What’s Rocking My World: Late Spring Edition 2015

Check out the last 2 installments:

What’s Rocking My World: Winter Edition (VLOG)

2015 Came In: What’s Rockin’ My World

Things I’m looking forward to the next couple of weeks…

• 18 days to JAMAICA! I got my bathing suits ready, and I hope to get a nice tanny-tan!
• Getting the most use of my newly returned iPad! If you own an iPad, what are some of your favorite Apps for personal enjoyment?
• I joined a social Kickball league! Mind you, I haven’t played kickball since HS…but I look forward to meeting new people and bonding over drinks after the games. ALSO, I got pounds to loose before summer time.
• Shopping online for a birthday dress. I don’t have anywhere to go per se, but it’s nice to have a “birthday” goal.  Facebook (I know, I’m getting off soon) keeps bringing up these ads from these cheap websites selling polyester dresses for like $10. It’s soooo tempting! But I’m afraid when I order something from there I’ll open the package and be highly upset and ready to return. Aren’t the dresses cute though?!

Rosegal.com

• Summer graduates from kindergarten soon! I’m such a proud God-mommy!

Summer at 2 and a half!

• 2015 is the year of the Audibook (I use Audible, first book is FREE). I have been having trouble for a couple of months with finishing actual hard copy books, case in point, I am still trying to finish The Fault in Our Stars and I started reading that 6 months ago! Reading so exhausting. Anyways, I’m proud to report that since I spend a lot of time in the car, I began using Audible as my reading alternative. It was hard to stay focused and listen at first, but with some practice, I was breezing through books. Here’s my READ list so far since March!

 This book is about de-cluttering my life, it was on sale and I thought I’d listen for some good tips on getting rid of some of my paperwork at home. It was totally worth it, it teaches you how to de-clutter each room of the house, right down to your refrigerator. Am I the only one who saves things until they absolutely go bad in the fridge?! I like that I can keep it and always go back and listen to it. They give “weekend” homework, which I think is great. Have I actually engaged in a de-cluttering project though? Nah. Soon come.

Just Mercy has been my favorite book so far! It’s a non-fiction book about a lawyer named Bryan Stevenson (currently an NYU law professor) who defends folk (adults and children) on death row living in the South. He interweaves so many cases throughout the book, and it’s so hard to think that’s what he does, day in and day out. God bless him and lawyers like him. Definitely one of my fave reads so far this year.
 Cinder was a tough listen; 38 chapters long. It’s a fiction book, a new-age Cinderella story about a cyborg (half human, half robot) living in New Beijing. Although I was initially intrigued by the premise, the book dragged and I just wanted it to be done! If you like sci-fi, sure, it’s a nice idea but it didn’t have enough action for me.

Currently “reading:”

32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter (Fiction)

However, I am looking for more fiction books!

What are you currently reading? Any recommendations?

Have you ever tried Audiobooks?

What are you looking forward to this Late Spring?

Have a great week,

She

Friday in Pictures+Words

Fridays are supposed to be my day off. Keywords: supposed to. One thing about my current schedule is that I work on Saturdays. I don’t really enjoy that but I’ve gotten quite used to it. I use Fridays to plan care/doctor’s visits, grocery shop, sleep “in,” dream about working out, and pay bills. Believe it or not, I do need a whole morning to pay bills. Planning, setting up payments, browsing online, and deciding what my “splurge” will be that pay period takes time.

Yesterday, my day went a little different.

I woke up and went to work from 9ish-2:15ish. I work at a middle school and yesterday I had a pretty good session with a bilingual (Spanish-English) 8th grader. She requires support formulating sentences that are clear in meaning and grammatically correct. She basically writes the way she talks, in a “stream of consciousness” that tends to leave the reader confused because her thoughts run all together. I am trying to work with her in a way that she can understand that there are certain things we can say but not write. That there’s nothing wrong with the way she speaks, however, when we write we have to stick to conventions. We revised an essay she had previously written, and she seemed to trust me and enjoy the editing process. I enjoyed being able to code-switch and hopefully give her some functional strategies whenever she has a writing assignment. I’m thankful that I’m able to work with students supporting them academically, and teaching them that writing is a beautiful thing and not something to be feared or detested.

