OT Adventure in Nashville

Although it's been a couple of months, I still wanted to post about my trip to Nashville for my first occupational therapy (OT) conference (April 15-18)!

For those of you who do not know, occupational therapy is a health profession that sees power in the act of everyday living. Occupational therapists help individuals to engage or re-engage in the everyday activities (occupations) that bring meaning to the individual. You could see an occupational therapist after an accident or unexpected health difficulty, after surgery, after a diagnosis of a chronic condition, or when your child is diagnosed with a condition. Specific occupations vary depending on the individual, however, they include categories such as self-care activities, home and family management, work, education, leisure, social participation, play, rest and sleep.

How occupational therapy actually looks in practice varies depending on the setting. Some common places where you may work with an OT include: in a school system (particularly with kids with autism or special needs), in a rehab setting in a hospital or clinic (after surgery, injuries, etc), in a facility for older adults, in mental health facilities, in your home, in the community (health centers, health programs), and more. As Ginny Stoffel (American Occupational Therapy Association President) said at the conference:

"A life of meaning turns around rates of suicide and depression. That is what occupational therapy's distinct value is: helping people to engage in the things that are meaningful for them." 

I am not sure what type of setting I want to work in after completing my graduate degree in OT, but the conference was wonderful, energizing and inspiring! Here are some pictures and tidbits about the trip, starting with exploring Nashville and ending with the conference itself:

About to board for take off from Boston

Exploring Nashville

Broadway (one of the main streets in Nashville)

Nashville in the morning is a surprisingly quiet and still city. Around lunchtime people begin to come out of the cracks, and Broadway begins to fill. In the evening people are everywhere, and at night it becomes difficult to walk on the sidewalks because it's so crowded. Every bar and restaurant on Broadway has a different group of live musicians playing, not to mention all of the people playing on the streets. In the evenings after the conference we enjoyed going to different music venues and hearing people play. In Nashville there is music for everyone--every bar has a different style from everything from rock, blues, pop-country, jazz, to honky-tonk.

Gorgeous Mardi gras masks that we found. At least I assume they're for Mardi gras. I can't think of what else they'd be used for.

Katie, my classmate and favorite travel buddy

Me & Katie

Funny picture of Katie

Katie and I were the only students from our school to attend the conference together, although most of our teachers attended. We stayed at a cute little hostel about a 15 minute walk from the conference center. We lucked out because it turns out we are perfectly suited for traveling together. We like to have a vague plan, but go with the flow. We both wanted to spend our free evenings exploring Nashville and listening to music. We have very similar tastes in country music (I'm super picky when it comes to country music). And we're both foodies. When we travel, we love to try new food.

On a side note, the real reason I took the above photo of Katie was to capture the man with the guitar in the background. His cat is sitting contentedly on his guitar and there is a sign hanging from the guitar which reads "free pet therapy sessions". Lovely.

OK, this may look gross but it was DELICIOUS!!! This was my favorite meal of the whole trip: fresh macaroni and cheese, fried okra, BBQ chicken, and fried green tomatoes (not pictured)! We chose the restaurant somewhat randomly (a hostel worker recommended a few different restaurants in East Nashville), and I'm so glad we did because it was soooo good! I have been wanting to try fried green tomatoes since I read "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe". They surpassed my expectations. They were seriously so good that I want to try making them at home sometime!

Glimpses of Nashville

Pedal Tavern

Katie and I got a kick out of this pedal tavern we saw. Neither of us had ever seen anything like this before, but it appears to be a popular fraternity activity in Nashville. This photo does not do it justice. The vehicle is completely powered by pedal, so the customers drink alcohol and pedal. There is a driver of the tavern, and a bar tender who keeps the customers happy with jokes, alcohol, and drinking games. Crazy.

So pretty and green after the long Boston winter

Another shot of downtown

On our way to hear some good music!

Katie

The Music

The Constitution Inn

This wonderful bluegrass band is called the Claire Lynch Band. It was my very favorite band of the trip. The first night we were in Nashville we made friends with the hostel workers (one of whom was quite smitten by Katie despite knowing that she has a boyfriend). Anyway, they invited us to come with them to this wonderful place, The Constitution Inn, which is their favorite music venue in Nashville. It had a nice mix of ages there, and people were there for the music (rather than the drinking like some places on Broadway). The band was fantastic! The lead singer/guitarist, Claire Lynch, was soooo cute, and the music was so fun! I really like bluegrass, and we had a fantastic time watching them play.

Robert's Wild West

Every night Broadway is filled with music. Every bar lining the street has a different band, so it's easy to find music for everyone. We particularly liked Robert's Wild West, so we went on two different nights to hear different bands play. I don't know the name of this band, but they sure were a lot of fun!!!

