Countdowns

It's a little bit funny how I always count down to something. Some of the countdowns are stressful like exams and others are great like hanging out with Connor or going home to Norway. I always imagine that the moment I reach that specific point in the future, I'll be completely chilled out. My most resent experience with this was the essay that was due on the 20th of November. The moment it was handed it I felt more like a deflated balloon and was ready to cry than chilled out and relieved. It is pretty ridiculous. I guess it has something to do with holding all the stress in for that long and than all of a sudden it's over. My countdowns at the moment is for the 16th of December, when Connor and I go home to Norway for Christmas. A very happy countdown indeed! My second countdown is also very exciting: Morocco the 28th of December. Only 32 days. Life is good. November is always a great month. My sister and my best friend's birthdays and all the Christmas decorations are coming up in all the shops. The Christmas lights have been put up in Stirling and it is truly beautiful. I'm excited to walk on Karl Johan (main street in Oslo) and see the lights there. That is one of the things that gives me a true Christmas feeling.
I took a few pictures of the decorations in Stirling, but none of them turned out all that nice so I'm talking this one of a website

Happy times

Life is truly good. Placement is educational and I am getting along well with the staff, my laptop is back in business and I have caught up on all my work for university (apart from the essay due on Tuesday). With 28 days before I go back home to Norway there is nothing in my life that can bring me down. Not even that 3000 word essay that is due on Tuesday. Last weekend I was in Edinburgh having a quiet weekend like I usually do. Connor fixed my screen like a true hero and now it's as good as new. That we went out for James' 20th and it was a great night out. It was mostly his friends from college and there was a huge age variety there. Connor and I left early when the group went to Tranent for a karaoke bar. We grabbed a Chinese and went home around 12.

The whole week I've been stressed out by the thought of my upcoming essay. Not that I have actually tried to do anything about it. To not gross everybody out I wont go into further details than that my essay will be about necrotic toes and diabetes. Connor came up to Stirling yesterday and we went to see the new James Bond movie Skyfall. I loved it. It had stepped away from the really serious James Bond that we saw in Quantum of Solace and more back to the old James Bond that gets a girl or two or three during the movie and jokes about a lot more. They did this without making the movie cheesy and making the fighting scenes horrible. The best thing about it was that when I left the cinema I wanted to go home and watch the old ones again. After our 007 adventure we went back to my flat and made Chiken curry. We ruined the rice but the rest was lovely. Connor took the last train back to Edinburgh and now I need to get this essay on a roll. Fingers crossed I don't fail! 

(Smashed computer; Connor fixing it; how it looks like now)

One born every minute

On Saturday morning I walked to the train after my last night shift on the labour ward. It has been quite an adventure and so far it's been the most exciting placement I've had. While I was on the maternity unit I got to see a lot of stuff. My favorite part was witnessing a birth. I have truly never seen something so wonderful before in my life. My dream has always been to become a midwife and after my first shift on the labour ward I was sure that was what I'd end up doing after finishing my nursing degree. However after 3 weeks I've realized that it's not the direction I want to take in life and I am very relieved. So far I've loved everything the university has taught me and all areas of care I've been sent to has had something about it I loved. All of those are still on my list of things I would like to specialize within. It's good to know that I can cross midwifery off the list. Don't get me wrong though, if I get the chance to, I'll definitely take another shift on the labour ward. While I was there I got to see 5 births. I cried at every one of them. It was very emotional and I am so happy I got the chance to see that. Words can't really describe what it is like to see a human being entering the world and being put to it's mothers chest. I could not be happier. It has been the most inspirational 3 weeks of my training so far. One thing I will not miss though, is the very early mornings and very late nights

On Monday I started my first shift at Alva Medical Centre. When I phoned up my mentor from my first placement picked up the phone and I was so relieved. It is always easier when you know someone there. Unfortunately I managed to smash my laptop screen (well, actually it was my phone that had superpowers and got jealous of all the attention my laptop has been getting lately and decided to "get rid of it" by flying at the speed of light into the screen and by doing so becoming my only source of entertainment), so I had to go down to Edinburgh and pick up my old laptop, Mr. Craptop, and leave my new one there. Luckily for me I am going out with the future Tony Stark or Bill Gates (as long as it's something to do with technology and he'll make a lot of money I'm good) and he can fix it for me. He also made my old laptop not as terrible as it used to be, but his resources are limited and he doesn't preform miracles so it's still terrible compared to my new one. I am suffering my way though this blog post with a slightly broken keyboard and no enthusiasm to look over my spelling as that only makes me depressed. My new placement is great and it good to be able to refresh the skills I learned on my first placement only now I actually know why we are doing the things we are doing and I can contribute a lot more!