Hello, hello online world!

It's been a long absence indeed but I am alive and well...and hopefully a bit more educated on my intended career path. Since last typing, I began and have completed over two thirds of my physical therapy doctoral program. I've taken all the coursework and am currently in the beginning parts of our final year, which in my program is focused on four separate clinical rotations in different areas of the field. I.AM.LOVING.IT!! I am only on my first of four in an area that I didn't think I would particularly enjoy but after five weeks in, I'm in my groove. Feeling challenged by the every changing variety of acute care, but very appreciative of the skills, thinking on your feet, and clinical decision-making that the environment requires you to take. 

In the life domain outside school, I trained and have been teaching barre classes with Pure Barre since May 2017 and am so loving the classes, community, and my fellow teachers. Making the leap back into a studio teaching environment was totally key to my sanity and I do not regret the time and effort that I have invested. I am a much better student, spouse, friend, and person in general when I'm busy, haha! I've also been a graduate research assistant for the last year-working on physical therapy research projects with one of my professors: testing participants, writing abstracts, and doing some poster presentations at conferences. To sum up the last couple of years, I've been soaking up all the learning goodness both in and out of school. 

As I move forward on this year of clinicals, I'd like to share some insight and learned experiences to better help my fellow student physical therapists and potentially help address inquiries as to what to expect as a patient. Granted, I am not looking to replace your current medical providers, just to give you information and provide some further resources to consider looking into! 

Howdy folks! I simply can't help myself with the southern verbiage. I have officially moved to Texas from our outpost on Oahu. It was hard to leave but I'm excited and grateful for the adventures ahead for us in Texas as I've started my doctorate in physical therapy and Anthony has started his new job in San Antonio. We've been here almost two months now (!!) and I can't believe it's already been that long. I hit the ground running with finding a home and then starting school that I've not had much time to stop and reflect on all of the life changes that have occurred.
 
​We lived off minimal furniture and household goods...hello, plastic silverware and sleeping on a air mattress for over a month...but our stuff finally arrived the week after the fourth of July. Sleeping on your own bed after about two months without it, certainly makes you appreciate it even more!

​School has been awesome, intense, and at points a bit overwhelming. It kind of feels like I've not only put my mouth to the firehose, but decided to forgo the hose and go straight to the hydrant. The wealth of detailed information is there and I am simply trying my best to cram it into my head and try to keep it there...for the rest of my life, haha. The people, the place, and the new endeavors are all taking some time to adjust to but I wouldn't want it any other way. We've moved on from one stage of our life in Hawaii to a completely different one here in Texas and now it's the adaptation to not having slower, more relaxed island timing that I'm coming to terms with. But, I have brought some aloha with me and while I need to get work done, I'm also trying to take those much needed breaks to enjoy, appreciate, and be present with both my husband and myself. If I only learned one thing from my time in Hawaii (trust me, I learned much more!), it is to appreciate the present and to be present with the environment and people around us...There will always be work to do and places to rush to, so take the time to appreciate.

While I may not have the time to lounge around and read a good novel, right now, I still take the time to savory my morning ritual of making a cup of coffee or brewing an evening cup of tea before bed. It's the little moments of calm and reflection that help to keep me sane and grounded.

I can't pretend that I've instantly gained copious amounts of wisdom in growing older, but I can say that over these past couple years I've certainly come to appreciate what I feel really matters in my life. So, I'd like to share this bits and pieces of my own personal insights. In preparation for turning the big 3-0 this year, I made the decision to commit to doing 30 things before I'm 30. Now, these may not all be epic-life-changing things, but they are are nonetheless 30 things on my bucket list of things to be achieved by/on June 6th 2016.

I figure, that by committing this list to the far-reaching corners of the internet, that I am locked in, and sure as heck I should do them. I may be updating my list as the time moves along, but here are the first six things that I've completed so far...Here goes!

1. Get into a graduate program in physical therapy, DPT: Bam! Way to start off with a bang, I applied (spent a lot of money doing do) and yes, got into a program that I am thoroughly excited about!!! Starting this June, I will be (again) a graduate student, committing my life to this whole crazy-awesome physical therapy thing. I interviewed in early November and found out the day before Thanksgiving that I got into my program of choice, cool timing especially considering that my parents were in town to celebrate the news with us, yay!

2. Swim with dolphins: Basically a lifelong, childhood dream...and I got to do it in their natural habitat not a pool. This past month, I had the opportunity to swim/snorkel with dolphins off the West coast of Oah'u and it was fantastic...Which brings me to fear: overcoming my fear of deep water swimming (sharks, yo!). The first jump into the water was like a cold rush of adrenaline, with a heart rate spike and plea that "please God let there be no sharks nearby!". Trust me, that fear vanished in less than a minute, as I saw the pod of spinner dolphins jumping and swimming around. THEY ARE MAGICAL. I literally had a smile plastered on my face the entire rest of the day, because it was so freeing to be snorkeling in the water, following these beautiful animals and having the patience to be still and let them move around us. Totally something that I want to do again...and possible again.