I don’t know if you caught that a couple of month’s back I glazed over the fact that my new iPad mini was stolen at the middle school. Before lunch I got a call from a gentleman who said his son bought an iPad for $100 from someone, they took it to someone to try and “unlock” it and my “stolen property” message popped up with my number. He decided to Do the Right Thing like Spike Lee. 🙂 Let’s pray this intention has a happy ending.

Lunch was a nice free treat. I got to choose from this spread.

After I left the middle school, I headed over to Howard University to attend the Honors and Awards Program for the Senior Dental, Dental Hygiene and Postdoctoral Dental Programs. While at Howard, I worked and became very close to one student doctor in particular. All dentists are not “people dentists,” some could really use some lessons in bedside manner. My student doctor taught me that first and foremost patients are people. This has been something that I know firsthand as a speech therapist but now I hold other professionals to the standard. Dr. Brown is the sweetest person and most gentle doctor I’ve ever worked with. I had to go support. I’m a baby about any dental work, therefore, it’s not often that I acknowledge someone is gentle, knowledgeable and all-around great as she is!

Somebody was getting the Graduation “side-eye.” lol

After I left Howard, I needed a place to go and do some paperwork. Coffee shops tend to be the go-to places, however I had picked up a flyer about this new-age “shared work space” called Cove. When I typed it in my GPS, there was one location like 8 minutes away at 1624 14th Street in Columbia Heights. I’ll write another post soon as to why this is my ideal “productivity” place. Whoever thought of creating this space should be making big bucks soon because it appeals to: artists who are suddenly struck by the muse and need a quiet space to release, self-employed folk who can’t work in the busyness of coffee shops, academics who need “group-friendly” spaces for studying and or writing dissertations, ANYONE who is perpetually distracted at home, and a person who travels around the City for work and needs an “office-on-the-fly.” I sat in my corner of productivity for about 3 hours. All because the first trial was free. Thanks Cove! Check here to see if Cove has arrived to your city!

Don’t mind if I do!

All in all, I can say that although it was a “busy” day, it was a good day. I didn’t spend the day dreading about work the next day, and I got to enjoy the day at my own pace. Every other Friday is also payday and I can’t be mad at that!

Looking forward to more productive Fridays, on my watch!

-She

PS- Congrats to all the 2015 graduates!

Happy New Year: Year in Review (Photo Friendly)

This is it folks. 2014 is on its way out. With its highs and lows, its triumphs and its heartbreaks. There has been lots of heartbreak closing out 2014. Names of Black young men like Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice (as well as many others) and the fate of the men who took their lives have led to countless protests (big and small) all over the United States. Its hard to believe in humanity as we’ve witnessed the repeated disregard for life. Yes, Black Lives do matter but not to all who are charged with protecting ALL lives. That’s not been an easy truth to swallow.

And yet, we keep pushing. 2014 has been in three words: transitional, heartbreaking, and eye-opening. For the world at large, and for my world. The highlights of the year were my graduation from my Master’s program (Woot! Woot!) and my transitional journey from student to full time employee. I am more than halfway through my Clinical Fellowship now, and in a couple of months I will be fully licensed to practice in Speech Language Pathology. It’s ridiculous to think I’ve learned all I need to know in 9 months. But I’ve got a great foundation.

This year, I broke a heart and got mine broken. I was in a pretty low state from July-September as I dealt with managing a new job, moving into my first apartment, and trying to figure out my finances. I found a roommate to help relieve the stress of rent on my own. This year, I spent less time writing. I only wrote published 40 posts this year, as opposed to 63 in 2013. In January, I traveled abroad one time, to Bermuda. This year, I also passed my licensing exam (PRAXIS). I take the highs and the lows and can confidently proclaim 2014 was damn good to me. Toast to 2015, the year of New Traditions.

Here’s a recap of some of the highlights of 2014:

January

I went to Bermuda, a British isle in the middle of the Atlantic. I learned it’s cold as chit in January. I saw crystal caves, swam in a cave, drank, ate, wore flowers in my hair and boarded the scariest flight with the worst turbulence in my entire life. I also prayed I wouldn’t go missing in the Triangle. I risked my life for this trip.

