Leap of Faith

Dear Coley,

   I am working on a blog, but since I took this weekend off from school work to do things like- run up the "Rocky steps," visit the Museum of Art (to see some Rembrandt), actually see the Liberty Bell up close and personal, and eat some delicious food at Reading Market..... I am currently swamped with school work right now (I type this as my lecture downloads.... yes, evidently in grad school you go to class, feverishly take notes, go home, and then listen to the lecture again... good times).  Anyway, as I sit and stress, this song came to my mind. Have you ever seen the movie "Leap of Faith"?  It is one of my family's (well, Tommy's favorites).  In the movie they sing this song (here is an excerpt):

Now a man gets crazy when his life is all wrong
And the heart gets a little weary when it doesn’t belong
And the road gets a little bit rocky but you’ve got to keep on
And let the new light shining on you

I’ve been lonely, and I’ve been cheated, and I’ve been misunderstood
I’ve been washed up, and I’ve been put down, and I’ve been told I’m no good
But with you I belong
Because you helped me be strong
There’s been a change in my life since you came along

The movie is more "Hollywood" than Christian, but I like it anyway.  Today was a low day for me.  I miss home and I miss having people around who I know and love (although, my new grad school friends are filling in nicely).  It's tough, and I honestly don't know how I would do this without the faith that this is in fact where I belong. 

Anyway, a normal blog will follow shortly.  Love you girl,

Courtney

Love from the Country

Court,

I’m so sorry that this post has been so delayed.  I always have the best intentions of being more on top of updating, but I always get busy!   I hope that you are continuing to do well!  I think I saw on Facebook that you had your first test?!  I hope that it went well.  I was cracking up at your post about the neighbor!  I hope that his companion came and they had a jolly ole time!  You know I couldn’t help but think about our “wonderful” neighbors from above.  Which is my “favorite” memory?  Piano playing?  Dogs running?  The nursery full of kids?  The coming and going?  The morning ‘loving’?  I just can’t pick one!  It sounds that your neighbors are at least a little more…respectful?  Haha, at least they make for a good post/story/laugh!!  I’m excited to read more about your ‘city finds’.  I am anticipating my trip and trying everything out.  I’m so thrilled that you might have found a good church!  I went to a Presbyterian church with Casey one Sunday and really, really enjoyed it!  They aren’t too far removed from our Methodist roots J 

Things in the country are pretty normal.  I went home this weekend to visit with my family.  Stevie had her 3^rd birthday!  She is absolutely precious and I told Katy that Will and her need to have a play date!  

I feel like I’m where you were this time last year…except possibly more confused!  I’m trying to figure out where to go/what to do for graduate school.  I’m thinking maybe I should just move to a random city and teach for a year just to do something completely different!!  Philly?!

I hope that all is well in the city of brotherly love…keep me posted!

Love and hugs,

Coley

Neighbor A

Dear Coley,

  This is going to be short and sweet, but I have to tell you something! So, I was walking down the hall and noticed a note on my neighbor's door (he is an older man, kinda decrepit, who walks really slow, and from how loud his TV is...... he is hard of hearing).  Anyway, the note read:

"Love,

     If you come by, I have either fallen asleep or I am in the bathroom. The door is open"

What?!  Haha.  I seriously stood there for way too long, stalker-ish like, and read the note over and over again trying to figure it out.  I mean, I get it...... his love is going to stop by, and he will inevitably be asleep or in the bathroom.....so, come on it?? I am liking this guy more and more, haha.

Overall, I guess my building is pretty safe..... after all, the man leaves a note in his door alerting the community that it is open.  My mom and I (during the move in) saw him walking on the street, barely able to carry his groceries.  Madelyn, being the good Christian woman she is said, "Oh, Courtney, he is going to be your project, help him."  Well momma, I think he is busy.

Good times.

I would ask about your neighbors, but I know...... you don't have any :) 

Love, 

Court

Events...... of daily life

Dear Coley,

2 weeks down, and I feel like I have been doing this for months (not sure if that is a good thing or not).  I would say I have established a routine, but all that my life consists of right now is school, studying, walking, and sleeping (oh and a little eating in there), so I am not sure you can have a routine with just 5 things in your life. Classes flew by this week!  Each one of my classes has an average of 400-500 pages of reading, per session..... so, the prep work takes a lot longer than the actual class. (You don’t even want to know how many hours I have been studying). I did pull my head out of the books long enough to experience a couple of new things.  So, in no particular order, here are the main events:

1) I did laundry!  I know that doesn’t seem like a big feat, but trust me- here, it is.  I hauled my basket, and text books, down to the laundry room of my apartment building..... and $7.00 later, I had two loads done.  I thought I was going to stay downstairs (and study, naturally), to guard my clothes (from the big city clothes snatchers), but the laundry room was super sketch, so I hauled my little self back to my room during the wash.  I figured my life was a little more important….they can have the clothes.

