Be prepared for an overwhelming amount of cliches.

I want to live a better life. Because all my pieces are here I just have to put them together. I have my career and I'm able to do what I love and in the area I love. I have a great boyfriend who does amazing things for me. He supports me, makes sure my needs and wants are provided for. He works so hard to make sure my bucket is full. He has great parents that have accepted me and made me feel more welcome and loved than family.
I think we all need to live a more appreciative life. And not take the things we assume will always be there for granted. I know my stars can change in but a moment. So I have to learn to enjoy the moment instead of worrying about the future or the past as I unfortunately tend to do. It prevents me from moving forward I've learned. Every day is a gift and I need to remember that more and apply it to every area of my life.
At work, I need to slow down and take a moment and talk to my patients. I've learned to be very fast at what I do. Ask the right questions and my skills improve every shift. But it was getting to the point my patients were just like cattle that I was herding through the hospital. They all get their initial assessment and treatment and shipped off to the next area. At my old job which I loved. The patients were awful. No please or thank you's, just insults. They almost seemed to be like unruly customers on black Friday demanding service. But if I took the time to talk to them and joke with them. Just take a minute to stand there and listen. They understood why I was so busy but would take the time to get my job done right. Even the rudest patient could sense my effort and respond with an equal amount of effort to get through the process as painless as possible.
As for my love life...as hard and as juvenile as it may seem. Everyday should be like the first date. To be witty and beautiful. Easy going and fun. Every day isn't about the honey-do list and the bills we pay or what's for dinner. It's about making the butterflies last and to see that sparkle in their eyes. Just because we make a choice to love and be with someone doesn't mean at some point that choice could change or the choice becomes a regret. I never want that to happen. I never want to get tired or become tiring.
I appreciate all I have. I could not ask for more.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Be careful what you wish for!

If someone had approached me a year ago and told me that I would have travelled through Italy and Greece and now I would be leaving my level 1 trauma center in Detroit to live in St Louis with my boyfriend Adam. I would've thought they were absolutely insane and put in a petition for their psychiatric admission.
A year ago I was fairly happily employed in a small community hospital. Where I was born, my mother, grandparents and multiple other family members worked. It felt like home and I belonged. People knew my mom or grandparents and would seem to watch over me.
I must admit that my life at the time was only mediocre. I was a new nurse with only a year of experience under my belt. So I was still naive to world of medicine and full of compassion and hope. Don't get me wrong, I still have compassion and hope for my patients it's just been worn down. I was learning and it felt good to be good at something
Now my love life. After dating someone for five years the flame was a mere spark. He was my almost high school sweetheart that came back after I let him go. But there was some bad history between us and it impeded us from being able to move forward. And then finally an incident occurred, something no matter how much I would've tried to push it away it would've been there literally haunting me and in the back of my mind. People viewed us as being the couple to look up to and being perfect for each other. Underneath all the smiles was a lot of resentment. It was hard to end as we were so integrated in each others lives. But knowing things would never be the same we separated.
Soon after, I became acquainted with Adam. A knight that came out of nowhere. With so many students rotating through the hospital. I rarely make note of them, knowing they'd be gone after a couple of weeks. But this one...I inconspicuously found out his name so I could inconspicuously follow him on Facebook. Call me a stalker if you wish. I was in a relationship and noted he was as well. So the original intent was not for a romantic pursuit. A few months later our situations had changed. He asked me out, I said to myself 'why not' as he would be a change. Change was something I didn't welcome but little did I know EVERYTHING in my life was about to be turned upside down.

I expected Adam and I to go on a date and be done. Return to the meaningless hellos at the hospital. But the complete opposite happened. We went on the date, laughed, had a good time. Then went on a few more dates and just kept going with it. He was someone that didn't know me and didn't run in my circles. He was a new start. Eventually he moved back to St Louis where he's originally from and I commuted between St Louis and my brand new job in Detroit. Only returning to Michigan for enough time to work my required time at the hospital.
So here I am today. Living in a place where I know nothing and no one. I have a new job, a new boyfriend and a new life. My life is no longer mediocre and I am excited and welcoming the change. Be careful what you wish for. You might just get what you asked for.

7 Deadly Sins

Wrath

Who did you last get angry with?
A former manager

What is your weapon of choice?
Words

Would you hit a member of the opposite sex?
I probably wouldn't do much damage.

How about the same sex?
Absolutely, I don't even need a good reason.

What is your pet peeve?
When people call Meijer -"Meijers"

Do you keep grudges, or can you let them go easily?
I keep them...in a box... under my bed.


Sloth

What is one thing you're suppose to do daily that you haven't?
Clean my room - put the the clothes from the weekend away

What is the latest you've ever woken up?
?...1800? I like to sleep.

