Productive Changes

I have to wonder how my head is staying on straight lately, but it is! I have to give huge props to my family and several of my friends-all have offered many words of encouragement and reflective ears. This entire experience has given me the opportunity to notice how much I have grown. I have, for the most part, learned how to take life in stride. Don't get me wrong, there will be moments of "overwhelmingness" and verbally purging my thoughts, but within the last several years I have lived a much calmer existence.

Part of it has been learning to live more simply, part of it is having a deeper trust of life, and part of it is the continual support from those in my life.

During the last week I have been able to accomplish many things. I accepted a practicum placement working with HIV prevention. This position is one that will push me in new directions and will include working with a population I have never worked with previously. I attended my second session of classes for the new program, and feel that I will gain a vast array of new skills and knowledge during the coming year. This year will primarily focus on my courses and practicum for the social work program, although I will still be picking up some classes to complete the public health program. I also will have a public health internship which I hope to do internationally next summer.

I have learned how to navigate craigslist and have been exploring my housing options throughout the week. I contacted 5 households and at this point am to meet with two of them this weekend. All prospects are within blocks of public transportation (downtown/campus travel) and have quick freeway access (practicum placement transportation). All prospects also have gardens, roommate(s) with similar or compatible interests, and most have a cat. And all prospects will save me about $200-250 a month. Hopefully the right opportunity will work out, especially since I put in my 30 day notice on the apartment this afternoon.

Yesterday I submitted an extensive application for a student retention and diversity program graduate assistantship position. Today I sent in my resume for a grant funded research project in which I would interview meth users who are receiving HIV education. I also contacted an organization about part-time employment mentoring youth. The key is finding something flexible to work with the schedule I'll have next year, but I'm hopeful that one of these contacts will provide me with something.

I'm almost done with the final scholarship application, and am still praying that one of the other scholarships I applied for this spring will come through. Not all of them have been awarded until this point and just one would take a huge weight off my shoulders.

But generally, I'm keeping my head on my shoulders. Except for declining multiple social invitations, I'm still laughing, still walking, still reading for class, still praying, and still checking in with people in my life. And this morning I learned how simple it is to modify a large manila envelope into two legal sized envelopes! Yet another example that there's always a way to create something new out of something difficult.

I hope you all have been having a wonderful week!