also been celebrating Advent, and I have to say, I am anticipating so much this year! Snow, family, traveling... I have come to understand the idea of anticipation much more completely! I can not wait to celebrate the biggest anticipation: the birth of the Messiah!! what an exciting time of year this truly is!

Family Week/ Final Week of relaxing

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Instead of trying to please each other with purchases, the spirit of this holiday is to simply enjoy what we have and to eat! what could be better?!? Eat and enjoy was what I did the past 10 days! It was a great/crazy/relaxing/exhausting week with both Kristin and Andrew here to celebrate the holiday!

Kristin arrived on Friday evening after scoring big with the airlines. Saturday found us bundled up with Carrie to go watch the annual Harvard/Yale football game. It was incredible. the game itself was rather boring (Harvard won!) but it was the first time i was with Harvard crowds. Living so close to Harvard i know i interact with students and faculty regularly, but this was Harvard pride at its finest. We did however get the tickets from Yale and were sitting with Yale alumni all around us! The most interesting part of the game was the two bands half-time shows. They weren't very good bands but they each put on performances about killing the other team and how good the world was because the other school was no longer part of it! A little different from how we do it in the midwest! It took us the rest of the day to warm up and recover from the experience

After church on Sunday we cooked and cooked before heading over to Allston to have thanksgiving with the gang. Even though 11 people were eating, we had so much food! (the leftovers were fabulous the rest of the week!) Thanksgiving #1

On Monday, we woke up super early and caught a bus out of Boston at 6:30am bound for NYC! When we arrived we were greeted by Valpo friend, Tyler. Thus began our adventure. Having all been to NYC before, there were no pressing tourist attractions to see, so we enjoyed the day exploring, eating, and laughing! We eventually made our way to the evening performance of Avenue Q!! After the show we left Tyler, found our way to Penn Station and arrived back in Boston at 4am. Although it was only 24 hours in the city, it was awesome to have the day there!

Tuesday morning found us rushing around to get Kristin on the commuter rail to meet Drew at Gordon to spend the day with him. They both came home to the apartment that evening. It was so good to be reunited!! It didn't feel quite like thanksgiving without mom and dad, but Skype allowed us some good moments together!

Wednesday we relaxed, slept in, and eventually made our way to church for a thanksgiving meal with the people i cook with. It was a good night of fellowship, food, and fun games! Thanksgiving meal #2

Thursday was the actual Thanksgiving day and so we headed to the park to play flag football with church friends and then made our way to family friends right here in Cambridge! what a blessing it was to have friends of mom and dad's so close with whom to share old memories and create new memories with. Thanksgiving #3!!

Friday we nursed our turkey lethargy while resisting consumerism. kristin and i did make it to the gym for an urban rebounding class which was a cardio workout on mini trampolines! (i thought it would be an easy workout with a lot of fun and bouncing. in reality, it really is a hard workout!!)

As Saturday was our last day together we put the final pieces on Kristin's amazing astronomy video project, cut drew's hair, watched a couple movies and cooked. it was a relaxing day!

This morning Kristin had an early flight and Drew eventually caught the commuter rail back to Gordon.

Now i'm home alone awaiting the return of the roommates while anxiously thinking about tomorrow and my first day at Youville! Also, I'm hoping for some snow instead of all the rain we are getting... but i am thankful that it has been dry this long!

Tomorrow starts a new chapter- Amberly Killmer RN! can't wait to see what the job is actually like and how long it takes for the commute to get old as well as what color scrubs i get to wear, and when i can start using my earned days off! I still have a lot to learn, but for tonight I'm going to enjoy sitting on the couch, drinking hot tea, and reading!

JOB!!!

I will be a working woman starting Dec. 1st! 

It has been awesome to see how God was at work behind the scenes. I spoke with several family friends at the end of school year about Boston and where I could find work. Youville Hospital came up but I wasn't sure how likely they were to give me a job as it is a small hospital. Then I moved to Cambridge and started searching for a job. The job search is not as easy as they make it sound when you are in school!!! Youville gave me an interview last week, and I signed all the paperwork/officially accepted the job yesterday! 

I will be working on an oncology unit and eventually working nights. It'll be hard work but i think it will be great! i'm looking forward to finally being a real nurse!

God is so good! I'm so thankful that he continues to provide, even when I feel like giving up

and now the fun can really begin! Kristin flies in tomorrow, Andrew comes on Tuesday and we have so much planned for the whole time they are here! be ready for a long post in about 2 weeks

XDR TB

I wrote about this in a previous post, but found more information on XDRTB and James Nachtwey. Please check it out: xdrtb.org (click on the title of this post)

Spread the news. Stop the disease!

