giving thanks #10

i'm thankful for my education.

i love what i do and i love that i was able to get my master's degree in social work.  it's something i dreamed of doing before i even graduated from high school.  i am so thankful for the teachers, mentors, and friends i have had along the way.  i'm also thankful for jeremy and our families that supported and encouraged me every step of the way. it was an awesome adventure.

do you remember that project for my school that i mentioned months ago?  

well, it finally all came together.  i got the finished product in the mail last week.

I'm in the Simmons School of Social Work Information Booklet!!

the booklet is to send to potential students wanting more information about the masters in social work program.  i guess i am what the school would consider a success story. ha!  they interviewed me, took my picture, and BAM there i am. i'm pretty much going to be famous. if you want an autographed copy just let me know... i would be happy to oblige.

the day i have been waiting for

GRADUATION DAY!

we were very excited!

we started out the big day by going to my favorite breakfast place: tumble inn diner.  i always get the english muffin breakfast sandwich with egg, cheese, and sausage plus a side of homefries.  it's so delicious.  after our bellies were full we headed to the seaport in boston for my graduation ceremony.  

it was fun to see all of my friends from school again as we transition from students to professionals!  i pumped my fist as i walked across the stage!  i just couldn't contain my excitement.  :)

here are some of my biggest supporters:

my friends that kept me sane through the process (wish i could have gotten pictures with all of them):

i love all of these beautiful ladies!

my in-laws that are always supportive and interested in what i am up to:

my family that taught me to dream big from the start:

mom and dad - you made me believe in myself and taught me that i could do anything i put my mind to.  turns out, you were right!  i love you!

my hot husband that helped me through it all:

you are the BEST jeremy!  thanks for encouraging me every step of the way.  WE DID IT!

after the looong formal stuff we had some bbq for a late late lunch and then we made our way to the RED SOX GAME!   it was the perfect night for a game.  the weather was dreamy, we had great company, and the red sox WON.

it was a fun fun day! 

from my acceptance letter in march of 2011

to my graduation diploma in may of 2013.

what an adventure this has been!? i feel so blessed that i had the opportunity to get my master's degree.  it's something i dreamed of and planned for from when i was in high school.  i knew there was a long road ahead of me to become a social worker, but i actually accomplished what i dreamed of doing.  i am so happy and also grateful for the encouragement and support from jeremy, my family, jeremy's family, our friends, and my teachers and mentors. it has been a wonderful journey!  i have learned so much and i feel like i can really change the world... one person, group, or family at a time.  here i go!!

p.s.  and i don't have anymore homework!!  woot woot!

i'm done!

today was the last day of my internship!  i can't believe it.  i don't ever have to work for free again.  how wonderful is that?!  i am done, Done, DONE with school.  all i have to do is walk across a stage in a weird robe to complete the entire experience.  what a learning opportunity this year has been!?  i have learned so much in the past 9 months.  it has been a crazy adventure!  for our last day, my co-workers had a party for hannah, my delightful co-intern, and me.  they gave us beautiful homemade cards, some lovely flowers (mine are pictured on the left), and a plethora of treats to munch on during rounds.  it was a great ending to a great experience.  i have been so blessed to work along these talented people and i am so glad i get to stay! 

something cool happened today

on my way home i realized that i had quite a busy day at my internship (one more day left!!), and that it was also a really good day.

i did a utilization review (to get insurance coverage for one of my patients), ran a group, attended a training on the intersections of diabetes and gastric bypass surgery with eating disorders, facilitated a family meeting, took weights and vitals, ran another group, discharged a patient along with completing necessary paperwork, ran a therapeutic meal, wrote progress notes and group notes, faxed information to collaterals, and wrote an email update to the treatment team.

when i started this internship, if you were to tell me that i would be able to do all of these things in a day without being completely overwhelmed, i don't think i would have believed you.  i realized on the way home that i had accomplished multiple things that used to be so scary, without much extra thought - utilization reviews and family meetings were the most intimidating, although at the very beginning i was nervous about running groups as well.  it is motivating to recognize my growth and feel a sense of competence in my work.  cool how it just works out!

i think i am ready to graduate.

what a day!

yesterday was nuts!  completely nuts!

let me tell you all about it...

