Warning...I am not the most eloquent writer but I have had some thoughts on my mind lately and I thought it would help me if I wrote them down, so read if you want but also skip over if you want too.
As Aaron is nearing his graduation (May 15h) I have a lot of feelings and emotions going on. Aaron and I have had one heck of a ride this last year and we have enjoyed every minute of it. I look back on a year ago at this time and man was life crazy for us. It was such a roller coaster of emotions. We were packing up our home, saying goodbye to jobs, moving away from dear friends and family and heading on an adventure to a new state and new experiences. It was exciting and scary at the same time. As I think about what the last year has been like for us I can't help but feel a tremendous amount of gratitude. Aaron and I have had an incredible amount of support from our families that honestly if we hadn't had I don't know how we would have done things. We have had friends that have been so great to us both the ones we moved away from and the ones we have met in California. We have enjoyed so much "us" time that our cups have been filled for a long time. Aaron found the new love of surfing while I found a love for working at one of Jeremy's G Star stores. We explored many different beaches, been on numerous walks around the beautiful area we live in, and have been outside enjoying each other and nature almost every day we have been here. I really am overwhelmed thinking about what a blessing this year has been to us. Now all of this great happy stuff doesn't mean that at times it wasn't hard. Like Aaron said the other night to me, "we really do make lemonade out of lemons." It really is the truth.
Aaron and I have decided that we will be staying in Southern California. This has been a crazy hard decision and honestly I am still wondering why I no one every truly informed that "growing up is hard to do." We are excited to stay here and know that it is going to be a great place for us and maybe a family one day.
Of course with Aaron's graduation nearing I started looking at full time therapist jobs again. While it has been great to take a break this last year I am dying to get back to it. The great news for me is that I will be starting back May 11th. I couldn't be happier with the job I will be starting. This also has brought up some interesting thoughts and feelings.
So about a month ago I discovered this incredible company that serves youth ages 5-18 in Los Angeles. The company has been around since 1924 and was the first mental health service clinic of its kind west of the Rockies. They opened the company with a mental health walk in clinic back in 1924 and they have expanded to provide multiple other services. It just so happens that the location of the clinic I was interested in being a therapist is located in South Central Los Angeles. For those who don't know the area just look it up and you will soon find it is not very similar to where you probably live. So I do some research and really fall in love with this company and the services it provides. So...I send in my application for a job as a full time therapist. About a week later I get a call and they set up an interview for me. At this point I am super stoked and tell almost everyone I know or talk to that I got the interview. Many of the responses I got were pretty similar and the conversation would go something like this.
"I got an interview"
"That's great"
"So where is the job"
"South Central LA"
then responses as "well I guess you gotta take what you can get," "do you know what the place is like," "are you sure you want to work there," followed by lots of hesitation and confusion of why i would want to work there.
Now while not everyone gave me these responses many did and it made me think a lot. I thought to myself how sad that people would respond this way. Do people not know that there are people in this country that need help that believe it or not look different than they do, live in different situations, etc. I just couldn't help but feel sad after some people would say these negative responses. Afterall, working with the population that I will be working with is what makes my heart beat, makes me feel alive and is what ultimately made me chose a career as a social worker. It just sucks that some people feel these certain feelings towards those who are in poor circumstances, are a different race, and live different lifestyles than themselves. (p.s. I am not in anyway saying I am perfect either)
Well I got the job!!! Yeah. I honestly am so excited about starting my new job and can't wait for the challenge it will be. I know I will grow an incredible amount not just as a clinician but as an individual. I am sure there will be days that are pretty rough but also days, even if few in far in between, that make it all worth it. I can't wait to work with the children and families of South Central Los Angeles and start this next adventure. (p.s. thanks to my friends and family who have been so excited for me and encouraging)
It is a great ending to our last year of the beach life for me to have my new job set up and ready. While living at the beach and playing a lot over the last year has been fun, it has been crazy hard to not be working as a clinician with kiddos. It almost feels as if the big reward in the end. I made a big sacrifice a year ago and I am so thankful that I have been blessed and strengthened in return.
