Summer reflections...tq =D

Since my last post, I have been actively indulging myself in summer activities in the states. It is a good thing that I chose not to go back to M'sia in summer. I had the opportunities to gain my "first-s" here including first time camping, first time clubbing, first time fishing, and many more first time experiences. Although I could have done all those back in M'sia, I don't think I would have actively push myself to do them back home. =D Sometimes, all it takes for us to do stuffs is to be in another environment. All these would not have happened if it wasn't for my friends who asked me to join them in their trips. Thanks y'all!

Romping around Minneapolis and St Paul with Christina and the Cross-Cultural Discussion group

Being confirmed that M'sians are everywhere in the Midwest Games in Carbondale, Illinois

Road and camping trip to Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone Park (first camping trip)

Say hello to "Old Faithful"

KOA campsite in Cody, Wyoming

Camping trip to Duluth, Minnesota with the International Student Outreach: Gooseberry Falls

Lake Superior

Yi Cheng's 21st bd party

Yi Wen's Bd at 1st Ave

Lessons from Nursing

"Leadership does make a difference. And if you want to make a difference, be a leader yourself!"
-advice from Marie Mantley-

Earlier this morning, I went to the Minnesota State Board of Nursing to do some information digging with Marie Mantley, one of the Heritage committee for the School of Nursing in the U of M. It's part of my assignment as a research asst. in the School of Nursing.

I applied for this job as posted online. I didn't really had high expectation of getting this job at first as it was in the Sch of Nursing. When I went for the interview, the director told me that there were 30 applicants and she thought of giving weight to nursing students. I am just lucky that she chose me. It was probably because I told her I am not sure of what I'd like to do after I graduate but what's for sure is that I want to utilize every single opportunity that this uni has to offer and learn as much as I want. Psychiatric nursing is an option to =P...maybe. Then, she went on to tell me an alternative pathway to nursing other than the BA degree is the post-professional nursing prog. or sth like that in which people who have other degrees can opt for. It's a master's degree. Two weeks ago, the director's assistant joked that by the end of this project (Sch of Nursing Centennial Book project), I would want to be a psychiatric nurse. I just gave a nervous laughter. Heheh..

There were so many new information to ingest. It's amazing. Most of all, I get to be awe-inspired by great, seasoned, and experienced women leaders in nursing. Sometimes though, I feel guilty and undeserving of the knowledge that I'm acquiring. I feel that it should be given to the nurses to be. Oh well, life's like this. Apparently this uni has the best nursing prog in the US and it's amazing how respected and highly paid this position is. Seriously, this experience is amazing.

Another thing Marie said earlier made me want to model these wonderful women was "You girls are too young to understand this but the joys of being old is to be able to look back at the things you have done and just feel great about them. You just remember the good stuffs and not the bad stuffs. " She became a nurse in the late 50s so I would say she's at least 78-80 years old and savvy with technology too. The way they carry themselves are amazing. They take learning as part of their lives and they never stopped even after they have retired. Wow! I wanna be like them too.