It is teacher appreciation week..

With all the chaos and sadness in the world, it is refreshing to hear about the good people are doing in the world. Even here on the home front. Last October, I went to John Stewarts rally to restore sanity, where I got the opportunity to hear about a fantastic organization that is making a difference here in the United States. It is called Donors Choose. (http://www.donorschoose.org/) It helps fund classroom projects all over the country. You can go online and check out the different projects that each of the projects that you can potentially donate to. Personally I have been blessed to have a family that believes in the value of education. I hope through some (fairly small) donations I can give some one else the chance to afford the education opportunities I have had. I encourage you to donate too!! Mother Teresa said:

We can do no great things,

only small things with great love.

The road unknown...

I am officially coming to the end of my first semester of nursing school. It is a slightly frightening thought that we are done with that much content, but in the same right it is exciting. It crazy to think this time next year I will be nearing the end of practicum and about to emabrk on my life beyond school. Which then got me on to researching residency programs and what is to come next?! So far I have been researching programs on the east coast. Lord knows I have some crazy ideas in my head, lets hope I can translate them to life : ) At this point in my life many of my friends have been or are going through some of those big transitions that are uncomfortable and unknown. I know one in my life is not that far behind. But the unknown is scary. I found this quote, and I feel like many people right now can relate. It is from one of my favorite people, Eleanor Roosevelt. I hope you enjoy it:

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams... You gain the strength, courage, and confidence by every experience by which you really stop and look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I lived through this. I can take the next thing that comes along."

Hello again

So the blog has been somewhat neglected the past two three weeks due to the fact that homework is suppose to be more important, maybe. So here I am back at it, and hopefully it wont be such a long break until my next post. Here in Nodak, I am nearing the end of my first semester of nursing school , which is awesome and kinda scary all at the same time. I can not believe the amount of information we are taking in! It is exciting. Anyways I hope all is well in the cyber world.

The tunes of the week...

The jams I am rocking to this week:

Lost One - Jay-Z

These Boots - Eric Church

Opposite of Adults - Chitty Bang

Daylight - Ninjasong

After Tonight - Justin Nozuka Chasing Pavements - Adele

Sleeping to Dream - Jason Mraz

Here's to the Night - Eve6

Let it Be - Dyme Def

Hustlin' - Rick Ross

On My Level - Wiz Khalif

Last but not least.... and now back to reality

I am officially back in the land of snow and ice and where not everything is not so nice... however I need to post on the last day in the South. This is an ode to the girls that joined me on that fateful saturday adventure haha. As the story goes... We got up Saturday morning and decided that we needed to check out this place called the pancake pantry. We had seen a line a block long the day before. What gives?! I think most people see a line and try to avoid it. My motto, well there has to be a reason that people are in the line. Must be something good at the end of it. We got in the the line... Where we subsequently met three gentlemen who were visiting from out of town as well. Being that they were about the only other people without southern accents, besides us, we made friends. These three gents were from Memphis, NYC, and Pittsburgh. When asked what brought them together, they kindly acknowledged that they are all college buddies from Penn State... and they get together one weekend a year no matter what. If some one has a kid or an excuse (as they called it :) they go to that city and all get together. After 40 minute wait in this line we had made new friends, who had also baught us rations of water so to keep our thirst quenched in the hot Tennesse sun or to kill the hangover all of us were experiencing. But good things come to those who wait... the pancakes were AWESOME! This menu is rediculous, it includes about anything edible going into a pancake... so for the fellow pancake lovers go to the pantry it is worth the wait. After breakfast was conquered we decided to get our party pants on and go out on the town. We mixed a drink or two and headed downtown Nashville to wander and drink. Now when in Rome, do as the Romans. When in Nashville, do as the country bumpkins do and get yourself some boots. So we did... Now feeling official we head to Tootsie's or the bar from Toby Keith's song: I love this Bar. We grabbed us a couple of seats and drinks and took in the music. Country music is 98% percent of the time is great live... and this was no exception. The musicians were taking requests.. so we tipped the gents and asked for She's Country by Jason Aldean. Strike one, lead singer did not know it. Second request was Small Town Girl by Journey. We got a Negative on that... My Maria Brooks and Dunn. Strike three, we're out. So we asked the fiddler what she recommended (who is the sister of one of our friends)... She played for us The Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band. The bar was whooping and hollering... so I say it was a good selection. After a couple hours of making friends with the local men and listening to music.. it was on to searching out a bar that would play the Sioux game. Yes even on vacation we were watching the final five. Needless to say if you caught the Saturday game it was well worth it. Double overtime with the win! Not to mention we got a round of free drinks from the bar... SO go sioux!! We were out not much longer and called it a night due to the flight and drive the next day (we are getting old haha). Anyways we hopped a flight and left the dirty South and headed back to the tundra of Nodak. Although I can say it was hard leaving 80 degree weather, it is nice to be back... well sort of. Time to buckle down and back to reality. Thanks girls for a great vacation!

