Thankful Thursday | for a peaceful little life

This week, I am thankful:

for my peaceful little life 

You know how occasionally I have an, “I can’t believe how good my life is!!” moment?

I felt like that this past Saturday; I had such a peaceful day. First, I went to the gym and then went for a walk.

I spent the rest of the day working on blog posts, listing things on my Buy Nothing group, tidying up my little house, and doing laundry.

I made myself some dinner:

And then I went to the symphony with one of my free student tickets (wearing my blue dress from eBay!)

My day was nothing crazy, nothing remarkable, but just so calm and happy. Ahhhhhh.

that someone needed my packing materials

I always keep some padded envelopes and other supplies on hand for the occasional eBay sales I make (saved from my own online orders) but since I am hardly a prolific seller, I end up with too many from time to time.

Happily, someone in my Buy Nothing group sells on Poshmark, so she came and picked up my extras. Yay! 

that someone else could use the cat bed

My grandcat (ha) Crouton didn’t appreciate the cat bed he had, so I tried it with our cats and neither of them wanted it either.

I listed it on my Buy Nothing group, someone picked it up, and then she shared a picture of her two adopted kittens lounging on it. Yay! 

Chiquita honestly prefers her cardboard box. 

that it was cool enough for some open windows

We had a merciful cold front come through last weekend, which meant I opened my windows for a bit!

Chiquita was very pleased, because a window is just as comfy as a cardboard box. And way more comfy than a cat bed, apparently.

that I got to catch a sunset

I had a free evening on one of those nice days, so I made a quick trip to the sunset park with some cantaloupe and a book. 

I almost didn’t go (I had a blog post that I needed to write) but then I thought, “Hmm, I can always do that after dark. And besides, what is life without little fun things like watching a sunset on a beautiful evening?”

Out-of-the-ordinary adventures, even if they are little, are part of what makes life feel rich and full. 

that I got back out on the trails

The weather this summer has been so unrelentingly hot and humid, I have barely been on my trails.

But I was able to visit some of my favorites once the cold front came through. Yay! 

that I got an orientation schedule

My new nurse job starts on Monday, and for the next three weeks, I’m basically on a Monday-Friday schedule with orientation, boot camp, skills days, and more. 

And then starting in September, I will be working on the floor with a preceptor, and I think that’s when I start with the three 12-hour shifts a week.

I’m glad to know what my life will look like for the next few weeks! 

that I get my new pay rate for all these orientation hours

I went through a lot of hours of orientation to become a patient care tech (PCT) last summer, and those were not very lucrative hours because I was getting my PCT pay rate. 

But these weeks of orientation will earn me more money since I get my nurse pay rate.

(Relatedly: as you read this, I will be working my very last shift as a patient care tech, and that means these are my very last low-paid hours!)

that I already passed my NCLEX

Still grateful for this! 

You can start a new nurse job without having passed the NCLEX, but you don’t get paid as much.

So I’m thankful for two reasons: 

• higher pay
• no test hanging over my head as I start my new job 

that my mint plant is recuperating

Remember how it got eaten almost into oblivion by some unknown creature?

Well, I took your advice and moved it closer to my front door, and now no one has been bothering it.

The cheap pot it’s in is breaking off in chunks, though, so I really need to move it to a different pot! 

that I got accepted into a BSN program

My paperwork finally all went through, I had an appointment with an enrollment counselor, and I should be set to start classes at the end of this month. 

What are you thankful for this week?