Summer is over... life goes on

I have been home for about a month now. I am so glad I came home 2 weeks early... I had so much to figure out and take care of. I didn't realize how overwhelming it was going to be. This past month has been really hard. I have a hard time letting go of things, being patient, and also making life altering decisions... I am so bad at making hard decisions.. it takes me sooo long because I don't want to make a wrong choice. Having just graduated is exciting and also scary in the same breath. For a while I felt like a ship with no direction... just kind of floating... knowing where I want to be...not quite sure how to get the ball rolling and pick up momentum. After doing a lot of research I have decided to take Chemistry this semester. Which has turned out to be really fun. I love my teacher and my class. Chemistry is quite poetic if you really listen... Next semester I am taking Microbiology and Organic Chemistry. As far as nursing school goes:
1. I am going to apply to New York University in March to their Accelerated Nursing program. If I get accepted into their program, starting in October 2009, I will live in New York @ the University for 15 months. I will then have my RN and can choose to continue onto their Master's program which I will already have acceptance into if I maintain a 3.0 GPA.. no problem there. Then I can stay and work in NYC or make a decision from there to go elsewhere.
2. If I don't get into NYU I will apply to Columbia's Accelerated RN Masters program... why the hell not?
3. The to Rochester University Accelerated Nursing program.
4. To the University of Utah Accelerated Nursing program.
5. Utah Valley University Nursing Program
6. IHC nursing program

Those are the schools that I want to go to in order. I feel like NYU has the best, quickest, most flexible program, and I already have the pre reqs done except for 1.

I am taking a class on Saturdays for a Certified Nurses Assistant certificate. It's a good thing to have, especially if you want to be a nurse. Hey you got to start somewhere, and I may not even need it if I get this job. I want to have it though for my applications to schools and for the experience.

I have heard back from the people at Intermountain Health Care twice this week. I had a job interview for a position in Same-Day Surgery. This job sounds awesome. I get to interact with patients, learn all kinds of things about medicine, diseases, procedures... it would be an amazing opportunity and it has great hours and benefits. Same Day Surgery is about the only section in the hospital that gets holidays off paid!!! hells yeah! I could also shadow surgeries... and you know all Surgeons are HOT!!! I cant wait to be immersed in the world of hot doctors... So anyway they told me I am being considered for the position and they are checking references, and that they spoke to Jeannine who is wonderful and I still have such a great relationship with her. So I am so glad they called her. So I hope I get this job. If not I will have my CNA done soon and can apply for other positions that require it.

I have been running everyday this week. My buttcheeks really hate me for it, but I am confident me and said butt cheeks will work things out. I want to start practicing yoga. I need to get flexible again... I used to be able to do the splits man! As soon as I get some money I am going to get a membership to Centered City or Flow Yoga and start going often.

This month was really hard. My parents have been fighting, I have been trying to make hard decisions, get the ball rolling, adjusting back to American fast paced culture, and adjusting back to real life... which isn't anything like the freedom of feeling the wind blow on your face on a train in Europe. I have never felt so free in my life...and alive... but I know that will all be mine again soon. Every great explorer has to come home and get their bearings and reenergize. As soon as I get my RN I am going to be a traveling nurse, and move to London. If I am in London I am so close to everything in Europe... and Asia... and Africa... I really really want to go to India with Micah to a Ashram for a month. I am going to do it next summer before school starts or as soon as I finish my nursing degree. I also think it would be awesome to go to work in Australia, but they are so far away in the middle of nowhere... but maybe just for 3 months or something...who the hell knows. I want to spend time in New Zealand as well. If I work in London I will get paid in pounds though.. which are double our dollar... not bad at all...

So I am feeling good... I am excited about life.. and to finally get the ball rolling and gain some momentum... And I thought about saying screw this... moving to Budapest and teaching English... I dont want to go back to school... but I realized that anything worth doing is hard... Its going to be hard to stick around for a few more years... school is hard...moving to a new city is hard... LIFE is hard... but its soooo good at the same time. And I really really want to be a nurse... and healer... and use that as a tool to help others around the whole world...

