Home for Christmas

Recently I found out that I am going home for Christmas!  It was questionable there for a while due to high prices for flights and only having one day off for the Holiday.  But my parents are so wonderful and wanted me home, that they purchased my ticket for me.  Its amazing how blessed I am by my family and I feel lucky to spend three full days with them!

As the lights and sounds of Christmas are more evident each day, I am constantly reminded how much it means to spend this season with your loved ones.  The past three months I've spent at Craig have reminded me of how powerful it is to have family around when a loved one is trying to heal.  This past week I had two patients discharge to go home and next week, I have one more discharge home (which equals half my caseload)! Though it is incredibly said to see these patients go, I know how necessary it is for them to be home during this phase of their journeys.

Here are just a few pictures of the Holiday lights at Craig that I took last week.  I will leave you with one little story.  During a group class that I lead, while stretching we went around the circle and answered the question "What is the best thing about Christmas?"  All answers were good, but the best (and most heart warming) was a patient's husband that said the best thing about Christmas was spending it with his wife (who had a stroke).  It melted my heart.  Even during the most defeating and desperate times, the thing that is valued the most is time spent with loved ones.  Cheers to time spent with the ones you love this season.

The garden

The lights on the bridge

Patients at the discharge party!

Christmas Card

Here is my family's Christmas card this year!  Fun right!?  Fairly affordable too if you're looking for an option to create one!

Blessed Family Religious Christmas Card

Create unique Christmas cards with Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Christmas is here!!

Today we decorated the therapy gym for Christmas with patients and it was so much fun! I can't believe it's already December! Here are a couple of pictures from today. Happy Friday!

Little moments...

I have been having a hard time finding the energy to write at the end of the day.  But I really want to find a way to convey the profound and beautiful moments I have experienced every day while working at Craig.  Each day, I am blown away by messages of grace, peace, faith, hope and love.  The moments of desperation, feelings of loss and absolute fear of the unknown are very real.  I have seen families rally in moments where I would have fallen apart or would have succumbed to criss that ensues following the depth of these injuries.

Though my words will not always be graceful, I want to provide you with snap shots of the raw moments I am privileged to experience.  This is humanity at its best... and worst.  This is what it means when you say "for better or worse and in sickness and health".  This is life in the trenches, fighting on the front lines of survival.  And it is my hope to capture it.

"I've learned, that people will forget what you've said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel" ~ Maya Angelou

Exhausted by the normal...

This week my mind feels like it is all over the place and is unable to slow down long enough to complete several sentences in a row, let alone a blog post. So here is my attempt, albeit late.  It is neither full of wisdom or grace, but what it lacks in elegance it makes up for in honesty and authenticity.

This week I took on another patient as "my own" and next week I will take on a final patient that will officially have me operating at a full caseload.  This is exciting and overwhelming at the same time.  All to often, it seems like within the same moment I can go from feeling like I am on top of things to feeling like I am flying by the seat of my pants.  Those in TBI rehab I have talked to say the latter is how they feel most of the time- which only slightly relieves how I feel.

This week I saw phenomenal stages of improvement in some of my patients.  This ranges from a patient taking his first steps to another establishing a communication system of yes and no for the first time since her accident in July.  The little steps are the ones that matter the most...  And each of these little steps should be celebrated!

Me and one of my patients

On Friday I got to take three of my patients to the Forney Museum of Transportation on an interdisciplinary outing away from the hospital.  It was really neat to see these patients interact in an environment that is so "normal" for those without brain injury, but so "foreign" for those with.  Since brain injury requires so much energy to heal, environments that are full of stimulation are often counterproductive. These patients have to learn how to be productive in these settings and on friday I got to see just that.  When we returned to the hospital, one of my patients made the comment of how exhausted he was.  As I walked back up to my office, it occurred to me that the "normal" we experience is often all to exhausting.

This week is going to be challenging, but for some reason, I am excited to face the challenge.  I am beginning to research/write my case study which is based on one of my patients at Craig and I am finding how exhausting it is to try and be productive after a full day of work.  But as I learned from my patients this week, it is exhausting to function in the normal...

Cheers to another week under my belt!

Fall Cooking Adventure

Tonight I realized I had some pumpkin puree left and I had previously found a fantastic recipe for pumpkin bread.  So, I set off on a baking adventure! I had also seen a "Witch Hat Cookie" treat on pinterest a few weeks ago, so I decided to make those as well :)  Here are the results!