the day was already chalked up to be a good one.  i had my internship all day and then i had to head to school for my last class of the semester, of grad school, of my life, ever!  ahhhhh!  thursdays have been long days this semester, but this was the last time that i would have to leave my house at 6:40 in the morning and not get home until 9:00 at night.  see? a good day indeed.  to my surprise, before i left my internship, they offered me a job! it was very competitive and i feel incredible lucky to have been chosen.  i still have a lot to learn, but a full time, salaried position, in the field i want, with co-workers i love!  it doesn't get much better.  i couldn't believe it.  i can't believe it!  i accepted the position on the spot in a completely giddy state.  giddy with excitement, relief, nervousness, unbelief, gratitude, all sorts of emotions.  i got a job!  i am going to get paid doing what i love!  i eventually made my way to school, excited to tell my friends about the news (jeremy and my parents had been contacted previously and were all in support).  as i got off the subway to take my usual 10 minute walk to school, the thought came into my mind, "this is the last time i am going to do this."  it was a gorgeous afternoon for such a finale.  the streets were bustling with people because of the red sox game (fenway park is less than a mile away).  blossoming trees and colorful tulips were reaching towards the big blue.  i was taking it all in with mixed emotions thinking, "what a wonderful adventure this has been!"  i snapped this picture before i entered my beautiful school.

once inside, i went straight to the bookstore.  i needed a souvenir, something with "social work" on it, not only simmons college.  a mug, a bumper sticker, or a t-shirt were really all that i had to choose from.  i figured a mug lends itself to more frequent use. it could either be a pencil holder for my future desk i could now envision or be used for nourishment (i have my morning oatmeal in a mug these days, and we all know i love hot chocolate). so it was decided: a mug.  i made my purchase, warmed up my packed leftovers for dinner, and checked my email.  this is where the plot thickens.  i had an email from another job opportunity i had interviewed for that was sent to me 3 hours earlier.  it was short and read something like this, the job is yours if you want it, call my cell.  i was seriously floored.  two offers in one day and on my last day of class!  unreal.  i immediately began going over the pros and cons of each in my head, but wasn't really getting anywhere.  jeremy was in the middle of assisting in the clinic and couldn't be reached, so i called my momma.  sammy was there, too so i chatted it out with him and we decided i wanted the first one more.  i would be happier there.  so it was settled.  i already accepted the one i wanted.  phew!  what a relief! i made the necessary phone call and finished my dinner in time to shuffle off to my last class.  it was a bittersweet ending, as most endings are.  i had friends in my last class that were also in my first class of the program and we couldn't believe it was actually coming to an end.  we made it!  our professor closed class with some beautiful words that made us tear up.  one of his thoughts that stuck out to me was along these lines: we are going into a world that needs healing and we can provide that healing.

i am living my dream.

so close

today i turned in my last paper!

i would send it your way, but you probably wouldn't be interested in an outcome evaluation proposal looking at the effectiveness of exposure therapy in decreasing distorted beliefs about fear foods in a group setting with adults diagnosed with eating disorders.  if it's your thing, then let me know.

i also finished my last process recording (oh hallelujah!) and read that book i was assigned to read. all of these things checked off my to-do list means that i am DONE WITH HOMEWORK!  just one more class tomorrow night and my internship next week.  this is crazy!

i just realized...

something splendid.

this is my last weekend of homework!  

how glorious is that?!  this semester, and therefore my graduate schooling, is quickly coming to a close, which is strange and wonderful at the same time. classes end this week and my internship ends the next.  and this is all i have left to do (outside of the regular duties at my internship):

• polish up the paper i finished writing today.  my last one... which i am pleased as punch about!
• read a book - it's a short one... and seems like a good subway read to me.
• write 2 process recordings, which are the bane of my existence. the BANE i say!!

isn't that fun!  an end in sight.  boy, am i feeling good?!  other to do's on the horizon that are not so splendid:

• get a job. hopefully one that i want.
• take the licensing exam, which i am tempted to take without a lick of studying.

hey, one step at a time.  i totally got this.

guess what's in the bag?

