Over fall break I participated in Luther's Externship Program where they pair up current students with alumni for a job shadow. This is the second year that Luther has had this program in place to give students an opportunity to narrow down their future career options. I was able to shadow a physical therapist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for 2 days since I've had the idea of possibly working in the medical field for a little while now. Before doing the externship I didn't know if I wanted to be a physical therapist or not, but I wanted to explore my options and see what was out there. Now I know what I don't want to do.
When signing up for the externship I had expected to be at a rehab clinic working with outpatients. When I think of physical therapy I mostly think of athletes working to get stronger and come back from an injury, because that's the only side of physical therapy I've had any exposure to at all. It didn't even cross my mind that physical therapists work with patients who are currently in the hospital, and it definitely didn't hit me that I'd be shadowing a physical therapist who works only with inpatients and specializes in patients with neural injuries.
So Monday morning I left my house at 6:45 am and didn't return until 6 pm. All day I wore scrubs, walked all over the hospital, and observed some patients who were not in the best situations. A lot of the patients that we worked with were quite elderly and could barely move around in bed without help. Some other patients were located in the ICU after having spinal injuries. It was hard for me to be around that kind of setting where people were so immobile and sick when I knew that that night I was going to be going for a 10 mile long run.
After just one day I had the strong feeling that I do not want to work in a hospital. The atmosphere was just too grim for me. I would rather be working with younger, optimistic athletes who aren't in life or death situations and who can really get some benefit out of the physical therapy. So I haven't ruled out physical therapy totally but if I don't want to work in a hospital then that rules out a huge chunk of other possible jobs. That's scary.
I had been thinking about taking the MCATs after my junior year and applying to medical school. Now that seems to be out the window if I don't want to work in a hospital. All of this thinking about the future makes me feel a bit anxious, leaving me to wonder what in the world I'll be doing in 5 years and whether it will be a fulfilling job or just something I got mixed up in. The future can be a scary thing since I don't know what I'll encounter, but for now I'll just try to live in the here-and-now and take opportunities as they come.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:10-12
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
The little girl within
I got home Saturday night anxious to plop down and begin my fall break. Most of the other students had already been home relaxing for 24 hours by the time I got the luxury, but then again, most of the students didn't get the opportunity to run through the dissipating fog at the cross country meet in LaCrosse on Saturday morning.
So coming home I definitely had some expectations. You know, some good home-cooked meals and affection, lots of sunshine, and time to de-stress and catch up with my parents. I also expected my parents to see how I'd grown (in wisdom, not height) and changed since they last saw me, and I was more than ready to awe them with my new knowledge of sheep brain parts and nervous systems in the body that I was just tested on in Physiology.
What I was not expecting to find were all the changes in them! That's probably really unfair of me, to expect them to stay the same forever and all, but that's what children do! We're brought up thinking that our parents will always be there and always be the same. It's easy to pretend that's the case since their voices sound exactly the same from week to week and they haven't changed all that much in the past (or so I thought)! So I was a little taken aback when I got home and realized that my parents are starting to resemble the grandparents that they now are!
Another thing that hit me again, as it had been evident over the summer too, is that I am no longer their 'little girl'. Or at least I'm not treated like one. I don't get tucked into bed anymore- no more back rubs or bed time songs. I don't get as many hugs or kisses, and usually the few I do get only come from mom now. And when it comes to spending money, most of the money is now coming from my bank account.
All of this is fine and dandy most of the time. I do enjoy the independence that I have and the fact that I can now carry on somewhat-intelligent conversations with my parents. I am almost 20, but still... what about the times when I still want to be their little girl? What about the times when I do just need a hug to let me know that they love me no matter how hard I study or how well I run? What about the times when I want someone to tuck me in, but I'm too 'grown-up' to ask?
At times like these I feel stuck; stuck between grown-up and child, independent but still wanting to feel supported. It will take some time to fully take on this grown-up role and adjust to everyone around me growing older too. But for now, bring on the hugs and back rubs, and remind me once in a while that I am that little girl.
