What led me to nursing?

I decided pretty suddenly to become a nursing student, it was 1st July 2013, art student, no idea how to get my life into career mode - when I decided to do something I never prepared myself for, to move my thoughts away from the creative area and become a healer of sorts instead.

I didn't like the sciences during high school, never did health subjects or anything to do with the human body, I couldn't wrap my head around it all (except I managed to get through philosophy, I don't understand my reasoning on that one). I was solely focussed on art, and that's ok, it is still my biggest passion. But that was almost 3 years earlier and maybe I could manage human sciences now. So I thought I'd give it a shot.

Whilst growing up I had huge interests in trying to make the world a better place, I had dreams of volunteering overseas to help people or animals, I wanted to make some kind of difference. I'd spend hours researching ways I could do that and places I could send myself to when I was old enough. Just to help build a building or cuddle animals or make a child smile somehow.

For many years I've been fascinated with spiritual and natural directions in health, natural products, stones, using your mind and thoughts as a powerful tool to a life you want. I wholeheartedly believe in these things, but only if you want it and feel a connection with it within yourself, it's not for everyone.

So I guess it's all these things, plus being a solid career, which led me to choose to give nursing a good go. I imagine being a nurse will give me a life of real experiences, real knowledge and confidence in myself to do so much. In March 2014 I began my Diploma of Nursing to be an Endorsed Enrolled Nurse, and it's been tough, but I'm almost finished and qualified! 6 more days and 3 weeks of clinical placement to go.

I have applied for university to study the Bachelor of Nursing for the next 2 years, leading me to be a Registered Nurse. I'm looking forward to it and I feel like it will be refreshing to be a uni student and delve deeper into everything I've learnt so far, and more.

I'm not sure where I want to be as a nurse just yet, I haven't found where that passion is through the areas I've been so far, but I'm looking down the path of midwifery, neonates, paediatrics, and maybe one day paramedics. That is where my mind goes when I think of being a nurse, and that is what makes me feel proud to be doing this.

EDIT: I also applied for a Grad Year position and I got it! So I will be deferring university while I complete my job as a grad nurse in 2016!

Snow

It doesn't snow here every winter, it basically never snows in my backyard, but some years we're lucky to get a day or two where the snow manages to land on the ground up in the higher altitudes. This is Mt. Franklin, a mountain in relation to the place I live anyway. It was a volcano, now extinct, but I think it's a pretty great mountain, it has a crater and pine trees and without driving 4 hours to the proper alpine region it's the closest you'll find. On one of those rare snow days it was thankfully a weekend and my partner, his family and myself could drive out to enjoy the thin layer of white stuff.