5-Year Plan

Thanks for all the awesome comments guys! they make me feel all warm and fuzzy-like :)
So, my title may remind you of Stalin and Communist Russia...but i do in fact have a tentative 5 year plan! It took history buff Shannon to point out the association to Stalin, but i still like the sound of my five year plan, and i'd like to share it with anyone who will listen.

Don't worry Nurse Dani, the first two years of this five year plan are finishing Nursing at U of C. If all goes well, i'll graduate in 2008. I know alot of keeners who want to graduate early, but i figure i'll savor my post-secondary time and stick around Calgary. THEN, after i graduate, i'm going as FAR AWAY from Calgary as i can. (correction: as far away from Calgary as my dad will let me go). Strangely enough, that's the Philippines! Yes, i'm going back to the mother country...erm...my one of many i guess. I want to visit all my cousins and aunts and uncles and neices and my GOD-DAUGHTER!! That's right, i'm a Godmother...my magic wand should get here in 6-8 weeks. Anyways, she's in Cebu, along with many family members i haven't seen since i was 8. So i'll go there, check it out, vacation, possibly work, though i doubt they'd want a fresh grad straight out of Nursing school. I figure a month in the Philippines should be good, maybe i'll hang out with Ryan if he's overseas doing missions.

Then i'll come home, MOVE OUT (tee hee), and work for two years in Calgary, because i do honestly love Calgary. I love that it's home base, and i love being home when people come home, because suddenly things i do everyday become extra special. For example, when Nurse Dani comes home in a few weeks, hanging out with her in the GORGEOUS summer months in Calgary will be special! (the lack of clinical will be icing on the cake). Anywho, i'll work here as an RN for two years i'd say. If i want to do the peri-operative program, and become an OR nurse, i will! I'll gain some experience here, and figure out my niche, most likely at the Foothills, cuz that feels like home too.

THEN, after two years, i'll pick up and go to Africa! Why wait two years? Cuz that's the minimal amount of experience Doctors Without Borders will accept for their missions. We had a lecture about AIDS in Africa last week, and i mean, i'm used to sermons about reaching out, but this was a lecture, and it spoke to the medical and social aspects of AIDS in Africa. I'll do a huge post/rant on it a little later, when i have time, but WOW. So much can be done, and i feel like i could do so much there! Anyways, i'll start out with a 9 month mission, and work my way from there.

More later, but the things that i'm allowing for flexibility in this plan are:

• OR nurse? ER Nurse? ICU? Pediatrics?
• winning the lottery?
• wherever God calls me to go...this is what i feel is the plan for now, but if He wants it to change, it'll change
• Someone who wants to be more than friends? I've shared this plan with Ryan, who pointed out that i can't get married since boys don't travel well. I'm glad i'm starting all this stuff young, i mean, i'll be in Africa by the time i'm 23/24...that's pretty cool. Anyways, if you're a guy who's interested in serving God in sketchy places and hanging out with an over-enthusiastic nurse...leave a comment! LOL, quasi-kidding.

Thing is, i don't know how my family feels about this. The Philippines is ok with dad, since he can have my relatives act as body-guards. But the last time i brought up Africa, i got a class "Over my dead body" response. Hmmm. That's my major barrier right now, and i'm not going to let it stop me. I'm not that flexible.

WHOO! That's a long one! More later, love you all!

PS. Guess what? My trip to the Philippines will serve as prerequisite experience for overseas MSF (Doctors Without Borders) work. And they accept people with only one year of experience...though i'll probably take me two to build up the funds for all this. Looking at their "Essential Requirements", i already have 8 of the 12. Hooray for a valid passport!