Happy Fall!

Witch Hat Cookies

Pumpkin Bread

Happy Fall!!  Cannot believe October is almost over!

Hope

The Ascent to Craig!

This post comes a day late, but hopefully the tardiness is not detected amongst these words.  These words that have become my sense of comfort and peace on the days when its hard to see the hope that is clung to by so many at patients and families Craig Hospital.  This past week has been particularly hard emotionally.  My patients are truly getting better, slowly.  Each day is a new day- focused on what we can accomplish today.  But what if what we can accomplish today is not enough?  Enough to overcome the bleeding, swelling, and tissue death that has occurred in/to the brain.  This week, despite my best efforts, nothing felt like it was "enough".


It snowed for the first time this year on Wednesday.  We woke up to a winter wonderland and as I trudged up the hill from the parking garage to Craig Hospital, I realized how the first snow has always symbolized a fresh start to me.  A chance to cover up what was old and no longer necessary.  The beginning of a new season full of warmth despite the cold. A period of time when people find random excuses to wish someone a happy holidays. Winter's place in the order of the seasons is necessary for rebirth and recreation of life.  And thus, the new snow reminded me of the hope of what is to come.  Sometimes its easy to lose sight of hope.  Often it is a foreign concept to me- an enigma of sorts.  Similar to faith, hope is believing in what seems like the impossible.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 

~Hebrews 11:1

The view from the office window

And the days roll on...

Beautiful Fall Day!

This week has been pretty emotional.  I love my time at Craig- so keep that in mind as you read the following.  This week it hit me pretty hard that all my patients are under the age of 21.  I have two patients that likely will never walk again, may not be able to communicate, may not sit up on their own and may never be able to care for themselves.  And they arent even old enough to drink a beer or rent a car.  This week, I have seen families at their lowest points.  This week, I have seen families rise to new heights as their loved ones have taken their first steps, transitioned from more restrictive assistive devices to not needing one at all.  So my day is filled with every emotion across the scale as I learn to set boundaries, empathize with my patients without patronizing them, and believing against all odds that I can make a difference in their lives.

This week, I have learned a lot about finding ways to convey the truth without disregarding the ray of hope that someone is holding on to.  I have a patient who has very extensive injury to her brain and its been tough this week to find ways to acknowledge the reality of the situation, but in such a way that is therapeutic and productive.  The carry over of these lessons to my life have obvious correlations.  And that is how I feel... every day I leave Craig and I am overwhelmed by the grandeur of people's situations.  But I also leave knowing I am making a profound difference in people's lives- patient or family members. And so begins the diabolic journey through the world of brain injury.  One that will undoubtedly make me stronger as a therapist and a person.  Thanks for joining me on this crazy ride for the next 12 weeks (hard to believe we are almost a month through this rotation)!

If you are having fun reading through the clinical diaries, my beautiful friend Jenna is also blogging about her journey once a week (I think on Wednesdays too).  Click here if you want to check out her blog too!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!

Tomorrow is the first night of our book club! We are going to attempt to read The Help, but I imagine more socializing is going to take place than reading.  I have been wanting to read the book since this winter, so this is my excuse to spend hours curled up on my couch reading it.

But in honor of fall and of the book club being held at my house, I decided to make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.. They smell amazing! I am going to take some to work tomorrow as a preview :)  Here are some pictures!

The dough!

Adding the cream cheese frosting in the middle

All done!

Here is the link to the recipe! If you make them, wait til they cool to add the frosting ;)  I learned that the hard way!  Cheers!

Defy Expectations!

it is in all of us to defy expectations, to go into the world and to be brave and to want to need, to hunger for adventures; to embrace change and chance and risk so that we may breathe and know what it is like to be free..

Its been 2.5 weeks since I started at Craig and already I feel like I am barely keeping my head above water (but in a good way).  I have three patients that I am in charge of and that has been a perfect number because there is so much to do with each patient.  For example- we typically see patients for an hour a day.  And then they have rounds, conferences, case plans, co-treatment sessions, spasticity clinic, seating and positioning clinic, and various other classes.  Then each patient has notes that need to be documented, outcome measures to be taken and interventions to be planed. Its all very good, but also exhausting!  The three patients I have right now are awesome and have taught me a lot in these past 13 days.

