Weekend Exploration

            This weekend has been busy but enjoyable at the same the time. Thursday was a day of relaxing after working the previous three days. Friday afternoon I decided to start doing some sightseeing, I took the subway to Old City where I purchased a two day city sightseeing pass for the hope-on-hop-off bus. I didn’t have a whole lot of time before they were finished running to route for the day, so I opted to ride the full route and then come back the next day after figuring what I wanted to do. 

            Before I left Old City I had a chance to jump in on the last tour of Independence Hall. The chair that George Washington used to preside of the meetings is still sitting there. Being in the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed and thinking about how important that moment is in American history was all surreal. 

Independence Hall

            Friday night, TobyMac was in Philadelphia with Aaron Cole, We Are Messenger, Jordan Feliz, and Jeremy Camp for the Hits Deep Tour. At first I was contemplating staying home and not going…then I realized I would probably regret not going the next day. I managed to get a decent seat for purchasing my ticket less than an hour before the show started. I guess there are advantages to being single (single seats are easier to come by). 

It was amazing!

I was right off stage right. 

Saturday:

            I started the day a lot earlier than I wanted to! I was up and out of the house by 9ish. I again took the subway to Old City and visited the Betsy Ross House. It was fascinating to visit the house, in old city Philadelphia it is packed with early American history. I’ve always heard about Betsy Ross and her making the first American flag, but seeing how close her hose is to Independence Hall, it just makes everything a little more real and yet surreal at the same time. 

There is a sign posted on the wall that at the time that Betsy was making the flag there were not any laws in place regarding the American flag and so it is dropped on the floor since that is how it would have been during the sewing process. 

            My next stop is still another important piece of history, just not one that I ever remember learning about… Eastern State Penitentiary. Wow, it’s a fascinating place to visit! The audio tour really explained the history and what it was like to be a prisoner there. This is the prison where Al Capone stayed. There are still a few prisoners that are alive that have lived there as inmates before it closed down. 

It's massive!!!

Replica of an original cell

One of 9 corridors - some are double stacked, others have added on another wing of the corridor.

Looking down one corridor that hasn't been rebuilt. 

            The next stop was interesting for me. I went to the Mutter Museum. That a medical museum with bones, skulls from 150 years ago, brains, and different body parts all on display. As a medical professional I found it fascinating, I also enjoyed watching the people who were not in the medical field. You’re not allowed to take pictures inside the museum so I don’t have any weird pictures to post, but it is totally worth going if you are ever in Philadelphia. 

            After leaving the museum, I walked to the One Liberty Observation Deck. I went up in the elevator, looked at the city from above. For some reason, that is one of my favorite things to do when I visit a city. Apparently, they are also open in the evening and so you can go up after dark and see the city lights, which would also be really sweet to do. I may or may not get to go back while I’m here, but I did get some cool views of the city during the day. 

            My last stop was the Vietnam and Korean War memorials. Remembering is important. Thank you to those that have served or are currently serving. 

            By this point in my day, it’s dinner time and I’m exhausted! After making my way back to Old City where I can catch the subway home I decided I should just eat there. The other day when I had been walking around I’d seen this Korean Taco place called TaKorean that I had wanted to try sometime. What better time is there than when I’m hungry and close? It was so good that I want to go back!!! I will eat there at least once more before I leave. It is located in The Bourse building in Old City (right next to the subway J). 

            It’s a little hard to explain but tastes amazing. The rice is normal white rice, but the lime sauce and I think Korean BBQ sauce, with pickled radish gave it a hint of Korean flavor without being overwhelming…I loved it!  

Korean taco bowl and hibiscus bubble tea...so delicious!!! 

After eating I made my way home and called it a day. I already have next Friday and Saturday booked with more sightseeing. Really the way to go is to get a sight seeing pass. You can get them for a day or up to 5 days. Or the flex pass is also an option, then you have 30 days but choose the number of attractions that you want to see. Both are excellent options to choose from depending on what you want. Since I have more time in Philadelphia I went with the flex pass and choose 7 attractions after reading what attractions it covers, seeing what ones interested me, and adding up what I would pay in admissions without the pass to see if it would be worth it. 

Life Changes

        Recently, I made another major life change, and I decided that I would like to share the experience. I had been working the same job for several years and was beginning to feel very stagnate in my nursing career so I decided to return to school and pursue a masters degree. 

Then a new position opened up at work that I decided to apply for, after several months of waiting to hear if I was offered the position I was finally told that it went to someone else. That’s fine, I do truly think that the person they chose is a better fit for the position and what they wanted. In the interim, thinking about the possibility of new hours a total change in the focus of my career was exciting, but it made me think about what I would be giving up. 

I would have been leaving bedside nursing and would not be able to return easily. After that realization, I decided that I wasn’t sure I was ready to give up the dream of travel nursing. It seems like it might be something I really enjoy, or it could be something that I end up not liking at all, but never trying and knowing for sure would be a missed opportunity. 

So, long story short…I decided to tell my boss that I wanted to look into travel nursing and started looking a different agencies. I found one that seems fair and a recruiter that has been really good. In looking at available positions in states that I’m currently licensed in, I found an opening in Philadelphia. 

From the time I had my interview in to the time they wanted me to start, was 2 weeks! I still hadn’t officially quit my full time job, or started organizing anything. Needless to say, the next 2 weeks were crazy! I was working full time, completing competencies for my new job after work, getting paperwork submitted, finding housing, and trying to meet up with friends and say good-bye for a little while. I managed to get all the major stuff accomplished and have moved to Philly (temporarily).

The adventure begins...my life is moving in a new direction. 

I arrived a week ago, found where I’m staying, unloaded, and already had orientation to my new hospital. It’s crazy fast! I understand that being a traveler they aren’t going to give me a whole lot of time to be on orientation, which is fine, it’s just weird showing up and saying, “I’m here for orientation” and nobody knows who you are, and they weren’t expecting you. Once they figured out who I was and what I was doing, it was all good. During the first week people have been relatively friendly and welcoming. I have one more day of orientation with another nurse, just to make sure I’m as ready as possible to be independent in providing patient care. 

        Overall, I am really excited about this change. I'm going to meet a lot of new people and see a bunch of different places. Who knows where this new adventure will take me, or the opportunities it will open.