Fortunately, right now I have support within reach should I need a car for a quick trip or heavy-load-day or days when I have to dress like "a professional" for assessments or fieldwork. However, today was my first day trial commuting and I just got on a bus that arrived a half hour late - I should've known this was going to happen and just planned to be an hour early to school. It doesn't matter now. I'm late and instead of studying am writing this blog. I guess in a way it's the beginning of a new chapter, and noteworthy. The trickiest part of this commute is all my darn textbooks. They're heavy! I recently bought some saddle bags but they're not easy to carry once I reach my destination. My school really needs to have lockers. I started a petition last semester but had less of a need for them once I started driving. The need has resurfaced and it doesn't seem like an impossible request. I'll see if I can work in the time to fit that petition back into my schedule.
Awe :) The bus driver just let this 12/13 y.o. boy get a free ride today, "for showing good bus riding etiquette by letting two elderly women get on first," then he said, "gotta reward that respectful behavior young," to no one in particular.
I just had my first skills checkout yesterday and it went relatively well. I felt mostly prepared (though I always feel I can prepare more) and comfortable with the material. I don't generally get nervous with those sorts of things and I felt calm and collected as I greeted (greeted? :/ had greet? gret? tehee) the patient and addressed her needs. I'm pretty sure I did everything correctly, except that I initially forgot to sanitize my hands and did it part-way through. The main thing that helped me prepare was visualizing the entire process in my head over and over again. It really helped that the patient-actor was so kind as a person, as well as tuned into her role. I actually think I would like to do that someday ~ be the patient-actor person.
Tomorrow I have to give an assessment at a locked-facility (L-facility) to a real patient. I'm glad we had this test run for a different class on Monday just to get me comfortable with being an OT. (That feels good to say.) I practiced the assessment last night on my mentee who is struggling with time management skills mostly, and the desire to be healthier but unsure how. She's only 12 so it's normal for her to be confused about how to be independent as well as responsible. Her parents are really tuned in, and so is she, which makes it such an engaging situation that I find myself very committed to. I can just see her becoming such a wonderfully attentive, caring and responsible individual, bringing a lot of good to the world. I feel special to be a part of her life at this crucial period of development.
I'm going to try and get off the bus now and bike the rest of the way once we are over the bridge, so I need to wrap this up. I'm glad I took the time to write! My surrogate-upstairs-family and I celebrated Chinese new year last night (with take out) and we were talking about how every time you recall and retell a memory, it changes slightly. So for me, this documentation is about remembering the process of becoming an OT, acknowledging the struggles and successes, and being able to reflect on a way to make it easier for others. :)
[I knew if I didn't post this when I finished typing it then it would get lost in the mayhem. I wrote this on Tuesday I believe. Well, now it's Friday and I'm still adjusting to my bike commute. It's been good on my body, as well as exhausting! I did find a gorgeous Bay trail to make my bike ride to the bus a little nicer. Trying to keep my face to sunshine!]
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