Home Again... Reverse Culture Shock

After a very long flight... 13 hours in the sky... I successfully made it back to the good old SLC. I have to say... I had some serious culture shock... first of all.. the customer service on the airplane was incredible... I love Delta Airlines... the food was SO salty... I forgot how salty our food is... I had these little floaty things that were cold in my drink... I think its called ice or something. And it stayed in my cup after I had drank all my water and made MORE water for later.... so strange...then when I got to Atlanta I saw 3 severely obese people. Hadn't seen one of those in ages! I have to say the most overwhelming thing was being able to understand what everyone was saying... I am used to the melodical Italian background noise... its almost like music in the background... you have no idea really what the full extent of an Italian conversation is so you are very alone with your thoughts and with a quiet mind. But then I understand what everyone is saying... I found myself following along with their stories... and 20 people were talking at the same time so it was like 10 different stories to follow and different emotions... I felt so overwhelmed! It was tiring. I need to learn how to tune people out again! And Americans are advertising freaks... the are capitalists to the extreme... that was also shocking to come home to. Its amazing what you forget while you are away for a little while.
My mom picked me up at the airport. I saw her when I was coming down the escalator! I got so excited! She was smiling and sooo happy I was home. When I flew into Salt Lake City, I couldn't believe how beautiful it looked... The Rocky Mountains.. and the valley is so green.. blue skies... I could see my neighborhood when I was flying in. The weather is so nice here... Then I saw Craig, my other Dad, and that was so good. I gave him the biggest hug ever... then we got home and stayed up talking about stories and happenings for hours...
I am still on Italian time. Its hard for me to go to sleep at night... I fall asleep around 1 am.. but then I am wide awake at 6 am.. which is so bizarre because I am soo not a morning person.. I like to sleep in ok. But its impossible to go back to bed... at 6 am here it is like 2 pm in Italy.
Its nice not having to read military time as well.. haha
The next day I went to Heber with my mom to surprise my Grandma Marcia. It was so funny. We went to her house and my mom went and met her while I hid in the car. Then I snuck up behind her and surprised her. She had to look at me 4 times before she realized I was really there. She kept saying she was sooo glad I was home. Then we went to lunch, then to the bank where I saw my old boss Jeannine that I love so much, and Megan and Elisa... it was fun to talk about Europe with them and see them all. Then I got my cell phone turned back on... it is so hard to text on my phone because I am used to my Euro phone... but once it got turned on it never stopped ringing.
I got my car.... that was a trip... I havent been in a car for months.. let alone drivin one... so to have my ipod blaring my favorite music... speeding down the highway, shifting gears, passing cars, Cottonwood Canyon was so green and beautiful, Jordanelle Reseviour was lovely... I want to go sailing!
Then later I went to Brandon's house in the avenues where I used to live (we used to be neighbors) and the aves were so green.. trees like a canopy on the road... SLC hippies out walkin their dogs... it was sooo good... and I walk into Brandon's house and get the biggest bear hug ever! And I got to see Brady... there were lots of people there... got a little pre game in before the free concert at Gallivan Center... which was packed... and the music was awesome.. it was the band that sings "Everywhere I go...... theres always something to remind me... of another place in time..... doo doo do do do do do do do dooooooooo" you know that song? I love that song...
I saw almost all of my really good friends.... Lora and Bowen! Brandon... Theresa, Brady, Matt... now I just need to see Lathan, Jacey and Chris, Jeff, Jesse, Colleen and Hayden, Delaney (if she wasnt so far away!) Mark, etc etc etc.... I cant wait to see the rest of them... Then after the concert we went to MOCA SALSA... best cheap Mexican ever in the world... I missed that when I was in Italy. It was a fantastic second night home!
Today I am going to Lora's to lay by her pool with Bowen, Brandon, Matt.... should be fantastic... and today is Bowen's birthday! I am thinking I will cook him an authentic Italian feast.