Today my first patient discharged home to southern Colorado.  It was sad to see him leave, but also amazing because he has made so much progress in just the time I have been with him.  Brain injury is interesting in that you are not just treating an orthopedic problem or one area of the body.  Likely you are incorporating balance, neuromuscular re-education, coordination, positioning, strength, endurance, cognition, etc. all the while the brain is trying to heal.  It is so challenging, but I love it!

This week we are getting two new patients.  It is hard to see kids so young have these types of injuries to their brains.  It is also amazing that they get to be at Craig- a model center for brain injury that allows them the ideal environment to heal.  It is just mind-blowing that someone's body can be completely fine, but if their brain has been injured, the rest of them is also injured.  I have a patient right now that has no fractures, no soft-tissue damage, but due to the injury to his brain- he is unable to move an entire side of his body, unable to formulate speech, unable to swallow consistently and is agitated 50% of the time.  It is a very interesting population to work with and I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to work with them.

As the weather begins to change, patients are noticing they've spent their summer inside hospital walls.  We as a team have been trying to get families trained so they can take their loved ones outside to enjoy the crisp fall weather! I am also hoping we can do more therapy sessions outside in the coming weeks.

These patients are truly inspiring!  I have seen so much improvement in people in just a short amount of time and that is just one reason why I love working with this population.  I cannot wait to continue to share my stories here each Wednesday!

Excess

In light of knowing I am moving back to Portland in January, I have begun thinking of all the things I will need to move... which of course is an interesting question because I do not know where I will be moving/living following graduation.  There is officially 226 days until graduation (7.5 months) and a lot can happen in that amount of time.  Here is a list of things I hope will happen:

1. I will become closer to knowing which discipline of physical therapy I want to work in (right now I am leaning towards neuro outpatient, but since beginning at Craig, inpatient rehab is more and more appealing).
2. I will gain enough knowledge to feel confident in obtaining a job
3. I will begin studying for the boards (though this likely will be a post-graduation effort)
4. I will begin to know what area of the country I want to live in
5. I will kick ass as a PT intern :)

Less I diverge completely from what this blog was intended to be about...  I am writing because in the past few weeks, it has occurred to me that I have a lot of useless things.  Things that apparently were useful at some point because I bought them, but have now found themselves in boxes or gathering dust on a shelf.  Most of these things are products (soap, lotion, hair products, etc), but there are also things I have purchased for a one time project or use and do not need any more.  Ideally, I would begin to use these things prior to moving to Portland so I can decide if it is worth keeping and moving or needs to be redistributed to a new home.

This is where my idea came in... Wouldn't it be cool if there was a site or something where people could post things that they have bought- but have no intension of using again? It would be like a "market-place" or a thrift store between friends.  For example, I have a collection of streamers, t-shirt paint and random decorations that I used for a bike ride this summer.  I will never use these objects again- but if say one of my friends needed green and white streamers- they could just ask me instead of purchasing them.  It would need a lot of fine tuning to make it worth it, but I think it is an idea.  In the mean time, I have created lists of things that need to be used up before I go to Target and buy more (ie. lotion, soap, etc).  That way I have an "inventory" of the things that are gathering dust.  Make sense?

Anyways, those were my random thoughts tonight as I opened my storage closet.  Feel free to add thoughts or suggestions on the aforementioned idea!  And... stay tuned for the update from clinic that will be posted tomorrow!

Cheers!

Fall in Denver has arrive!

Study with Purpose

This week has been pretty intense and its only Wednesday.  On Monday, I was sitting in on a conference for one of my severely injured patients.  This meeting was packed with emotions with tears sitting on the cusp of everyone's eyes.  This girl's parents were trying so desperately to understand their daughter's diagnosis.  Staring at the doctor like he was speaking French in an Italian accent.  MRI and CT scans up on the screen- a mixed jumble of grays.  And then there was one point during the meeting I felt like I got slapped in the face...

The past two and a half years since I started PT school I have been studying hundreds of conditions, diagnoses and various movement dysfunctions.  And not once during all that studying did it occur to me that I was studying my future patients.  I have been studying, slaving away hours of my time, losing sleep over exams, comps and practicals and it never occurred to me that I was studying so that one day I could recall this information and explain to a parent why their child has primal reflexes instead of purposeful movements.  Like I said, hit in the face.

