Western Wyoming

This week was my last as a Colorado nurse, for now at least..

 Because my lease ran out in Sept, I've spent the last week staying in an extended stay hotel.. not my favorite, no matter how much the cat liked exploring it.

Wednesday I worked a 12 and said goodbye. Then early this morning, I got into my tightly packed car and hit the road at around 530 a.m.  It was breathtaking watching the sun come up over Northern Colorado's plains.

So I didn't stop a lot on my drive.. what I haven't revealed previously is that I had a little scare earlier this week.  Tuesday, my day off, I got some news that the hospital was threatening to cancel my upcoming assignment.  It seems that in the torrent of paperwork, my recruiter and I missed a vital piece of information - a second negative PPD test. A PPD is a simple test to show whether or not you may have tuberculosis (a highly contagious respiratory infection).  While I just had a negative PPD in April, this hospital requires two negatives within one year.  And here's the other thing, they take a couple days to read.  So in a scramble, I went to a clinic Tuesday afternoon to have the test started. The earliest I could have it read was today, the latest is tomorrow.  I had to find a clinic/doctors office somewhere in my drive that would be willing to read and finish the test for me. If that doesn't make sense, don't worry about it.  All that you need to know is that it was stressful and emotional, annoying and scary, but all in all, I made it to Jackson, WY in time to have the test read as negative. Good news - no TB, and I still have a job.

Aaannyyywayy, here's a few shots from my drive through Wyoming today..

most of the Southwest portion of Wyoming is flat and brown.. Also - it's freezing here! For the most part of today it didn't get above 50 degrees.  When I packed everything up about a week and a half ago, my pants and warm clothes were put away. Luckily I was able to scrounge around some warmer cloths from random bags/boxes in my car. Good thing I love winter and being frosty! :)

At one point during my drive I was so bored I listened to NPR Wyoming for a little, and I learned they just legalized wolf hunting again.

 Soon the road wound into the mountains again..

I arrived in Jackson, Wyoming in late afternoon. After eating lunch and stopping at the clinic, I just moseyed around, went for a walk, took a nap, then went out for dinner.

Boy, I really love seeing new places. Tomorrow I'll drive through the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks. I can't wait! My heart is a little sad to leave beautiful Colorado, but I am ecstatic to live near family, the ocean, and mountains!