my idea of heaven.

I am now officially getting my French minor. Reading French literature is difficult, especially when written in the Middle Ages (ou les Moyen Ages, pour les parlants de francais). Who knows what I was thinking. It still doesn't make sense to me, but I'm going for the minor, so I've just got to make it work.

Less than six months left of nursing school! Graduation day: May 3. Pinning ceremony: May 2. And after school, passing the NCLEX (the boards to pass in order to be a registered nurse). Then, going on an actual vacation, at least this is the plan: going to France for 3-4 weeks in May/June to get better at my conversation skills, celebrate being done with nursing school, have a break from life, etc. Basically have a break from everything before starting into the workforce. Blech. Hate that word. Before starting my life as a true adult. Not this semi-adult phase in college. This is not enjoyable. But being out in the world as a nurse, healing people, loving people, making their lives better...that is my idea of heaven.

Latest news: I am going to Haiti: March 5-15, 2009. I have agreed to it, but have no idea how I'll raise the money, what I'll have to do (health-wise) in order to get there, what I'll be allowed to do once I get there (just work in the clinic, or help rebuild houses?), etc. The group I'm planning on going with is Haiti Foundation of Hope. What is really terrible is that Haiti was hit incredibly hard by the latest hurricanes and, being the poorest country in the western hemisphere, is finding it near impossible to rebuild the country. And just today, I heard on the news that a school collapsed in Port-au-Prince, killing 30 of the children in the building. This was due to the poor rebuilding of the school after previous hurricanes. This sort of thing can be prevented, with some generosity from others. Eventually, I would like to organize a group of contractors and architects (or the necessary brainpower for this sort of project), and hire builders in Haiti to help rebuild the schools - work for the Haitians and a safe school. How wonderful would that be? Now that would be heaven.

What else? ah, yes, knitting. I've got so many projects on the needles, I'm tripping over them on the floor. Scarves, hats, sweaters... *sigh* And the worst part is that I'm dreaming up more patterns and I don't have the time or the yarn selection to complete them all! Aaaaargh! This Christmas (yes, I said it. Christmas. Brace yourselves.), I'm knitting all my presents since my bank funds are severely depleted. Mostly due to my need, no, my deepest desire for yarn. The stash of yarn is procreating, now migrating into backpacks, shoes, laundry room, so knitting them up is the only humane way to get rid of them. I can't bear to give them away. And the best ending to this story is that I'm applying for a job at a yarn store tomorrow. Yarn at work, yarn in my free time, and occasionally yarn when I'm studying. If that's not as close to heaven as possible.... Alright, now I'm of in la-la land, dreaming of a land of yarn and needles... Now that would be my heaven.