Transitions.....

Sitting alone in a car for more than an hour tends to lead to interesting one-sided conversations with myself. (I suppose I could be poetic and call them “reflections”.)These past few weekends I have had the opportunity to spend a good amount of time alone in a car driving back and forth from Eau Claire to Minneapolis to Madison and back around. Generally, I am not really a fan of solo car rides, I tend to get bored and usually end up having a conversation with myself in my head. I would much rather spend my car ride with someone; even if we don’t talk it’s nice to have that companionship. But tonight I thought I’d share my ‘conversation’ and thoughts that were floating through this little brain of mine.

Life really is a series of transitions. I think that I have realized this more and more in the past couple of years as I’ve transitioned into the real world. It seems like the past 10 years or so of my life have been transitions into different stages of life. First it’s going to High School then onto Sawbill (five days after High School graduation) where I began my transition into College. (I am very thankful for Sawbill; it opened my eyes to different people and forced me to choose to live out my faith. It is much harder to be a christian when surrounded by people who are not christians; and who will tell you why they don’t like christians.) Then onto college where friends are made and lots of giggling occurs; and slowly one begins to grow into a young adult. Onto first not getting into Nursing school and then being accepted into a program in a city where I know no one. Next was learning how to cope with transitioning into a new city when most of my support is more than three hours away and learning how to find new supports. Then comes one of the biggies; graduation from college. No longer is one considered a “college student” and now one is expected to “get a job, use that degree and pay your bills”. (I know it sounds bleak, but I won’t lie, I like working and knowing that I can support myself.) Along with having that first “real” professional job, I had to transition into what kind of Nurse I want to be and how I want my nursing practice to be shaped. And learning how to transition into the realization that I made the wrong decision for my first real Nursing job. Then transitioning into the second job in my career; which is proving to be a far better choice!

There are some special transitions that I have loved in the past year and a half; and they include someone special. (Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge) Who knew that the transition from “that guy at Melissa’s birthday party” to friends to “maybe we’re more than friends?” to “oh we are definitely more than friends” to learning about loving someone, could be so amazing? I think this has and continues to be the best transition yet in my life. One that everyday grows deeper, better and stronger; even while we were a half a world apart.

When I look over some, the very few transitions I have experienced it makes me wonder about the transitions in my future and the new experiences they will bring. One of my favorite Mark Rothko paintings expresses this concept well ; it all seems to blend together to make a beautiful creation.