2) I made a friend.  Not only a friend my dear, but a friend….with a car….who is willing to take me to get groceries next week!  Meredith, one of my three grad school friends, is my new best friend/angel on wheels (literally).  I have not missed having a car, so far, but groceries are definitely a challenge. I am lucky enough to have a little market near my place, but they only have the essentials (not my true loves- lean pockets, mini-wheats, baby carrots). And the good Lord knows, the Trader Joe's up the street (aka 5 blocks away) definitely cannot supply my processed food needs. 

3) I went to church, met some new people, and got a free meal all in the same day.  That is what happens when you hit up the local Presbyterian Church.  Now, don’t get mad at me, my faithful Methodist friends.  First Presbyterian Church is literally across the street from me, so I had to check it out. This was the second Sunday I attended, and so far the services are great….and their covered dishes are yummy.  Oddly enough, Susie (another grad school friend) went to the same church, so we sat together.  She said she wanted to ask me the other day if I would go to church with her, but didn’t want to come off all pushy about religion….. I just laughed and said, “Honey , I am from the south…that’s how we do it!” 

4) I got hit on by a homeless man!  I was sitting in Rittenhouse Square (an absolutely fabulous park near my apartment), and a homeless man sat down on my bench (yes, I claim benches now). This is how the convo went:

Man: Hey girl, you are beautiful! Can I have your number?

Me: No

Man: Well can I give you mine?

Me: No

Man: ok, ok, well you have a blessed day!

And then he was gone.  Now, this man was clearly mentally ill and inappropriate, but overall he was nice.  I just kind of laughed as he proceeded to the next bench to hit another girl.  I must admit… the “can I give you my number” was a little entertaining. This city is pretty well populated with homeless people, so I am just thankful that my first person-person interaction with one, went smoothly.  In the park I have definitely seen things escalate to almost fights....so yes, I had a blessed day.

5) Penn Park, a park between my apartment and UPenn opened this week.  The park is beautiful, and has tons of sport facilities (aka. my tuition as work).  But, the best part was, on Sat night they had fireworks to celebrate, which I could see perfectly from my window.  It was a nice little "Welcome to the city Courtney" display :)

Well, I think that is all for now.  Next weekend promises to be more exciting than this one, so stay tuned, haha.  Oh, and my first Patho text is Friday, so please say some prayers…I will need them.

I miss you so much!  How are things in NC? 

Love,

Court.

Happy for You!!

Court,

I'm glad to hear that you are doing well!  I actually had on my weekend 'to-do' list to update the blog and it just didn't get marked off.  I guess that's what Mondays are for!  I'm sorry that your feet have disowned you and you're in pain!  I hope that they are doing better.  Maybe you have a date with Dr. Scholl's soon?!

It's exciting to hear about your classes, I feel like I'm back in high school and a senior and you've gone off to college!  Which...I guess is kind of the case?!  I'm trying to use it as motivation to figure out what to do with my life!  Maybe I need to visit you in Philly for inspiration like I did with UNCG!

Other that an earthquake and me falling on my behind a few weeks ago, nothing "blog-worthy" has really happened to me.  I just try to keep my head above water, which is easier said than done.  I'm sure you kind of feel the same way.  I did learn when dove season began and bow season!  My students were super excited to tell me!  Also someone got stabbed or something after a football game a couple weeks ago, though no one really seems to know more than that...comforting.

I loved your AT-PA blog.  You are inspiring to me and I know that you are going to do such wonderful things with this new degree.  You have to have this trust in God that all will work out.  You have gone out on the limb and I know that there's only the best fruit on the end of it.  Think of how everything so far in your life has worked out...everything happens for a reason.  I think we needed our 2 years together so you could figure out the next step.  Life goes on and we figure it out with each step of the way!

Hope the weather is better!
Coley

One down....

 Dear Coley,

       My first week of school is over….thank goodness!  I think of it as, one down, something like twelve to go.  I am not going to bore you with all the details of my classes.  However, for informational purposes, here is the rundown.  I am taking four classes and one lab.  The classes are: Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology, Professional Role of the Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Decision Making in Advanced Nursing Practice, and Nursing of Children- Theory I. The lab is a physical assessment lab (aka. what they do at the doctor’s office during a physical). There are no easy classes, as suspected, but I don’t think that any of them will cause me to spontaneously combust (we will see when the exams and projects start).  Like I told my mom, the classes are just as hard as I expected (unfortunately, haha). Anyway, this blog is not called Graduate School Girl…. so now onto some city talk.