Overall I am loving Craig and absolutely loving working with my patients.  Brain injury is a whole different world and I am slowly realizing I can impact that world- quite significantly actually.  It is my hope as I move forward that I would continue to see the human behind those eyes that do not seem to track what I am saying.  I hope that I continue to empathize with my patients and that I do not lose the drive to change these people's lives.  And in brain injury- that is almost an understatement.  These people will be forever changed by a moment in time... And it is my job to assist in putting the pieces back together after the wreckage.

I am going to continue to blog on Wednesdays about my experience at Craig- feel free to check in when you've got time :)

Black and White

As you might know, the world is not black and white and while I would like it to be sometimes, I have found that "living in the grey" is often a profound experience.  I recently started my second to last internship at Craig Hospital in Denver and will be an intern here for the next sixteen weeks.  I am working on the brain injury team and I can already say this will be one of the most challenging things I take on (academically, emotionally, and professionally).  But, I am so excited to be at Craig and feel very blessed to an intern at one of the top 10 Nationally Ranked rehab hospitals (Craig was #7 this year).

All that is to say, at Craig, nothing is black and white.  Especially working with patients with brain injuries.  In school, we learn techniques a certain way to establish a baseline and "master"a skill.  However as I learned today, the way we were taught in school is just that, a baseline.  For example, we learned how to transfer patients from one surface to another in situations where they cannot do it themselves (be it weakness on one side of their body, impaired muscle function, etc).  Today, I had to brainstorm through ways to transfer a patient who has no control over one side of his body, complete lack of cognition, clonus and spasticity in lower extremity muscles and decreased range of motion in his ankle. Frick! I was not taught how to do that in school.  And thus, we begin the journey of living in the grey, where nothing is simple and concrete.  No one patient will present like another and all patients will progress in very different ways and on different timelines.

Though I have only been at Craig for three days, I am excited for what is to come.  I am going to try and figure out a way to consistently blog about my time there.  Whether that be funny stories, success stories, life lessons learned, etc.  I havent decided the format yet and it might take me a little while to get my feet under me, but you can look forward to something :)  Maybe a short blog every Wednesday?  We will see!

A complete side note, I have five or so blogs that are all half written and I am going to work on getting those published in the next few days.  Some are stories about recent adventures, a blog about the 10th Anniversary of Sept 11th and various other things... So be looking forward to those as well!

Summer's Ending and Yogurtland

This weekend was our first taste of fall in Denver.  I woke up on Saturday morning and it was at least 20 degrees cooler than it has been.  I instantly wanted to pull on jeans, my riding boots and a scarf.  I love fall- it is my favorite season and after the heat this summer, it is most welcomed!  

Then came Monday- it was suddenly summer again!  I made a last minute decision to go to an afternoon Rockies game with Camille, Josh, Betty, Brandon and Jenna.  It was really fun, but also very hot!  Sunscreen does not help one bit when at altitude in the Rock Pile :)  Here are some pictures from the game!

Our view from the Rock Pile

All 6 bikes locked up together!

The game was awesome and it was really fun to ride down to the game!  While at the game, we had a conversation about frozen yogurt that I have to share.  We decided there are some unwritten rules to frozen yogurt- but the funny thing was we all have our own little things that we do EVERY TIME we get frozen yogurt.  Here are mine:  

• I always get three types of yogurt and place them into a triangle.  Usually I get red velvet cake batter and two fruit types of yogurt.  
• The toppings always include cookie-dough chunks and heath bar.  From there I waver on M&Ms or Reeses bites.
• I always have one sour gummy worm AND always eat it last

Jess and I met up after the game at Yogurtland and here are some pictures of my adventure!

Red Velvet, Blueberry and Blackberry Lemon Mint

Toppings with my sour worm

Waiting to eat the wormy :)

So, what are you "quirks" about eating frozen yogurt?  Though I love frozen yogurt on hot days, I am very much looking forward to fall!!

Adult

What makes one an adult?  Is it when we turn 18 and go away to college?  Some might make a compelling argument that those first days "on our own" are the first steps into adulthood.  Or, is it at 21 when we are legally able to drink?  Some could say that brings a fair amount of responsibility and thus makes us even more like adults.  Or, is it when we get our first job, get married or buy our first home or car?  In essence, these are all small steps that track the transformation from teenage years to adulthood.  For me, it wasn't moving to Portland to go to college, graduating from said college, moving to NYC or starting graduate school.  Adulthood was finally donned on Friday when I bought my first piece of real art!

