Just as food satisfies my hunger, learning quenches my mind's thirst. Our bodies require water daily to remain in good health, which sometimes leads to cravings to fill this need. I get a similar feeling when I wake each morning, but it isn't hydration that I need. My heart longs for something new, something unknown. My mind craves knowledge and races to find new information to satisfy these needs. Learning is not an option, it is something I need and such a huge part of who I am. Whether I am reading a news article or listening to a friend tell me a story, I am learning. I try to be as present as possible in everything that I do in order to get the most out of every experience that I can. No matter how big or small, I feel accomplished and happy with myself. Practicing continuous learning is key to remaining confident in myself and my abilities. As long as I am able to maintain self confidence and discipline, nothing will stop me from reaching my goals. The goals I have in place for myself are both external and internal. I am constantly learning from the ever changing world around me, but I also make time to reflect inward and learn more about myself. I change and grow in different ways every single day, just as the world I live in does. This is something that will always remain true and guarantee that I can continue to learn new things throughout my entire life. Still, I find it important to have educational goals in place for myself and I am proudly working towards those now. I took a break from my college education back in 2016 to care for an ill family member. I learned more about love, family and grief than I believe I ever could have in a classroom. I then went on to travel the Pacific North West while working full time. In doing so, I was able to learn about the world around me and discover beauty up close and personally, instead of viewing it through photographs in the pages of a textbook. I am grateful for all of my experiences during those years and the knowledge I gained from them. This year I found out I was going to be a mother for the first time. Which is an experience I will continue to learn from throughout my life. Now, I am back to working on my educational goals and enrolled to start classes up again in January. I am on track to graduate in 2024 and become eligible to take the NCLEX to be a Registered Nurse. Regardless of the obstacles that are headed my way, I am beyond excited and ready for this journey and all I will learn along the way. This is only the beginning for me.