So coming home I definitely had some expectations. You know, some good home-cooked meals and affection, lots of sunshine, and time to de-stress and catch up with my parents. I also expected my parents to see how I'd grown (in wisdom, not height) and changed since they last saw me, and I was more than ready to awe them with my new knowledge of sheep brain parts and nervous systems in the body that I was just tested on in Physiology.
What I was not expecting to find were all the changes in them! That's probably really unfair of me, to expect them to stay the same forever and all, but that's what children do! We're brought up thinking that our parents will always be there and always be the same. It's easy to pretend that's the case since their voices sound exactly the same from week to week and they haven't changed all that much in the past (or so I thought)! So I was a little taken aback when I got home and realized that my parents are starting to resemble the grandparents that they now are!
Another thing that hit me again, as it had been evident over the summer too, is that I am no longer their 'little girl'. Or at least I'm not treated like one. I don't get tucked into bed anymore- no more back rubs or bed time songs. I don't get as many hugs or kisses, and usually the few I do get only come from mom now. And when it comes to spending money, most of the money is now coming from my bank account.
All of this is fine and dandy most of the time. I do enjoy the independence that I have and the fact that I can now carry on somewhat-intelligent conversations with my parents. I am almost 20, but still... what about the times when I still want to be their little girl? What about the times when I do just need a hug to let me know that they love me no matter how hard I study or how well I run? What about the times when I want someone to tuck me in, but I'm too 'grown-up' to ask?
At times like these I feel stuck; stuck between grown-up and child, independent but still wanting to feel supported. It will take some time to fully take on this grown-up role and adjust to everyone around me growing older too. But for now, bring on the hugs and back rubs, and remind me once in a while that I am that little girl.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Be Still
The past few weeks have been jam-packed with a lot of activities, homework, and meetings. Most days just fly by at a ridiculous speed, making me feel like I'm living life in 'fast-foward'. I thought last year went quickly with everything I was involved in, and now this year has somehow managed to surpass last year in keeping me busy. This 'fast-forward' business may seem like a good thing because I'm not continually looking at the clock with the seconds dragging on, but honestly at this point I would love to have some time where I can just slow down for a few days.
Beware of possible side effects of fast-forward living:
1. Loss of motivation- when you're continually busy, eventually you reach a point where you just lose the urge to do stuff, you just don't care anymore (until that big test comes back with a not-so-wonderful grade).
2. Loss of social life- work, classes, and homework have definitely taken up the majority of my days leaving very little time for me to just hang out with friends. Thank goodness for cross country practices and long runs!
3. Limited time outdoors- when you have three tests and a project due all in the same week, the library becomes your daily home. It stinks because this time of year is so beautiful with all of the trees changing color and those crisp cool nights tempting you to forget about studying and go for a refreshing walk. Once again, thank goodness for cross country, otherwise I might not even know it is fall.
These are just a couple of the side effects that have begun appearing in my life, much to my dislike. So I'm very thankful that Fall Break is just around the corner so I can take some time for myself and recharge my batteries. Today when I went to teach Spanish at First Lutheran Church there was a poster that grabbed my attention. "BE STILL and know that I am God" was printed in big letters, and then there was a message underneath about taking time for what really matters when life gets so hectic. It was a very timely reminder for me and helped me realize that everything I'm stressing over at the moment cannot compare to the comfort and help that God can provide. So my advice to all of you overburdened, hardworking people is to take some time and just Be Still.
Beware of possible side effects of fast-forward living:
1. Loss of motivation- when you're continually busy, eventually you reach a point where you just lose the urge to do stuff, you just don't care anymore (until that big test comes back with a not-so-wonderful grade).
2. Loss of social life- work, classes, and homework have definitely taken up the majority of my days leaving very little time for me to just hang out with friends. Thank goodness for cross country practices and long runs!
3. Limited time outdoors- when you have three tests and a project due all in the same week, the library becomes your daily home. It stinks because this time of year is so beautiful with all of the trees changing color and those crisp cool nights tempting you to forget about studying and go for a refreshing walk. Once again, thank goodness for cross country, otherwise I might not even know it is fall.
