“I just passed the National Council Licensure Examination and am a Registered Nurse!!!!! I am so stinking excited and thrilled!! Start work at an acute care hospital on Monday! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!” Layla
Layla, great work! Give em hell on Monday. Congrats!!
xoxoxoxoxo
When something good happens, let me know at emailingrachel@gmail.com
To see this in the blog world, outloud and proud, is such an awesome feeling. Sure, I plugged myself, and emailed Rachel, but you know what? I am so proud of myself!! I did it! I worked hard, did excellent in school, finished each of my semesters learning more than the previous one, and graduated Nursing School. Then, instead of doing the 'right' thing, I left the Country. I went to Switzerland for six weeks, and was able to enjoy myself, despite my fear of what will happen. I came back, put one foot in front of the other to do the next indicated thing. I got my test date for license, applied for jobs, got hired at a job before getting licensed, and passed NCLEX.
I did it!!
Wow.
One huge 'Yay!' if you ask me!!!
Hope you're doing well today, too.
Today's Reminder from God is awesome given last night's events.
I'm tired, and wow-ed! And, yet, totally calm, too.
That feels lovely.
Nothing is by chance. No detail is forgotten in My Plans for you.
I don't know that I'll disclose much but just wanted to put out there the beauty that nothing is by chance.
On a blog note: when I view this blog, the header is no longer clear and crisp; it's blurry. Is it blurry for you, too?
Thanks for the input, and Have a super Wednesday! No Detail is Forgotten...
I received in my email today a very nice and well-timed email from 'NCLEXATT.'
I have my Authorization To Test Code.
Which means I am able to sign up for NCLEX.
My future is within grasp. I taste it, feel it, and envision success! NCLEX is the pinnacle of exams I've taken the past three years. It is the exam that grants me Registered Nurse status in Arizona, and thankfully, because Arizona is considered a 'Compact State' this also means I'll be licensed to practice nursing, when I pass, of course, in 22 other states. (Unfortunately, not any of the fun ones, like Hawai'i where my mom lives, or Washington, where Whitney lives, but Texas is a Compact State, so you never know!! Maybe I head back to good ol' Pine Tree Land!!)
Regardless of where I end up, this is where it begins.
I'm thinking September 23 but don't know yet....
I almost booked the test, was thiiisssss close to clicking 'confirm' but my gut said, WAIT! So, I waited. I made a necessary phone call to my support person, and was told that if my gut says, WAIT! I wait.
What a gift of intuitive thought.
Tonight, I sleep on what it means for me to sit for NCLEX on September 23.
Tomorrow, I'll be sure to let you know.
I cried from joy at this 2010 Emmy Opening.
There is just something so truly GLEEFUL about singing and dancing and Tina Fey and Jon Hamm and Jimmy Fallon and Betty White! and the Glee Cast and well, even though I don't have television I sure do love youtube for giving me all things Glee.
This afternoon, I arrived in St. Louis, France. Yes, readers, I am in France. And, this isn't just a plane change at Charles De Gaulle. No, this is me, Layla S. Gigax, sleeping in France. (It's a one-night-only affair.)
I traveled from Murren today.
I hugged and kissed goodbye the sweet family that has held my company for more than six weeks.
I got on the cable car and headed down to Lauterbrunnen. From there, I got on the train to Interlaken-Ost. At Interlaken, I got on the train to Bern. Bern looks AMAZING from the train. It is a city I hope to explore more! In Bern, I got on yet another train to Basel. I arrived at the Basel downtown train station and Basel looks FUN. Very very chic city---I would just be so thrilled to city-explore this fantastic Country! One day....One day.....
So, from downtown I hopped right on the bus to take me to EuroAirport, the Airport in Basel that services Basel, Mulhouse & Freiburg, among other cities. Basel is in the north of Switzerland, on the border with France and Germany. From the EuroAirport, I was to take my shuttle to the Ibis Hotel Mulhouse St. Louis (That's France, people).
I arrived at the airport. And, this is where I discovered more so that language and travel sometimes need to be in sync. And, the beauty of such small country borders. I was on the Swiss side (inside the airport, though at the time, I didn't know this) and I found the hotel kiosk where you ring the hotel you're after, they come pick you up, VOILA! Well, the Ibis Hotel I'm reserved at wasn't at the kiosk. Hmm.....
Next to the kiosk was a Hertz rent-a-car counter.
Excuse Me?
I asked the young dude probably facebooking while waiting for eager travelers to rent his fantastic cars: Do you speak English?
Yes, he said.
Where do I find the Hotel Ibis?
He continued: You need to go back to the bus station and go back to Basel Downtown. The Ibis is behind the Basel Downtown Train Station.
Oh. I said, and continued.
Well, So, I have a reservation at the Ibis in St. Louis.
Oh. He said, and continued.
You then need to go upstairs and cross over into France, cross the border, up there on the French side there is a kiosk for the French hotels.
OH.
(I walked away but inside I was grinning and skipping...I get to walk across the border INTO FRANCE! Inside a building!!!!)
So, I did just that. I took the escalator up (heavy bags=escalating) and walked into France.
