Summer is coming!
It has been a while since my last post. My internship is
flying by. I am in my last week of the 10-week spring term. I have really been
able to build rapport with the patients in my group. Although their illnesses
are very severe and their recovery is a slow process, I have seen some of them
make notable progress even in just these short 10 weeks. I have also seen
patients’ conditions become worse within those same 10 weeks. I think that is
the nature of the population that I work with.
I passed my mid-term evaluation with flying colors! My
supervisors are challenging me to grow as a therapist and stretch my musical
and clinical skills. I don’t want this to come across boasting, but I think it
says a lot about the therapist that I am becoming when my supervisors are
seeing potential in me that I might not see in myself. I am now able to hone in
on more clinical skills and learning how to use music as therapy rather
than music
in therapy.
These are groups that I will be leading for my last 4 weeks
of my internship:
Mondays: 2-hour Connections
group for civil patients
Tuesdays: 2-hour Band
Group for transitional patients
Wednesdays: 1-hour Hip-Hop
for Hope Group; 2-hour MP3 group for geriatric patients
Thursdays: 1-hour 1:1
music therapy session, 1-hour Rockumentary Group; 1-hour Community Music
Group
Fridays: NO GROUPS!!
I won’t be leading as many groups during my last 4 weeks.
This will help me to have more office hours to complete my final internship
projects. My official end date is July 11. I might be done a few days before
that if I finish all of my projects earlier.
I am excited and nervous for the
end of my internship. That means that my board exam is drawing near and then I
have to make some more set decisions about my future. Job plans are still up in
the air. I have to get certified to apply for potential job openings at Oregon
State Hospital. If there isn’t an opportunity here, I think I will begin to
start up my own private practice. Either way it ends up, I am excited!!
In other news, I will get to home for a weekend to visit my
family over Father’s Day! It will be nice to all be together as a family,
especially now when we don’t get to do that as often. ALSO… I will most likely
be traveling to India after my internship is over! My sister Sandi and her
husband Dan will be moving to Bangalore for a 6-month position with Dan’s job.
With whatever money I have left, I’m buying myself a plane ticket to see them!!
When opportunities to travel come your way, you can’t pass them up! I may come
back to Oregon jobless and broke, but the experience will be worth it haha!
My apartment lease is up at the end of this week so I will
be moving to Tigard (just one city over from Tualatin). I wanted to stay within
my ward boundaries because I really feel a connection to the people in my ward
and want to continue to build upon those relationships. I am excited to get to
know some new roommates and continue having some great adventures!
After a rough few months, I finally made it to the temple!
It was so wonderful to be back there again. I love the Spirit that I feel when
I attend the temple. Being there brings comfort, peace, and strength. I think I
am even more grateful now for the temple than I was before. I have yearned to
go and now I am able to again.
I attended the Landmark Forum the beginning of May. The
Landmark Forum may be difficult to describe, and if you look it up you may find
some interesting reviews online, but it was an amazing experience!! I learned
so much about myself and how my experiences and perception shape the person
that I am now and the person that I want to become. It has helped me to improve
relationships, find passion for my future instead of fear, and create new
possibilities for myself that I didn’t think were possible! I am excited to
participate in the Landmark Advanced Course later this year.
My sister Kelli has spent the last few weeks in South Africa
on a study abroad trip! We were able to skype as a family and talk with her
about her experience. With Kelli going to Africa, and Sandi and Dan going to
India, our family is becoming quite the adventurous bunch! The whole thing has
made me think a lot about my time in Ghana. I find myself reminiscing over
pictures and journal entries. I miss being there. I miss my friends. I miss the
culture. I miss the food. I DON’T miss the heat haha.
I hope one day that I can
go back there.
I’ve enjoyed the beauty that is beginning to blossom here in
Oregon. The days have more sunlight, the trees are in bloom, and the sun is
shining more often! I have had a chance to explore some places in my Nature
Walk group at the hospital as well as going on weekly bike rides along the
Willamette River! I am excited to do more things outside and enjoy the nice
Oregon summer. I ran a 10k race back in April in Sisters (central Oregon). It
was a fun to do the run with friends and enjoy some time in central Oregon. I
am getting ready for a half marathon at the end of June!
I joined the Portland Ensign Choir and Orchestra and have
been playing the cello! I am SUPER rusty because I haven’t played in about 7
years but I am experiencing a steep learning curve haha. I have borrowed a
cello that I can be a part of the orchestra and I love the music that we have
played. We have a concert this weekend and my favorite piece is Mack Wilberg’s
Requiem. Such beautiful music. I had a very nice Easter! I had a delicious
brunch with some girls in the ward and then went with another group for dinner!
I made “funeral potatoes” and another family favorite dish- my cousin’s delicious
jello/pretzel salad! The food was amazing! It was nice to spend the holiday
with friends and have a wonderful experience at church that day in remembrance
of the Savior.
Well folks, that is about all I have to update so far! Hopefully the next time I post, I will be ending my internship and just beginning the next part of my life as a professional music therapist!
