Category: Journal Entries

  • Country Music and Running Away

    This past week, I found radio stations that played the country songs popular on the radio in my childhood. The first day I listened to the 90’s and early-2000’s favorites, I estimated that at least 65%, if not up to 85%, of the songs alluded to running away in some form or fashion, usually for love.…

  • Glorybound

    Thoughts upon finishing Glorybound by Jessie Van Eerden Though the beginning was hard to get into because of its dense content and sad tone, I couldn’t put it down for the last 100 pages. It picked up speed toward the end as everything came together and everyone got healed. There were shorter sections and quicker shifts…

  • Unexpected Hospital Visit

    This past weekend, I unexpectedly got to observe a hospital. A close relation had to go to the emergency room because they could not breathe. As their condition stabilized, I visited them in both the Critical Care Unit and a normal room. This gave me a chance to observe a hospital that was different from the…

  • Interview with a Nurse

    1). What has been your most memorable experience working in a hospital? (Feel free to include more than one.) When I delivered a baby in the elevator at [a local hospital]. I hadn’t even graduated nursing school yet (I had a year to go). That was terrifying. Working the ER at [a local hospital] and being the…

  • Appalachian Books

    Appalachian books are kind of depressing. The ones I’ve read are really good, but they’re so sad and heavy and deep. It makes it hard to read them quickly. That shouldn’t be a problem, but they’re the majority of my reading list. With 12 new novel suggestions from my mentor, I’m starting to worry about reading…

  • Point of View

    Yesterday was a big day for the first five pages of my story. I met with my mentor and also had a workshop. Everything seemed positive, and I feel good continuing work on this project. I was particularly encouraged when my professor said the words were flying off the page. She mentioned a couple of spots…

  • Spewing Words

    Today’s work day was shockingly productive! I got the next five pages of my story done in an hour and a half. I also feel like the plot is starting to go somewhere, and I’m getting a better feel for all of the characters involved. In short, I feel good about these pages! Obviously they…

  • Imposter Syndrome

    I’ve had a professor talk before about Imposter Syndrome. He said almost all English majors had it. Basically, it’s that feeling you get that everybody knows more than you and you really aren’t qualified to be here (and maybe you should drop out and be a nurse.) The thing is, he said, everyone feels that way.…

  • Distracted

    I’m not really sure what to write for the blog. I have been overwhelmed with other things, like papers and and strep throat and rapidly approaching Valentine’s Day, that have kept me rather distracted. I think I have an idea for at least the next two pages of my story, though; I’ll include a section…

  • Sick Days

    Expectations of a sick day: I could finally finish the two books I planned on having finished last week. I could work ahead on the actual story and figure out the two main characters. I could post on this site about the things I’d learned. I could, in general, get ahead on my work. Realities of…