I feel like April came and went in such a hurry. What did you do for the month? Here is how I spent my April.
First semester down and onto my second for nursing school.
Halfway through April, I finished my first semester and I started my second semester of nursing school. I had a week’s break and then it was back to studying. This time around I has an even fuller schedule since I’m in five classes! Having five classes means I have to stay organized and on top of my game. I wanted to try out a different digital planner than the one I already use. I shopped around Etsy and decided to try out a new one that had room for multiple classes. So far it is working out great and really keeping things in check.
Working out even more!
In March I was starting to work out again, and I’m happy to say I stayed on top of that in April as well. I decided on not setting any hardcore goals and instead stayed with easier ones. Some goals were: workout a few times in April, go on a walk every day that you can, and try to go hiking. I managed to achieve every one of those goals and I can’t wait to do even more in May.
Hiking in Muir Woods
I was really excited when one of my friends and I found time to go hiking. We originally planned on a Mt. Tamalpais trail that traveled in a 5.2 mile loop into Muir Woods here in California. While we did make it down to Muir Woods we accidentally got turned around and instead hikes a 10 mile loop!! We were exhausted, a little nervous but overall we managed to do it! That’s a story for later š
I can’t wait to see what May has in store for me. What were some of the things you did in April? Any plans for May? Let me know in the comments below, can’t wait to hear them! Stay safe š Kat
“After a dayās walk, everything has twice its usual value.”
Semester one of nursing school was completed. It was a nice and tough semester, especially with my math class. I managed to struggle through and pass with all Aās and a B in math. I surprised myself, to say the least and I’m glad I pushed myself. Thinking back to how my learning styles have changed, I definitely see a pattern on some things. I definitely am a crash course student. What that means to me is that if I cram semi last minute I tend to retain information more and score higher on tests. I think that is a TERRIBLE habit to have, but for some reason it works for me. These last couple months I have tried to curb that habit and I actually did a little better with it. These classes were asynchronous which worked out great with my work schedules. My next semester (which starts in a week) is also asynchronous, so that kind of eases some stress. Are you wondering what asynchronous means, just like I was before taking these? Asynchronous basically means that students are given a time frame, usually a one-week window. During that time frameĀ they need to connect to their class at least once or twice a day. Doing it on your own with a timeline guidance is great for non hands-on classes.Ā
I wanted to keep tabs on how my classes are going and what grades I earn because this is a big journey for me. This also keeps me motivated in a sense to share how nursing school is and what happens throughout it. Iām excited to start my next set of classes and a little nervous as well. Iām taking a full semester with not four, but five classes! So this should be interesting.
āLet no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.ā
March is officially over and we are now into April. It was a busy, stressful and healthy month for myself. I started eating avocado toast more regularly due to its health benefits. Iāve been going back to the gym during the week more and also staying busy with school. The three big things were: eating more home made meals, staying within 90% for my grades and working out moreā¦again.
Avocado Toast: Homemade
Homemade avocado toast and vanilla cold brew with foam.
Iāll usually have this as an after work snack before I start my studies for the day. I was able to make it in less than 10 minutes and go about homework that needed to be completed.
Staying Within 90% for Grades:
With my first semester of nursing school almost complete, I have been striving to stay within 90% or higher with my grades. Iām taking 4 classes and staying above the 90% percentile except for one. My math class grade is a little lower than I wanted, but Iām happy where itās at because I am not the greatest at math. All I can do is keep doing my best and putting all I have into class.
Working Out Moreā¦Again:
I had a little break from working out, which always turns into a longer break and this is what exactly happened. I would work out sporadically or do the bare minimum knowing well that I needed to do more. So far for the month of March I used all my allotted days from Orange Theory Fitness and walked more than I have consistently. It also made me feel better as well.
āLet food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
February was a month of learning and expanding my brain. Part of this month I went on my Navy annual training at Camp Pendletons Hospital. Iām rated as a general Corpsman (medic) which means I donāt have a specialty and I can float around where they need me. This time they needed me in the anesthesia department. Needless to say, I was a little nervous because I had no idea what they would want me to do. Not to mention I have basically zero experience in that department. Fast forward to day one of training and besides being nervous, I am ecstatic. Iāve never set foot in an operating room before! It was super clean, shiny, bright and had a level of organized collective chaos. I dove headfirst and learned everything I could as fast as I could since it was a little understaffed. I was allowed to prep patients in pre op for surgery, learned the restocking methods and was even able to watch a handful of the surgeries that were performed. The days flew by and when I wasnāt working at the hospital, I was out exploring sunny San Diego.
Exploring the tide pools and enjoying the ocean.
Tide pools at Shell Beach in La Jolla.
San Diego was a breathe of fresh air. I was able to explore and adventure around with one of my good friends that actually was training with me. She had some friends that knew cool food places to eat at and beaches to visit. I even managed to spend a few days hanging out with my brother. We tried to eat somewhere different everyday and to keep it local. Down in Encinitas we came across a delicious bakery and an amazing gelato shop.
This was delicious and the staff was so friendly! She gave us a loaf of bread for free! Add them to your list!
Go visit at night! Has amazing flavors of gelato. Fun, cozy atmosphere and only a few blocks from an ocean view.