These are just a couple of the side effects that have begun appearing in my life, much to my dislike. So I'm very thankful that Fall Break is just around the corner so I can take some time for myself and recharge my batteries. Today when I went to teach Spanish at First Lutheran Church there was a poster that grabbed my attention. "BE STILL and know that I am God" was printed in big letters, and then there was a message underneath about taking time for what really matters when life gets so hectic. It was a very timely reminder for me and helped me realize that everything I'm stressing over at the moment cannot compare to the comfort and help that God can provide. So my advice to all of you overburdened, hardworking people is to take some time and just Be Still.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Spanish Sponges
'Kids are like sponges, they pick up on everything.' I had heard this before and even witnessed it to some extent while babysitting over the course of years, but learning a new language had never been anything I'd seen little kids do before. So this past week I was pretty amazed at how quickly those young, active brains are able to remember and make sense of foreign words.
Last week I began teaching Spanish to preschoolers and 5-8 year olds at the Montessori school in town. I teach a half hour to each class Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I was contacted before school even started about this opportunity and thought that it'd be great to make use of my Spanish major and education minor. I love being around children and that was one thing that I definitely missed last year. So I jumped at this chance to be around kids for a few hours a week.
On Monday I was nervous because I had never been to the classrooms, never met the regular teachers or kids, and didn't have much of a plan besides our "Buenos Dios" song and "Adios" song. I was going in blind and had no idea what to expect. As I walked in the doors to the preschool classroom the whispers started going around- "The spanish teacher's here!"- and I could sense the kids getting a little squirrely. It was neat to see how excited they were.
I was given their full attention...for about 1 minute. Then poking their neighbor or telling how they love to surf became higher priorities. Immediately I realized that I had my work cut out for me. I would have to be pretty creative in my teaching activities in order to keep their attention.
After finishing with the preschool classroom I went up to the K1 classroom and was amazed by how much of a difference was apparent in attention span, knowledge of some Spanish vocab, and just how advanced they seemed for their age. I was very impressed. Over the course of the week we learned how to say the date, numbers, and colors. I couldn't believe how quickly they picked up on repeated phrases that I would say. By the end of the week the kids were singing songs with me and made me feel like I was actually a decent teacher!
The plan is for me to continue teaching throughout the semester and I can't wait to see how these children progress in their knowledge of the Spanish language. I'm also excited for the fun and light-hearted times that these children will give me, whether that's present in a preschooler coming to class with blue marker all over her face (art time was too boring?) or just hearing their giggles after we play a clapping game. I'm sure that I'll be learning from the kids just as much as they learn from me.
Last week I began teaching Spanish to preschoolers and 5-8 year olds at the Montessori school in town. I teach a half hour to each class Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I was contacted before school even started about this opportunity and thought that it'd be great to make use of my Spanish major and education minor. I love being around children and that was one thing that I definitely missed last year. So I jumped at this chance to be around kids for a few hours a week.
On Monday I was nervous because I had never been to the classrooms, never met the regular teachers or kids, and didn't have much of a plan besides our "Buenos Dios" song and "Adios" song. I was going in blind and had no idea what to expect. As I walked in the doors to the preschool classroom the whispers started going around- "The spanish teacher's here!"- and I could sense the kids getting a little squirrely. It was neat to see how excited they were.
I was given their full attention...for about 1 minute. Then poking their neighbor or telling how they love to surf became higher priorities. Immediately I realized that I had my work cut out for me. I would have to be pretty creative in my teaching activities in order to keep their attention.
After finishing with the preschool classroom I went up to the K1 classroom and was amazed by how much of a difference was apparent in attention span, knowledge of some Spanish vocab, and just how advanced they seemed for their age. I was very impressed. Over the course of the week we learned how to say the date, numbers, and colors. I couldn't believe how quickly they picked up on repeated phrases that I would say. By the end of the week the kids were singing songs with me and made me feel like I was actually a decent teacher!
The plan is for me to continue teaching throughout the semester and I can't wait to see how these children progress in their knowledge of the Spanish language. I'm also excited for the fun and light-hearted times that these children will give me, whether that's present in a preschooler coming to class with blue marker all over her face (art time was too boring?) or just hearing their giggles after we play a clapping game. I'm sure that I'll be learning from the kids just as much as they learn from me.
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