In just one very, very short week, I'll be packing up my belongings and moving to the Sierra Nevada's. It's amazing how quickly 6 months pass. I've been living in the San Francisco Bay area since December and it's time for me to end this chapter. Okay, so maybe it'll be more of a "dog ear" because I'm aiming to come back to San Francisco in September. There's SO MUCH to do here and I need a little more time :)
When I decided to take my traveling therapy gig across the country, I hoped I'd learn and grow from my experience. I never expected it to be life changing. Yes...LIFE CHANGING...such a huge concept, right? Seriously though, I'm most definitely not the same person I was 6 months ago when I left the borders of good old Massachusetts. When leaving the comforts of all things familiar in your world, you're forced to embrace and recognize the good, the bad, and the ugly in yourself. Well...I've seen a lot of good. I've seen a lot of bad. And I've seen a lot of ugly.
Thank you, Northern California, for teaching me how to be more patient, embrace the beauty in my life, and slowing me down enough to be more mindful of my actions in the present. Thank you for teaching me how to be a little less abrasive and that it's not going to kill me to let anyone within the 2 foot barrier bubble I've built around myself for emotional and physical protection. Also, thank you for teaching me how to accept love and kindness as genuine actions from strangers.
I can't express how incredible my experience has been at the hospital I was assigned to. I know I've mentioned before about how fantastic my co-workers have been but that doesn't serve them any justice. It's always my goal to be able to share some sort of knowledge/information with the facility I'm contracted to. I know I've done that here but I'm not sure they are fully aware of how much they have taught me. The past six months have been spent working side by side with some fabulously talented and dedicated therapists who have helped me grow both professionally and personally. I am forever grateful for their kindness and friendship.
This is going to be a tough gig to follow so I don't have any expectations for my upcoming assignment. I'm constantly asked by patients, "how can you leave this place? Everyone here is so nice!". Well, I knew the second I laid eyes on Lake Tahoe that I wanted to live there. After hearing that it's a bajillion times better in the summer, I was sold and asked my recruiter to start looking for placements in the lake area. When you're a traveler, most of the time you have to pick which you want more: location vs job type. I'm more the type to pick location because I try not to live for work...(very un-American, I know). I just happened to luck out with an ideal location and an ideal job the past 6 months.
How long are you planning on traveling, KZak?
Well...funny question. I have noooooo idea. Six months ago I was telling people that'd I'd probably only be gone for three. I was also calling Boston "home". We can see how great I am with predicting the future. My family and 99% of my closest friends are all still back east...which, for a lack of creativity, really sucks. I'll probably return someday, when I'm ready to grow some roots of my own. As for now, I've got a gypsy soul. I'm going to continue daydreaming about my future and take each moment as it comes. Cheers!
