Taking a *short* Break from Flying

Wonder Woman loves to fly, but it's become quite tiring living out of a suitcase! Almost every month since January, I've gone away somewhere within the country. Let's go through a quick recap:

January- Savannah, GA and Key West, FL
April- San Diego, CA
May- Los Angeles, CA
June- Los Angeles, CA
July- Dallas, TX
August- Los Angeles, CA
September- Las Vegas, NV

February was a weekend roadtrip to the wineries in Long Island, and in March i spent a good deal on a former boyfriend's birthday lol so that left me with little resources for a vacation. Nevertheless, all those expenses were worthwhile, some more than others (Vegas!!). On another note, you can tell how much i love my job.. i love it so much that it makes me want to get away all the time! ;P But for October, i think it's safe to say i'll be sticking around here, mainly because i'm looking forward to HALLOWEEN, and what better place to spend it then in NJ/NYC!? It's my 2nd favorite holiday ever, next to Christmas. I tend go a bit overboard with costumes (i usually get them tailored hehee) and celebrating (which lasts the weekend).

By the time November comes along, i know i'll be itching to get away again. My girls are already in talks over Cancun or Aruba for several days that month... and i'm personally planning a trip to San Fransisco in December for a long overdue visit to see my family and to *ahem*look for a job*ahem*sshhh!*. .. Then January 2010 will probably find me international-- on a snowboarding trip in Canada, and a Bahama cruise in February! The travel planning never ends! I do love it though ;) and so does my carry-on suitcase. ♥

It was Beautiful

i wrote this in 2005..
guess there are some things about me that just don't change.

i'm like a bird, i'll only fly away.
i dont know where my soul is.
i dont know where my home is.

Embodying The Conqueror

I randomly get spammed with Daily Tarot Card emails, which usually get disregarded. Today was an exception as I couldn't help but notice how closely it related to my personal situation with work:

"The World card suggests that my alter ego is The Conqueror, whose superpower lies in graduation to the next level. Today I am free. I have accomplished my mission and feel on top of the world. I will enjoy the experience to its fullest. I have come full circle on my path to success. My job is done, my dream fulfilled, and I have gained their respect. Accept and embrace the journey taken. It has served great purpose in my growing wiser and stronger, and has provided a sense of relief in that now it's complete."

...This morning i finished the last night of my SICU orientation, and finally got my SICU wings! It was a long 4-month road, and now the youngest ICU nurse at BIMC is flying on her own! *Hmmm, what's next on my "To-Conquer" list?? hehee ;)

-S-

4 JULY 2009!

America's birthday weekend is over. With my plate full of classwork and studying, I didn't plan on really celebrating. Plus i would've hated to be around the Hudson River with all the messy crowds =P . But around noon on the 4th, i had a change of heart and called up my girls Kim & Ingrid. It was just in the nick of time because Kim was just leaving for Staten Island to meet Ingrid at the Sarmiento's house for a bbq! So i quickly got ready and left with her. I'm so glad i went out beceause i had so much fun and met so many cool new people! There's a bunch of pictures from it floating around Facebook if you're friends with me or anyone who was there lol.

For a nice little recap of the night, i'm taking a quote from Genevieve, who was hostess of the whole thing, along with her siblings Steph and Ted:

The morning started with breakfast for 10. Everyone rising like sluggish corpses searching for fresh coffee and food was a sight to see. With everyone's help the afternoon was spent transforming the abode into its well acclaimed party house now known as "Firepit Lounge". 3pm grill started and doors opened. Family and friends pour in. Bocce ball game in full swing. Conversations and laughter so loud u can hear around the block. Sunset quickly arrives and the music starts. PERFECT. Night fall the fireworks show begins. The dance floor is PACKED with 50 of our friends and family at minimum. A group of us decide to sit on the lawn and have our own little family moment. Fireworks in full swing and i realize almost everyone stopped dancing to enjoy the view. The shows done but the party continues. People continue to flow in. Flip cup is in full effect on 2 of the tables. Dancing continues til 4am. Closing time. Music comes to a slow pace. People say their goodbyes.

The next day they had another bbq with drinks again, but i decided to stay in and finish up my case study. BLaH! Well, one night of crazy memories is enough for me hehee.

Hope yours was fun too!

I Built a Bridge!