Home Sweet Sweet Home

Tomorrow night I will be back in the good SLC... I cant wait! I am so excited to hug my mom and dad... then my friends... then eat sushi. I am going home about 2.5 weeks early, but I dont even care. I am so exhausted. I have been traveling for 2.5 months and I am tired... Its hard just getting settled somewhere... making friends.. then having to pack up and travel all day to another strange place. Thats also of course part of the excitement... venturing into the unknown.. but after a while it started to wear on me... I just kept thinking about all the things I want and need to do at home. Like get on track for nursing school, get a job, save more money for another adventure in Asia and India, and I really miss my family and friends. I guess one of the most important things I have learned on this trip is that nomatter where you go in the world.. when you get down to it...everybody is pretty much the same. Even each place I have gone to is the same in a way.. the architecture may be different, but in essence it is the same... and not entirely different than the US. I think I was trying to escape from American culture...which kind of annoys me.. the superficiality, materialism, ''Hollywood'', ignorance... but I have learned that it is everywhere.... even where you think and hope it wouldnt be... and I have learned that it is not necessarily the US that created this. So my hostility and bitterness toward the States has been subdued a bit.. I think the key is each person is different and you surround yourself with good people with good hearts... I think that is the most important thing. And then I realized that all those good people are back home... and also in London, Australia, Italy, Switzerland, and all over the world... they are sometimes hard to find but when you do its wonderful... but I guess I realized how lucky I am to have what I have back home. I definately plan on living in another country when I am a nurse for a few years... I very much want to do volunteer work all over the world. I met the coolest guy on the shuttle to Malpensa Airport in Milan who was going to the Ukraine to do volunteer work with homeless children. I got the information and maybe that will be my next thing. We had an amazing conversation.. one I will never forget... about life, happiness, Buddhism, books, volunteering.. oh and he was from Siena, Italy! We talked a lot of about Siena as well... Its little random encounters like that that have made my adventure so memorable.. it hasnt been seeing a famous painting... or the Red Light District in Amsterdam... or anything like that... it has by far been the people I have met and will never forget... I have learned so much.. about myself and the world... and I am so excited to go home!

Slovenia, Venice, Monselice, and Milan

I am now in Milan. Yesterday I went to Venice and then to Monselice, Italy from Slovenia... Venice was pretty cool to see. I was debating on whether to skip going there entirely because it is such a tourist trap and I heard it is stinky... but it really wasnt too bad. I am happy I got to see it. Monselice is about 40 minutes outside of Venice and I slept there for the night in a private room.. no shared room for me this time. hahah... I really liked this town. It was really small...and clean...and cozy... there was a big castle up on a hill in the middle of the town that was really beautiful. I ate a very nice dinner in a fancy restaurant... I had pasta with clams with a butter garlic sauce. It was incredible! and very cheap. It was £7 which is like $10.00... so delicious... and my waiter was gorgeous....then when I walked to the main square to get gelato there was some festival going on.. there was music and booths set up with merchandise. As I was eating my gelato I saw a man dressed as a clown on a bicycle and he was very friendly. He made some lady take a photo of me and him with my camera and he tied balloons for kids. Then this street band encircled me and handed me a tamborine... so I jammed with them for about 10 minutes... we had a rather large crowd around us.. it was cool man... I watched some old men playing chess until I finished my gelato .. then I went home... Brandon called me and it was nice to talk to him! I miss my friends!!! Today I woke up early and caught a train to Milan. I met a boy from Padua, Italy that loves Americans.. he asked for my email after we had talked for a while. He was nice...Then I got to Milan... my hostel was kind of hard to find and my bag is pretty heavy.. so that sucked.. but I finally got there and the lady at the front desk was so nice and helpful. She told me how to get on the metro and go to a nice part of Milan where the youngsters like me hang out. So here I am on the internet and soon I am going to go eat something and drink beer and read my book.... Tomorrow I wake up early and go to Malpensa airport to hop on a plane to Santorini... After thinking about going to Turkey, Croatia, and Montengro.. I have decided to meet up with the girls in Switzerland (Zurich) for the street festival and a soccer game for a few days of fun... then some of their friends are going to Budapest to a huge musical festival that is cheaper than Rock Werchter and has more bands.. or... I will meet up with Kent in Italy.. but to be honest I am sick of Italy. I love love love it.. but there is only so much of it you can see.... and I want my last days in Europe to be incredible.... I cant wait to go home and give my mom a huge hug though. .I miss her... and Craigers... so much...

