Tuesdays are the best

I love Tuesdays because it's the one day a week I don't have to go to my clinical. Of course, I get the weekends off too, but it's nice to have a day off during the week to catch up on stuff. The weekends always seem to get filled with fun things (and lots of rest because I'm tired by the end of the week) but Tuesdays are for being productive. I got a lot done on my to-do list today. I did my grocery shopping for the next two weeks. I went to David's Bridal for a dress fitting and left my bridesmaid dress there to get it hemmed. I got to sit by the pool for a couple hours (it was brutally hot today). I even had time to go get a free cupcake from Carytown Cupcakes, a cute little cupcake shop that just opened up in Richmond.

Kir Royale- the free cupcake I tried today! It's a champagne cupcake with raspberry buttercream.

I ended the day by going to get a pedicure with my friend Meike. Then I went to her apartment and hung out with her and some other PT friends. We sat out on her porch and shared stories from our clinicals. It's so relaxing to have a day to do whatever I want! I'm glad that my clinical is part-time so that I have a free day, even though it means I'll be at my clinic two weeks longer than anyone else. I had such a great day today, and I feel like I accomplished some chores that needed to be done. I can't wait for my clinical to be over so I can enjoy my summer!

Working Out and God-time

There are two things that that give me energy, motivate me, and encourage me. The first is working out. I feel a whole lot better if I get my exercise in for the day. I've recently started running again, and it feels great! There's something about running that clears my head and helps me sort out my feelings. It's just me, and my music, and my feet pounding on the pavement. There's also something inspiring about running. There are many times I want to give up before I've reached my goal distance, but when I push through and get that "second wind", it feels so rewarding!

The second thing that makes my day better is spending time with God. Reading my Bible puts things in perspective and gives me peace of mind. I learn so much and discover so much about myself- and about God. Right now I'm doing a study on Paul and it's been really amazing and encouraging! I also starting reading a book about why the study of God is so important. The book is by J.I. Packer, and it's called "Knowing God". He quotes,

"Knowing God is crucially important for the living of our lives. As it would be cruel to an Amazonian tribesman to fly him to London, put him down without explanation in Trafalgar Square and leave him, as one who knew nothing of English or England, to fend for himself, so we are cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing God whose world it is and who runs it. The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place, and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business, for those who do not know God. Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfolded, as it were, with no sense of direction and no under-standing of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul."

 The sad thing is that these things are the first things to go when I get stressed out! Whenever I feel like I have too much on my plate, I stop working out and I stop reading my Bible. I don't know why, because those are the very things that help me de-stress! So my goal for the future is to not let my mental, spiritual, and physical health fall by the wayside. I want to make an effort to set aside time for working out and spending time with God, even when I'm really busy. My goal is to make these things a priority this summer, and continue it into next semester, when I'll be taking 21 credits. With 21 credits, I'll definitely need to take some time to de-stress!

Clinical week 1

I've completed my first week of clinical! Only 5 more weeks to go. My clinical is great in that my CI (clinical instructor) only works part time... but that means that I have to do six weeks instead of four. I don't mind though. I like having some free time to enjoy my summer, and I appreciate not having to work a full 8 hour day.

So far, I've enjoyed working on the rehab unit. I've gotten to see some patients with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, and strokes (or, in shorthand: SCI, TBI, and CVA). My CI lets me help out quite a bit, which helps the day go by faster. I get kind of bored if I'm not doing anything. I've gotten to walk with patients, give exercises, and help do other therapeutic activities, such as toss a ball to a pt for balance and coordination.

Although my clinical is going well (I'm so glad I didn't end up at a skilled nursing facility, which is where Audrey has to work), I'm sad that I have to stay here in Richmond instead of going home. Normally the best part of getting to the end of the semester is the anticipation of getting to go home and see my family again. I really miss them right now.

Finals are over!

I'm done with my first year of PT school! I can hardly believe it. I knew it would go by fast, but I didn't think it would happen this fast. Time is fascinating to me, because each week seemed to drag on, but now at the end of the semester it seems like it was short- like I couldn't possibly be done with my first year already! It feels great to be 1/3 of the way there and to have a lot of core classes under my belt. I didn't do as well on all my finals this time; I now have a couple of B's and my 4.0 is ruined forever- but you know what? I'm okay with that.