Happy November

October ended with a bang and the three roommates were shooting stars (we are holding guns!) for Halloween!!

I can't believe November is here! Boston is getting cold! I really do like seasons changing and am looking forward to when it snows :)

I am still happy to be living in Boston- and I'm glad to show Boston to visitors! Kaori came to Boston for a Japanese job fair and it was so wonderful to catch up after 6 years!! We have also had many Bowdoin visitors, and I've enjoyed getting to know people that Carrie has told me so much about. I'm looking forward to more visitors (PLEASE COME VISIT!!) and am hoping that some Valpo people make a trip east!

As usual, I'm also looking forward to traveling! I leave tomorrow for DC and Erica's wedding!! Can't believe that my freshman RA is getting married- but I'm thrilled to be a part of the day!

I finally switched cell phone providers (cingular does not get service in this area of Cambridge :( ) so i now have Verizon and i kept my old number! I know I'll be thankful to not have to wander around outside in order to talk to people, but I wish cell phones weren't so expensive!

I'm still praying about a job and the patience to see God's provision. My friend Lauren reminded me today that God provided in unexpected ways for the Israelites and that he has continued to provide for his people since then. 

In election news, Massachusetts and North Carolina made some interesting decisions on their own. Yesterday marijuana possession was legalized in MA and NC chose its first female governor, Beverly Purdue! History is being made in so many arenas

That's all the news for now. Remember, remember the 5th of November!

A Weekend in Pittsburgh

I spent the past weekend in Pittsburgh,PA at Point Park University with Kristin!! Not only was it wonderful to get out of Boston after taking the NCLEX, but it was so good to see my sister!

I arrived early afternoon on Friday and was fully immersed into Kristin's life; not only was everyone calling her "Tink" but we got to see three plays (the school production of  CanCan, a Cabaret and a Greek tragedy!) and hang out around PPU!

Kristin has 3 awesome roommates who were all so kind to me. I had a lot of fun teasing Emily, goofing around with Janelle in the museum, and watching CSI with Jessica! The other awesome part of my weekend was going to Kristin's church "Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community", it is an awesome church dedicated to being Christ to the city of Pittsburgh (see what others have been saying: SCD UMC Ideas)

It was a great weekend catching up with Kristin, seeing her life at school, and getting to know a new city. I can't wait for thanksgiving to have all three siblings together!

God is Good

After taking the NCLEX exam Thursday morning, I left to visit Kristin in Pittsburgh! On Saturday, I woke up to Kristin and Emily jumping on me, screaming that I had passed my exam! Amberly Killmer RN! :)

Regardless of the results, I am glad that God is the one in control of my life! Let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation!! Isaiah 25:9 

October: before the exam

now that the test is over I'm feeling much more care free!! although, the past two weeks have been fun-filled. I've been studying a lot but also trying to enjoy Boston!

I have experienced trivia night at the White Horse in Allston, spent some time getting advice and hearing stories from a homeless man in the Boston Commons (my conversation with Tom was truly a God thing because he encouraged me to continue to pursue my dream of becoming a nurse, and he shared some inspiring stories from his life with me. It was a blessing to talk to him, and I know that he was heaven sent!) I've also been enjoying going to Young Life weekly meetings where we are talking about different aspects of the christian life and I'm thankful to be meeting other christians my age that live in the Boston area. 

My roommates and I have enjoyed watching the Red Sox play with Bostonians, and from the comfort of our own apartment. Last night we watched from Harvard Square and could not believe the outcome. Soxtober continues and the men down at the fish market have more to talk about!

Columbus Day weekend was a blur of activities. On Saturday my roommates and I headed down to Haymarket (a large farmers market) for some grocery shopping and explored the North End of Boston, complete with pizza and some pastries from Mike's! I then met Katie, my former boss in admissions at Valpo, down at Copley Square in Back Bay for some Starbucks and people viewing in the public gardens! We finished our night off with some more pizza from Upper Crust on Newbury Street!

Sunday was busy as I tried another new church right here in Harvard Square, walked around Harvard Square to enjoy Oktoberfest (even sat on the longest couch in the world!) and then headed into Andover, MA to an incredible house to celebrate KKG Founder's Day with the Boston Alumni Association.

Monday was the day I'd been waiting all weekend for- the roommates and I headed out to Concord/Lexington to hike around history. It was beautiful with the leaves changing! Plus, learning about the Revolutionary War, seeing where so many famous literary figures are buried, and visiting Orchard House (where Little Women takes place!) was super exciting!