Name a person you've been meaning to contact, but haven't?
Mary

What is the last lame excuse that you made?
I'm ugly right now, I can't go out

Have you ever watched an infomercial all the way through?
Ye-ah! I love informercials!

How many times did you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock this morning?
Unconsciously once, I woke up late without noticing the alarm went off.


Gluttony

What is your overpriced yuppie beverage of choice?
Loose lips squeeze from surf city squeeze

Are you a meat eater?
Yes

What is the greatest amount of alcohol you've had in one sitting/outing/event?
1 drink

Are you comfortable with your drinking and eating habits?
Yeah, I'll roll with them. Food makes me happy.

Do you enjoy candy and sweets?
Absolutely! I need to gain some weight so my jeans will fit again!

Which do you prefer: sweets, salty foods or spicy foods?
Spicy! Ariba!

Have you ever looked at a small house pet or child and thought, "lunch"?
No, weird! But I've held babies that I've wanted to "eat up!"



Greed

How many credit cards do you own?
Uno.

If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?
Travel. Buy a nice place, have a horse and a big dog.

Would you rather be rich or famous?
Rich! I don't like people in my business.

Would you accept a boring job if it meant that you would make megabucks?
No, hence the nursing degree, not megabucks, but at least I'm doing something meaningful!


Pride

What's one thing that you have done that you're most proud of?
Being involved in saving someone's life.

What's one thing you have done that your parents are most proud of?
Stood up for myself and said no more.

What thing would you like to accomplish late in your life?
I want to still be madly in love when I'm old and decrepit.

Do you get annoyed by coming in second place?
No, its too much work to be fabulous.

Have you ever entered a contest of skill, knowing you were of much higher skill than all the other competitors?
um...Age of Empires back in the day

Have you ever cheated to get a better score?
No, I don't really play games

What did you do today that you're proud of?
Made it through my last night at SJMO


Lust

How many people have seen you naked (not counting physicians, doctors, family, locker rooms, or when you were a young child)?
Too many to count, and some too disgusting to think about

Have you ever caught yourself staring at the chest/crotch of a person of your chosen sex during a normal conversation?
No, weird.

What is your favorite body part of a person of your gender choice?
Smile

Have you ever had sexual encounters (including kissing/making out) with multiple persons?
No..

Have you ever been propositioned by a prostitute?
No, but those people in Vegas with the cards, drive me insane!


Envy

What item of your friends would you most want to have for your own?
A place of my own

Who would you want to go on "Trading Spaces" with?
OMG! Jhenner and Stacy, we should totally call them!

If you could be anyone who existed in the world, who would you be?
Exactly who I am, my life is fantastic!

Have you ever been cheated on?
YES, it was the best thing that could've happened to me

Have you ever wished you had a physical feature different from your own?
Yup, right now it's eyes.

What inborn trait do you see in others that you wish you had for yourself?
Being nice, some people just radiate kindness.

What deadly sin...

Do you do the most often?
Gluttony

Do you do the least often?
Lust

Is your favorite to act on?
Greed

Survey

// Series One - As Usual
-- Name: J. Luna
-- Birthdate: 08.13
-- Birthplace: Pontiac, MI
-- Current Location: Classified
-- Eye Color: Brown
-- Hair Color: Dark dark brown - it's not black!
-- Righty or Lefty: righty
-- Zodiac Sign: Leo
-- Innie or Outtie: innie

// Series Two - Describe
-- Your Heritage: Spanish-Filipina, my grandma is only like a 1/4 spanish
-- The Shoes You Wore Today: Rainbow Flip Flops

-- Your Hair: Long. It's soft and shiny!
-- Your Eyes: Brown
-- Your Weakness: Taking things too personally
-- Your Fears: Losing someone I love, disappointing anyone, failing at anything
-- Your Perfect Pizza: Pizza Hut, Stuffed Crust, with extra extra cheese w/Onions, and Green Peppers

-- One Thing You'd Like to Achieve: Make it through Europe safe and sound.

// Series Three - What Is…
-- Your Most Overused Phrase On AIM: I have no idea when the last time I used AIM was!
-- Your Thoughts First Waking Up: "OMG! Am I late for something?!"
-- The First Feature You Notice in the Opposite Sex: Face
-- Your Best Physical Feature: My Hair
-- Your Bedtime: Normally 9am-ish
-- Your Greatest Fear: Failure
-- Your Greatest Accomplishment: Learning to smile, when there isn't a reason to.
-- Your Most Missed Memory: The good ol' days, when the family spent time to together, when things were simple, and love wasn't complicated

// Series Four - You Prefer
-- Pepsi or Coke: Coke
-- McDonald's or Burger King: Burger King, everytime I go to McDonalds, they always squash my sandwiches

-- Single or Group Dates: Single
-- Adidas or Nike: Nike
-- Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Don't they taste the same?
-- Chocolate or Vanilla: Vanilla!
-- Cappuccino or Coffee: Cappuccino

// Series Five - Do You
-- Smoke: nope
-- Cuss: Like a sailor
-- Sing Well: most definitely not, although i was a Chamber Singer, how did that happen?!?!
-- Take a Shower Everyday: Nope, I can go DAYS!
-- Have a Crush(es): wouldn't it be more correct to have the question be, "Have (a)Crush(es)"? But, no I'm in love.

