Dreams really do come true!

This past week my family and I had the opportunity to go swimming in the Hearst castle pool! Here's me and my Sister Brianna on the bus ride up to the castle we were so excited.

When we arrived at the castle we used the "ladies dressing rooms" to put on our suits....so cool!

Here we are ready to jump in.

It was sooooooooo amazing. The water as you can see was clear and beautiful, the sun was shinning and the weather was warm. The perfect day for a swim in the most amazing pool ever!

Here's Brianna and I enjoying the water.

It was so cool to finally be able to just Jump in, I've dreamed of it for so long, and guess what it is as cool as you think it is!

Brianna and I swam under each of the 4 fountains streaming into the pool.

The pool is 9 feet deep in most places so we took a few minutes to rest up at the pool side.

I was the last one in the pool guess all those days in the ocean as a kid really paid off, endurance is everything.

At the end of the evening we were sad to leave but so happy to have had the experience of swimming in the most amazing pool on earth!

I think I found my calling in life!

I recently started my 2nd and final Field work experience (aka an internship I am required to do for school). My first field work placement I did over the summer and it was at a nursing home where I had the opportunity to provide therapy for elderly individuals most of whom had recently had surgery (hip, knee, heart, etc.) It was fast paced and at times I was stressed to the max trying to get everything done. But I enjoyed it for the most part and met some wonderful people who taught me a lot and who I was able to help. I also learned a lot from my field work supervisor who pushed me, was open and honest, and was an awesome and knowledgeable therapist. After a month long vacation I started working again, this time in pediatrics. For the past 3 weeks I've had the opportunity to work in a medical therapy unit with children. So far I have seen many diagnoses but primarily Cerebral Palsy. In spite of the fact that each case is complicated and unique and that children seem to have so many more aspects to look at than adults, I LOVE IT!!! I love working with the kids and figuring out how find things that are fun to do to help them develop the skill necessary to be independent and functional. I LOVE that the kids respond to me so well, that they smile and laugh and seem to love me instantly. The kids that I work with have some pretty severe disabilities but each one is so special it amazes me....their patience and dedication to a task blows me away. I'm learning so much but the biggest thing Ive learned so far is that this is what I want to do, it's my gift from my Heavenly Father that I have a special connection with these kids. I'm so grateful for my knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father and that he has a plan for me. I have felt his influence with me each step of the way as I've moved closer and closer to my educational and professional goal of becoming an occupational therapist. I know I'm going to keep needing it as I move closer and closer to becoming an full fledged OT! I'm living the dream.