I decided this semester that I want to make time for some things that are really important to me. Devotions, exercise, and friends are the top three things that I want to make a priority. I've realized that sometimes an A isn't worth it. I could study a lot more than I do and get an A, or I can leave time for some fun in my life and be happy with a B. I remind myself of this constantly, because the overachiever/ perfectionist in me wants to get perfect grades on everything. But I'm tired of being stressed out and working so hard all the time. I'd rather have a life outside of school! I'd rather enjoy myself and make time for other important things besides studying. I need to find a good balance.

I have some goals for the summer to help me focus on some things that I've been neglecting.

1. I want to do my devotions 5 times a week (I'm doing a Beth Moore study book, and there are 5 lessons for each week).
2. I want to exercise 4 times a week (every other day) at least.
3. I want to start eating healthier. This includes drinking more water, eating a fruit or vegetable every day, and eating less chips and snacks.

This summer I also plan to hang out by the pool a lot (hopefully I'll get a nice tan), read some good books, and plan a few trips to see my friends. I'm looking forward to a relaxing and enjoyable summer break! I have my clinical for the first 6 weeks of the summer, but at least I won't have to study.


A picture from last summer- tan and happy!

What I love about my mom

This past Sunday was Mother's Day, and sadly, I did not get to spend it with my mom. For the past several years, Mother's Day has fallen right in the middle of all my finals. This year, I missed my mom more than I usually do. I think I realized how little I've seen her since I started grad school (and how I've called her less and less as I've gotten older). Even though I've become more independent, I still love my mom as much as ever. In honor of Mother's day, here's a short summary of what I love about my mom.

I love that my mom was always there for me. She stayed home with me and never put me in day care. I only remember a few times that I even had a babysitter. My mom was always there for every step of me growing up. I love that she was involved in all my school events. She was the class mom- baking cookies and helping out with activities. She was a chaperone on every field trip- and all my friends wanted to be in her group. She was a troop leader for girl scouts and a Sunday school teacher at church. I think the number one thing I appreciate about my mom is simply that she was constantly around. I could always count on her.

I love that my mom enrolled me in a lot of activities- even ones I didn't like. I took swimming lessons, horseback riding lessons, piano lessons, and gymnastics. I tried ice skating, ballet, hockey, and soccer. Some things I hated (ballet, piano, soccer), but I learned how to stick it out and be a good sport. Some things I thought I would hate (hockey, swim team) but it ended up being a lot of fun and a good experience. I'm so glad I learned how to do so much when I was little. It ignited an adventurous spirit within me.

I love that my mom is honest with me. I can trust her to say what she really thinks, even if I don't want to hear it. She'll tell me if she doesn't like my outfit or hairstyle. She tells me when I'm being bossy or a know-it-all. And I want to know when I'm being annoying, because then I can change. My mom doesn't keep opinions about Christianity, politics, or social issues to herself either. She always seems to have a clear stance on what's right and wrong; in a society where people are so wishy-washy, she taught me that there are true standards- and that they are obtainable.

I love my mom's stories and her jokes. I love that we can have fun together. I love that we sometimes laugh so hard that we're both crying. I miss just hanging out with her the most. I love spending time with her, even if it's just eating breakfast together, or riding in the car, or going shopping at the grocery store. I love talking on the dock in Maine, and sailing the Sunfish together, and going out on the lake in our kayaks.

Lastly (because this is getting long), I'm so glad that my mom brought me up with morals and standards. I'm eternally grateful that she brought me to church and taught me about God when I was a little kid. I'm glad that she taught me to do what was right, to love God, and to love other people. Really, these are the most important things in life. I'm glad my mom knew that, and that she shared that with me. I love and appreciate my mom more every day. I'll be happy if I'm half the woman she is someday!

Finals week staples

I've been studying for the past four days and I feel like I'm about to go crazy! I've spent the majority of the last few days holed up at a table in Panera with my books spread out on the table, trying to memorize every detail of microanatomy that I possibly can. When I get tired of studying for micro, I squeeze a little bit of M&S or rehab in there too. I'll be so glad when finals week is over!

I've had to take a few breaks from all the studying to maintain my sanity. This involved ordering Chinese and renting a movie on Saturday night, and going to Sweet Frog for ice cream on Sunday night. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but Sweet Frog is frozen yogurt place that recently opened in Richmond. It's a big hit- every time I go there the place is packed (and for good reason). They have unusual, yet very delicious flavors, and you get to do your own toppings! It's a lot of fun, and not too expensive.

Here are some of my finals week staples:

Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard. I have long associated this song with finals week. I actually used to stay up all night, then sleep all day (back when I was a freshman and sophomore). I don't do that anymore, but this is still my finals week song.