Brooklyn Bridge at Sunset

Pardon the crappy photo, but I was so excited to write this blog, I had to settle for a photo from my phone.  Since moving into the studio, its been fun to incorporate things that are all "mine" and decorate exactly the way I want.  Though a lot of my life is still in transition (I will move again in five months), its been fun to see what things I am most passionate about- as those are the things that are represented on my walls.  As I look around, there are photos of places I have travelled, friends that are both near and far and books- lots of books that have challenged me at different points in my life.  Arguably, these are all moments of my transition into adulthood.  Looking around, I realize how many memories have been made along the way and how many more have yet to be made!

How have you transitioned into adulthood?  What moments or memories stand out to you as part of the transition?

Recipes from pinterest

When I was in Montana, we had a little fun with some of the recipes that I have pined on Pinterest.  I thought I would blog about a couple of the ones that we made!

Lydia and I made Peanut Butter Nutella Cookies for dessert night.  They were amazing!  Here are a few of the pictures we took while cooking them.  Click here if you want the recipe!

Lydia making the dough into round balls

Nutella properly swirled into the dough

So amazingly delicious!!

We also made Spinach Lasagna Rolls for dinner one night.  They were super easy and fun to make.  I would say these were even better than Lasagna :)  We added chicken to ours to add some protein and served it with grilled asparagus and garlic bread.  Click here for the recipe!

Lydia with the garlic bread prep!

Sooo amazing!!

Finally, for the Oregon Ducks season opener, I made a black bean salad with avocado, also from pinterest!  Here are a few pictures and of course, the recipe!

Yummy! 

Add avocado prior to serving!

And YES, the choice on color of bowl and cutting board were on purpose because its GAME DAY! Go DUCKS!!! :)

Pinterest

Pinterest has slowly, but surely taken over my free time!  This site is pure genius, but is also has the ability to take hours of my day hostage without my permission.  There are all sorts of crafts and fun ideas that I have re-pinned for future use.  Randomly, we had last friday off and a few of us decided to have a "craft day"!  Here are some pictures of what we made!

The coasters are super easy!  We went to Home Depot and bought basic white tiles for 19 cents each.  Then we picked out discounted scrapbook paper, felt and mod-podge.  We put the mod-podge on the tile, laid down the scrapbook paper and then put more mod-podge on top of the scrapbook paper. Then used a hot glue gun and cut felt for the botton of the tiles.  Each costing about 30 cents :)

Camille and Bailey-making coasters!

These are a few of the coasters I made

In my new apartment, I have these ugly cupboards that face the dining room/living room.  I wanted to cover them with something and I saw on amazon that you could purchase chalk board contact paper.  But each 9inch x 9inch square cost $25. Then I saw on pinterest that you can make your own "chalkboard paint".  So we mixed non-sanded grout with black paint and painted it onto poster board.  Then I hung them on the cupboards and wrote a quote on it.  Cost= price of paint and a tablespoon of non-sanded grout.

Homemade chalk board 

I painted the quote on the canvas above the towels

My coaster in use :) 

We had a lot of fun and I think I spent a total of $10 for all supplies.  Pinterest is amazing and anyone who wants to get sucked into its awesomeness, let me know and I will send you an invite!  So many fun and creative crafts, home decorations, food, desserts, clothing/style, etc.  I am sure there will be more blogging on the wonders of pinterest!

Conversations of the unknown...

I am currently sitting next to the funniest couple I have ever had the privilege of ease dropping on... here are some of the sample conversations I have been able to listen to...

Woman: "Awe look at that dog.  And the owner... do you think she has nice bosoms?"
Man: "I suppose.  I think it depends on what you like.  Clothing has the opportunity to make anything look better than it actually is"
Woman: "Yeah, you are right.  I just think they look very nice.
Man: "I think she is physically challenged leg-wise"

Woman: "My feet are swollen.  Do they look swollen?
Man: "Well they look square.  But they have always looked square"
Woman: "Yes you're right, they are square.  Like a witch"

Woman: "What do you think is on that lady's face?"
Man: "I think it is a bandage"
Woman: "Why on earth would she wear that on her nose?"
Man: "I think because she may have had surgery"
Woman: "Why on earth would you have surgery.  Why would you wear that on your nose"
Man: "We should not talk ill of her"
Woman: "She cannot hear us talking about her"
Man: "Yes, I think that is the best thing"

Woman: "Look at that man's muscles.  He has some really big deltoids."
Man: "Yes, they are large"
Woman: "Do you think he just pumped all his muscles up?"
Man: "Yes I suppose"
Woman: "No, it looks like he is going to be in a magazine.  He looks like he has been sprayed for one of those contest things"
Man: "Interesting"
Woman: "Its like that woman at the Y.  She glues herself into her bikini and gets her pictures taken.  They spray the tan on her.  You know, the tan"
Man: "Yes, just like the man with exploding arms"
Woman: "I think I work out for different reasons.  I am not using steroids or anything."