3. Participate in a relay race/trail run: the Cow Race @ Kualoa Ranch. Having not run trails in oh, a couple of years, this was awesome. The event is from sunrise to sunset, it's a relay race for individuals and teams. Beautiful scenery and one amazing way to start the new year! My friend Jen is the race director, and while I was slightly injured, I still ran one of the five mile trail laps and then spent the rest of my time the day of and the morning after helping out with race volunteer work and clean up. I HAD SO MUCH FUN and would totally recommend this race to others both local and on the mainland. Not only do you get to run on some beautiful private property, you'll see filming locations including: Jurassic Park, Godzilla, Lost, and cows...yes, there will certainly be cows! This point brings me to another...

​4. Visit Kuala Ranch: so yeah, this race met lots of points. Not only did I get to run on trails, I also got to visit the Ranch which I have been dying to do and have a private off-roading tour courtesy of one awesome lady. This one however will call for another visit though, so I can take my husband there too for an ATV tour!

5. Go to the top of Mauna Kea: Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano that is 13,796 ft above sea level and is the highest mountain peak in the state of Hawaii. Because it forms part of the island of Hawai'i, much of the mountain is under water; so when measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is over 33,000 ft tall. Making this bad boy taller than Mount Everest.
I've been to the Big Island (Hawai'i) four times now, and up to the Mauna Kea observatory at least three times. BUT, Anthony and I had not yet been to the top, as it requires a vehicle with four wheel drive (and we're always cheapskates when it comes to a rental car). So, we booked a stargazing/nighttime tour the last time we went with our parents and it was the bomb.com. They took us all the way to the top and we got to see an incredible sunset above the clouds amidst some phenomenal telescopes. It was legit cold up there, but very worth the trip. After sunset finished, the tour included stargazing with electronic telescopes and some hot cocoa.

6. Sunrise on Haleakala: for those of you who do not even know what the heck that word is, it is a massive shield volcano that forms more than 75% of the island of Maui. It's tallest peak is 10,023 ft and it is a popular (and well worth it) place to see an incredible sunrise above the clouds. This activity, which we did over Labor Day weekend 2015, required a VERY early wake up as we were staying on the southern shore and heard that you had to get there really early to beat the crowds up...So that;'s what we did, got up really early to make the drive up the mountain. There was traffic at the park and we were fearful that we weren't going to see sunrise, until we noticed a little trail on the way up to the top, with plenty of parking spots available. Score. This trail took us to an overlook of the crater and an awesome view with only one other couple present-no crowds. Not only did we see sunrise, but with saw it in peaceful silence. We did go up to the top but at our own pace after enjoying the scenery on the way up to the tiptop.

So this last year plus has been interesting. I officially celebrated a year in Hawaii with my husband back on February 13th, super lucky date despite the number. By the way, I personally am of the opinion that thirteen is lucky, as in when I got here and also the date of my wedding in Hawaii, so who am I to hate on it and be superstitious?! Anyway, back to topic, I've been living here for over a year now and while still a haole (that's local for white) I feel pretty comfortable and grounded with a regular routine. While I've been busy doing the school-work-wife situation, I try to take time everyday to appreciate it all and try to soak it in. Like every time I'm on the Marine Corps base running errands, I am always taken aback by the beauty of the Ko'olau mountains in the background. These majestic green mountains always make me happy and a little awestruck in their magnificence. It's easy to get jaded and get grumpy about the hoards of tourists, traffic, and the expense of living here, but then it's moments like that when I'm reminded of how lucky and blessed I am to get this chance to live here in the middle of the Pacific ocean. While I could get a regular job, work my buns off, and spend everyday hustling to make something out of a career while we're here, I remember how deeply I needed this time...a time to be still, to slow down, and to let myself not be pressured to fit some mold of "how my life should be"...

I'm a late-20s female with not pets or children, I'm not trying to get pregnant and we can't have pets where we live.So while I don't feel a drive to have kids, I do feel a pull on my heart to have a pet and try to live vicariously through all my friends that have them. It's dog paradise here, and instead of cooing over babies, my husband and I coo over the cute little french bulldog that lives down the street. I'm a lady of a certain age who honest to goodness does feel a bit pressured...as in everyone's having kids, am I doing something wrong? But then I think of where I was a year ago and am reminded that I am just physically not quite there yet. My body is still in the process of healing itself so taking on growing another person is just not in the books for me yet. But happy news, my levels are still improving and as of my last blood values, I finally have a platelet value over a hundred (102)!!! And most importantly, I'm feeling generally stronger and healthier that I did even six months ago. Yes, I still can get winded and am not the best at crazy amounts of stairs but honestly, who is? 

So today as my husband and I celebrate our second anniversary of getting married, I think back on these last two years, both the excitement and the challenges. How we were almost halfway around the world from where we are right now, joining our lives together with only a few friends and an army chaplain on a chilly Virginia day. I am so grateful for that special weekend, an oasis before the last week of my former career, and the beginning of a life that is still changing. Last night we celebrated with a special dinner out, watching the sunset and taking a couple hours to enjoy each others company.