Globe Trekker Friday

So I am trying to come up with things to do on a Friday when all of my friends are out of town and the boyfriend is working, and after an afternoon of cleaning that I had put off for weeks until finals were done (which I passed! yea! off to a year of clinicals), I surfed through the 10 channels I pick up with my new DTV converter box. And what did I come upon, what else but Globe Trekker on Georgia Public Television. This time the girl went to Sri Lanka and Maldives, two amazing places, but they are two that normally don’t stand out in my mind when I think about places I would pick first to travel. And I loved the fact that this girl would just keep talking and talking and these men would just kind of smile awkwardly because they didn’t understand her or start to talking to someone else. But it still did not keep her from talking and telling us facts of history and culture. She made this particular show extra special. So I have decided, that instead of PT school, I want to be a Globe Trekker girl and travel around to far away, magical places and befriend old locals where they look at me strangely while I just keep talking like an American. I am sure there is an application for it somewhere on the internet.

i’m headed to bama

The DPT Class of 2010 has now chosen their clinical sites for next year.  The process went a lot smoother than we thought it was going to be.  We anticipated tears, yelling and people not talking to each other for a couple weeks, but it really went well.  I think everyone got sites within their top 3 choices, and I don’t think that has EVER happened with Emory’s clinical selection.  I got two of first choices and then my 3rd choice.  I’m going to Macon in March to work at the Level 1 Trauma Center at Medical Center of Central Georgia for 3 months and to live with Mom and Dad and get to eat Grandma’s southern cooking every Sunday after church.  Then after that I am headed to PHENIX CITY, AL to Regional Rehab Hospital for inpatient rehab.  Even though it is in the middle of nowhere (Josh said he went to elementary school there, I think?), it is supposed to be a really great place and I think it will be neat to go live in another place for a couple months and get some experience in a more rural town, as opposed to all my other clinical experiences, which have been at big Atlanta hospitals.  And Phenix City is only about 2 hours away from both Warner Robins and Atlanta, so it could be a weekend drive.  And lastly, I will headed to Spine & Sport PT in Woodstock, GA for my outpatient orthopedic rotation.  All around, I am really excited about where I am going, and I am excited to get finals out of the way so I can start next year of only doing research and clinicals.  This point in school has always seemed so far away, and I can’t believe it is here.  Grown-up life is soon approaching and I will finally be able to afford cable television.  Thank you Jesus.

qualitative research blues

I am getting tired of research and all the work and crap that goes along with.  Group work is hard enough to deal with, and trying to learn about how to effectively do qualitatively research to please your hard to please advisor…I’m just ready for it to be over, or at least when research is the only thing we have to focus on.  But I must say that the thought of one day being published (because what we are currently working on has never been done before and is innovative) in The Journal of Physical Therapy and have my name be included in that study is pretty awesome.  I think you can even get a raise at work because you are then a published researcher! That would be sweet and a big accomplishment.  In the meantime though, it is a lot of hard work.  I had a dream last night that we did long-term clinical selections and I got all of my top choices…so I’m hoping that is a good sign.  A lot depends on these selections.  It is crazy to think that in 2 weeks I will know where I will be for 9 months of 2009 and in less than 2 months I will be done with this complex and will have no tests for a year! Just research and clinic! Too good to be true.  Now, I must go and prepare for our proposal presentation tomorrow morning.  Wish me luck, my part is data collection.

home and the fair.

Today is my last day at home here in Warner Robins.  I have spent a few days here because we had fall break this past week and I had nothing else to do so I came home to spend time with Mom, Dad and G-ma.  I love it here because it is home, but Wartown is not the coolest nor the prettiest place to spend your days.  I really wanted to come home because the Georgia National Fair is in town in Perry and I love it and I haven’t been in 4 years, so I had to come home to attend.  It is the best place to witness true rednecks, FFA at its finest, cows and horses, and all the greasy food you could ever think you would want.  My dad and I went to just walk around and see the animals and the local arts and crafts, and we also made sure to get food.  The fair is really about the food.  I got some funnel cake and a candy apple for later.  And we rode down there on Dad’s Harley.  And let me tell you, I did not enjoy going 70mph on the motorcycle.  Around town, yes, at high speeds, not really.   So, I am going back to Atlanta today, and I’m sad to be leaving.  But if you live in the Middle Georgia area, today is the last day for the Ga. National Fair off exit 135 on I-75 and you really need to go.

P.S.- I recently learned that a Red Sox player is named Coco Crisp.  I am simply going to leave it at that.

baking and biggest loser!

