How fitting that on New Years Eve 2013 I'm writing my 100th Post! I would've reached this milestone months ago had I kept writing during school as I did during the summer but oh well, here we are!

What a year 2013 has been! I turned 23 years old, cared for the elderly in a worthwhile but grueling job, got engaged to my best friend of almost seven years, started medical school, planned a wedding, lost 20 pounds, made amazing new friends, moved to an entirely new city, and started this blog!

Here are five of the best lessons I learned in 2013: 

Medical school was absolutely the right decision for me. 
There were some many times during college, during the application process, and during the past semester, that I wanted to give up & do something else. Why am I doing all this while everyone else is living their lives, making money, and having fun? I've learned that all that hard work really does pay off. I just need to keep going!

Don't waste your time on people you don't respect.
This year I realized that it's time to remove the toxic people from my life. Everyone has those certain people who seem to leech energy and happiness from a others. Instead of constantly feeling awful about yourself when you're around these people, kick them out! Stop talking to this person, texting them when your bored (or intoxicated!), and move on. I know I'm way better off without people in myself who are rude, inconsiderate, or treat me poorly. 

But also forgive people who are worth keeping in your life.
I wouldn't advocate kicking people out of your life just because you've had a disagreement with them or you've lost touch. One of my biggest realizations and a resolution for 2014 is to learn to forgive people and move on. Stop focusing on negative events that happened with someone years ago, accept them for who they are today, and make tomorrow better. If you can't accept them and forgive them, then it's time to revaluate and see the lesson above. Life is too short to hold grudges and be miserable over things you cannot control.

I am way stronger than I ever imagined & I am capable of far more than I hold myself accountable for.
This time last year, I had no clue that I could run a mile, let alone 6 miles or even the 13.1 I'm preparing to run in May. I didn't think I could do hot yoga or lift heavy weights or even go to the gym looking the way I do because people would judge me. I didn't think I was worthy of being healthy, happy, or strong. I was dead wrong. I am capable of so much more than I've ever held myself accountable for.

This realization extends far beyond fitness. So much of my life has been based on what I can do naturally. I never really pushed myself to be excellent. I've always done well in school but I never went the extra mile. I always stopped when I felt uncomfortable... That leads me to another lesson.

Being uncomfortable is a good thing!
Being uncomfortable leads to growth. If you consistently stay in your little comfort zone, you'll never achieve more than what you've always achieved. You'll never known what you're truly capable of until you push yourself.

I hope everyone has a safe & happy New Year. I've never been so excited for a year to start - tomorrow I'll share with you what's in store for me and my goals for the year ahead.

See you all in 2014!

What was the highlight of your 2013?

Tonight is my last night of "work." I hesitate to call it work because aside from the awful sleep schedule, I'm in a position where what I'm doing doesn't seem much like work anymore. I function more as a companion than as a nursing assistant (as well as light housekeeper and personal shadow). While I wish I could share all the stories and details of the people I have cared for over the past year, I cannot. (Thanks, HIPAA.) I can take a step back from the personal details and share a little wisdom from the last few months.

Via

Over a year ago as a new college graduate and fresh out of my CNA class,  I was assigned to a terminally ill patient who I ended up working with for just over two months before she passed away. It was a rough first experience.

After that experience, I decided to get a job at a local nursing facility. Talk about an eye opening experience. I've shadowed doctors and volunteered in the ER. I've spent a lot of my childhood visiting nursing homes and I continue to help my mom and aunt take care of my grandpa who has MS. I'm no stranger to the healthcare field and I'm completely comfortable in these settings but working in a nursing home was my first time seeing the down and dirty daily operations of healthcare facilities. And it isn't always pretty. You can read more here.

Finally after about six months in the nursing home setting, I found my current job working in home healthcare again. I like the one-on-one interactions and personal time I can give to the couple I help out. I love that I've gotten to know two extremely interesting and civically active people in my city. 

I wish I could share the stories they've told me about their adventures in 65+ years of marriage. I wish I could tell you of all their accomplishments and their commitment to making our city and country a better place. I wish I could share everything they've shared with me - sometimes I wish blogging worked like osmosis. There's no way to put into words how this couple has impacted my life in such a short time. Even if I were allowed to share these details, I still couldn't accurately describe them.

I can tell you that time and time again, these people have opened their hearts and their minds to me. They've shared their struggles and triumphs from living full, rich lives including serving during World War II and witnessing historical events such as the Civil Right Movement and the beginning and end of the Cold War. I've read books they've written together and looked through albums of memories - it's truly amazing.

I hope one day I can look back on a life full of love, excitement, and adventure, just as my favorite couple can and do. It makes me realize how little all the trivial drama matters in life and how important it is to surround myself with quality people - I think I've succeeded so far. This couple has reminded me that pursuing a medical degree creates a tremendous opportunity to help others and to do work outside myself. (The wife does a lot of work with underserved populations in rural and urban areas - something I'm very interested in and something we have talked at length about). 

I've complained a lot over the past year about working and not sleeping and wishing I was back at school, etc. Let's face it - it's easy to complain. It's comfortable and it's usually pretty well accepted by others because they have just as many things to rant about too.  

I urge you to take a step back and see the silver lining in whatever situation you are in whether it's work, family life, school, or personal struggles. Tonight when I say good-bye to my life as a nursing assistant and to this couple, I'll do so as a more well-rounded individual. I've had the privilege of caring for people when they are their most vulnerable and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I hate good-byes. So let's end this on a positive note. I've been given a lot of unsolicited advice and bits of wisdom from the people I've cared for. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. The key to a long marriage is to fight. Fight for your marriage and fight for your spouse.

2. Another marriage lesson: Do everything with love in your heart. Take the ego out of your marriage. ( I heard this at a wedding recently too)

3. Keep reading and be a lifelong learner.

4. You're only as old as you feel. Keep going and doing until you can't go and do anymore.

5. There's a time to be serious but you must have a sense of humor about life. Don't forget to laugh and laugh often.

6."You'll make a fine doctor...but use contraception until you're out of medical school." (This is my personal favorite).

7. A strong handshake is your best first impression.

8. Everything is better with bacon.  

If I think of anymore, I'll be sure to post them on Twitter. In the meantime, go talk to your grandparents and old ones in your life. I bet they have some exciting stories to tell! 

My favorite Grandpa!