Sarah Who Wanders...

 Back in February I wrote a post that many of you read titled  To What Comes Next  that you can check out if you missed it. I was almost done with my NP program and had announced I accepted a position to work in Annual Medicare Wellness-housed in Family Medicine, in Albany. This remains true. I am excited to start in October, the week after I attend a Washington, DC and New York trip (I FINALLY get to see NY!) with Isaiah and classmates.   ---------Side Note: It’s a good thing that this blog is not monetized and does not depend on me regularly posting content, though I am attempting a revamp including a series called Sarah Says with my book and product recommendations as well as deeper posts regarding personality and choosing one's own path, and authenticity as a woman-things I am always working on. About a decade ago when I was first leaving teaching for nursing… Has it been that long???… I had a marvelous blog or at least I thought so. Cadavers and Coffee . As...

 To all the unconventional women, the women who buck against historical, societal norms and expectations, to women who are non-traditional wives, mothers, co-workers, partners and friends, I see you. To the women in your 30's and 40's who still have no idea what you want to be when you grow up, to the women harboring deep-seated regrets, to the women who not often but sometimes get hung up on the all-too alluring power of what ifs I see you too. I am you.  I am a contradiction. I am highly educated and still in many ways, unsure of my path, my passions, and who I want to be, but I am learning.  Short of maternity leaves that were both WAY too short, I have never truly been a stay home mom. I have been a kind of stay home while I attend college and night school mom. I have been an I work part time, 3/4 time or full-time mom and still try to juggle every school event, every sport and every THING my children need mom. I have been a work far too much, do work at home after ho...

 Many of you who read my posts and or follow my journeys on social media have asked me the million dollar question: WHAT COMES NEXT?  I announced today news I have known for a few weeks now (but wanted to officially complete paperwork before I said anything): I have accepted an Annual Medicare Wellness Provider position with the clinic that will begin this fall. It is of course, contingent on me completing the remaining 2 months of school, 9 remaining weeks of clinical and passing my board certification.  I cannot believe how close I am to completing a 28 month long degree program, and a decade or more long dream of mine to become a nurse practitioner.  While I am ecstatic to accept a position, most who know me well wonder if this is the final goal? I will be transitioning to working with elderly clients after 4+ years working with children and families. I have many answers for you. I LOVE my work with children. I also, surprisingly to me, love my work in family medi...

 I am reading a book right now that is one of the most amazing, soul-searching, hallelujah-I-totally-agree-with-you-on-so-many-things types of books. It is called Untamed by Glennon Doyle who writes in a style similar (to me anyway) of Elizabeth Gilbert whose work I also adore.  I don’t agree with everything the author writes about but I agree with the premise that many of the narratives that women are given by society and put upon themselves make us feel small, caged, inadequate. I highly recommend the book. I am fired up today because I read a comment in my book group on Facebook (that is full of many lovely strangers who love reading just as much as I do). A woman wrote in that she felt that the book was insincere. She felt it was not possible that this woman who writes about all of her hardships and triumphs in a beautiful memoir could’ve possibly experienced all of this because she comes from a life of privilege. Wait, what??? Let me stop for a moment. I’m not talking abo...

 We are eleven days in to the new year. The year after...well...2020, the year that many people don't want to talk about. 2020 was a tough year, but for our family it was also a time of growth, change, love, faith, and flexibility. My heart goes out to families who indeed had it much rougher.  I start this year with hope. I am 39 now as of 1-1-21, and ready to take on the world! Or my little piece of it that is. Last week I was lucky enough to receive my first dose of the COVID vaccine and will receive dose #2 in a few weeks. I pray it works and that everyone else has the opportunity soon.  In 1 week I begin my LAST term of NP school!!! Wow!!! Can you believe I am writing that?? In just 15 weeks I will be done and scheduling to take board exams. I only need to amass 89 clinical hours this term though will aim for 150 or so as the experience is invaluable. I hear the course I am taking is a doozy (can't finish with an easy one can we?), but I purposely set up my academic p...

There is a lot of pressure that comes with wearing the white coat.  I was SO excited to get mine before beginning my clinical training and to take the White Coat Oath. A rite of passage. Why? Well, it isn't the coat itself at all.   Patients see the white coat and they expect answers. They expect to be listened to and to reach resolution. They respect the white coat. Let me tell you, it takes a lot to earn the proverbial white coat whether it be a doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. It is hard won. Behind that symbolic white coat -that isn’t even always worn, because let’s face it, sometimes we don’t want to because we are overheated, or we want to appear more on your level and some people don’t like the white coat for it makes them nervous, and sometimes it just doesn’t go with our outfit but I digress…--- The symbol of the white coat represents a lot. It represents years of hard work, in the case of nurse practitioners it represents years of patient ...

 Crazy, overwhelming, exhausting, satisfying, engaging...all these words encompass my life write now. I am in Term 6 of 7, 5 weeks in and dog paddling in a swirling ocean. Thankfully, this girl can tread water tirelessly for quite awhile. 😏 They said term 6 would be tough. They (whoever they are) were right. The material is dense. I have hundreds (no joke) of pages full of concepts to learn per week  right now. I legitimately am having to buy a 2nd 3 inch binder for the second half of my course. It's THAT much. On top of that is my family medicine rotation-which is also A LOT. I am also still working 16-20 hours per week in my RN job which may not seem like much but with this schedule is also SO SO MUCH. The good news is, I am learning so much too. I am only on social media once a week or so right now and had to drop my side business (which I had largely been ignoring for months). But, life is good. Despite the crazy schedule, tumultuous political climate, a change in custody...