DanRN’s Adventures

Lessons Hard Learned Nothing is ever as it seems, And the truth of the thing Takes time to be learned. And during the process are lost Much time, effort, and trust, When finally burned. With exhilaration of promise Many are blinded by hope In desire of good. Some sacrifice their principles With misplaced beliefs That colours their mood. And prospective positive effect Can overwhelm judgment, Make one hesitate, When expectations of reward And potential feelings Of pleasure

The second half of our back-to-back cruise on the Celebrity Equinox was an itinerary of travel to ports in Portugal, southern Spain, and Morocco. We opted to stay onboard when the ship stopped in Barcelona, since we have been to this city twice before…and because we know from experience that the disembarkation/re-embarkation process can be quite chaotic. But it was also a day we could kick back and enjoy the ship as there were only 15 or so other sets of passengers, mostly co

Italy has become one of my favourite countries to visit, along with Spain and Portugal. So combining them as destinations with a cruise that links them together is the ultimate experience - the ports of call, interspersed with sea days, is a great way to balance exploration with relaxation. Plus, having a “floating hotel” means unpacking and repacking once, which is quite convenient…as is the built-in housekeeping and meals. This particular vacation was planned in coordinatio

Still Lives the Eternal City What contrast there is Between old and new, In shadows of ruins And ancient statues. Between bright marble Fountains and façade, And historical Dark conquests abroad. Many times victor, But also defeated, Once glorious but now From borders retreated. Your emperors once Ruled far and wide, Your popes decreed and Did kingdoms divide. Education and Roads spread from your walls, But ambition and Greed led to your falls. Sacked by the Vandals, Goths an

I have never been a big reader (or listener) of poetry, mostly because my inclinations have been more to music and prose. I do remember poetry being introduced in English literature classes throughout high school, but it never caught my attention...although some memorable limericks do come to mind. I have always enjoyed writing, whether personal letters or academic manuscripts, and of late my reflections have taken on a more poetic flavour. So, I have started experimenting wi

I had my first visit to London as a teenager in Summer 1980 on a concert band tour, my first time flying overseas and, actually, the first time ever on a jetliner. Although I was an avid reader and fascinated by history, being 16 years old and amongst a group of 99 other bandmates meant less of a focus on the historical and cultural experience…it was more about being a teen, the thrill of being away from home and, of course, the music performances. Certainly I saw a lot while

They say home is where the heart is, but I am never certain exactly what that is supposed to mean. Is it simply wherever one feels most comfortable and secure, regardless the physical location? Is it supposed to be the place and home wherever one’s romantic love happens to be? Tony Bennett left his heart in San Francisco and talks about a love waiting for him there…but references fog, cable cars, and golden sunshine. Such a conundrum to figure this out and to be truthful with

Cruise escapes became our favourite way of vacationing way back on our “honeymoon” trip in February 2010; that first cruise was my second sailing but Jean’s first. We went on a two-week Caribbean jaunt with two dear friends when the college I was teaching at closed during the Vancouver Olympics. So it should be no surprise that, once again and to start off 2026, we would be found on the Celebrity Constellation ringing in the New Year. Almost exactly a year earlier we had enj

NB: I originally drafted this blog January 20, 2026, but only today decided to edit and post it. Part of the delay was dealing with the PTSD of my Manitoba nursing experience and moving on from my identity as a registered nurse. Ironically, the following news item was posted on CBC...and I would submit that nursing retention in Manitoba runs much deeper than just patient-nurse ratios: More Than Half of Manitoba's Nursing Gains Lost to Departures. Very soon after my last blog

In the planning stages of my PATT leave, the big decisions for me were where I would go and what I would do while away. Time to myself, reflection, and enjoying a break were the priority, but I could not imagine three months away with nothing to do. Originally, after our Christmas vacation last year (2024-2025) in Spain, I thought I would camp out in one of the old cities of Sevilla or Cordoba and learn Spanish. After visits to Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, and Cadiz I became qu

It has already been six weeks since my Post-Academic Trauma Therapy (PATT) leave began and it feels like no time has passed at all. I suppose that is due to the busy schedule I have kept since arriving in France, first and foremost taking five weeks of French language classes that kept me occupied. But also interspersing that time with exploration of Montpellier and the surrounding areas, immersing myself in some of the culture and history around me. However, a lot of my time

It was interesting to observe the calm acceptance of Super Typhoon Ragasa’s approach and the preparations in action. There did not seem to be much panic or anxiety, even though the severity of the storm was already quite apparent - it was the largest storm on the planet this year and one of the largest in recorded history. And there had already been fatalities and much damage in both Taiwan and the Philippines. In my conversations with Grace, Amy, and others it seemed the mea

My first presentation was at the Macau Polytechnic University in Macau as a guest of Dr. Tao Zhang and the topic was qualitative and mixed-methods research to graduate students in public health. Typically, public health focuses on epidemiology and statistics, so more the number side of health issues. However, over the last decade or so it has been recognized that often the numbers have little context without the qualitative component to help provide explanation and context. A

While my work and contributions were not appreciated at my last place of employment, I can say I experienced two amazing opportunities where my clinical, teaching, and research work were recognized and valued elsewhere. The first was in 2023 when I was invited as a visiting scholar to Brazil and the second was an invitation in September 2025 as visiting scholar to the Guangdong Pharmaceutical University in Guangzhou and the Macau Polytechnic University in Macau. I could not h

I so remember the first days of my nursing education at the Misericordia Hospital in Edmonton - it was a mix of high anxiety and...

When we made the decision to go to Paris and meet up with one of our dear friends there, a bucket list item we all had in common was...

After the hustle and bustle of Paris, it was time to escape to the rural areas of Normandy enroute to visit a bucket list destination -...

I remember one of my first post-RN classes at the University of Alberta when the professor introduced herself in what seemed a very...

If I was impressed by the Château de Chantilly for its simple (but opulent) elegance, the Château de Versailles took awe to another...