Ready to launch.

I have been thinking.

A lot.

I have put in so much into this decision and I'm going to commit to it and do my parts to go through with it.

I'm moving to New York City in June 2009.

For some people, this isn't a surprise, even for you (I have no idea how many--if there is any) if you've been following my blog because I've talked many times about my amazing summer there. But now, now I'm saying it out loud and putting it out there. I didn't just make this decision in the time following my summer stint there. Although it sealed the deal, my journey to have come to this point began more than 3 years ago.

I visited NYC for the first time in 2005, and I fell in love. There is just something about it that charmed its way into my life and managed to stay since then. For a while I thought I'd move a year or two after graduation, but for the last year or so I knew if I'm ever going to make this dream of mine come true, I have to move right after graduation. Then the internship fell into my lap, an offer I couldn't refuse, and the 3 months I spent there confirmed every reason I have for moving and drove away every doubt I had about making the move--okay, maybe not entirely drove away the doubts, but those doubts were greatly minimized to a point where I am not afraid of them anymore.

A lot of people want to move to NYC, it has a lot to offer: the fun, the lifestyle, the people; it's the best City in the world, they say. I have many reasons too. Out of the places I have traveled to in the U.S., NYC is on top of the "Yeah, I can see living here..." list. I just feel like I fit there, and I am not alone in thinking this way. My family and friends are very supportive and encouraging, telling me that they, too, can see me living there and making it.

I've been where I live now ever since I moved to this country, that is 9 years ago, and by now, I'm getting restless. I want to go to the next level of my life, where I'm out of my comfort zone, where I can grow as a person, where I can open my eyes and see more of what this world can offer, where I can meet new people, where I can make a difference. I'm young and this is my time to spread my wings, if we want to be cliche here.

Having said all of this, I do think that I'm not going to live there forever. I do feel very strongly that once I'm settling down, I'll move somewhere calmer, even come back to this Texan city that has been my second home. In my 23 year old mind, there is no way that I see myself raising a family in the jungle that is New York City, but this will be another decision I will have to make when I get to this bridge years from now. For now, let's just deal with actually moving there first before any thoughts of moving away from there.

This decision has been more than 3 years in the making and you have no idea how much I am relieved and excited to be able to say it out loud that yes, I am moving to New York City in June 2009. Yes, I am and will be making arrangements from now till then. Yes, if God's willing, I'm going to start my nursing career and a new life there.

With my last semester of nursing school--oh man, I can't believe I get to finally say that, my.last.semester. Wow, where has time gone?--starting next week, I'm excited and nervous all mushed into one. A lot will happen within the next 5 months let alone in the rest of the 12 months of this year, in a life changing way at that--applying for jobs in the City, job interviews, HESI, graduation, moving, NCLEX. It's overwhelming I can barely keep my head from exploding.

But I'm ready. I'm ready to launch this year. I'm ready for what may come. I have my faith, I have my family and my friends, I have myself to carry me through. Intermission is almost over, let's get Act II of the Senior Year rollin'!

Vegetative.

Just dropping by to say that I've been living the glorious live of vegging for the past 3 weeks ever since the semester was done. Glorious, I say. No school, no studying, no problem. I sleep when I want, I get up when I want, I run errands when I want. Normal life, I have missed you so.

Christmas was made of wins, and I'm hoping it is the same for New Year. I'll try to follow up with a longer post to sum up 2008, but in the meanwhile this will do.

I wish all of you are having a wonderful holiday and all the best in the new year!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Happy Chinese New Year! Whee!

I love this holiday as a kid, back when we were still in our country. We would drive to my grandparents house, so do my uncles, aunts, and cousins, and we'd have a blast at the Grands'. We'd get there and the kids made their round of greeting to the adults, "Gong Xi Fa Cai, Qoong-Qoong, Gong Xi Fa Cai, Poh-Poh, Gong Xi Fa Cai Sook-Sook, Gong Xi Fa Cai, Sook-Mei," and so on and so on, all the while collecting the red Hong Bao they'd give us. There would be fabulously delicious food that Poh-Poh (Chinese for grandma) has cooked, and we'd fill our stomachs until we couldn't move.

Then relatives would come and the kids once again would make their round of greeting, this time we had to be reminded of all the Chinese titles we had to call them by. Afterward, the adults would mingle around the table, while the kids (my cousins and I) would go into the guest bedroom and count the money from all of the Hong Bao's we'd received. We'd play games, dream about what we're going to do/buy with the money, tell stories, laugh, and eat some more.

It was amazing.

Now, most of my cousins (and myself) live here with our grandparents. We'd still greet them, but there is no more Hong Bao, we're grown up now. There would be a dinner, but this year I'm going to miss it. Why?

Because my OB clinical is from 3pm to 11 pm. *headdesks*

Nevertheless, happy new year to you, may you be successful and prosperous.

Productive

Oh, look who's being productive today:

1. Loan application - check. Okay, almost check because the stupid security system locked me out when I was thisclose to finishing. Bah! Now I have to call them on Monday....

2. Preliminary online applications two 2 internship programs - check.

3. Letters of recommendation request to two faculties - check.

4. Look up required textbooks - check.

5. Order required textbooks - check. I cringed at the cost....

6. Find out my schedule - check.

7. Choose 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices for clinical days - check.

I still have agibizziliion things to do this coming week in preparation for the upcoming semester. I am excited and nervous at the same time, though it's a different kind of excitement and fear than that when I was about to start my first semester. This time, it's more...excited for what is more and scared because I know it will be harder and busier and more than likely more chaotic. Oh, and getting back to the swing of things after a month of vacation isn't exactly easy. A month of time off have rendered me quite lazy and useless, hah! Not complaining though, it was good to relax and veg, vegging is necessary every once in a while, I promote the vegging.

Now it's time to get this ride back on the road again, and as a result I have signed up to volunteer at the new students orientations. Yes, i know I've mentioned I did that already, but my school holds this series of orientations every semester, it's a bit too much but hey, anything to help out the new kids, right?

So that's that. New year is here and I'm gearing up for the new semester. There is a lot of exciting things that I'm working on happening this year, so I'm hopeful. For now, I'm going to rummage to the fridge for food. Food is good.

Two-oh-oh-eight.

Hello 2008! 

Wow, it's the first day of the new year. Today has been...interesting.

I'm not going to lie and on my own blog and just going to write it as it is. My friend and I and her friends had dinner last night, and stayed in for the New Year's countdown. It was a blast, there were drinks, classic Disney movies, Kathy Griffin marathon, and heavenly chocolate mousse involved. Fun was had by all at the sleepover, and of course hangover also was had by all this morning. Also making an appearance to the new year is the panic of "OMG, who did I drunk dial/message last night and what inappropriate things did I say?" and the horror as we looked at the pictures from said sleepover. Yeah...it was fun.

Best food to have the morning after? IN N OUT. My first meal of 2008 was a number 2, animal style on the burger, from In N Out. It couldn't be better.

Right now, we're about to go to the happiest place on earth. Disneyland here we come, woot!

Happy New Year!!!