a cap, a gown, a hood, a tassel, and a receipt

it only took a quick trip to the bookstore and $82.10 and i am all ready for the big day. well, kind of all ready.  there is a lot of work to be done in the next four weeks, but i think i have a handle on it (although i often vacillate from feeling completely overwhelmed and feeling calm, cool, and collected).  regardless, graduation can't come soon enough.  no homework sounds amazing right now.  absolutely amazing.  though a real job sounds pretty scary.  maybe i will spend the summer at the pool instead of making the big bucks.  jobs can wait, right?

coming up for air

this week was full of fun... stress.

there i said it.  i have been stressed.  the last two weekends have been dedicated to family time on the other side of this blessed country, which is wonderful and truly all fun and games until the flight home, when we realize we didn't do any homework, we are in withdrawal already from missing our families, worried about the time zone change for that early monday morning, and trying to mentally prepare for the busy week ahead filled with assignments, papers, and tests.  sunday night i was certain that this would be the week of a major meltdown.  but i managed to hold it together and crank out a big paper wednesday night in record time. which i turned in last night, so i am feeling much better today.  lazy, for sure.  but much better.  i have been sitting on the couch all day... and it's almost 3.  i did shower, but put my jammies back on and have been devouring easter candy and ice water while chipping away at homework.  you know, that homework just doesn't quit.  it's hard to get actual rest in when i know there is more homework on the horizon, or at the doorstep rather.  so i suppose i have dedicated the day to homework (and blogging) so i can have a stress-free week next week - like that ever happens in grad school.  i just noticed the birthday banner is still up and jeremy's birthday was 3.5 weeks ago. oh boy.

4 more weeks of classes and 5 more weeks of my internship!
 

first interview

i had my first interview this morning -for a real social work job- 

and i here i am all ready for the shindig:

oh yes... i am in a suit!  holler.  

the catch is, my interview was over the phone.  

ha.  i know... i think i am so funny.  

i remember in high school taking one of my AP tests and a girl showed up to the test in a bright red dress with heels.  i was so confused by her attire.  i was proudly sporting moccasin slippers and sweatpants.  i remember her citing some research to a group of curious peers about dressing for success to be in the right mentality blah, blah, blah.  i didn't apply her logic for the rest of my AP tests that year (which may or may not be the reason i had mixed results), but i figured hey, why not apply it 7 years later.  so as my phone rang at 9:01 this morning (he was a minute late), i jumped into my ruffly black flats, gathered my resume, and perched myself confidently on the couch.  i was ready to rock it.  turns out that i was interviewing them.  he barely asked me any questions, his main one being, "Do you have any questions for me?"  he told me about the position, benefits, duties, supervision, pay, training opportunities, etc. and then at the end asked, "Do you want to think about it and get back to me or would you like to come in for another interview?"  well, seeing as i am jobless and could learn a TON in the position, i of course said i want to come in.  and that is how i got another interview folks.  i got some real skills.  so my in-person interview is set up for next week.  yay!  i might have to actually answer some questions this time though... hopefully i won't choke.

Your Body Rocks: Day 1

This week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

Naturally we are doing special things at my internship to try to raise awareness and provide accurate information to friends and family members.  I thought I would join in on the good old blog to promote some self-love around here.  Each day this week I will issue a challenge (ideas from the the NEDA website), something you can do to promote a healthy body image, because I am sure we could all learn to love our bodies a little more.

Challenge #1:

Don't weigh yourself for the rest of the week.

Why should some number mean so much?  Step off the scale this week and if you are feeling particularly brave, toss the scale FOREVER.  Yes, I am serious.  There was a time when I would weigh myself 2-3 times every day.  I would be having a great day and I would jump on the scale just to see how much I weighed.  Almost every time the number just wasn't low enough and I would become angry and sad.  Jeremy noticed the immediate mood shift and started hiding the scale.  When we moved, we decided to toss it; it wasn't doing much good.  Tossing the scale didn't magically make me love my body more (that takes work!), but the number has become less important.  At my internship, we often have funerals for scales. We have our patients bring in their scales, write a good-bye letter on them, and then throw them away.  It is a step towards refusing to let that number have so much power.  You are worth so much more than the number on the scale.  Don't let it become the way you measure how you feel about yourself.

Phew!

