A few things I have learned as I start my CAPS Fellowship in Maryland:
1. I am capable of driving 13 hours straight.
Washington Monument
2. Being a tourist in Washington, D.C. for a day and a half is exhausting. There is simply just too much to see and do that you ultimately cannot fit it into that kind of time frame. Good thing I have all summer to metro down to D.C. and explore!
3. Moving into a cottage provided by The Village at Rockville (TVAR) is exciting! You also get very creative when 3 girls get ready in a home with ONE bathroom.
4. Sometimes starting the washing machine is not as easy as pushing a button and you have to get creative with that as well (had to let the washer figure out its attitude first….).
5. When 3 girls walk into a restaurant looking utterly confused and clearly are first timers you just might get free bagel bites and a big piece of chocolate cake.
6. Attending a Welcome Cookout at your supervisor’s house the night before orientation with 4 other interns really puts butterflies at ease and shows you just how gracious and kind the staff are that you will be working with and for throughout the summer.
While some of those things are comical, moving out East for the summer has really allowed me to grow as a young adult (and that’s just been in the first week of living out here) and also excites me for my future professional career and the opportunities I have and will be given.
Second day of work
I started working in the office at TVAR on June 5th so I have officially been in Maryland for one week. In this first week I have had the opportunity to attend two full days of orientation, learning much more about National Lutheran Communities and Services and the mission and values the organization functions by. NLCS’s mission of customer service focused care for residents at the community and constantly exploring new ways of further impacting and improving the surrounding community is inspiring. It motivates me to jump into projects and use my skills and knowledge to help them reach the goals they have set.
This past week, I have met numerous members of the leadership team both from corporate and also internally at The Village at Rockville. They are all so wonderful and so eager to assist me with projects and show me the ropes of the organization. I am starting to meet many of the residents who live in the community.
Beautiful scenery on our hike at Billy Goat Trails
The favorite part of my day is walking upstairs and visiting with the residents on the memory care floor. There is so much history, wisdom, and stories that I lookforward to hearing from all the residents while I am here.
This summer I will have many opportunities both in nursing administration and in nursing care that each day will be full of learning and growing, and I am eager to reflect on those opportunities at the end of these 8 weeks in MD.