leaving an adventure for a new adventure
GOODBYE WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS:
Leaving Western Massachusetts was like leaving a piece of my heart behind. It makes me ask if it will feel like this every time I leave a place? Or will I just "get used to it?" I met some really sweet people in Western Mass, namely the wonderful family I lived with (Dina Raymond and her wonderful hubby Bob and their beautiful children Maddie and Daniel-- click the link to rent a cabin), a wonderful OT that I worked with (you know I'm calling you out, Taylar) and a wonderful travel SLP (Liz) and her hubby (John). I have had so many adventures with the family members that came to visit: Mom, Dad and Aunt Sandy and had countless adventures with Zorro. I have learned through this experience to test my personal boundaries. To be ok with eating alone in a restaurant or going on a hike by myself. I have pushed and expanded my social anxiety and I am sure will continue to. This experience has taught me to expand and stretch as a person and I am forever grateful.
HELLO EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND:
The Area:
As most of you know, I am on a new adventure! (I feel like I am saying that a lot?!?) I accepted a job in Crisfield, Maryland. Let me tell you a little about Crisfield. I am not an expert to say the least but this is what I have gathered in the past few weeks. Crisfield is a very small town (about 3,000 people). They have 2 fast food restaurants (McDonalds and Subway), 3 banks (surprising right?), 1 grocery store and 1 Chinese restaurant. No sushi. No target. But they have A LOT of seafood. This area used to be a huge importer of crabs, oysters and the like. There are two islands right off the coast here (Smith and Tangier) both of which are only accessible by boat. Where I am working is the closest medical center to the islands so we get a lot of business from them. Living here people are either in: healthcare, fishing, education, food service or tourism (from what I gather). The men who work fishing are actually called "wohtuhmin" took me a second too-- it is a dialect of "watermen" that people around here use. You can call me if you want to hear it how they say it ;). It is a relatively safe community but like everywhere in America, there is a real drug problem. Drugs are moved by smugglers up the bay and some are dropped here in Crisfield (from my understanding). This drug epidemic is crazy!! But I digress... The people I here met are very friendly and I feel very safe.
The Job:
I am working at a local hospital/long-term care facility. I started 2 weeks ago September 25th. Let me tell you. The patient care here is amazing. I have never seen nurses and nursing assistants (GNAs) care for people in long-term care like these people do. They are busy-- don't get me wrong-- but they take the time and are allotted the time to spend with the residents to actually care for and about them.
Since I work in two "different facilities"-- they are connected by a long hallway-- I have had to get the hang of the TWO different computer systems, which is finally happening. It has been a lot to learn and I am mentally EXHAUSTED when I get home, but I have learned so much and I feel like I am starting to roll a little quicker with all the documentation and treatment.
I contracted this time with a different travel company: Aureus Medical. Shout out to my awesome recruiter: Veronica and my regional manager: Gabe. They have been with me every step of the way!
The APT:
I feel like I am already settling in nicely. I have a beautiful apartment with a breathtaking view. I couldn't ask for a nicer family to rent from. This time I met them through Air BNB and then negotiated a monthly rent. This is their second home so they aren't here very often. But I am renting their bottom floor. I have a kitchen, bathroom, two bedrooms and a small kitchen table. It is the perfect size for Zorro and I.
Learning Some New Things:
I have been able to collaborate on (basically) a daily basis with my dear friend, Catherine. Who has been so patient with me, answering questions regarding clinical practice that I am... how shall we say?... out of practice with. She has been graceful enough to answer calls from me in Maryland while she is in Germany. I am going to eventually hire her as my assistance ;) In addition to all of her assistance, I am constantly researching, reading, educating and improving my knowledge of the disorders that I am working with every day.
I think that will be my biggest growing point during this assignment: I am going to learn more professionally in the next 3 months than I have since my clinical fellowship at Young Talkers (wow, about 2.5 years ago) because I am in a different area and doing things that I haven't done in a really long time!
I will be making lists soon (you all know I love them) for things I want to see/do while I am here.
Let me know if there is anything I need to add to the list!
Leaving Western Massachusetts was like leaving a piece of my heart behind. It makes me ask if it will feel like this every time I leave a place? Or will I just "get used to it?" I met some really sweet people in Western Mass, namely the wonderful family I lived with (Dina Raymond and her wonderful hubby Bob and their beautiful children Maddie and Daniel-- click the link to rent a cabin), a wonderful OT that I worked with (you know I'm calling you out, Taylar) and a wonderful travel SLP (Liz) and her hubby (John). I have had so many adventures with the family members that came to visit: Mom, Dad and Aunt Sandy and had countless adventures with Zorro. I have learned through this experience to test my personal boundaries. To be ok with eating alone in a restaurant or going on a hike by myself. I have pushed and expanded my social anxiety and I am sure will continue to. This experience has taught me to expand and stretch as a person and I am forever grateful.
HELLO EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND:
The Area:
As most of you know, I am on a new adventure! (I feel like I am saying that a lot?!?) I accepted a job in Crisfield, Maryland. Let me tell you a little about Crisfield. I am not an expert to say the least but this is what I have gathered in the past few weeks. Crisfield is a very small town (about 3,000 people). They have 2 fast food restaurants (McDonalds and Subway), 3 banks (surprising right?), 1 grocery store and 1 Chinese restaurant. No sushi. No target. But they have A LOT of seafood. This area used to be a huge importer of crabs, oysters and the like. There are two islands right off the coast here (Smith and Tangier) both of which are only accessible by boat. Where I am working is the closest medical center to the islands so we get a lot of business from them. Living here people are either in: healthcare, fishing, education, food service or tourism (from what I gather). The men who work fishing are actually called "wohtuhmin" took me a second too-- it is a dialect of "watermen" that people around here use. You can call me if you want to hear it how they say it ;). It is a relatively safe community but like everywhere in America, there is a real drug problem. Drugs are moved by smugglers up the bay and some are dropped here in Crisfield (from my understanding). This drug epidemic is crazy!! But I digress... The people I here met are very friendly and I feel very safe.