I just submitted my application for a few Social Work Fellowships at Boston Children's Hospital (and that is what I have been doing all week).  Wouldn't that be AMAZING?!  I would start in September and go through August 2014, which means I would get this whole summer off!  YAY!  I can focus on studying for the licensing exam and just play around.  Sounds dreamy!  I would get paid for the fellowship which is nice, but it is less than if I got a full time job, but a fellowship at BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL!  Who are we kidding here?!  That would be amazing on my resume, plus can you believe the training opportunities that would be available there.  I really hope I get it.  They have three that I am interested in, but my top choice is Pediatric Oncology. I would get introduced to medical social work as well as grief and bereavement work.  I'm praying I get an interview.... but I also know that if it doesn't pan out for me, it would be just fine.  Something that is just right for me will come my way.  Now it is just the waiting game, which may take up to 8 weeks.  Bleh!  But I need the time because I need to go suit shopping in case I get an interview.  Who knew a suit was a prerequisite for an adult job??!  Not me.  Exciting stuff.  So it is all emailed off and now I can take a deep breath and... get started on my other homework.  hooray!  Someday, I will not have homework.  Someday, I will not have homework.  Someday, I will not have homework.

big day

today was the first day of my last semester.

 can we just take a moment to ponder this craziness? when i graduated from BYU i knew two years were still to come.  but this is the actual last semester of my college career.  weird.  super weird.  i'm not sure what i am going to do with myself.  but i can worry plenty about that later, because for now, i have lots to do.  last week i was in a "i don't care if i fail my classes i just want to be done" mode and that's a dangerous one to be in.  luckily this week i am in a "let's do this" mode.  i am excited for my classes and on top of my readings like no other.  yay for first days!

as you can tell from the picture we also experienced the first snow storm of 2013.

we know what that means... i need a hugmug full of hot chocolate this weekend! 

 max brenner here we come!! 

by the bald man

last night we had our official celebration for the end of the semester at... Max Brenner.  (the hot chocolate and pizza were just an appetizer.) when i heard about Max Brenner, i knew this was my kind of place.  a restaurant with the theme of chocolate?!  oh yes.  true story. so we went for dessert.  we shared some fondue and other delicious chocolatey treats with our buddies, dane (also a 2nd year dental student) and aimee.

 we devoured every ounce of the goodness.  yum! 

and with good company, too.  i loved every second.

well, i am sure glad we found out about this gem in the city.  it was taaaaasty! we will be back for some of their hot chocolate after the first snow of the new year. (when i will then buy a cool hugmug! it was so hard to resist the purchase, but i figured i should actually try their hot chocolate before i buy the signature mug.)

spread the word.  you are all invited.

to the market

jeremy and i both had our last finals today.
tests at 9:00 am. assessment and diagnosis for me, epidemiology for him.

we both finished at 10:00 (a Christmas miracle!) and we met up for a mini celebration.

we ventured to Quincy Market and ended up with the some very chocolate-ly hot chocolate with whipped cream (yum!) and we threw in some pizza, too. nothing like an early lunch. my tummy was rumbling.  all that brain power, you know.  i love moments like these.  me and my lover, chatting away, no care in the world, with the holiday excitement approaching.  it felt so good. i didn't have to run off to read some articles, prepare a treatment plan, run groups, write papers, study note cards, or anything else related to school or my internship.  i am so happy i get to spend almost three weeks with my favorite boy.  rest.  rest is good.

top-notch

i spent a good part of the  
day working on a final for one of my classes.

the experience of it all was quite beautiful. (nerd? maybe. lover of humanity? yes.)  can i just say that i love what i do?  social work is the bomb.com. but that's not the topic i intended for today...

the funny thing is, is that this paper isn't due until midnight on december 16th!

 whoa!  and why do i have 9.5 pages done already?  

i don't really know how this happened.

you see... i used to be the BEST at procrastinating.

my momma can attest to this. there were multiple assignments throughout my junior high school years that i would start at 10:00 pm the night before they were due. projects we were supposed to be spending weeks and weeks on. remember those science projects, mom? 

i was a top-notch avoider.  

avoiding the work until the last possible hour.  it was a mess.  

i eventually discovered that a change was in order, after many almost sleepless nights and less than pleased parents, so i set goals.  that will get you right on track, right?  ha!  

i remember every year my new year's resolution became:

don't procrastinate

i guess i'm a slow learner because this was my goal year after year.  for reals.

