First Real Job

This morning I accepted my first real OT job (actually my first real job of any kind, working for the attorney for 6 months after I graduated from BYU just wasn't real). Anyway I decided to work for the Child Development Institute in Woodland Hills. I will be primarily working with children ages 0-3 who need occupational therapy. I will also have some older kids as well. I guess I'll know better in a couple of weeks what it's all going to be like. But I'm glad to have a job. Since the commute won't be too bad I can stay in my apartment here which is great. I love living here and have great roommates (even if Danielle is getting married in December ;) Well that's my exciting news for the day, maybe for the week!

Mike and Zahra's Wedding

This past weekend I got to experience my first Indian wedding. Mike and Zahra got married in the San Diego temple Friday morning, had the Indian portion of the festivities Friday night and then had a ring ceremony/reception on Saturday night too. It was quite a party. Friday morning was amazingly beautiful in San Diego.
Such a great day for a wedding. I would definitely recommend an Indian wedding reception for lots of fun. We had the Mendhi Friday afternoon which is where all the girls get together and talk and get henna done. The bride typically has her arms and legs done, but Zahra opted just to have her hands done. It can take up to 6 hours for the full bridal henna! Then all the boys joined us later for the Sangeet which was full of food and dancing. Mike was a good sport and did this awesome dance for Zahra. I wish I could have captured the whole thing on video. All the Indian clothing was so beautiful too. It was so colorful and really a celebration.


Saturday we went back for the ring ceremony and more partying.
Congrats Mike and Zahra!

Vacation

After finishing up my fieldwork, work on the research study at USC, and taking my OT board exam I took off for Oregon for a much needed vacation. It was great to be home. I took in 4 soccer games which my siblings participated in. Susan, Steven and David each won a game and Susan tied another game.
It was nice to see them play. As I'm never home during the Fall I haven't seen them play in a while. As is typical I spent the whole time cold, but what can you expect after several years in Southern California? I've become a softy to the cold. I visited my old high school for a football game and was again thankful that I'm not there anymore. As is true to tradition they lost the game. After a week at home I flew off to North Carolina to visit Carolyn and Nate with my mom and Laura. It was a very fun trip. Our activities included:

Latta Plantation (old plantation house)

Downtown Asheville, NC (we spent out evening checking out the downtown and finally found somewhere to eat that wasn't a bar; quite a feat at 9:00 at night I guess)

The Biltmore House (largest privately owned home in America)

Mt. Mitchell (tallest mountain east of the Mississippi)
Blue Ridge Parkway (too bad the Fall colors weren't out too much yet)

Bennett Home (where the last peace talks of the Civil War took place)
Duke Homestead (where the whole tobacco thing was started)

Life and Science Museum (highlight being the butterfly room)
Raleigh capitol building (oldest capitol building in U.S.)

Raleigh History Museum

Raleigh Science Museum
Duke University (gardens and and the church were amazing)


It was a fun filled trip definitely packed with activities. But we had time to lounge around for a bit too. I even got a thunderstorm one night, much to the chagrin of those wanting to BBQ. But it stopped and we got to BBQ anyway. Seeing Carolyn and Nate was fun and it was great to explore a new part of the country. Tons of trees and so green. It was beautiful. But the humidity might get to you. It wasn't too bad while we were there but word on the street is it's pretty bad in July and August (yes there was a reason I didn't go in the summer)


Yes this is what our clothes are made out of. I got to see cotton growing on the bush for the first time! Pretty cool.

OTR

I did it! While I was on vacation at home I got word that I passed the national exam I had to pass to become an official Occupational Therapist. Now I can actually have those letters after my name. I guess it was all worth it. The best part is knowing that I never have to take that test again!!! And now I just have to pay California some more money and I can be OTR/L (registered and licensed). Then I can actually get a job. All the formalities. And here I am 2 months after being finished with school and I can finally legally work. Hurray for paperwork!

Self Realization

After several recent experiences I have realized something about myself...I don't do well when I feel like someone is pushing themselves on me. If someone tries too hard to make me like them or want to work for them or anything like that I pretty much always run the other way. I'm not sure if it's the challenge of proving myself to them or just thinking something is wrong if it's too easy or what. But something in me just wants to push back when the pressure is on.

Memories

I had a flood of memories as I got in my car after church on Sunday. I was on my way to Orange County to celebrate September birthdays with the Evans side of the family. I had brought an apple with me to church and left it in the car so I would have something eat on the way. I bit into the apple and was carried back to the backyard in Challenge, CA where I grew up. We had dozens of apple trees and on any given late summer/early fall day I probably ate several apples picked right off the tree. This apple tasted exactly like one picked fresh off the tree. It amazes me the power that taste or smell can have in bringing back memories. Those were the good old days of romping around the forest as a child without any cares in the world. I wouldn't trade those days for anything.

Job Search

I've decided that as hard as school is it's nothing compared to looking for a job. I hate looking for a job. Those dreaded words >1 year experience are not my friend. How in the world are you supposed to get experience in the type of setting you want to get experience in when no one will hire you because you don't have experience? Maybe I'm just going crazy and getting stressed out from way too much studying for the NBCOT exam (which I take tomorrow). I can't wait until that's over, but then it just leaves me all the time in the world to try and figure out what to do next. I can't wait until the job search is over.