South of the Mason Dixie Line

So we have officially made it to Nashville or Music City. Music city I have to say is an under statement. Now being a music lover myself, I am in heaven. I know country music isn't for everyone, but there is so much talent here it is rediculous in every genre of music. So our first night (also St. Patty's) in Nashville we went to a place called the Blue Bird Cafe. This little place is where the Music City song writers go to perform and be discovered. Now thinking that hearing song writers wouldnt be very good, I stand corrected... they were AWESOME! I got the pleasure of spending my St. Pattys day with close friends and drinking the night with some good music.

So Friday. Friday, was a day a pleasure and business. For the morning the girls and I made our way down to the Vanderbilt campus to tour and walk around. What a beautiful campus. After a good walk around the girls and I decided to catch some sun and read outside! Being 80 degrees and none of us have seen the light of day in 5 months we grabbed the suits and headed outside. I think we are the only people in the state of TN who think this great idea in March. Oh well, all I would have to say in I am from North Dakota right?! SOOO for evenings activities... GRAND OLE OPRY. We pulled our lives together, and mixed us some rum and cokes (well it was a five oclock somewhere) got ready and headed out to West End.

We made it! So upon arrival to the The Grand Ole Opry we struggled to find a parking spot. We were trying to avoid paying for parking. Needless to say drove around for no less then 20 minutes bickering about where is the best option. Moreover the mall surrounding is still being redone due to the floods in Nashville last June. All I could think is how long does it take three blondes to find a parking spot? Don't worry, we found one... right next to the Opry, for free, where everyone parks. After that debaucle we grabbed ourselves some beers and took in the sites. This is something everyone who loves country music has to see. We saw no less then twelve acts and all of them were phenomenal. The highlight to the evening was seeing Eric Church, singing acoutic!! Mmmmmm..... I was puddy. What can I say.... us three girls are suckers for a guy and guitar :)

With Love, from Philly...

So officially we have made it to Philly. Land of cheese steaks, America's founding, and World Series baseball. We arrive by train from Pittsburgh, which was an incredible ride. I can NOT imagine how beautiful that ride is in the later part of the fall with the trees changing colors?! It is beautiful, with its moutains, rivers, and vistas we throughly enjoyed the ride in to Philly. Upon arriving into Philly, we checked into our hotel in the historic district.

Now I like history. I knew there was a lot here. But bananas, for serious Philly?! Everything is historic here. I guess that is a different mentality for a girl from Minnesota. So after checking in to our hotel we decided to do some site seeing. So where do we start in Philly, none other then Independence Hall. So we head over, go through security and get in line for the tour only to find out that you need tickets. Right, should have know that. Okay so we decide to leave and go find tickets.. needless to say us wandering around Independence Hall did NOT go over well. We tried to walk up to one officer... who so kindly yelled at us, reminding us we did not belong in that area. Then we proceed to walk to the security who told us we could not exit there, but also did not tell us where we needed to go. Frick. Okay so back to wandering, only for another person tell us we did not beling there and so nicely directing us to our way out. Epic fail.

But not all of our wandering that day went bad. We journeyed back to the place where you received tickets for the show. Jack and I turned on our midwestern girl charm and saught the attention of younger male working the tickets. We asked his recommendation of local food to try out. He told us.. Jim's steaks is the best. SOOO we headed to Jim's steaks; which required so more wandering : ) but we found it. Jim's Steaks looks like a corner shop crossed with a 50's styled diner. You walk in and are greeted by the counter help which have the grill sizzling before you walk in. I got the steak, peppers, and onion combo. AMAZING! There are a variety of options to get on the steak including cheeze whiz and tuna?! for the daring I guess. But if you look this place up apparently every famous person who has walked the streets of Philly has eaten there. Did not know that till walking in. If you ever go there, you will see what I mean. Any ways day one of Philly was nothing short of an adventure.