When I was crossing over I thought, "OHMYGOD I'M IN FRANCE." I tried to contain my excitement. To not carry on like that crazy American, "OhmyGod, y'all, I'm IN FRANCE!!" (said with way more syllables than possibly necessary).
I found the kiosk and found my Hotel Ibis in Mulhouse St. Louis, and there was no phone with which to call! WHAT?!?!?
Good grief!
LIGHT BULB!
I have my laptop--let me fire it up and use Skype to call.
Great idea, except the wifi at the EuroAirport doesn't work.
Okay.
Next idea?
There was a darlingly cute blonde woman sitting behind yet another car rental counter. I walked to her and asked, 'Do you speak English?' 'A little,' she said with her envy-provoking French accent.
Ahhh...
I explained my plight: I don't have a phone to call the hotel, and the internet isn't working. Is it possible I may use your phone to call the Ibis?
Of course, she said.
Oh, oui oui oui! Merci Merci!!
She dialed the number, and I asked for a ride from the airport to the Hotel. The sweet lady on the other end of the phone directed me where to go. "Outside, by the Taxis" (I wish accent could be typed. This post would be ripe with accent).
I went outside and waited by the Taxis.
About ten minutes later, a very nice Frenchman came to take me to my hotel. He put my heavy bags in his trunk and away we went. The song that played from his car's radio was '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' by The Rolling Stones. Oh, Mick. To hear your ironic voice at this lovely time! I smiled, and peered out at this French city life. So near to Switzerland, and busy with streets and cars and buildings older than my native Arizona eyes know.
I made it to my hotel and the driver asked me, in French, 'Parlez-vous francais?' 'Non,' I said. 'Anglais.' He said, 'Enjoy Paris.'
I laughed, and checked into my hotel.
My room is delightful. I have a bathroom shaped like a pod and clean floors and a very comfortable bed. I have an internet connection. It's raining here and I ventured out to find some food. Dinner didn't start until 1900 and I was HUNGRY.
I found a market and bought the YUMMIEST tofu ravioli, dark chocolate rice cakes and sweet sesame crackers. All Vegan! YAY! Vegan snacks!! With the help of my darling Whitney I translated the dinner menu via gmail chat, and it was all meat choices for me, so I thought some snacks would be nice to have--I could go into dinner and just have a salad, that would be perfect.
Parfait!
Walking around the French-speaking streets of St. Louis was so fun. It was raining, and the streets are cobblestone. I sploshing in puddles and giggling at the fact I'm adventuring in France!!! Even though I know so little French it's embarrassing and I'm so in love with all things French I should know more French!
I came home to my cute little room, chowed on my yummy food, and enjoyed some solo time. At ten of seven, I went down to the hotel restaurant and asked the cute little French only speaking server if she had any vegetarian, vegetable only salads? She said, OUI! The Italian Salad would be parfait!'
SUPER!
I ordered a glass of almost too sweet Pinot Gris and enjoyed Desert Solitaire while I waited for my Italian Salad.
And it came.
Six slices of tomato layered with six slices of mozzarella cheese dressed in a pesto dressing and three, yes, I counted, THREE lettuce leaves as decoration in the center.
And, you guessed it,
I ate the entire thing.
I thought once, "Yikes, I hope this doesn't upset my tummy for tomorrow." And then I took another bite.
It was delicious.
I finished my dinner with an exceptionally dainty and delicious espresso.
My only regret is I didn't take my camera to dinner to exhibit proof of such amazing Frenchness.
If they have croissants at breakfast tomorrow, I don't think I'll be able to resist.
So, that's my Vegan Tale in France. I love it here, and I'm only 5km from the border of Suisse. Not Paris, but France nonetheless.
I leave tomorrow from EuroAirport at 1225 for London. London greets me with the long flight, London to Chicago. Then, Chicago to San Diego. I land tomorrow night at 2205 in San Diego. I will be tired, stinky and ready for a huge squeeze from one Nate B.
We begin our adventure on August 5. More to come on that!
Me! With a world-traveler's new found way to curl her hair, and the yummiest dark chocolate rice crackers ever.
Oh! I want to leave you with the coolest, most lovely and awesome video. This song is the first in my iTunes playlist, titled, 'the Swiss life 2010.' The lyrics follow the video. This song rules!
Now, I don't have cable television. I have hulu and netflix and I like it that way. I listen to npr for my news and go to www.thedailyshow.com for more substantial news coverage *giggle.* I enjoy watching Glee and Parenthood on hulu and getting television series on disc via that lovely red envelope in the mail.
I finished Season two of Mad Men June sometime, and really, really love this show. iTunes was running a special before Season four came out on AMC this month, and for only $10 I got Season three...
IT IS SO GREAT!
I think this historical drama is worth checking out, if you haven't already. The way women are portrayed, idealized, victimized, and treated is phenomenal---only forty+ years ago is this show set, and it is such a pivotal time in our country's history.
It helps the men in this show are daringly handsome. Oh, Donald Draper!!! How dreamy you are!
No links or photos in this post because I'm lazy but a shout out anyway to the awesome show that is Mad Men.
