Here I am...again...with a lot of time to make up. I accepted a Nurse Manager job on a Medical-Specialty unit (Station 66) at Fairview Southdale Hospital. It has been an amazing experience thus far. More to come...finally getting settled, again. More to come! :)

I'm not very good at keeping up with this....

Hellllllllo. It's 2013. And I haven't written in a very long time. Welcome back, Leigh. Much has changed over the past year. Here is the abbreviated version: I loved my job at Methodist as an Associate Nurse Manager. I then hated my job. Strange turn of events, but the work environment just wasn't for me. I met a wonderful man and thought he could potentially be "the one."....turns out, he's just one of my really good friends now. I resigned from my job last week and am currently on a mad hunt for a job I love again. My life seems uncertain at the moment, but it's odd that I feel so at peace with everything. I'm relieved to be out of the work environment I was in, and excited for what my future might hold from a "love" standpoint. The possibilities are endless. Oh yeah. I still have Lainy and she's still my best friend (other than my mother, of course) :-) .

Hi again!! From Minneapolis this time.....

Where has the time gone? I cannot believe it's almost Christmas. Apparently time flies when you're having fun! I'm finally all settled in my new city of Minneapolis. New apartment, new life. It has been quite the experience, and I'm now 100% sure this was a move that was completely MEANT TO BE. I am so happy and content and love being so close to my family. I also rescued a dog, Lainy, and I really don't know what I use to do without her!

The new job is awesome. Everyday is a learning experience and I'm so lucky to be surrounded by some really great people/professionals. Again, this was MEANT TO BE.

I continue to pursue my masters and it's going well. It's fun to finally be able to put some of it to "use" in my new position---but I'm not gonna lie---I am thoroughly enjoying my time off until classes start again in January.

2012 brings some exciting and scary things. Turning the dirty 30. Graduating. and yeah----I think that's about enough. It should be a year to remember.

Happy Holidays to all---I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season.

xoxo.

PS. attached are some pictures of my beloved Lainy. :)

It's really happening!

Quick update for all of you... I believe I stated that I had 2 potential job opportunities in Minneapolis. Well, drum roll please......I got the job I wanted so incredibly bad! I will be starting at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital as the Associate Nurse Manager on a Cardiovascular unit on October 3rd. I can't hardly believe it's all happening, but I am so thankful I have been given this opportunity to not only move closer to my family, but to find the absolute perfect job for me at this time in my career. I really am blessed!

Soooo, at the moment, I am entering my last week in Denver. I cannot believe it...and the emotions are starting to hit me---happiness, sadness, anxiousness---you name it. I will cherish my last week in Denver with all of my friends and co-workers, that's for sure. The movers come to get my stuff on Tuesday, my last day of work is on Friday, and I will head out of Denver on Monday. What a whirlwind the month of September has been!!! I think that's all for now. Stay tuned for news on how the move went, my first day on the job, and last, but certainly not least, how freakin' cold I'm going to be in the upcoming winter months in Minneapolis. YAY! ;)

I'm already cold....

Well. It's official. I will be making the big move to Minneapolis near the end of September or beginning of October. It doesn't feel real quite yet...probably won't until I'm actually driving down the interstate, away from the mountains, into the bitter cold temperatures of the Midwest. My roommate said to me today "you better invest in a good winter coat!"...she's right. I need a new winter coat. Along with dishes, pots and pans, a couch, and everything else it takes to move into a new apartment. I am now taking donations....

So, the next few weeks will be bitter sweet. I will take a car load of my belongings back to South Dakota with me over Labor Day weekend and hang out with my family, attend the South Dakota State Fair (giddy-up), and probably make myself sick on greasy fair food. I'll then head up to the cities and have a few interviews, apartment search, and attend my good friends wedding. Then back to Denver for 8 more days of work, at which time I will probably bawl my eyes out as I'm pulling out of the parking garage at PSL for the last time. Such great friends and memories at that hospital!

The future ahead remains unknown for me...which is somewhat scary, but for the most part, super exciting! I hope you have enjoyed the play by play of my life. I'm also very sorry that you are THAT bored. :)

Times They Are A Changin'....

Most of you may, or may not know--but I recently got promoted as the "Interim Unit Manager" on the Cardiac unit that I have worked on for the past 4 years. I have LOVED every minute of it. I love the challenge, the opportunity to lead, I just plain love it all. I went through the interview process to try to be hired on as the permanent manager and low and behold, they hired someone from an outside facility with a buttload of managerial experience. Talk about a heart breaker...BUT, all in all, it's been a great learning experience and has shown me that nurse management is what I really love doing!

Sooooo, now what will I do when the new manager starts? Go back to being a charge nurse? Negative. I have been aggressively job searching for nurse manager positions...and have some leads on several exciting opportunities. I have a second interview with Swedish Medical Center here in Denver next week, a phone interview with Park Nicollet in Minneapolis next week, and an in-person interview with North Memorial in Minneapolis on September 8th and 9th. So, the ball is rolling, and I do have some options, and I'm super excited for this next chapter in my life! The thought of moving closer to my family gets me so excited I could scream, not to mention I have a ton of friends in Minneapolis that would make it feel like home immediately. Only time will tell if this all becomes a reality...wish me luck!

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! For those of you that have nothing better to do than to read about me and my life, I apologize for this--but I will do my best to keep you entertained at all times. I'll share ideas, frustrations, fears...anything and everything really! I promise you this---there is never a dull moment in my life. At least in my eyes anyway. That's all that matters, right?? Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!