Maine for the summer

Last summer I left my staff job as a nurse, moved out of my Atlanta apartment, and drove 1,200 miles cross-country to a state where I did not know a soul. Saying that out loud sounds pretty crazy, yet that is exactly what I did. I moved to Maine for two months to be a summer camp nurse.

Why?

To many, this may sound foolish or just plain crazy, but an adventure like this had been on my heart for so long. Life had become so monotonous. Don’t get me wrong, I have so much to be grateful for, but I couldn’t shake this feeling that there has to be more to life. I want to fully embrace and experience life. I want adventure; to enjoy this one precious life I was given and push myself to my highest potential.

February 13,  2023

I was sitting at my favorite coffee shop, Crazy Love Coffee, in Roswell, GA. The introduction to my devotional that morning was “Tear up your list and throw it away- what God has planned for you is better than anything you’ve ever dreamed of for yourself.”

I then wrote in my journal, trying to process what I had just read. “ Do I stay, do I go? Which option is scarier? There is comfort in staying where I am. Am I truly happy?”

Those words stuck out to me that morning. I was aimlessly googling- looking for a way to add purpose and adventure to my life when I stumbled upon a posting for a summer camp nursing job in Maine.

 That sounds like an opportunity of a lifetime. After filling out an application for the job on a whim, I got a call about five minutes later. It was someone calling from the camp. They were very excited about my application and would love to have me as a part of the team.

The next few weeks were filled with equal amounts of excitement and fear. Everyone close to me in my life was so encouraging of this opportunity. I knew there was no better time than right now. On the other hand, my life in Atlanta was comfortable and established. Why would I want to give it all up?

A mindset I have been trying (and I mean trying) to adopt is to stop achieving and to truly start living. I don’t want to miss out on life; I don’t want to simply let it pass me by. Nothing is scarier than those thoughts.

Fast forward a few months;  I am finally at camp. It was probably the longest and most exhausting two months of my life, but I enjoyed every second. It was amazing to live in a community with people my age while in one of the most beautiful states. When I arrived at camp I had a feeling in my soul that I was supposed to be here. Like God had known all along I was going to end up at this camp with these specific people.

I will be forever grateful for an adventure of a lifetime.

I met some incredible nurses, one of which is now my current roommate in Charleston. I spent my off days exploring different coastal towns in Maine. It was exactly the type of summer my heart was longing for.

This time at camp was special because it allowed me to process my next step in life. My sweet cabin mate at camp became my roommate after camp. This gave me the opportunity to move to Charleston, a place I had always wanted to live. An older nurse at camp who mentored me encouraged me to apply for the nursing job I have now. So many loose ends in my life seemed to be tied up that summer. God had that plan all along.

I just had to trust His way and His plan for my life.

There is freedom in the surrender.