       This week, Mother Nature decided to drown Pennsylvania, and I just happen to be along for the ride.  Rain, for those who have cars, and don’t walk four miles a day to get to and from class, is just an inconvenience.  However, rain, this week, made my life a nightmare!  Tues, Wed, and Thurs were downpours! (Did I mention that I am expected to dress, at the very least “business casual,” to class…. after all, we are professionals now).  There I was, refusing to take the bus because that would still require me stand out in the rain for 30min, walking my southern self two miles in the rain….. in dress pants, flats, and a blouse.  Just fyi: NO dress shoe of any sort works well in rain!  I tried heels, flats, sandals, even flip flops… and all I ended up with is a grand total of 10 blisters!  Turns out, when shoes are completely soaked by rain water, and whatever crap is floating in the Philadelphia streets, they stick to your feet and rub them raw. My feet could be on a poster for “ugly-feet-r-us.”  Again, how do these city people do it?  I don’t know, so on Friday I gave into the terrible….. tennis shoes (as it so happened, Friday was sunny). Mother Nature 1: Court 0

       Anyway, because of the rain, I didn’t get to see much of the city this week. I did venture out Friday night to buy myself a slice of pizza…. I finished my first week, I deserved it! I found out two things on that little outing:  1) A great slice of pizza only costs $2 which happens to be the exact cost of bus fare. I already didn’t want to ride the bus due to the cost, but now that I know I can get pizza if I save by walking…. bye bye bus.  2) When walking down the street, alone and carrying pizza, I felt very exposed!  I could just see all the “city people” drinking in the bars with their friends looking at me, and judging me for being alone on a Friday night with my greasy pizza.  At least in NC, when I would go get a Little Caesars pizza and consume the entire pie in one sitting… my car shielded the deliver method, haha.  (David thinks I am ridiculous). In the end….. the pizza was worth it! 

       So, it was a pretty slow week, other than my classes draining the life out of me.  But progress was made this week!  I feel much better about being here (not that it was ever terrible), but it does feel a little more like home (in the, this place is absolutely nothing like home, but I will like it anyway kind of way). I did get two packages this week from loved ones- THANK YOU, I love mail!  Oh, and the highlight of my week was when TR called on Sat, and Will told me, “Courtney, I am going to come up to your school and give you a kiss!”  I melted!         

How is your school going?

Miss You!

Courtney

PA - AT??

Dear Coley,

    Today was my first day! (well, orientation). Other than mother nature trying to drown Philadelphia, it was a success.  What was not a success, was my attempt to wait for the bus, ride the bus, and then walk the four blocks to my apartment without getting completely soaked. Lesson learned. (I did share my umbrella with a med student.... thought you would be happy to know that my southern training has not been lost). Tomorrow is when the excitement/dread starts...... classes.  Wish me luck!

I wrote something the other day about this whole experience, here you go:

 

I recently read “Becoming Odyssa,” a book by Jennifer Pharr Davis (who just completed the fastest hike of the Appalachian Trial, *46 days and 11 hours, you go girl) about the first time she hiked the trail, as a 21 year old college graduate.  I have also been reading Trail Journals (Nevena “Gangsta” Martin’s is quite entertaining). The Appalachian Trial, from what I have read, is 2,175 miles long and requires incredible strength, stamina, and just pure willpower to complete. Reading the stories of how these two women hiked, and bled, and perspired, and laughed, and ate, and sometimes cried their way from Georgia to Maine has been inspirational and motivating.  I doubt I will ever hike the Appalachian Trail, (maybe some section hikes), but the book and blogs really got me thinking.

This move, from North Carolina to Philadelphia and starting this rigorous program (even though I drove), is like my Appalachian Trail. Don’t get me wrong; moving to Philadelphia for graduate school is nothing physically similar to hiking through fourteen states. However, it is challenge; one that requires a lot of soul searching, emotional, mental, and sometimes physical strength. Everyone’s “journey” in life is different, and mine has definitely not followed that perfect map I plotted out in the 6^th grade. But it is the journey that makes us who we are, blistered and all.  My move to Philadelphia has brought me happiness, and frustration, and sadness, and excitement, and honestly- some heart break (much like the AT).  However, I am sure that the next 16 months will be some of the best of my life.

Jennifer’s belief in God (written about in her book) has been an amazing reminder of where to go for guidance and comfort.  In one chapter she says, describing waking up after a rough night alone in the woods, “But in the morning, things were different. I awoke to discover the sun rising above the mountains and green fields below.”  She then writes, “(God) was communicating to me through the sunrise. The pink said, I am here. The orange said, I am going with you. The gold, the bright gold, said trust in me.”  Again, my experience is very different than someone hiking the AT, heck, it is different than someone else moving to a big city.  But in the end, we are all just working towards fulfilling our purpose on this earth, and maybe seeing some good views on the way. 

All I have to say is, last night I got to see a gorgeous sunset from my window looking over the city, and I felt reassured that this is what I am supposed to be doing. This is where I belong. Bring on the hike…. I mean graduate school!

Love,

Courtney

ps. Did I mention, that other than people they met on the AT.... these women went into their journeys alone?  Yes Ma'am.