Halloooo!! here i am! sorry for the huge gap from my last post to now! But this is my bridge that i just built! walk with me :)

So much has been going on. For one, i've been on my toes in the SICU. I'm still under training there! can u believe it? this is my 4th month, and it's been a vigorous orientation. Even though i'm in the last leg of my training (i'm on my own in a couple weeks), I feel like there's still SO much more i need to learn! I started off training on days.. and just a few weeks ago i switched to nights. I'm back in Vampire status! Nights is just as crazy as days. There's just different routines at night. The staff on both shifts have been more than helpful and welcoming to me. I'm so thankful for that! There's more young blood on days though hehee, which makes it super fun. At nights, it's the older veteran Filipino nurses, but it's also good because i can learn to be tough and autonomous. i feel like i'm working with 5 of my moms every night! hehee I'm the youngest ICU nurse there. It's all been so cool! I love it! i love it! i love it! And on my days off, i read up on critical care for fun.. yes, i said for fun hehee leave me alone!

And as if i didn't have enough to study, in May I enrolled in a class at UMDNJ towards my Master's degree. Just one class for now. Clinical Pharmacology, but *argh* it takes up a big chunk of my time! every other week is a case study, and the other weeks is an exam! If i didnt have Carol taking the class with me, i think i'd go bald and insane! but i need this. i want to keep myself busy and productive. and now all these drugs make more sense to me hahaa i feel the powerr!

Another thing that takes up a major amount of my time, and happily so, is Howieeee!! =) yaayy i love him! We both work so so so so so much (him especially), but we make time. It's been alot of fun exploring new restaurants for brunch, lunch, dinner.. ordering in "Yummy House" delivery.. and abusing our Netflix hahaa. i also was his cheerleader whenever he had a basketball or football game. he's a jock. a jock doc! Well, he finished his residency last month and now he's in LA for his fellowship. So he's there, and i'm here.. which is how i finally have time to blog! lol jp. but really, it's been an awesome adventure. I've already been there twice, helping him find an apartment and moving in. he has a sweet apartment! LA is a pretty cool place to visit (not somewhere I'd want to live though hehee i ♥ NY-- and SF!). I know he will make history in LA, leave a legacy for others to follow, and just be GREAT.

Meanwhile, all work and no play makes Shirl a dull dull girl, so i've been avoiding dull-ality at all costs! Even though i've been on orientation, i managed to make time to fly out to San Diego, LA twice, and this Wednesday, i'm flying to Dallas to meet up with Howie and, conveniently, see my dad who lives there! it will be my first time in Dallas, YEE-HAW! lol i cant wait to say that when i land, i've always wanted to do that!

Ok so that's my bridge. Thanks for taking the walk with me :) You will hear more from me more often, because i think i finally got a hold of this time management thing.

See ya!

So You Think You Can Dance?

I haven't been watching this season, but i came across a routine on YouTube that moved me to post it on here. This is Chelsea Highwater (hot) and Mark Kanemura (double hot) dancing hip hop to "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis. Triple hot!!

I Am the Decisive Element

Had an extraordinarily great yoga session today at St. Mark's in the East Village. That was much needed, given the stress and uneasiness i've been feeling recently.. including planning and re-planning Howie's surprise birthday (which, according to him, was "a smashing success" ♥), mentally preparing myself for the SICU, uncontrollably eating way out of my usual!, and some personal issues with Love. Regardless of whether or not those emotions were necessary, i did feel them! and they were valid at the time!! Anyhow, i just needed to simply relax. So with every deep breath, i exhaled one thing that used to bother me; and with every concentrated pose, i focused on producing positive outcomes, pushing myself to ACT instead of wasting time worrying and then subconsciously forming evil thoughts in my head that cloud all the rest of my rationality.

I'm a worry-wart, i know.
That's something i have to work on...

By the end of the hour-long exercise, my mind was so clear i could see through my closed eyes! As we were lying there, the instructor read this quote that impacted me so much i felt like it was directed towards ME. I totally became a part of that quote, and i'd like to share it with you now:

I AM THE DECISIVE ELEMENT
by Goethe

I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element.
It is my personal approach that creates the climate.
It is my daily mood that makes the weather.
I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous.
I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.
I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.
In all situations, it is my response that decides
whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated,
and a person is humanized or de-humanized.
If we treat people as they are, we make them worse.
If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become
what they are capable of becoming.

* * *

I love how Life answers my questions in the most amazing, unforeseen ways. I feel much better now.

Namaste. =)