-- Do You Think You've Been In Love: Yes, most definately
-- Want To Go To College: Been there, done that, now I have to go back.
-- Like High School: loved it!
-- Want To Get Married: Yes! I want to start living my life. I'm so over the games.
-- Type w/ Your Fingers On The Right Keys: Yes! Thank you Mavis Beacon and Paws!
-- Believe in Yourself: On occasion
-- Get Motion Sickness: Not really, only if i'm in a car, reading or something, thats what ginger candy is for!
-- Think You're Attractive: You can be the judge of that
-- Think You're a Health Freak: nope
-- Get Along With Your Parents: Its getting better
-- Like Thunderstorms: No, I'm under the bed with my dog.
-- Play An Instrument: Piano, lessons for like 12 years!

// Series Six - In The Past Month, Did/Have You
-- Drank alcohol: Yes
-- Smoke(d): Nope
-- Done a drug: Nope
-- Made Out: Yes
-- Go on a Date: Yes
-- Go to the mall?: most definitely - almost every day off
-- Eaten an Entire Box of Oreos: I've never done that in my life, but I'm willing to try!
-- Eaten Sushi: Nope, but I should've, I love sushi!
-- Been on Stage: No, but my church certainly does try
-- Gone Skating: nope, but good idea
-- Made Homemade Cookies: nope, another good idea
-- Been in Love: Most definitely!
-- Gone Skinny Dipping: nope
-- Dyed Your Hair: nope
-- Stolen Anything: Someones heart?

// Series Seven - Have You Ever
-- Played a Game That Required the Removal of Clothing: yes
-- If So, Was it Mixed Company: yes
-- Been Trashed Or Extremely Intoxicated: how would i remember? but no.
-- Been Caught "Doing Something": no
-- Been Called a Tease: Yes
-- Gotten Beaten Up: by my brother
-- Shoplifted: nope
-- If So, Did You Get Caught:
-- Changed Who You Were to Fit In: regretfully yes

// Series Eight - The Future
-- Age You Hope to Be Married: 27
-- Numbers and Names of Children: 1 girl...Alaina, 1 Boy...Aiden
-- Describe your Dream Wedding: that could take a while....
-- How Do You Want to Die: 1 day before the one I love, so I don't have to spend a day without him.
-- Where You Want to Go to College:
-- What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up: A badass Critical Care Nurse

-- What Country Would You Most Like To Visit: I want to see EVERYTHING

// Series Nine - Opposite Sex
-- Best Eye Color: Bright Blue or Dark Brown
-- Best Hair Color: Dark Brown
-- Short or Long Hair: short, but not too short
-- Best Height: 5.10"-6"
-- Best Weight: i don't know
-- Best Articles Of Clothing: A really good-looking black shirt
-- Best First Date Location: Movie, dinner, A walk on the beach, then you watch the stars.
-- Best First Kiss Location: one a pier, looking over an ocean, with the sun going down.

// Series Ten - Number Of
-- Number Of Drugs Taken Illegally: do people actually keep count?
-- Number Of People I Could Trust With My Life: i don't know, i think there's too many to consider

-- Number Of CDs That I Own: not many
-- Number Of Piercings: Three
-- Number Of Tattoos: 0 - maybe this will change in the future
-- Number Of Times My Name Has Appeared In The Newspaper: i don't know
-- Number Of Scars On My Body: a bunch!
-- Number Of Things In My Past That I Regret: I lost count

last...
movie you rented = Clash of the Titans
movie you bought = Star Trek
song you listened to = Careless Whisper - Seether
song that was stuck in your head = Comin' Home - City and Colour
thing you've downloaded = Skype
cd you bought = Legend Soundtrack
cd you listened to = my relaxation cd
person you've called = Mother
person that's called you = Love
tv show you've watched = LA Ink
person you were thinking of = Someone that makes me happier than I've ever been.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

This weekend...

Raina and I tried to plan the best way to get from Venice to Greece. We failed. But somehow got the spare bedroom painted for her new roomate.

Mobile Blogging from here.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]