I am going to stop recording their words, but they are easily the funniest couple I have ever been able to listen to.  I imagine they have a very interesting life, full of laughs due to how hilarious they are.  But I do not think they know how funny they really are.  I think this is their "normal". I hope I can have conversations like these two as I get older.

Coffee Traders!

Recent Sunset in CO

Quick blog on how thankful I am for my parents and their unending supply of Montana Coffee Traders coffee.  This morning was particularly rough and just knowing I had good coffee in my mug (made the night before so it could be iced coffee) made the day was bearable.  Though today is Wednesday, this week is only going to get worse!  I have a massive project due on Friday- one that I was advised to begin several weeks ago due to the nature of its complexity and coordination required to complete the project.  But, in true Jyndia-fashion, I began last week and now I am down to crunch time!  All thats to say, I will be drink a lot of coffee in the next couple of days!

Farewell to my friends...

"It is an ancient need to be told stories, but the story, needs a great storyteller"  ~ Alan Rickman

I have a confession... prior to seeing the last film of Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows (Part2), I could not remember how the story ended.  How can you not remember!?!?  Here is my sore bit of an excuse.  The book came out in July of 2007- I had just graduated from undergrad, was living the absolute dream in Portland and planning madly for the next phase of my life- New York.  I read the book in about three days and in the craziness- I forgot the details.  Details!

The famous book series has finally come to a close.  The series that has taken the WORLD captive and until now, held them completely ransom.  The story of a wee-little boy who, against all odds, saved the world.  The "magical world" of course.  But isnt that the beauty?  That the world can be saved by someone who is wholly underestimated?

The quote above is an excerpt from a letter written by Alan Rickman (the actor who played Snape) to JK Rowling.  The statement is simple, yet profound.  In the day of computers, wii, playstation, etc., I often wonder if children still learn to read?  Or more, do they still enjoy reading?  We have proof that storytelling is an ancient ritual; but only stories that are crafted in the most unexplainable way are remembered.

When I think back to my childhood, I remember how hard it was to learn how to read and spell.  Nevertheless, my parents always emphasized the importance of language and communication.  My dad would sit int he hallway between my room and my brother's (on a stool that was merely 8 inches off the ground) and read stories to us before bed.  I have one particular memory of him reading Where the Red Fern Grows and while he read the final chapters, I cried silently from my room.  The story had come to life and was a part of me.

That is what JK Rowling has done with the Harry Potter series.  She has weaved a phenomenal story into the lives of millions of children (and equally as many adults).  She has threaded Ron, Harry and Hermione into the daily happenings of children that grew up simultaneously with them- to the point where they identify with each character in way similar to that of a friend.  The mark of a great story- but of an even greater story teller.

And so, we all bid farewell to our friends.  We all greave in ways that are unique to the relationship we had with the characters of this story.  It is my hope that this is one of those stories that continues to inspire generations to come... to read.  to write.  and to tell stories.

My "almost" friend

I have been sitting alone at the high-rise bar at the Starbucks near my apartment for nearly 3 hours- studying of course.  I have drank a venti iced coffee (sweetened with vanilla), ate one chocolate chip cookie and most recently drank a grande passion tea lemonade.  Why is this important???  Well, because of my almost friend... allow me to explain.

After hour 2.75, a girl walks and sits beside me at the high-rise bar.  She opens her bag (yellow like mine) and pulls out a computer- exactly like mine (not uncommon as I have the best computer known to man).  Then, she pulls out an Abnormal Psychology text book and leaves to order her drink.  She returns, with a grande passion team lemonade and a chocolate chip cookie.  She begins to study...

I steal glances.  She is wearing a tank top that I own (only I own it in black) and wearing shoes that I also own.  She has green headphones- nearly the same shade as mine.  She pulls out her phone- it is my phone, only black instead of purple.  

