circa February 2021
It was in November when I saw that job listing:
Clinical Nurse II, Operating Room
Right there at my dream hospital; back in hometown, California.
Though I was most definitely underqualified at the time, I threw out an application anyways thinking *eh, I'll shoot my shot*. No way in hell would they even glance at my application. I was a one-trick pony at the time; I only scrubbed total joints. I could barely circulate surgeries at the time, and only had a few months of experience working on my own.
So you can imagine my surprise when my application status went from Received to Reviewed and Processing
:O
Flash forward a few months, and I got the offer!
It was such a bittersweet experience saying saying yes to the job.
On one hand, I had finally achieved the goal of working at my dream hospital, not to mention a salary and benefits that would change my life forever... but that also meant a goodbye to my life here in Philly. A goodbye to so many friends who helped shape my life and experiences as I went through nursing school. A (temporary!) goodbye to Kim, who was my rock throughout my first year of nursing and the pandemic. Our countless adventures within the city and in our tiny apartments. Exploring what we could and offering a shoulder throughout the most difficult times of life's uncertainties.
And a goodbye to Philadelphia, the wild city that I immediately fell in love with and will carry forever in my heart.
These photos are records of my final days on the East Coast. One last trip to NYC, friends, more friends, goodbyes, and packing up my tiny studio apartment.
Philadelphia holds such a special place in my heart and cliché as it sounds, I know that I'll be leaving a piece of me here in this beautiful city as I take this next step in my career.
So goodbye for now!! Goodbye to my car-free lifestyle, goodbye to late-night hoagies, and of course, goodbye to my lovely, lovely humans. I'll come back to visit soon enough! Who knows, I might retire here one day.
Until next time,
kdo