Budapest is the best

So... now I have a little time on my hands and FREE internet... where did I leave off? Well, I left Interlaken about a week ago and met up with Tom who I met at Rock Werchter in Budapest. I loved Budapest... absolutely incredible... the culture is so great... so good... it is the perfect mix between communism and capitalism... the revolution was just in 1989... so people still have this idea of I am not better than you and no one is trying to show off anything... you can buy beer or food and take it in almost any place. They pretty much let u do anything. The atmosphere is so laid back and the people are lovely... everyone was so sweet. The food! Oh man... it was incredible... Goulash soup, beef stew and noodles, steak medallions hungarian style, stuffed cabbage...mmmm
Chess is big in Budapest. When Tom and I went to the Turkish baths there were old men huddled around their chess boards for hours... there were chess boards everywhere... in the park.. in the train station... keleti... We saw the castle and the parliament. The architecture was astonishing... the Danube river was huge and beautiful.. the mighty Danube... The last night we were there Tom and I went to our favorite place called the Godor club... its a club, music venue in a park and they have live bands every night... good beer.. the place is always packed with young locals.. who are very good looking... and have this style that is somewhat Grungy shiek and Bohemian Arsty.. its rad... we met a boy named David who is from Hungary and we talked to him about politics and everything Hungarian. He said he knows Americans that live there and teach English and make great money.... just a thought... he also showed us the coolest place i have ever been to. I have remember the name but it was a club.. but unlike any club I have ever seen.. it was in an old run down building but it was decadent!!! there were bikes chained everywhere because that is the trainsportation there mainly... there was a room with retro tv's hanging all over the wall playing matrix type images... the music was good... not American at all... it. I wish I could even begin to describe it but I could never do it justice... its the coolest most original and beautiful place I have ever seen.... and the culture... so good.... so good....... I left my heart in Budapest.
Interlaken was also beautiful. I met these wonderful girls living in Zurich. They invited me to come back and stay with them Aug 8- 11 for a street festival... there were a ton of americans in Interlaken though and I really found that annoying...
Now I am in Ljubjana, Slovenia which is gorgeous.. this is a very rich country... everything is so clean and organized... the city I am in is very small and you can walk everywhere. I took a bus t Lake Bled today which has an island in the middle with a castle... its incredible... I took lots of pics hopefully i can upload them soon... Slovenia is very greeeeen... so greeeenn... its incredible.. I have one more night here and then I go to Milano for a night and of to Santorini...more to come...

Switzerland

Amsterdam

Rock Werchter

Blown away by a little place called Frankfurt

So I didnt have many expectations for Frankfurt... probably because I didnt know much about it and I came here on a whim... but I LOVE IT! Our hostel is kind of in a ghetto area, but I have never felt unsafe. Last night I went with my other roomies (a traveling nurse from Australia living in Saudi Arabia doing nursing, a boy named Christian from Colombia studying in Italia, and the girl in my hostel from Amsterdam.) We walked down to this river where all the locals hang out and drink beer and watch the sunset. There are old gothic churches and the skyline was beautiful. The people were really nice and I had a delicious Hefeweisen and great conversations about traveling and nursing, etc.. etc... I saw lots of beautiful German folk. One boy was playing his acoustic guitar and a girl was singing along.. it was beautiful. Then we all went and got some Turkish food. There are a lot of Turkish people here... Anyway, I am about to hop the train to Switzerland... and I didnt take any pics of Frankfurt river.. i am so sad...but I got some of this crazy building. Those coming soon.... all my love...

Lost in Translation

Amsterdam was beginning to feel like the Bermuda Triangle of Europe to me and I had to get OUT! So I hopped on a train with one of my roomies and we are now in Frankfurt which is much better...
I was trying to reserve a seat on the night train for Switzerland and the lady told me there was a 5 hour wait and that she knew NOTHING... hahaha... so anyway... peace out Amsterdam
I am feeling a little better today. My cold is letting up a bit.. but I am coughing tons.. which sucks..
I hope clean Swiss air will cure me. Then I get to meet up with Kyle as well!
I recieved an email from a boy I roomed with in Cinque Terre and it about made me cry so I hope he doesnt mind if I post it because it was awesome! Here it is....

