Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Musings on my birthday

Well, it's that day again. The day I'm officially one year older than I was yesterday.
Yup, today's my birthday. I'm 39. One more year before I hit forty, and forty hits back!
I was thinking about my life, unavoidable really, and one bit of information that came my way yesterday made me come to a pretty momentous decision.
Yesterday I found out that the private college I was planning on attending to get my nursing degree now has a one year waiting list.
So that closed the one avenue I had of getting my degree quickly in Las Vegas. All of the other public colleges and universities have waiting lists of at least a year or longer, and I'm tired of working full-time and only getting three classes a semester out of my way. At this rate, it'll be six years before I even get my Associate's Degree!
Plus, I really, really hate living in Las Vegas. I need to get out of this soul-destroying city, and I'm sick of the desert and the brutal summers.
So, I'm planning on attending the International University of Nursing on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts.
My daughter goes off to college this fall and I'll be foot-loose and fancy-free. What could be better than going to school full-time, year-round, on a beautiful tropical island? I'll have my BSN in less than three years due to their accelerated program, plus I'll be able to transfer the credit I've already earned, so I'll be done even faster. Now I need to focus on paying off my credit card debt so I can start with a clean slate. I'm going to sell off everything I possibly can, including my car, put the rest in storage, and hop on a plane with my dogs. Who, by the way, are going to be in heaven living in a place where it never gets too cold or too hot.
Anyway, stay tuned to this channel blog for further developments. I'll keep you posted as time passes. I'm planning on leaving at the end of the year, so I have plenty of time. Don't worry, I'll keep blogging even when I'll have the opportunity to go sailing and snorkeling and swimming and hiking and snoozing on the beach and...;)

18 comments:

Buck said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! You're on the cusp of what will arguably be your best days, Christina... believe it or don't. In other words: don't fear 40... celebrate it!

Interesting news, indeed, about St. Kitts. One couldn't ask for a better environment, methinks.

Suldog said...

Happy Birthday, fellow fish! Thanks for the advice, by the way. Appreciate it!

Christina RN LMT said...

Thank you, Buck! I've been saying for awhile that my forties are gonna be my best. decade. EVAR!
And I'm looking forward to St. Kitts, believe me. I know it's going to be hard financially, but that's what student loans are for...*gulp*.

Suldog, thank you! I'm always glad to give advice about massage, it's what I do, ya know!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! I say go for the nursing program. To top that off, a tropical island? Wow!

Christina RN LMT said...

Jethro, thanks! Yeah, it gets more and more appealing to me, every day I fight the crappy traffic here...;)

Sonja said...

You're moving to a tropical island?!! Forty is going to be awesome, I think! :)
Many happy returns!

HollyB said...

Happy Birthday!
That is such an uber-kewl idea...going to St. Kitts! Be sure to keep us posted.

Mauser*Girl said...

I think that's an awesome idea and wish you all the best - but you better keep blogging!

Of course, you realize that I think you're an absolute b++++ for moving to a tropical island to pursue a nursing degree when we're about to move to the frozen north!

Christina RN LMT said...

Sonja, thank you. I think forty is going to kick major ass.

Thank you, Holly! I'm glad to hear from you. You know, once I'm settled in on St. Kitts, everyone is welcome to visit me...;)

Thank you, M*G! If you need a break from the cold, come visit me next year on St. Kitts! We'll have a blast...:D
And I definitely will continue blogging.

Dave (aka Buckskins Rule) said...

Happy Birthday, Christina! And to echo what buck said...I'm 43, and my forties have been the best years of my life, to date. I think it's when we finally realize that things are what they are, we are we are, and the hell with it all, it's time to enjoy.

Good luck in St. Kitts!

Christina RN LMT said...

Thank you, B.R.! My birthday has been full of awesomeness, though it probably seems tame to most people. Sleeping late ('til *gasp* 7:30 AM), going to the dog park for two hours, taking a three-hour-nap with teh puppehs (bliss!). Then going to Borders to buy a few books followed by dinner with my daughter at an Asian buffet. My kinda day. Now we're making rice krispie treats for a school bake sale tomorrow, also fun. Anyway, I'm happier and happier the older I get. I wouldn't want to go back even if I could. And St. Kitts will definitely be an adventure!

phlegmfatale said...

wow - that's so funny and cool that your 39th birthday was square root day - 3/3/9.

SRSLY nerdy cool. hope you geeked out!

*HUGS* Love ya!

Christina RN LMT said...

Thanks for pointing that out, Rita! I really didn't notice that. It's ALMOST as cool as my 33rd birthday, which was on 3/3/03...:)

Julie said...

wow - this definitely sounds like being a wonderful year for you! ... happy birthday.

Christina RN LMT said...

Thank you, Julie. I really appreciate all the good wishes. I just hope everything works out as planned, but I have my fingers crossed...:)

Anonymous said...

Sorry for the belated b-day wish! Can't wait to visit...especially when you live in the Carribean. Heh heh heh...;)

memory_lucky12 said...

Think about it: You'll be celebrating your 40th birthday in St. Kitts. And wisdom from a birthday card:

It'll be one whole year before you get older!

Christina RN LMT said...

Tally, don't worry about it...you called me, remember? That was fantastic in and of itself!
And it will totally kick ass for you guys to visit me in the Caribbean...just bring plenty of sunscreen, a couple bathing suits and some shorts, and you'll be all set!

Chaos, I realized pretty quickly that I'd be turning forty on the island...time to PARTY!!
Oh, so you don't age until your actual birthday? Then BAM! In one fell swoop, you age a year...*lol*