My 15 minutes of fame were really someone else's.

(Transmission 019)

So I just devoted my entire weekend to photographing a four-day music festival here in Philly. (Okay, Camden, to be more precise.) Despite being exhausted and sunburnt in strange places, it was an awesome time.

I've been a photographer for Philadelphia's WXPN radio station for six years now. I'm rarely paid for the work I do, but I love it - anytime I can combine photography and music, I'll jump at the chance. Plus, for this talentless girl who's always dreamt of becoming a rockstar, concert photography is the closest I'll ever get to fulfilling those dreams.

Or so I thought, until this weekend.

It started on Thursday night, Festival Day 1. A guy and his son approached me, nervously. "Excuse me... miss... are you... Ingrid Michaelson?"

I laughed, assured them I was far from it, and explained that I was photographing the festival - which would explain the camera in my hand and the media pass hanging from my neck. The guy was slightly embarrassed, but we had a good laugh. "You look just like her!" he insisted.

Ingrid Michaelson, for those of you who don't know her music, is a New York-based folk-pop artist. I'd been a fan of hers since I'd heard one of her songs in a 2006 Grey's Anatomy episode. She's since had music featured in a number of other TV shows, and even an Old Navy commercial. (Here is an adorable video for one of her songs, "The Way I Am:" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJOzdLwvTHA )

Anyway, I was flattered by the comparison, but I didn't quite get it. But throughout the festival, every time this guy passed me, he'd say, "Hey, Ingrid!" A few volunteers overheard the joke, and soon enough, everyone I knew was calling me "Ingrid."

Things got really bad after she actually played her set, on the final afternoon. All of the sudden, I noticed people watching as I walked by... as I squirmed through the gate into the photographer's pit... as I went to get water. It was bizarre. (And uncomfortable - There is a reason that I've been BEHIND the camera for all of these years!) Plus, aside from having reddish hair and glasses, I didn't even think we looked all that similar. But a lot of people did.

"Great show, Ingrid!" a few people yelled to me as I passed. At first, I was embarrassed. But then, I just decided to roll with it. I'd give a big grin, say "Thanks!" and keep walking. I mean... I was *working* after all. I didn't have time to stop and explain to everyone that I wasn't actually her, that I was 'just a photographer.'

When I met her face-to-face a few hours later, I relayed all of the compliments that people had been giving me. Erm, her. We had a good laugh about it. We took a photo together... and I must admit, I could see a resemblance.

In the end though, I was glad to return to the anonymity that my normal, non-rock star life provides.

And hey... maybe if she makes it REALLY big, I can make a living as the front woman for an Ingrid Michaelson cover band some day!

I mean... a girl can dream, can't she? ;)

You know what time it is: Another country, another blog.

(Transmission 018)

Hey all,

In thirteen days, I'll be getting on another plane. This time, I'm heading to Botswana to do community health nursing for five weeks. This trip means that a life-long dream of mine is coming true. It's hard to express my excitement in words.

But I'm sure as hell going to try! Which is why, despite hardly ever writing in this one, I'm starting another blog.

The Botswana Blog can be found here: http://pennnursing-botswanablog.blogspot.com/

I PROMISE to update it more frequently than I do here.

My angry letter to the editors of Philadelphia magazine:

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To the Staff at Philadelphia magazine:

I am a proud Philadelphian. I'm also a proud nursing student at the University of Pennsylvania, where I am working towards my BSN and eventually an MSN.

These are just two of the reasons that explain why I was disturbed by the May issue of Philadelphia magazine, which features a cover story called, "Physicians Rate the Region's Top Doctors." This article was described as "Our most comprehensive survey of local health care ever." Unfortunately, as far as Philadelphia is concerned, a comprehensive survey of local health care in Philadelphia doesn't include a single nurse, Nurse-Practitioner, or Nurse-Midwife. What's worse (yes, it gets worse) is that under a heading of "Where to Get the Best Care," a number of area hospitals with Magnet Designation are listed - Fox Chase Cancer Center, Lankenau Hospital, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, to name a few. (Magnet is a prestigious designation that recognizes "quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice.") Here, again, Philadelphia maintains its Physician-focused reporting, and fails to mention that one of the primary reasons that these institutions offer "the Best Care" is because of their excellent nursing care: care that I have helped provide as a nursing student.

If Philadelphia magazine can show me a doctor who can care for a heart transplant patient or a hospital that can function just one day without a single nurse or nurse-practitioner, then they have every right to publish these articles. Until then, the magazine has no right to publish a "comprehensive survey of local health care" without mentioning the life-saving and health promoting work that nurses do every day.

Michelle Holshue
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
BSN Second Degree/Nurse-Midwifery Student

Leaving on a jet plane....

(Transmission 016)


Today I turned in my last final exam for the semester (Now that my Pediatrics rotation is over... I might actually have a life again? Here's hoping!), went home, finished packing $500 worth of supplies into two large suitcases, and loaded up my car. At 4am, I'll get up and drive to Newark, where I'll board my plane for Honduras.

I didn't put out $500 myself - the money came from a pool of over $3,000 that my fellow students and I raised for our Shoulder to Shoulder trip. We'll be working in a rural health clinic for two weeks, running health screenings, doing health education projects, learning from local midwives... I am so freaking excited!

Internet access will be iffy when I'm in Santa Lucia, so I'll use my rare internet moments to update my other blog about the trip. Please read along, send comments, etc.!

Otherwise, see you when I get back. Hopefully free of any blood-bourne parasites!

Pennsylvania's primary election is in 6 days.

(Transmission 015)

I'm predicting, here and now, that Obama is going to win big in Philadelphia next Tuesday.

I know that this is contrary to what the polls say, but the polls can't capture the excitement on the streets; they don't count the Obama posters that are hanging in my neighbors' windows.

PA has gained 210,000 new resgistered voters since January. 210,000 people who have never voted before. 70% of these people registered as democrats. I know what the pollsters don't: driving around my city before the registration deadline, I saw handmade posters in driveways and in front of community centers that said, "Register Here to Vote for Obama." And I predict that that is exactly what people did: Philadelphians and Pennsylvanians registered to vote so that they could vote for Obama.

I just want to pause and consider the significance of that. For the first time since I've been a voter, people are inspired to vote FOR a candidate, instead of voting AGAINST their opponent. People are excited to vote, excited to participate in our country's political process. I'm excited, too. On Tuesday, I get to vote for the future Democratic Nominee for our next US President.