I fear the postings are going to become less frequent as the semester wears on. My goal is to post once a week minimum, though. I am back in Pittsburgh, this time as a nursing student. The entire family was able to come out east to drop me off, and we paid a visit to Aunt Jerry as well. Because of school and internships, Caroline had not been out to Butler for a while, and she also had never seen Pitt's campus. I was delighted to show her around and hope she can come out for a lengthier visit in the future! Valerie had heard rave reviews about Primanti Brothers' sandwiches, so we stopped there for lunch before they headed out. If you aren't sure what is special about Primanti Brothers, read on! When Pittsburgh was primarily a coal mining and steel town, workers needed to have a quick and hearty lunch that would not require a fork and knife. Thus, the idea of the Primanti cheesesteak was born! The thick Italian bread--baked from two local bakeries (still delivered fresh daily!)--is topped with the typical meat and cheese, and, wait for it... coleslaw and French fries. Now, this might sound disgusting, but it is actually quite good. You watch as your sandwich is prepared, and it is served to you with the piping hot fries! It is gargantuan, so we split three between the five of us. It is tough to get your mouth around an entire bite!! I, having been there three times, am a self-declared pro, but others opted for the fork and knife route after the requisite first bite.
The past two weeks have been a whirlwind, to say the least! I love my classes, but there is a significant difference in the amount of reading I have to do this semester, as compared to last semester. However, the majority of it is much more interesting. Now that I have declared as a nursing major, all of my classes relate to the profession: Nursing Informatics, Introduction to Professional Nursing, Microbiology, Chemistry for the Health Professions, and Lifespan Development. My favorite right now is Lifespan Development, as the chapters I have read thus far concern babies and toddlers. If you were unaware, I love love love that age group. Last summer I worked at Our World For Children daycare, which is at a Lutheran church near my home in the Creek, and spent my afternoons with one- and two-year-olds. It was a blast. Perhaps someday I will be either a neonatal nurse or a midwife. I've got a while to decide, however. Tonight I was studying microbiology in the Cathedral of Learning (which, unfortunately, I have not been to as much this semester because more of my classes are on "Upper Campus" as opposed to "Lower Campus" where the Cathedral is located), and I confirmed (as if there was doubt) that God exists. Cell processes are far too complex and intricate to have occurred on their own; thus, a higher power--God!--must have created it.
I am much busier this semester, as I have added both volunteering and a very part-time job to my schedule. Thursday afternoons I volunteer at Children's Hospital in the Child Life department for general medicine. Basically, I get to play with both the patients and their siblings. I also help the nurses if necessary. I enjoy seeing the kids smile, even when the hospital is not their most favorite place to be. The hospital is relatively new (built in the past few years or so) and wonderfully colorful. I am definitely considering there as a place to hopefully work in the future. My research job is with a person in the School of Public Health working on helping Latino men gain access to healthcare. I am mostly doing data entry right now, but hopefully I will get to progress to bigger things and speak in Spanish!!
Alright, so there is the brief version of the past three weeks. I hope to be better about posting on here this week! (Although, it unfortunately looks to be a busy week)
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