Hello Natasha,

i wanted to say thanks for hanging out with us and showing us around in chinqen terre. we really were very lucky to have met you. generally if a guy complements a girl like this he's cuase he wants to hook up with her, but don't worry that's not my intention, i'm just happy that we had the chance to meet.

i think that you are a lovly woman. i don't use that word often to describe people. you turned out to be a beatiful person both inside and out. i was kind of surprised you were very content just to hangout with us and show us the things you had already seen in the cities. alot of times i thought people would say some dumb things, but you never made fun of them or rolled your eyes you just continued to be kind.

we attend a christian college that prides itself on the genuiness, patience, and kindess of its students. but i thing it would still be rare to find a girl like you even amount them.

anyway, thanks again so much for showing us around, i really enjoyed meeting you. i hope that the rest of your travels are safe and that you meet some other people to share it with. if your ever in west michigan and need anything give us a shout. bye

-Jon

I thought it was really cool of him to say that.... anyway... gotta go.. I am hungryyyyy.....

Rock Werchter and Amsterdam

I successfully made it to Brussels last week from Cinque Terre, Italy and I cant tell you how good that felt to navigate Europe trains and planes with no bumps or bruises... I feel very independent and self sufficient these days... so good...
I had a nice hot shower the night before Rock Werchter started in my hotel. It was really nice.. the more North you head in Europe the more high tech/futuristic things are... the trains are also very nice and ORGANIZED... Italy is sooo not organized.. but that is just the culture.
The morning or RW I hopped on the shuttle where I met 2 girls from London... they asked if I was alone and I said yes and they invited me to camp with them. I was so relieved!!!
There were soooo many people lined up for the buses.. it was like an ocean of people.. I think something like 100,000 people attended this festival. I ended up having to go to the box office to trade my paper ticket for a camping ticket.. so I ended up losing the girls.. met a boy named Andy in line (from Boston) and he ended up palling around with us the rest of the time.. and his friend Lisa from Texas... But I left him in the line to go find the girls and I was really nervous because there were so many people in the campground and my cell wasnt working when I called them. I ended up asking a group of Aussies how you call a UK number from a cell and they helped me and told me to pitch up my tent there.. They pretty much pitched it for me and told me I was a part of the family... There was about 15-20 of them.. girls and guys.. They were amazing people.. truly amazing.. I ended up sticking with them the rest of the time and met some really cool people.. Tom was one of my favorites... me and him rocked the dance floor and he is a funny fella... but they were all so cool. We found Andy again... and then we gained some more friends from London... Scott and his friends... we had a huge group... and we drank lots of Stella but they were in little cups. I never got wasted.. just buzzed... it was perfect... I danced soooo much.. I dont think I have ever danced that much in my life. I saw NEIL YOUNG! 2 of the Aussies were die hard fans like me so we pushed our way to the front. AMAZING! He is so old and he rocked out! Some of my other favorites were Vampire Weekend, JayZ, MGMT, Sigur Ros, Deus, The Kooks, Kings of Leon, ... there were SO many bands!!!!!! all incredible...
The last night we went in a German beer tent and drank beer and sang songs... it was packed with people from all over the world.. it was incredible.. everyone singing together!
At the end of the festival I hopped the train to Amsterdam and here I am... paying for really expensive internet.. but I have a bit of a cold and stuffy nose so I am taking it easy tonight. Last night I went to the Red Light District with 2 girls in my hostel room. We went prostitute gazing and walked around a lot.. I watched some guy buy a box of mushrooms... that was crazy... and everyone is smoking pot... it really is NO big deal at all. I havent really felt like smoking though...
I went shopping today and ate some pizza. I found a little street and every store has a 50% off sale. I bought some sandals for 19 Euro, and some boots that I have been looking allll over for... and a sweater because its freezing here. It has been raining.... a little sunshine today though.. tomorrow I will go to the Van Gough museum and take photos... I miss my Australians... and my dancing partner Tom.... but hopefully we will meet up later because he is traveling for a few weeks as well.... Life is good.. I miss my family and friends though!!!!!!!

5 Terre