Third year in a row.

Hey guys!

For about a week now I have been back from my holiday, but the black hole it has left in my life is absolutely crazy. Not a minute goes by without me thinking back to the two incredible weeks I had. It was utterly amazing, the families and my fellow volunteers. One of the most beautiful places on earth, that's what it is. 

If you have been following me for some time now you might have an idea what place this is about. This year was my third year on that same campsite. For someone who always used to say they would never visit the same place once I got pretty stuck there. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's the most amazing campsite in Europe, Domaine de Puylagorge. Domaine de Puylagorge is a campsite in the middle of France, specifically aimed at families with kids with disabilities and their siblings to offer them the holiday they need and deserve. A holiday where the kids can roam and play free, without the help of their parents or the constant supervision of them. A campsite where the parents can actually relax knowing their children are in the hand of the most amazing volunteers. 

I came across Domaine de Puylagorge three years ago when I was thinking of working on a campsite abroad. The target group of Puylagorge, or Puy as we call it, sounded very appealing and so I decided to check it out. After spending two incredible weeks there I decided to come back the year after, and last year the same thing happened so I returned there this year as well. How do you explain this to the people around you? Well, you can't. Believe me, I have tried, but there is no way to explain the peace the parents find there for two weeks, the fun the kids have there and how disabilities are almost the standard, where no one looks up from a wheelchair or where no one gets weird glances for in explainable behaviour. Weird is the normal on Puy. 

My job on the campsite is to make sure the kids have a good time, together with my fellow volunteers we form the animation team. But besides doing the animation we can also be asked to babysit, or to support parents with the physical care for their children. This allows the parents to really have a day off with the two of them or with the not disabled kids. To me it's the best job, well I wouldn't call it a job it really is just a vacation, in the world. This year I got to mentor the same kid I mentored last year, as the kid needed one on one guidance. This kid has CP (cerebral palsy) and is the most amazing kid I know, always happy, always cheerful, and always cheering for others. During our song moment he's always telling the group to applaud for themselves and how amazing their singing is. The smile on his face becomes a smile on my face as well. 

This year was really great as I got to guide that little fellow for the full two weeks of mine and his stay. It was an honour. As a one on one mentor you really bond with the kid, but also with it's (protective) siblings and parents which is something else completely but something so incredible I wouldn't miss it for the world. During the week he started calling me "his Renée" which is also how he came up to me in the morning. Don't get me started on our toilet adventures, petting animals, bouncy castle shenanigans or painting (both paper and each other). It was a blast. 

Another special thing there is that at the end of the week we have this kind of showcase, every animation group does an act and then there are the solo acts kids (and their friends/ parents) do. At the end we say goodbye to the volunteers and families that go home. Every week tears are being shed, hugs are thrown around, final pictures are being taken and phone numbers or email addresses are being exchanged. It's an emotional happening but that's what makes Domaine de Puylagorge such an amazing place. There is a reason our motto is: "friends bring happiness". Puylagorge brings both those things, happiness and new friends. Every single year, and every year there are more familiar faces as volunteers and families keep returning. Also every year you meet new incredible and inspiring people.

Yeah, to me it's the best place on earth. And if you are from Belgium or Holland I would really recommend you check it out or pay it forward!

Lots of love,
ThatDutchGirl96

Goodbye my babies.

Hey guys,

From the third year on, my nursing course exists of placements only. It really puts the focus on practical learning which I find the most interesting and most important of my course. Placements allow you to put theoretical knowledge into practise and to really learn the fine bits and pieces of the nursing profession.

On my previous placement I got my first taste of health care in a hospital setting. The most diverse and dynamic setting, but because of this also my favourite setting. Last placement I familiarised myself with care for patients with lung, cardiac, general, and neurological problems. So that was pretty diverse. Now this placement would be diverse as well, but a completely different setting and an even more different patient group. This one however turned out to fit me perfectly and it was my best placement so far.

This placement was on the obstetrician-ward. The ward pregnant woman come to with their problems during pregnancy or to give birth naturally or by c-section. This means we have to care for pregnant women with a broad spectrum of health problems but also women who have given birth or had a c-section and their newborn babies. Really specific care that is but oh boy, it was incredible.

Over the last few months I worked with an incredibly nice and fun team, who challenged me, accepted me, and helped me grow. I have learned so much from them and felt so accepted, it was literally as if I was a part of their team instead of a student on placement. A feeling I never got to experience before. Then I also got to witness some of the most special moments in every parents lives, the birth of their child. Together with my colleagues we helped the mum through the birthing process, took care of her child and her after and made sure they both came out well. These natural births and c-sections have been amazing, you have to work together so well as so many factors can go wrong so it keeps you communicating continuously. The obstetrician ward is definitely something else, but oh how fun it was. Then there was the care for the mum and newborn baby after the birthing. I got to wash both mum and the baby of which I obviously preferred washing the baby, to give it it's first ever bath together with mum or dad. You get to witness so many first things, the first feed, the first bath, the first full diaper, you name it. It really is something else.

I remember my first weeks, being really insecure with the mum and the baby. Not quite sure on how to handle them, how to hold them, or how to help with the feeding. And look at me now, I participated in a breastfeeding audit as my colleagues found me capable of doing so. Today, on my last shift, they even told our manager to tie me to a chair and not let me go until she had given me a diploma and contract as they didn't want me to leave. Now I'm not that good with compliments so I spend the entire day just thanking everybody awkwardly and blushing because the compliments just kept on going. Guess I really did something right over there.

It was an incredible experience, and definitely a ward I'll consider going back to. This ward, and placement have proven to really be something special, I felt welcome and accepted, never having to introduce myself as a student to patient and the patients being surprised when I did. I learned so much, also that birthing and breastfeeding isn't the pink cloud a lot of people imagine it to be. But it was an incredible placement and it will stick with me forever. Colleagues, patients, babies, thank you so much for teaching me so many amazing things and letting me teach you so many things as well. I'm starting to sound like a broken record here but it was something special.

Sometimes life as a nurse isn't all that bad you know, this placement showed me how good and fun it can be.

Lots of love,
ThatDutchGirl96