I have officially survived hospital orientation. It wasn't as bad as anticipated. Some of it was a repeat of things I had already had, but there was some new stuff too. Scary stuff, like insurance benefits and whatnot. Am I really old enough to have to figure these things out? I guess so... Tomorrow starts nursing orientation. I'm actually pretty excited about that. A lot of people from my class got jobs at Hendrick too, so we'll all be together. Several of us were at hospital orientation together, and I think a few more will be joining us for nursing orientation. That will be fun. I like not being a total stranger. One of the things that really excites me about starting this new job is the idea of starting fresh. I love new beginnings. Even though I know people working at the same hospital, I am the only one from my class working on the pediatric unit. This means I will be working with people who have never met me, and have no pre-conceived ideas of who I am or what I'm like. I like the thought of that. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm thinking of trying to pass myself as someone I'm not. Actually, quite the contrary. I feel like a lot of my life has been spent filling the mold of who people thought I was or expected me to be. I've always been a big people pleaser, and I tend to act the same way as those around me in effort to "fit in." Recently, I began to feel very trapped in this way of living. Slowly, I have begun to come out of my shell and be the person I really am, as opposed to the person everyone has come to expect me to be. Talk about a life-altering decision! I am so much happier now than I ever was before! It hasn't all been rosy though. I have grown apart from people I used to be very close to. This makes me sad, but at the same time, I feel like that's ok. Time passes, people change, people grow apart. It doesn't mean anyone is wrong or bad, just different. And as I've grown apart from some people, I've grown so much closer to others. And I'm meeting a lot of new people too. It's pretty exciting. And this is the ironic thing: now that I am less afraid of being myself around people, and less afraid of whether or not people will like me, I find it a million times easier to get along with people, and find that people seem to like me better. Interesting how that works... Anyway, I say all this to say that I am very excited about starting this new phase in my life. I am excited about meeting new people and working in a field where I feel like I can actively make a difference in the lives of others. I know that God has put me exactly where I am for a reason, and I am excited to do my best to fulfill whatever purpose He may have planned for me. I have no idea what the coming weeks, months, and years will bring. But I know that as long as I keep following God, He won't lead me wrong.