Instead we found ourselves at dessert and snack shops than actual lunch or dinner places. It kind of kept the surprises of food on a working āvacation.ā I mean we had as much fresh seafood we possibly could have had, we had old school Italian food, amazing pizza and beer too. I also had to try āthe best coffeeā that the San Diego area boasted. The coffee shops are called Better Buzz Coffee and they are scattered around SoCal. Since Iām a caffeine fiend, I of course had to stop in. I wanted to try their Horchata Iced Latte, but sadly they were sold out. I opted for their Mint Infused Iced Coffee instead and let me tell youā¦It was delicious! Not overly sweet, just the right amount of mint and the coffee was strong. It was great. If you ever find yourself in SoCal, give them a try. Hereās a glimpse at their MENU.
Such a fun atmosphere. Kick back and enjoy a nice coffee.
Now I think my favorite dessert place we found which ended up being on our second to last day was called Parlor Doughnuts. These are fancy home made big croissant/doughnut delicacies. I tried the Caramel Turtle and Chocolate Covered Strawberry Shortcake. They were decadent, and not overly sweet. I wish I had more time to bring them back home with me from the trip.
This annual training with the Navy actually turned out to extremely insightful to my job and fun. I managed to learn a lot of new information that made me curious enough to do my own research. I was able to spend time with new friends and went exploring out and about in a newish city! The best part of all though I think was being able to try all the new delicious foods and spend time at the beach to really enjoy it. I hope you enjoy reading about this as much as I enjoyed writing about it. š Kat
āI have seafoam in my veins, I understand the language of waves.ā
Blogging is a way to escape. A place where you can write what you’re feeling or think the world should know. When I first started this, I was still finding out what I liked, and what worked best for me. Over that time, things have definitely changed. Im constantly learning new things. How to improve what I read, write and live about. For example, I used to goal orientate my months to the EXTREME. This caused me to panic and stress out when I couldnāt meet those goals. This year I decided against that and to just live and learn through the year.
Just Read
For the month of January I decided to go with the theme of āJust Read.ā I chose this theme because I havenāt been reading as much as Iāve wanted to. With Nursing school starting, Iām bombarded with textbooks instead. While I am learning from them, Iām not relaxing with them. This month I picked up my book of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and started to read. Itās almost the end of January and the book is more than halfway read. One way I kept up on my reading so far was to try something new and kind of fun. Everyday of the month I would read the amount of pages pertaining to the date. For example, today for January 28th I read 28 pages. Itās a nice and straightforward way of keeping up with something.
What was the last book you read for fun? Any books you would suggest to read?
āThe library is inhabited by spirits that come out of the pages at night.ā
I have some big and exciting news to start off 2022. I was accepted into Nursing School and am starting my first semester. This has been a long time coming and it has definitely been a journey along the way. I first started looking into Nursing programs when I graduated high school in 2011. Due to the budget crisis in California way back in the day, the program I was looking at was cut and almost all nursing programs were turned into lottery based systems. So now fast forward about 10 years and I am officially in Nursing school. I am beyond excited, nervous and definitely stressed. Sometimes I think that it isnāt real, but it is. There is so much to learn and I am excited to learn and soak in all this knowledge.
Goals:
Some goals that I will be continuing to work on are my studying techniques and organizational skills. This semester I am doing a big personal change with how I organize. When I was going to school for my Associates in Fire Technology I wrote EVERY single down in a notebook or a planner. I also had assignments and due dates randomly tacked up to my board or laying on a counter top. I decided this time I canāt do that because that was so hectic, even though it worked. I bought a few new items for studying and organizing, one of them being the new Ipad Pro. This thing is amazing so far, Iām still learning as I go because it is a steep learning curve for me. One of the things that I love about it is the Digital Planner aspect. Instead of carrying around a paper planner (which I kind of miss because I love them), the digital planner is much more efficient and accessible. When I go to work I only have to carry around a small notebook, my Ipad and my Apple Pencil. Itās convenient, not bulky and works great off of wifi.
Another goal that I gave myself is: not to set myself up with too many goals. Everybody is different and I know how I work. If I give myself too many goals I will stress myself out and over worry. That is something I donāt want. Lastly my end goal is I want to pass school. Easier said than done.
āYou treat a disease: you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you wināno matter the outcome.ā
I hope everyone celebrated the new year safely and happily. This new year I will be doing it a little differently. I usually like to make resolutions to try and achieve by the end of the year. However, I tend to undershoot and end up disappointed that I didnāt set out to do. Instead, I will be doing my normal life and just being as positive and proactive as I can be. This takes some stress off of my shoulders and will hopefully let me spend this year better. Iām seeing this as a trial period and how it turns out.
How did you celebrate the new year? Any goals or new ways to spend the year?
You can get excited about the future. The past wonāt mind.ā āHillary DePiano
I hope everyone has been having a fun, safe and happy year. This is my favorite season to celebrate. The festivities of Halloween leading into Thanksgiving, celebrating Christmas and then ringing out the New Year. So many events packed into just a few months. Celebrating Christmas has always been a festive and cheerful time for my family. My family has always liked to give small gifts or tokens through the month of December. This year I was gifted an advent calendar but with a twist: Tea. I love tea, and my mom actually found an advent calendar that has a different tea every day. Now, I can try out different flavors of tea and buy them if I like it. Each day of tea also gives a small saying behind it, which is cute. I was also gifted some comfy socks and a sloth ornament!
What are some of your Christmas Holiday traditions?
Herbs to help you feel like new for mornings after or nights before. Day 1
Cool mint and delicate rose. Perfect partners for a winter’s day. Day 2
This is the cup that’s the carol singer’s friend. Sing loud with herbs that ease and tend. Day 3
āWinter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.ā
Kat Naps and Fires 