Thanksgiving

If you asked me to be completely honest, I would say that this first year and a half of "real life" has been hard and difficult. Fortunately our brains are smart and looking back on the past year I remember good things, happy moments, and how I've overcome some of the difficulties of life.

This past year has left me with so much to be thankful for.

Good friends, both old and new. They all play a huge roll in my life. I'm so thankful for them, their visits, their encouragement, love, challenges, mail, phone calls (even though I rarely answer!), and their inclusion of activities no matter where they take place.

My family. Their encouragement to follow dreams, support in my decisions, amusement in so many of my actions, faith that i can imitate. So much to be thankful for.

My job. As often as I complain about leaving the house late at night, the crazy hours I end up working, etc. I have great coworkers that have taught me a lot and supported me when families scream, I do something wrong, or I just need to vent. I also am enjoying the oncology unit. As difficult as oncology can be, I'm learning a lot about life, death, and grief.

How thankful I am to have so much to give thanks for.

As we enter into this month of advent, I'm glad that my heart has been reminded of all that God has done. The candle that we lit today was the candle of hope; what a fitting ending to the Thanksgiving weekend.

Old Friends

It has been fun to make new friends, explore new places, and make new memories. Sometimes though it is nice to meet up with old friends, remember old times and catch up on life.

I got that opportunity this weekend when I met up with a friend from sendai! It was fun to talk about a time that was so influential in my life and realize that those years were special to others as well, that it was real, and that our friendship still is something i appreciate!

Although it has been years, many moves, college graduations, and a wedding since we've seen each other, it amazes me how quickly you can fall into step and feel comfortable napping on the couch, making jokes, and acting like we've known each other forever...oh wait...

It was so nice to catch up and make new memories. Plus, who can ever turn down an apple orchard?? Definitely not me!

Yay for old friends and new memories!

Medical Speak

Roommates are an important part of my life. They accompany me through the ups and downs of the job, they travel with me, introduce me to new things, teach me how to eat lobster, take me to new states, join me on the sofa, share wine with me, split rent, they laugh with me, they rub my back when i cry.... roommates also correct you. I am so thankful for my roommates and their correction of my "medical speak"!

As a nurse you get used to discussing aspects of life that are taboo outside of the hospital. Bowel movements, blood, guts, urine, everything is fair game at the hospital. Most of the time you are discussing patients, but it often becomes personal and you will discuss menstrual cycles, bowel movements, whatever else with your coworkers. I am lucky to have roommates that remind me that wrapping dead bodies is not dinner conversation for all people, or that you do not have to be descriptive when you use the restroom. "excuse me for a moment" is more than enough to the average person!

While my roommates appreciate my stories and ask for more details, they are also quick to let me know that not everyone cares about blood draws or trach decannulations.

As I struggle with how to make appropriate small talk, i wonder many things:

why wasn't there a small talk class in college? (was that what sorority recruitment was for?!) do other professions run into this problem as well? Do lawyers, teachers, business people have "inappropriate" topics to stray away from in their conversations? Where is the common ground? How do we find topics that we can talk knowledgeably about without making our friends want to vomit? (is it too graphic to say vomit?)

the joys of nursing never cease to amaze me... who knew i would be contemplating how to make "i need to pee" into appropriate, adult language!

Labor Day

What better way to celebrate 1 year in cambridge then a roommate trip?? Laura and I headed out to Chicago for the weekend and had an incredible time.

Laura had never been to the midwest and boy did we show her what the midwest is all about!

Saturday we spent in NW Indiana on a farm with corn, a lake with huge rafts, and even some naturally growing marijuana! It was fun to be reunited with Valpo friends as we celebrated a birthday and caught up on life. The night ended with a massive "Ghosts in the Graveyard" game that was very intense, and very unexpected!

Sunday we headed to Valpo and spent the afternoon and evening enjoying campus and friends. It was fun to see how much has changed, and how other things will never change! Laura was also able to come to a Candlelight service which definitely was one of the highlights of being back in Valpo.

Monday we were in chicago all day doing a lot of the tourist things. Many of these things I hadn't done since childhood so that was really fun to see new parts of chicago. The Art Institute is incredible, and the architecture tour was fascinating (as well as a fun way to see chicago from a new angle)

We flew out early tuesday morning with Laura having seen so many different aspects of the midwest that i love!

Now that i'm back in cambridge, i feel i can finally regroup and get into a routine after a crazy summer of traveling. I still have one wedding left in St Louis this month to go to, but am excited to end this years travel schedule with a fabulous wedding and tons of friends!

Another Wedding!

I was able to head back to Chicago-land and celebrate with Jill and James on their big day!!

it was so special to be part of the wedding party and to see Kappas from the class ahead of me! the reception was at the Blue Chip Casino and I was able to throw some money into the slots which was definitely a source of entertainment!

The wedding was gorgeous, the reception was fun, seeing extra friends (thanks Seth and Jen for driving up and Steph and Erin for hosting me!!) was wonderful... overall the weekend was fabulous!

I'm already looking forward to my next visit to Chicago/Valpo. and cannot believe i'll be bringing Laura with me!!

Family Vacation

As the three of us have gotten older, it has become less and less often that "vacation" actually has involved us all leaving the house together. Throughout college vacation symbolized returning home. Not this year! We were so fortunate to be able to get all 5 of us down to Myrtle Beach for some relaxing family fun! What a blast it was! I'm still recovering (read my shoulders are peeling) but it was well worth the pain to see the family!

Family Vacations have always been one of my favorite things we do- from christmas dinner on the curb in Guam, to Bali and the eager salesmen, to Banff and lots of laughing, to cross country road trips in a minivan with The Singing Bible! Our vacations are never dull and certainly bring us closer together!! this latest one proved to be no different and i'm already excited about the next time the Killmer's can be together again!!

Finally Summer

So June was rainy here in Boston. The "official" number I heard was 4 sunny days... that means 26 of clouds and rain.... wow!

But then July rolled around. Friends came from the midwest to celebrate the 4th in the place where it all started and they brought the sun with them!! We toured Boston and even went on a harbor boat cruise during sunset on the 4th and got to see fireworks from there! An incredible weekend full of fun, catching up, and even a flat tire!

Then I got the awesome opportunity to get a tour of Maine from Bowdoin College alum (and my roommates!) It was great to finally see the places I've heard so much about this past year and to finally get to the beautiful state of Maine. Truly "vacationland" as their license plates say! 

(pictures from the weekend: trip to LL Bean Mothership Store, Lobster eating on an island!, swimming in freezing water, being at Lands End!)