And so it begins.....

I suppose I should begin my very first blog by saying that I am a complete stranger to this whole thing. I am not a tweeter, a journalist, or a writer of any sorts. I am simply an american nurse living in Texas who is relocating to London (yes, I mean in England). I thought it would be a great idea to document my journey for all of my family, friends, and fellow nurses.

I guess it's good to begin with a short history of my life so you can get a better picture of the crazy nurse you are about to follow. I was born and raised a true cajun girl in Lafayette, Louisiana. I stayed in my home state for college (Geaux Ragin Cajuns) and completed my Bachelor's degree in nursing in 2009. I then relocated to Austin, Texas out of sheer boredom and the need for excitement.

 Once in Austin I took a job in adult telemetry for 1 year. If anyone wants to know what a-fib and palpitations feel like, I suggest you work on one of these units straight after graduation. As painful as this experience was it has ultimately made me a better nurse, and my team was spectacular.

After that golden year was under my belt I landed the job I had wanted in nursing school.... PEDIATRICS!! I have been working at this wonderful job for 13 months now and am loving this population. And sadly, although I work at a pretty amazing hospital with the most amazing team, I began to feel restless again just 6 months after starting. This can't be it can it? I mean, I love my job, my friends, and my family is within an easy 6 hour drive away, but something is missing. I just can't quite put my finger on it. A boyfriend, you say? husband? kid? Nope, none of those are my answer. It's something else. A need to explore something completely different. Something out of my comfort zone. Something....foreign?? AH HA! That's it!

That brings us to the next question, why England? Why something so far away where everyone talks funny and no one eats barbeque or crawfish etouffee?? My family certainly thought I was insane when I first mentioned this. But if you know me, you will know I have an insatiable appetite for traveling. It has been this way since my first vacation to Florence, Italy in 2007. Since then I have been numerous places from India to Thailand to Ireland. I even spent a summer semester in college in Paris, France. I like to call myself the aimless wanderer.

I chose England because in the 3 times I have visited London, I have made wonderful friends and fell completely in love with the city. There is just no way to see this entire city and what it has to offer in just one short vacation. And let's be honest, the fact that they speak english (though incomprehensible at times) is a bonus. On the nursing perspective, I have no idea what to expect. That simple fact makes it the most exciting. This will without a doubt be the most difficult and challenging self-inflicted task I've had to face. But if you are ready and would like to follow, I will walk you through every step of my life changing process, including giving you my perspectives on adjusting to life in foreign city as an american, a nurse, and a single lady.