Today I had my lab practical, so all my tests are over with for the midterm and I can take a little break from studying for like, a day (since our stinking final is 40% of our grade).  But tonight, I got to bake some cupcakes and watch The Biggest Loser, so it was an alright night with me.  In going along with the Biggest Loser theme, I did not eat of my cupcakes, I just really wanted to make them, because I love baking and it’s more fun to decorate and bake than to eat them and then feel awful about it afterwards.  I got to use my new baking tools to frost and decorate, but I tried some new color combinations with the frosting and it wasn’t quite what I expected.  And even though I hate doing cleaning up and doing the dishes afterwards, it was still fun.  I love to bake.  Maybe I can put up some pictures later.

school & life.

I just got done with my 3 1/2 hour neurorehab test at school and my hand is killing me.  I am tired of writing, but I wanted to write another blog entry and take a break before I have to start studying for my lab practical tomorrow, which I am also not looking forward to and am worried I am going to go in and have no idea what to do.  School has been overwhelming so far in this complex.  We have barely been in class less than a month and I have already filled up a hug 4-inch binder with notes.  When everyone asks me about school I tell them its going alright, but I really want to say it sucks and its horrible and it makes me wonder if I will ever be good enough to be a physical therapist.  But God will enable me.  And I also have to keep reminding myself that after this complex ends in December I will be done with tests and classes for a whole year and will just have research and clinicals…and that is exciting and what keeps me motivated.  I am excited to live on my own and be basically working and getting more experience.  And I will be that much closer to graduating and working and having a more normal schedule.  And even just being able to exercise on a regular basis and spend more time with friends and Josh.  Just having a more balanced life.  

This weekend too, a bunch of my high school friends went to one of our best friend’s wedding.  This was the first one of our friends that got married (this was a boy).  It was so much fun to see everyone and see the couple at their wedding.  It’s crazy to think that all of us that went to elementary school together are becoming adults and getting married! And its not too far away where I’ll be in that place too.  Oh life.  Oh yeah, and our church changed the name to Momentum Church, so if you’re ever in the Woodstock area on a Sunday morning and are looking for a church to check out, come on by! (although I think that everyone that possibly reads this goes to our church).  Well, the break has basically come to an end and it is time to get back to studying and hating life.

I heart Biggest Loser.

Tonight was the season premiere of Biggest Loser and I was so pumped to watch it.  I don’t know why I have picked this show to love out of so many others on television, but nonetheless, I love watching it.  I love watching their progress and watching people’s lives change.  Despite the premiere of one of my favorite shows, today has just been a frustrating day.  School is frustrating, our neighbors who play their music as loud as they can all hours of the day are extremely frustrating, group research projects, finances, etc.  It’s during days like this that I have to work really hard to try and control my frustrations and emotions and remind myself of the true goodness of God and life in Him.  I get sidetracked by all of this crap that goes on and let it affect me, when I should be trusting in God and resting in His Love that I know is with me every moment of the day, but I just choose not to be aware of it and take joy in it.  All I really want to do is be frustrated and revel in that, but what I really need is an attitude adjustment.  God always somehow seems to remind me right when I want to let my emotions control me and just be in a bad mood that that is no way to live and there is something more.  I know that He will work everything out, but I still worry.  I want to choose to live in His love and joy.

night at home

I am currently having a nice night at my apartment by myself with no roommates and just getting things done and watching one of my favorite girly movies, “Because I Said So”.  I think only 5 people actually like this movie, but I love it.  I love the story and the characters and the style in the movie.  And they are caterers in the movie and cook and bake a lot of cakes and I love that.  I just went to Williams-Sonoma today and got some individual tart pans and cake decoration tools.  I am so excited to use them and bake! I love baking and wish I could spend more time with it.  My mom and grandma (two amazing Southern women) are incredible bakers and I love learning from them.  My mom always said she would love to open up a bakery and cafe.  Sometimes I wish I wonder if I had ditched the physical therapy route and did pastry school or something like that and me and mom could have opened up a store.  Hmmm.  I also am in love with Williams-Sonoma and if it wasn’t for limitations of time and money I could probably spend all day in there.  Cooking stuff everywhere! Absolutely wonderful.  Maybe someday I can post some pictures of my baking creations.

This is a new thing to me.

I am late to this whole thing of blogs.  But I figure if Martha Stewart has one, then I can give it a go as well.  I am not even sure what I would write about here, but I figured it might be a fun extracurricular activity, besides PT school, which takes up around 75% of my life currently.  The sun is finishing setting right now.