The Job:
I am working at a local hospital/long-term care facility. I started 2 weeks ago September 25th. Let me tell you. The patient care here is amazing. I have never seen nurses and nursing assistants (GNAs) care for people in long-term care like these people do. They are busy-- don't get me wrong-- but they take the time and are allotted the time to spend with the residents to actually care for and about them.
Since I work in two "different facilities"-- they are connected by a long hallway-- I have had to get the hang of the TWO different computer systems, which is finally happening. It has been a lot to learn and I am mentally EXHAUSTED when I get home, but I have learned so much and I feel like I am starting to roll a little quicker with all the documentation and treatment.
I contracted this time with a different travel company: Aureus Medical. Shout out to my awesome recruiter: Veronica and my regional manager: Gabe. They have been with me every step of the way!
The APT:
I feel like I am already settling in nicely. I have a beautiful apartment with a breathtaking view. I couldn't ask for a nicer family to rent from. This time I met them through Air BNB and then negotiated a monthly rent. This is their second home so they aren't here very often. But I am renting their bottom floor. I have a kitchen, bathroom, two bedrooms and a small kitchen table. It is the perfect size for Zorro and I.
Learning Some New Things:
I have been able to collaborate on (basically) a daily basis with my dear friend, Catherine. Who has been so patient with me, answering questions regarding clinical practice that I am... how shall we say?... out of practice with. She has been graceful enough to answer calls from me in Maryland while she is in Germany. I am going to eventually hire her as my assistance ;) In addition to all of her assistance, I am constantly researching, reading, educating and improving my knowledge of the disorders that I am working with every day.
I think that will be my biggest growing point during this assignment: I am going to learn more professionally in the next 3 months than I have since my clinical fellowship at Young Talkers (wow, about 2.5 years ago) because I am in a different area and doing things that I haven't done in a really long time!
I will be making lists soon (you all know I love them) for things I want to see/do while I am here.
Let me know if there is anything I need to add to the list!
MY NEW ADDRESS:
(Ironically I have the exact same PO Box number as I did in Goshen, MA)
P.O. Box 143
Crisfield, MD 21817
Before I came to Crisfield, I went to a lovely conference in Philadelphia, PA. I met a very nice colleague from Pakistan who is a speech therapist there in a hospital.
Here is my bedroom.
This is a corner of my bedroom
Corner of the guest room
Other corner of the guest room.
Sitting room/Dining room
Kitchen
The AirBNB that I am staying at is wonderful. Since it is not tourist season they were willing to negotiate a fair monthly rent for the next three months. I am staying on their bottom floor.
This is a view of the house from the end of their private pier on the bay. Those doors on the bottom open to my bedroom and dining room/kitchen. I have a grill outside on the bottom deck that I can use to cook out and two tables with chairs. They also have lounge chairs that you can relax in. Those are usually the ones that I sit and drink my coffee in in the morning, while Zorro is playing in the yard.
Here are some of my dinner/morning views from my back porch!!
Gorgeous right?
And another view from my backyard. So basically off of this big peninsula (we call DELMARVA) there are little tiny peninsulas. So I am on a peninsula (I forgot the name) but the next one over is where the "main part" of Crisfield is. You can see some "high rises" that are condos and there is always a lot of boat activity over there with the shipping centers.
I am sure you all concerned with how Zorro has been doing. I think he is adjusting well. He has been acting a little unlike himself, but I can't imagine what the traveling life looks like to him! I wish I could explain everything that is going on. This is a picture of him hiding under a table.
I had already put my scrubs and shoes on and he knew I was going to leave him :(
I had already put my scrubs and shoes on and he knew I was going to leave him :(
But he has also loved exploring!
Here he is at the end of the pier. He is always so concerned with the waves and thinks that he needs to be watching them at all times.... Just in case they move :)
Here he is at the end of the pier. He is always so concerned with the waves and thinks that he needs to be watching them at all times.... Just in case they move :)
The people we are renting from were kind enough to lend us their bikes. So Zorro and I have been biking a few times around Crisfield and plan to do it until it is too cold. Zorro enjoys sitting up as high as he can so he can see everyone... and give his mommy a heart attack in the process ;)
This is a cute beach that is about a 3 minute car ride or a 10 minute bike ride from our house!
How lucky are we? No one was here so I got to let Zorro off his leash and he just ran and ran!
Crisfield has a beautiful new library. I was lucky enough to talk them into giving me a library card! :)
View from inside the library.
Long story short: We were able to rent our AirBNB with the stipulation that for the first weekend after we got there we had to peace out for the weekend. They had already rented it out and didn't want to cancel on the other people. So Zorro and I decided to take a mini vacation in Virginia Beach (about 2.5 hours away). We got to drive the bay bridge tunnel road which was SO beautiful and SO long! We also happened upon one of VB's biggest festivals, the Neptune Festival, so we were able to people watch and get some fried Oreos in the process :)
And then there are the SUNSETS!! I can't tell you how much it has done my heart good to watch all of these amazing sunsets. No matter what I am doing, when I see the sky start changing outside of the window I go and sit on the back porch and take a picture. My plan is to make a collage of all the pictures I take of the sunset from my back porch to remember this time that I get to reflect on my day, remember to find peace and beauty in all and most importantly remember the one who created me, who created the heavens and the universe and the one who fulfills my soul, when nothing here on earth can.
May the Lord bless you and keep you!
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