The rest of the week was long as I spent all my time studying for the test. I took the test yesterday (see previous post) and am currently preparing for my flight to visit Kristin for the weekend!! I'm excited to be with family and get my mind off the outcome of the exam! PITTSBURGH HERE I COME!!

The Big Day

I took the test this morning and have no idea how I did. I won't find out the results for a couple more days...

I do know though, that now matter what the outcome of the exam is, my identity is found in Christ alone.

It has been an incredible journey of faith this fall as I have dealt with failing the exam and now retaking it. I have been often reminded that God is faithful and will complete the good work he began. Kristin gave me a verse last night that I have been clinging to throughout today: Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."

Nachtwey's Wish

These pictures are remarkable yet disturbing. They remind me of how much work there is to do around the world. Its especially sobering considering that we, as Americans, don't even think of tuberculosis as a large threat anymore.

boston.com/bigpicture/2008/10/nachtweys_wish_awareness_of_xd.html

(you can also click on the titles of the posts they take you to new websites! other titles besides this one are links. check them all out!)

Ladder 4

Laura and I were just evacuated from our apartment!! The fire alarm was blaring and all of us tenants went into the parking lot. The fire department has a good response time of 8min in case we ever really need them. This time something (they think a large spider!) got into the fire alarm system which set it off... i'm just glad we still have an apartment- it was cold outside!

a new bean in town

I'm finally doing things with my days!! I have been studying a lot, but also trying to take time to explore. I have found several neat areas in Harvard Square and am starting to feel more comfortable in this area. I'm so thankful to live around so much green space! Carrie and I also discovered that we live in the backyard of Gen. Washington's headquarters from 1775 - 1776 (which is also Longfellow's family home) The park rangers give tours of the house regularly and people from all over come for these tours! I have been stopped a couple times by tourists asking for directions. (i can only sometimes help them) A couple of them have even mistaken me for a Harvard student! perhaps I look intelligent?!? Its still sinking in that this is my regular life and I'm not in a study abroad program...

I met Andrew (my brother) today at church; it was so good to see him. He stayed in Boston afterwards and we went out to eat and catch up. Unfortunately we didn't time our afternoon very well and ended up waiting for his train back to Gordon College for much longer than anticipated... but that meant we got to talk more- which was worth my time for sure. It was also good to talk to someone about their impressions of church and have some discussion around deeper topics than simply my name and my profession!

My roommates and I also had a housewarming party- we grilled out on our back patio Saturday evening for friends. I enjoyed getting our apartment ready for the party (we now have pictures on the walls!) and meeting all of Carrie and Laura's friends!

other than that, life is pretty quiet. I am hoping to plan some more excursions this week. I have been reading up on Boston and found out about some great deals to take advantage of. (I really need Let's Go: Boston to inform me of everything! what a great guide book...) The leaves here are starting to turn colors and its beginning to look like the pictures I have seen of fall in New England! I am hoping to make it out somewhere outside of Boston to look at colors, go to an apple orchard, and enjoy the landscape that I'm living near! I have nothing planned for the next week except studying (yay) which is starting to wind down as the test is in a week and a half :O 

that's all the news currently from beantown... hope all is well with you

Boston

I finally made the big move to Cambridge, MA on Sept 11, 2008! I am living near Harvard Square in a cute apartment with two others girls, Carrie and Laura. I graduated from Cary Academy with Carrie, while Laura and Carrie both graduated from Bowdoin College this past May together. It's been really fun getting to know Laura and reconnecting with Carrie!!

I have gotten to explore the area some and am so thankful for our location; Harvard Square is wonderful! There are lots of cute coffee shops, cafe's, and cobblestone roads which it feels very quaint, and somewhat like Europe. I also like being close to the Charles River and the paths along its shores. Harvard Square also gives us easy access to the rest of the city. We can access the T and connect to all of the other lines easily, and there are many bus stops right in Harvard Square which will take us just about anywhere!

I'm still trying to find a church to attend regularly. I really like the two I have attended already, and am looking forward to meeting up with Drew this weekend to check out a church together! I'm also excited to make some friends and get to know new people as I get more involved in this city and its numerous activities! 

In some ways it feels as though I've lived here for several months, and in other ways I feel like mom just left yesterday... weird how time can do that!

First Post!

I have made the move to Boston and am blessed to have so many friends and family members wondering how life is going... instead of responding to everyone i decided to being a blog!!

My dear friend, (and blogger in her own right), Jane, came up with the great title when i was asking for some suggestions...

Jane: or it could be something very patriotic like amber waves of... 

how about amber waves of grey?

like earl grey...like the boston tea party!

waves of earl grey! :O)

and so begins my blog of life in the 'real' world!