KEEP CALM, EVERYONE!

Again, I’d like to say a million “Thank You’s” to everyone who’s congratulated me on passing my board exams last December 16-17, 2012.

It’s definitely been one heck of a journey but being able to talk about it now that the storm has passed is more than rewarding. There are just no words to describe it!

I’d like to say a few thank you’s to the following people:

Friends:

Rhianne Rivera – I don’t know how I am ever going to stop thanking you when you were the first person to congratulate me! From calling you in the middle of the night, asking you for pointers on how to remember how this goes with this and to telling you every single bit of my struggles. You were always there for me even when I was angry at everything (even at you. Hehe) and you never stopped being there for me. Thank you for those days back in college when you would help me study or worse, FORCE me to study when I had already given up. Thank you. If there was a better way to say thank you, I would and I’m never going to stop being grateful to you. You’re the best fake mother any girl could ever have!

Daffodil Jill Bolivar – How do I even start with your face! HAHA. First of all, thank you for lightening the load of the board exams by telling me that the board exam did not require any spelling of any form, whatsoever. (I have survived this blog purely on spell check, FYI) For being gracious with your reviewers and for helping me every step of the way. For entertaining my tears and for being my “fat” friend when I wanted to devour everything I could get my hands on. I’ve never had any bad moments with you (ok, except for those times when you would hate me so much for not listening to you) but aside from that, you’ve always been the one the bestest friends I’ve ever had. Thank you!

Raissa Alexandra Ong Oh – Babes, we’ve been through rough and clear waters together. You have accepted me into your and your family’s life as if it was where I always belonged. Thank you for believing in me the way I always believed in you- even when it felt like the last thing to hold on to. Thinking about our friendship always brings me to tears because I have never met anyone that I will love the way I love you. Thank you for always taking the time to share what you know even when you had your own life and own problems to deal with. I look forward to making all our dreams come true because I cannot imagine my life without you. You will always be my best friend. I love you!

Liz Dejarme – I think God loves me a little bit more than everyone else because I met you! Your reviewers were the bomb and were extra special especially towards the exams. I cannot count the number of times I read and re-read your notes. I have always looked up to you and that’s why I always ran to your pointers as a safe haven when I was in doubt. Obviously, I was not put in vain. I’m happy for you and for all the things you are going to achieve from R.N. to Atty., from a Ms. To a Mrs. I promise I will find a way to repay everything you have done for me… wedding dress included! ;)

Cheeyenne Delgado – Chee-chee! Gaaah. You gave me so much to study! Even when you  borrow some, you still left me with heaps and heaps of things to review on. Thank you for that and for sharing your knowledge and you words of advice to me. I will always remember you from our college days when we would b*tch about everyone in your car! Those were indeed good times! I miss you a million times and I cannot wait ‘til we are re-united. Next time you visit me at work, you know where to go! Hopefully, you won’t get lost this time! ;)

Alana Reroma – You! Thank you for always studying with me! For studying with me over coffee and especially for studying with me over bottles and bottles of beer! For sharing your Pharmacy notes just in case it would come out. Thank you for always being there for me especially on days when I just needed a break from burning the midnight candle and when I felt that the whole world was caving in on me. Thank you for helping me bring my heavy books and for putting up with me when all I wanted to do was watch “The Mistress” (haha). Thanks for being my retail therapy friend and for letting me drag you to the ukay2 shops when I missed the smell of what seemed to be formalin over dusty books and fruit scented highlighters. To the real world, Alana Remora, R.P. You are amazing!

Chabel Fararrons – I feel like I don’t thank you more than I should and I’m sorry for that. But let me take this opportunity to thank you for being a wonderful and supportive best friend. You will always be my best friend despite the lapses and differences that we have. Thank you for always checking up on me and for sharing my worries. For texting me on random days and for the random study out nights we should’ve have but didn’t. L I was always scared to study with you because your intelligence scares me. Nevertheless, please know that I was always sure about you more than I was of myself. I always knew you would make it and furthermore, become some great! And I’m so excited to see what life brings you because you deserve nothing for the best. I love you!

Niña Madera – I miss you so much, Nins and I wish you were back in Cebu! Thank you for always encouraging me especially because you knew what I was going through. Thank you for the talks, although few, and for always trying to see what was going on in my life. I wish you were here to celebrate with all of us because you are definitely one of the few people I would want to share this moment with. I miss you and I will always be here for you, no matter where in the world you are! Love you always!

Team SMILE – I honestly don’t know how I could’ve done it without you. Thank you for being my sense of relief on days when I felt like I’ve had enough of everything. Thank you Mark, for always accepting me into your home and giving me a place to study or sleep or unwind! Thank you Jiggy for the pointers and for sharing your experiences with me! Thank you Amanda and Jem for broadcasting it on facebook and for being friends that I could always count on. Thank you Richard and Eduardo for occasionally checking up on me and making sure I was doing ok. Thank you EVERYONE from Team SMILE for being my friends and for not judging me when it seemed like I didn’t put much of an effort into studying. And thank you, God, because I met all of you. My life would have never been the same!

June 25 Roll- Ins – Thank you batch for all the encouragement! Thank you for not being one of the people who constantly made fun of me for studying at work and for not making me feel bad about not being able to go out because I had to put my priorities first. Thank you for all the pleasant surprises you have showered me with especially for the fun emails I received when I passed. I am extremely blessed to have met every single one of you. Thank you for being good friends!

Family:

Catherine Perez – I know now that mothers are always right. I’m sorry that I was so stubborn and if I was such a burden. Thank you for believing in me especially when I did not believe in myself. For always being there to listen to me when I didn’t want to push any further and thank you for trusting in what I was capable of doing. Passing the boards will always be my biggest accomplishment in life because through this, I have realized never to doubt myself again. Thank you for putting up with my bi-polarity and my aggression and oh my god, for everything. Thank you for allowing me to do these things on my own and for trusting that I would deliver. I love you forever. You will always be the best mother for me.

Leandro Perez – Thank you pa for always loving me even when I didn’t really give you a reason to do so. Thank you for buying my books and for trusting me. Thank you for adding humor to my often gloomy aura and for always putting a smile on my face. Asking you if I have made you proud of me is out of the question because I know that you will always be proud of me despite my shortcomings as a daughter. I love you for always being there for me and for being my pillar!

Paolo Gandionco – Sweetheart, I’ve said a million thank you’s to you already and I don’t think I am going to stop. First of all, thank you for being there for me. Thank you for the unlimited coffee and for feeding me and for making sure that I was in the best condition to study. Thank you for taking care of me, especially when I got sick and for making sure that I always got enough rest. Thank you for always giving me what I wanted whether if it was to go to Danao or to drink the night away instead of study. You are always very giving and understanding and I don’t know how you put up with me but somehow you do and I will forever be grateful!

Congratulations to all my friends who passed, as well. I’m ecstatic to say that we are the 16908 out of 49,066 who passed!

·         Raissa Alexandra Ong Oh

·         Arjie Paradiang

·         Kiara Ignacio

·         JD Alferez

·         Farina Lebumfacil

·         Ian Dean Hombrebueno

·         Isabel Fararons

·         Faye Ilaya

·         Mary Rose Bayot

·         Dale Bercede

·         Orlie Mar Macasero

·         Monique Sarigumba

·         Joanna Tuaño

And a big fat CONGRATULATIONS to all the NLE passers!

From this:

To this:

And now, I am finally this:

I think it’s FINALLY (after much ado) safe to say that I can now start fulfilling my dreams!

And although I have no plans of being a nurse, it is pretty damn good to have those two extra letters at the end of my name!

Jean Louise I. Perez, R.N.