It is now nearly an hour since my "almost friend" has sat down and I am more than intrigued.  Could we be friends? Clearly we have the same style of material possessions and for the goodness that comes from green straws (Starbucks).  She is studying a subject that I have an interest in and typing madly away on her computer- something I tend to do as well.  So, instead of taking out my headphones and engaging in a conversation, I decide to make up her life story... one of my favorite things to do.

She is in her second year of graduate school- trying to find her place in the vast field of psychology.  She is typing a case study from one of her most recent patients.  He suffered a brain injury and is now at Craig Hospital.  As she flips mindlessly through the pages of her text book, she realizes this is one of those cases that could be the gateway to her career... solidify a residency, land the job, and end the madness of grad school.  She is awaiting a call/text from her boyfriend- but he doesnt call- forcing her to continue to work on her case study. Type, type, type. One more glance at her phone indicates its time to depart- packing her things in a rush and walking speedily to the parking lot...

I sit in wonder if we could be friends?  Maybe, we will cross each other's paths again- maybe at this high-rise bar at this Starbucks.  Maybe at Craig this fall?  Until then, she will remain my "almost" friend.

Writer's Block

I really have missed writing. And I feel like I have writer's block.  I usually have all these thoughts throughout the day and then I sit down to write and all I see is the blinking cursor. Blink... blink... blink!

Friends at a concert-beer in a mason jar

Life has been quite crazy these first few months of the summer semester. After my jaunt around the country, I have been trying to focus on classes and summer in CO.  Update on classes- they are non-interesting, non-exciting and seeking to destroy my summer!  We are done with all our PT- content and now suffering through the throws of Medicare, health care reform, leadership classes/professional development, more pediatric course... blah blah blah.  If you're board, just remember this is my life :)

I have been able to mix in a little fun though! I had a great weekend celebrating America's Birthday!  Rockies game was over 100 degrees, but the frozen yogurt following was amazing!  I have been biking a bit more and enjoying that! I love my new bike!!!  I also moved into my own place!  A studio, with a pool- of which I have taken advantage of a couple of times!

CO roommates in MT

I am missing the slow pace of Montana summers.  Even though I havent been home for more than a week during the summer since High School, I still miss the lazy mornings, the days down at the lake, BBQs and ice blocking!  I just found out that I will be in the 406 this August for a little over a week, so I am very excited!!!

I am going to try and get over this writer's block, but until then, you will have to make do with life updates :)  And to make it a little more exciting, I will post some pictures :)

My Class!!!

Please Help!

My friend Allison Jones is up for an espy!  This is an incredible honor, but she needs your help in voting!


The link is:  www.espn.com/espy 


She is nominated for Best Female Athlete with a Disability- which is towards the end of the voting.  Here is a short blurb about some of her accomplishments!


Allison is on the United States Para Cycling Team where she has claimed the title of WORLD CHAMPION in the Road race, the Time Trial, and the 3K Pursuit. Allison is also on the US Adaptive Ski Team. Allison has competed in 5 Paralympic olympic games and counting, with a gold medal and 3 silver medals to show for it. Please support Allison with your vote. She has earned this honor to be nominated and with your help she could bring home an ESPY!

Around the Country... in a month!

It is no secret that I have been all around the country this past month...  I was planning on blogging throughout my journey, but it was nearly impossible as I jammed so many fun things into the 4 week time period.  I am going to do my best to highlight some things I did and post pictures from the trip!  I have more pics on facebook if you are thoroughly interested in what shinangins took place, but for the most part, here are the highlights!  This blog is long, but hopefully somewhat fun to look through!

Portland, OR

I started the adventure in Portland!  I was able to see many friends and spend quality time with them, which hasnt always been the case.  I got to spend the first few days with Anna and her adorable (growing) family.  Frappe dates in the sunshine and coffee in the rain!  Love that girl.  Then I moved up to Portland and spent a few days with Jenn- taking in Timbers games and going out after, Nike employee store, spending and ungodly amount of time at Buffalo Wild Wings watching hockey and of course, just hanging out and sharing and making memories.  In this time I also went to Vivace 4 times, got to spend time with Tia, Raynelle and other old roommates, and of course my lovely brother and sister-in-law.  Portland was even better this time around because I know I am coming back in January- cant wait to come back "home"!

Mt. Hood!

Beautiful flowers in Portland (and beautiful Jenn)

Friends!

Vivace with Raynelle

Timbers game with some of my favorites

Blitz!