something happened along the way though, and i can't really pinpoint when or what it was. 

i guess i actually made some effort in kicking this procrastination habit.

 i became better at not procrastinating... sometimes.  i thought i had conquered it, but even doing my undergrad every once in a while i would become that familiar avoider. i remember the first paper of my college career.  i was starting it the night before it was due and calling my parents in tears saying i couldn't do it.  stressful stuff.  not my proudest moment.

it's nice that as we get older we get better at some things and worse at others. these days i am getting worse at procrastinating (or we could say better at not procrastinating). i think i am currently at my personal peak for not procrastinating.  humor me while i share... i'm kind of tickled about it.  i turned in a paper a week early on tuesday, made note cards for a test i have next friday, and will turn in this current paper about five days early.  finals is almost stress-free.  :)

when did procrastination take such a backseat in my life?

i have no idea... but i'm loving it. (maybe it was when i discovered that writing was fun. who takes a break from writing a huge paper to write a huge blog post??)

let's talk

about self-care.

self care is all about taking the time to take care of yourself.  and we aren't talking about personal hygiene here, although it can be included. self care is about taking breaks from the busy-ness of life to make sure you do the things you enjoy.  i LOVE doing things in the name of self care.  homework to do... nope i need to knit for 15 minutes because i need to take care of me.  if you love to paint your nails, by golly schedule out time to paint your nails regularly.  if you like to read for fun, make it happen and make it happen often.  if you find yourself overwhelmed, take a break to color if that's your thing.  i have found that if i forget to make self-care a priority, i get more stressed, anxious, and worn down about everything i have to do.  self-care is one of the best things i have learned about in school.  sometimes my teachers will take a break from the material we are supposed to be learning to just check in about how we are doing, how we are managing grad school stress, and what we are doing for self-care (i love that my teachers are social workers!!). self-care is something we ALL need to do.  we often put others before ourselves. we end up taking care of everybody else, all of the time, especially the moms out there.  that leads to worn out, grumpy people in my opinion. we need to do self-care and we need to do it with intention. deliberately set aside the time to do something for you.  it's funny (or not) how the things we "need" to do always get done, but the things that we enjoy doing often get pushed to the side continually.  i always finish the paper that's due, but i never go back to do the things i would sometimes rather do but don't because of things i need to do.  i better stop now before i confuse myself.  

so do something you enjoy today... all in the name of self-care.  what will it be for you?

midterm papers

something about them makes it absolutely necessary for me to be drinking hot chocolate while i try to crank these papers out. maybe it's the distraction of making the hot chocolate.  who knows... but it sure is delicious.  i went with mint hot chocolate tonight and it was heavenly.  

i have realized that i have TONS of hot chocolate... like enough for YEARS. it's the only thing we have enough of to count towards our food storage. so please, if you are needing something that will make your little heart smile, stop on by.  i would love a break from writing to fix you a cup and chat with a friend.

p.s. only one more paper to go.

time to petition

today i got an email from simmons college telling me i needed to fill out a petition to graduate!

can you believe it??! crazy!

time is flying! we are almost half way through the semester and i still feel like we just started.  before you know it i am going to be out looking for a job as a bona fide professional (what?  me!? at least i won't have any homework... YAY!!!).  and boy am i terrified.  i was recently expressing my terror to my supervisor.  "i feel so unprepared!" i lamented.  what she said helped me put it all in perspective, "school is designed for you to learn enough of the basics to begin your work as a social worker. you don't have to know everything."  phew!  that's good.  maybe i can do this.

the first of the last

today was my first day of school!

here i am all ready to go:

it was my last first day of school... EVER! how cool is that?!

it's also a little scary. i was thinking about it in class today and it
made me a little sad. i love school. i love learning. at least right now i do...
ask me again when midterms are due and i might say otherwise.
but my day was great! it was fun to see my social work buddies
and get even more excited to be a social worker.

i also started my internship yesterday and it ROCKED!
the people, the facility, the program... everything is awesome.
well, everything but the commute. it takes 1.5 hours to get there on the T. yuck!
i will be working with adults with eating disorders all year. i am so
excited to be getting this experience. who knows? maybe i will want
to work with eating disorders the rest of my career.

boy, do i love this!