Snatch the opportunity

A month and a half out of nursing school and it seemed all my classmates had been going on interviews and some of them were getting jobs. I had neither. People outside the nursing world constantly heralded this career path as wise in that there would always be work. Perhaps nurses are in high demand... but not really in Southern California, and not really right now.
I thought my resume set me apart, with my time in Ghana working with Ma as her midwife's apprentice, my 3 years back home volunteering as a doula in the local teaching hospital, my insane passion for birth. I also was finishing up an optional externship (which I paid to do) in a postpartum unit at one of the more prestigious hospitals in San Diego. I was scheduled nights and was supposed to work this particular Friday evening but each time I thought about going in I felt strange about it.
Later that day one of my closest friends from nursing school called.
"All of us are going out tonight. Come! It'll be fun."
After debating whether or not I should go in to the externship, and being a pretty responsible person who hangs out with responsible people, I was surprised when I was convinced and supported to cancel my shift and go out for Mexican Food.
Sitting around the table while they discussed having passed the boards (I hadn't yet), sat for interviews (nope), and gotten jobs (not even close) was a little disheartening. I held on to the hope of merely knowing the nurse I had met at Nora's birth.
We went back to our friends house and started up a bonfire. I put my jacket on and slouched back into a chair. I decided to just listen and remove myself from active conversation.
All of a sudden I heard a voice amplified from around the corner. It was Eliane, our friend from Brazil. Her accent stood out as she mentioned getting an email about an open position for new grads at Sharp Mary Birch, the largest women's hospital in San Diego. It was a random position- most new grad positions wouldn't be posted for another 4 months.
As if possessed, I stood up walked over to her and asked her to follow me to a computer. She looked up the position and sure enough it was still open. Registered Nurse: New Grad: Perinatal Special Care Unit. Something in me had to get home and apply. I couldn't be at the party anymore. People tried to convince me to just hang out and do it the next day but I refused. My friend drove me home early and I spent the rest of the night finishing up the application.