Buffalo Wild Wings

Sister's Coffee shop in Portland

Playing Ticket at Vivace with Tia, Burk and Lyds

My family

Seattle, WA

After an awesome time in Portland, I journeyed up to Seattle for the "wedding weekend"!  My roommate Camille married Josh on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend and I was so blessed to be a part of all the festivities!  On Thursday we had the rehearsal dinner, Friday the bachelorette party, Saturday I spent with my parents in Seattle and the wedding on Sunday!  I slept very little and had so much fun!  I was able to go to a Mariners game with my parents and had garlic fries of course! :)  Here are some pictures from the Washington side of my trip!

Rehearsal Dinner

Bachelorette party in Seattle!

Free Shots!

M's game with the rents!

Family!

Camille and me at her wedding!

Boys I love

PT girls at Camille's Wedding!

Camille and Josh

Friends!

Philadelphia, PA

From Seattle, I caught a plane and headed to Philly to meet up with Jen!  She has lived there for 2 years and I had yet to visit her.  I stepped off the plane and was met by 95 degree heat and 100% humidity!  Very different than the 65 and rainy from Seattle and Portland.  Jen took me to her friend's house where we played corn hole and beer pong on her roof.  Beautiful sunset and good friends in a new city!  The following 2 days were spent exploring Wayne (the city she lives in) and Philly.  I got to see the liberty bell and other amazing historic places... 

City of brotherly love!

Getting the mud off my Nike's

Rooftop party!

Love her!

Manip of the t-spine on the bridge

Liberty Bell!!!

My newest friend!

New York City!!!

Where to begin!!  Jen and I arrived in New York after spending 3 days in Philly.  As soon as the city skyline came into view, I got excited.  There is something about that city...  In all, I was able to spend roughly a week in the city and here are some of the highlights: Exploring the city with Deven and Jen on Thurs, seeing the Broadway play Memphis- front row seats, catching Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block and Thompson Square on the Today Show, Picnic in Central Park, Bachelorette Party in the city, seeing Wicked (also front row seats) on Broadway!  Added bonuses were seeing Haley and meeting some of Alison's new friends.  I am planning on writing more on my adventures in NY, but in the interest of not making this blog too long, I will just add pictures!

Deven and I before we went to Eataly

South Street Seaport with Dev

Manhattanhenge- look it up!

At Broadway's Memphis-from our seats!

Today Show- BSB and NKOTB

Thompson Square

Picnic in Central Park with Ali and friends!

New Friends

Hailing a Cab- Bachelorette Style!

Bachelorette Party in NYC

Brunch

Seats for Wicked!!  Front row!

Denver, CO

After being in NYC, I headed back to Denver Monday morning- landed at 9 and was in class by 10.  I am in classes again this summer- last semester of the program and I am very excited! I was only in Denver for about 48 hours before I left for Boston!

Boston, MA

Audrie, my lovely roommate from college has been living in Boston for the past few years got married to Andy at an awesome, historic church just on the edge of the Boston Commons.  I flew in on Wednesday night and spent the next four days prepping for the wedding and hanging out in Boston! I had so much fun and was able to meet some of Audrie's long time friends from Cali.  Here are some pictures of highlights!

Sunrise on the Bay in Boston

Beautiful friends

Bridal Party and Friends

Audrie and Andy!

Park Street Church

We took the T (subway) to her wedding!

Perfect princess wedding!

Katy Lawson!

Concordia University friends!

Royal Wedding :)

Beantown Pub-post wedding!

Playing pool with the bridal party

My new friend Joy!

Live Irish music at a pub!

Minneapolis, MN

The conclusion of these cross country adventures was in Minnesota!  I spent a week back in Denver between Boston and my trip to MN, but it felt like only a few days.  The reason for heading to MN was to see a dear friend's little sister get married!  Her wedding was absolutely beautiful and I was able to spend some quality time with Bryce following the wedding.  On Saturday and Sunday, I hung out with my cousins and my parents, took in a baseball game at the new Target Field and then spent more time hanging out with family!  It was so good to see everyone- the last time I had been in MN was 3 years ago for my cousin's wedding.  Here are some pics!

Target Field

My family- cousins, uncles, aunts, parents

Cousins!

My mom and me at the game!

Breckan's Wedding

Awe!

Whew!  If you are still reading- congrats!  I am done traveling now for a while!  It was an amazing set of adventures, but I am thankful to be home!  I am going to start blogging more regularly soon, so check back for those!