Sheetz runs. I actually haven't done this since I've been in grad school, but at Liberty, finals week always involved a trip to Sheetz. Usually because it was the only place open when I pulled those all-nighters.

Panera. Of course. I've already mentioned how this is my favorite place to study.

Facebook games. Because my brain needs a break every now and then. This year it's been "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and "Family Feud" that I waste my time on in between study sessions. These games might not seem like a mental break, but at least I don't have to think about micro!
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I'm a little upset that I won't be able to go home right after finals. (I have my clinical until the end of June). The thought of going home to see my family is one of the things that gets me through finals week. Here are some of the songs that I associate with going home:
Home - Daughtry
Get Out of This Town- Carrie Underwood
Gone - Switchfoot

Cleanliness

I've come to realize over the years how important it is to me to have a clean house. I think it started in college. Having a small room that I had to share with a roommate made it essential that I be neat and organized. I had to fit all of my stuff in my half of the room- and be able to find what I needed when I needed it.

I haven't always been an extremely neat person. When I lived with my parents, we had quite a bit of clutter in our house, but it was a house that was lived in and loved. There were 3 kids and 2 dogs, so it was inevitable that the house was always a little messy and there was always dog hair to be found. It's not like I did a lot to try to help clean back then. My room was usually kind of messy- clothes on the floor, clutter on my desk, but I did have some organization to the chaos. My drawers were organized by type of clothing, and I had a specific place for everything in my closet. When I was finally in college and living on my own, it simply became more imperative that I have an organizational system in place. I HATE not being able to find something when I need it!

I also discovered that there were lots of people in college who didn't know how to clean (or didn't care). My first year at Liberty I lived in a suite where six girls had to share a kitchen and common room. Girls would leave tons of dishes in the sink, let food splatter in the microwave, drop crumbs on the floor and table, and generally make a mess. And it seemed like few people ever thought to vacuum, wipe down the counter, or throw out expired food! It was shocking to realize that people could live in such dirt and not seem to notice. I have seen bathroom sinks and tubs that made me want to throw up. The idea of brushing my teeth or taking a shower in those grime-covered surfaces was disgusting! I started to value cleanliness so much more after living in college dorms.

Now that I've lived in my own townhouse and my own apartment, it's clear that taking a few minutes to clean can make a world of difference! I absolutely LOVE having a clean house. It brings me peace of mind, lifts my spirits, and gives me a feeling of accomplishment. I think a clean house is so welcoming and cheerful and pretty. I don't necessarily like vacuuming, or doing dishes, or cleaning the toilets... but actually I do kind of like to do those things, because the end result makes me so happy! It may sound dumb to write an entire post on this, but it's important to me. I wish that my roommates valued a clean house just a little bit more.

One year (almost) down

My first year of PT school is winding to a close, and I can hardly believe it! It seems like just a little while ago that I was just starting my first semester and was really nervous about classes. Now I'm finishing up projects and finals and wondering where all the time went!

In the past week I've had my final practical exams for Rehab and M&A (measurement and assessment). M&A was definitely the more intimidating of the two. I feel comfortable in the acute care setting, so I wasn't really that nervous about my rehab practical, but I was worried about my M&A practical. I had never done an outpatient eval before and I didn't know if I would be able to go through all the steps to diagnose and treat a patient. Actually, as it turns out, the practical wasn't that bad. Mostly because I didn't have to do a complete eval. The therapist I worked with asked me a bunch of questions about manual muscle tests and anatomy, then let me take a few goniometric measurements. And that was it. Apparently they don't expect too much from first years.

My first clinical starts May 16th at MCV hospital. I'm working in the neuro/brain injury rehab unit. I hope I'll learn a lot this summer and I hope I can progress from just observing a PT to actually helping out and doing some things. I want to be able to treat patients with uncomplicated diagnoses by myself by the end of the summer. That's one of the goals that I have for myself. I hope the therapist I work with will be willing to let me do some treatments and evals.

As a side note, I've been so thankful for my friends this semester! Getting to hang out and do fun things on the weekends has kept me from going crazy with the stress of school. Last Saturday was especially fun. Tristan and Emily drove to Richmond and the 3 of us went to see the play "Beauty and the Beast" at the Landmark theater. It was so exciting to dress up, do our hair, and go to dinner and the play (and even ice cream afterwards). We have plans to try to get tickets for some of the shows that will be at the Landmark theater next season- we really want to see "Wicked" and "The Lion King". It's such a girly thing to do, but I love to dress up for special occasions- especially when I'm going somewhere with my besties!