A Quarter of a Century Completed

Another year has come and gone and 25 was a COMPLETE SUCCESS.  It all started with completing a 25 Things for My 25th Birthday and ended with a day on the Labor and Delivery Unit.

As I sit and ponder what I have accomplished in  25 years my first response was "well, nothing really."  I have never had a real person job, made any major discoveries or held a position of power.

As I sat and thought about it more, I realized  I was crazy and could not be farther from the truth.  While I am the longest running student among my group of friends, I have finally found my passion and am preparing for a career that will allow me to get excited about going to work each morning.  If you told me on my 18th birthday that I would have gone to undergrad and grad school, served as an AmeriCorps member, cycled across the country and be studying at Hopkins for nursing before the age of 26 I would have told you that you you were mad.  It is crazy to think of how busy and fulfilling those short eight years were.

The only reason why I was able to survive out here in the real world was because of the support network my family and friends have created.  My parents instilled in me some great morals, values and life lessons, including to whom much is given, much is expected.  These were only further solidified by my grandparents.  Everyone allowed me to make my own mistakes, to create my own (liberal) identity and to bounce around from major to major until I found what was right for me.  I will forever be grateful for my childhood and can honestly say that without their support I probably would not be where I am today.

For those of you who know me, you know that I have a very small, close group of friends.  And as someone who hates to label relationships I never can say that I have a "best friend" just a second family.  I would move mountains for them if I could and know that the feeling is mutual (at least I hope it is).  Hearing about the passions, accomplishments and adventures of friends constantly  reminds me about how much I can learn from others and inspires me to go after my dreams. 

I guess the first 25 years were what I needed to prep me for what I hope to be a long and successful life filled with adventure, love and laughter.  The first quarter was spent "building my toolbox" (I cringe at how many professors have used this imagery, but it has never been more true).  Who knows what the next 25 years will bring, but as long as I continue to have the support of family and friends, a sense of adventure and a passion for making a difference I can only imagine the possibilities.  So stick around - life updates to be posted here (though probably not as introspective).  I love seeing the number of readers for this project ebb and flow so spread the word.