 

Visited Fort St Catherine

I met someone at the end of January. Good ____ ensued.

February

Purchased my first car.

Passed the Praxis in Speech Language Pathology. Read the story here.

Good ____ continued.

March

Hustled to finish my clinical hours. And these thoughts rattled the brain.

April

Obsessed with the search of #RelishaRudd. An 8 year old that went missing in Washington, D.C. while living in a homeless shelter. She has not been found (nor her remains) to date.

May

I made it to the finish line. Family came from all over to celebrate the milestone.

Mami and I

June

Moved out of my D.C. apartment. Job interviews under way.

July

Took a position with my current job, a private practice.

I realized I may have been falling in love at this point. The person was moving out of the country, problems ensued. Good ___ discontinued.

I turned 29!

August

Moved into my own apartment.

September

Zion is born on September 11th.

Searched for a roommate.

Long distance relationship was not in the cards. #heartbreak

October

Searched for a roommate.

November

Roommate moved in (yay!).

December

Painted a cat on a canvas. It relaxed me. Gave it to my mother for Christmas.

Got a bookcase for Christmas. Making my home my own. (This is important)

Spent Christmas Day with Summer, my goddaughter who is 5 years old now!

Here’s to 2015!

Stay tuned,

She

“Limbo”: Post-Grad thoughts

It’s been a month since I graduated with my Master’s degree in Speech & Language Pathology. Post-graduate life has set in and although the relaxing, sleeping late, and free days have been awesome…I’m broke! Not in a “I can’t afford happy hour, or shopping” type broke way, but in a “I can’t pay my rent this month” broke. This is my last month in my apartment and then I’ll be in “limbo” until I secure my Clinical Fellowship (more about that later). The plan is to have a pretty easy-going summer and I only have one trip planned. I have yet to make a bucket list of what I want to explore in DC. The biggest goal right now, however, is to secure a fellowship that’s a good fit and to find a summer job to supplement the shenanigans I’m trying to get into this summer!

What’s the next step?

Before I become fully licensed as a Speech Pathologist (SLP), we go through (as many allied health providers) a Clinical Fellowship (“CF”). A doctor has his/her residency, and we have our fellowship. It is basically a transition point from student to fully licensed professional. Generally it can take anywhere from 9 months-1 year to complete (however, you can take up to 4 years to complete). As a CF, one is still under supervision and mentoring from a licensed SLP, and it is almost like the last time anyone is required to help you. After your CF, you are independent and left to your own devices.

The interviews have gone well so far, unlike other job interviews, none have felt like confrontational interrogatories. Most of the time, the employers just want to know that you know something about speech pathology and talk about your clinical experiences. It feels a bit like we have the best position considering the high need, and lack of people available. We have options. I was turned down for a job last week, but I wasn’t too bummed about it because I wasn’t considering it anyway.

I’ve been trying to identify why I’ve been having so much anxiety recently.

What’s bothering me?

• I’m a Cancer, and home is pretty important to me. Although it’s going to be a short time (2 months tops), I don’t enjoy the “limbo” stage where I have to put my things in storage and have “temporary” homes.
• No money, no socializing. It’s pretty hard to go out in DC on a budget. I worked hard at Shake Shack last summer just to have extra spending money, but now that I’m done with school every penny I’m making is going toward a bill. Bills, bills, bills.
• I want to pick the right CF. Since honing in on my clinical skills is important, I have been on the search for a good CF where I’m going to be nurtured. I think I may have found it, we shall see.
• Spiritual thirst. I haven’t joined a church here and I want to earnestly find one. I have a problem making commitments right now. But I definitely want to find a church community to be a part of.
• Dating. Back on that train, and it’s been quite a ride. Part of me wants to be by myself for a while, but the extrovert part likes the company.

It’s almost a month now before I’m 29. BOOM. My blog-o-versary is in 2 days! GlobeTracer is still going strong and I’m adding more destinations to the list!

All in all, I have some things to be grateful for. Even in the midst of “limbo.”

Sincerely,

-She