Life in Nashville

Lovin' Nashville, lovin' Vanderbilt, gettin' overwhelmed with school, gettin' stressed out with school... I know it's what I want to do, but there is so much to do between here and there. 11 months. That's all it is. Truly 11 months and one more board exam. The professors are great. They're fun and understanding yet still demand excellence. I would recommend this school to anyone. Joined a new team... My class of 30ish all studying to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. We're all in it together. The ups, the downs, the tears, the pulling out the hair wondering how it'll all get done. We'll get through it together. We are from all over the east side of the States. Mainly South, but a few stragglers from the north - yes, I'm one of the stragglers ;) I'm the furthest one from the north with the next being Illinois. The rest are from Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Louisiana - who's family is being evacuated right now d/t the hurricane :( - , North Carolina, Florida, Georgia & Texas. Great group of people. I'm lovin' the southern hospitality for sure!! People down here are so much nicer than people in the north. Why is that?

In spite of their niceness, they still deal with the issues we do... I see the homeless people walking down the streets of Nashville. The drunk man who serenaded me last night while I was trying to study... The Vanderbilt professor who was killed within the last week in the east side of Nashville along with his sister... Shot point blank. And I happen to be staying on that end of town. I saw he TV helicopter circling around about 5-7 miles just south of me. Now that was scary. These issues don't disappear when you go to another town that you may think to be more fun than your own. When I was here back in April, the homeless were roaming the streets. They seemed to know "the Christians" were around b/c of the Gospel Music Association conference that was going on at the time of which I attended... They were closer to the Renaissance where we stayed - more so than what seemed normal. How many of us Christians walk by them everyday? How many times do we drive by them? Being a single girl by myself in Nashville right now, it's difficult to know how to help them. I couldn't do much for the drunk man last night b/c first, he wouldn't remember me anyway. Second, b/c I'm female and it's not exactly safe to do so. So what do we do? How do we be Jesus to these people? If I had an answer, I would surely give it to you, but I don't. Do you?

On the flip side, this town is SO much fun! Yes, those of you who have been to Nashville know there is so much more to do here than in Grand Rapids. The town, the sites, the people, the football games - both the Titans and college ball. The shows in the bars every night. The shows being put on in clubs all over the place. The shows at the auditoriums. TobyMac coming to town in December :) It's very hard to get bored here.

So are you starting to think I'm just partying over here? HA! Not so fast. I'm studying my behind off. Delving head first into anything and everything neonatal! So interesting, yet so overwhelming to cram it all into 11 months. I haven't been back to school for three years! I love this field of study though. It's detailed and I HAVE to be on top of my game at all times... for the littlest of patients are in my palms of my hands... as I think back to the one pound three ounce baby I admitted to the NICU just three weeks ago...

All credit is turned back to God. I take none for it. He alone has full control of ALL. He is the reason I why I make it through each and everyday!

All right, back to the books. Headed to downtown Nashville to study. Much more fun over there! Hope I can find a parking spot ;)