Trolley Tour of Nashville

Our Trolley Bus

The Country Music Hall of Fame

The Country Music Hall of Fame was the first Trolley stop. It was one of the funnest museums I have ever been in! Here are a few picture glimpses into what the museum contains:

Bills from famous performances

I sure wish I could get a suit like this for my brother Brad!

Johnny Cash Album

One of Johnny Cash's guitars

An original Dolly Parton dress (that's for you Grandma!)

Mmm this would be an amazing suit for Brad too!!!

The inside of our Trolley

Next Trolley stop was the Ryman Auditorium, also known as the "Mother Church of Country Music". This is where sooooo many famous country singers performed!

It's a gorgeous church/auditorium. Also be sure to check out my cool conference bag.

Inside the Ryman a catholic girl choir was performing. The acoustics were amazing!

Katie in the trolley car

Next stop was the Tennessee state capitol! 

I promise the state capitol is in the background--it looks so small in this picture!

Here's a picture with our wonderful Trolley guide!

Our trolley guide was super great! He was a banker for 10 years and made a lot of money, but he hated his job. Finally he decided to quit and do something that he loved. Now he drives a trolley by day, and performs with his band at night. He LOVES both of his jobs and his life! He told all kinds of interesting things about the city, and he kept reminding everyone to get a job that doesn't feel like a job because we love it so much. And he called us the "Boston girls" (even though neither of us are originally from Boston, or even MA). :)

Nashville Parthenon

Yes, Nashville has a life-sized Parthenon replica and it was our next Trolley stop. Why? I don't know. They just decided to build it as part of their Centennial celebration. And they're really protective of their Parthenon. Katie accidentally almost offended a hostel worker when she made an off-handed comment about having seen "the real Parthenon in Greece". The lady quickly retorted, "Well I've seen the one in Greece too, and ours is the same except that it isn't falling apart!" Whoops...

The Conference

The convention center where most of the conference was held

The AOTA conference was amazing! It was seriously an OT dream. Although, it was a bit overwhelming at times. There were so many classes, poster sessions, activities, conversations, etc., going on all the time that it was hard to choose where to go.

My name tag

Bill Wong, OTR/L

This is Bill Wong, a wonderful occupational therapist who spoke to us during the meeting for the student delegates. Bill has an inspiring journey for becoming an occupational therapist after being diagnosed with autism and nearly failing out of graduate school. Bill is one of the most courageous people I have ever met. He recently spoke at Tedx about overcoming his autism diagnosis, which you can find here.

Poster Sessions

There were poster sessions every day of the conference, so during breaks from sessions we wandered around reading about different people's research. OTs are the nicest people you will ever meet. And they are so nerdy! I loved being surrounded by people who are so passionate about what they do--helping people to do the things they love to do.

Google Glass has many potential uses in the world of disability and therapy

Opening Ceremonies

Ginny Stoffel, AOTA President

Ginny Stoffel spoke about engagement, exploration, and empowerment. She said, "OT practitioners ask 'what matters to you', not 'what's the matter with you' ". She discussed helping our clients engage in occupation, as well as our responsibility as practitioners (or future practitioners) to engage professionally within our community.

Rosalind Wiseman, author of "Queen Bees and Wannabees"

Rosalind Wiseman, who is the author of "Queen Bees and Wannabees" which was turned into the movie "Mean Girls", was the keynote speaker. She spoke on how adults can help prevent bullying. Unfortunately I forgot to take notes during her talk. :(

Nashville at night

The back-up band from Nashville (the TV show)

The back-up band from the TV show "Nashville" performed at the presidential address & keynote speaker event. They also played for a fun party, the "Students Unconferenced" dance party. :)

Conversations That Matter

One of my favorite sessions of the conference was called "OT in the US Criminal Justice System: Education, Expertise". The speakers discussed the problems and challenges of our current model of criminal justice, and the importance of occupational justice (individuals have a right to engage in occupation). People in the corrections system have experienced a lifetime of occupational deprivation and have systematically lost opportunities to engage in a variety of meaningful occupations. They then discussed the potential of occupational therapy to make a difference in corrections. They discussed occupation-based interventions, and seven steps of developing an individual action plan to get involved in OT in criminal justice.

After the session was a "conversations that matter" discussion for anyone interested in criminal justice. People asked questions, shared tips, shared experiences, brainstormed solutions, and discussed potential outcomes of occupational therapy in criminal justice.

Some of the other sessions I attended included: "Cognitive Rehabilitation for Cancer Survivors: OT's Role", "Breakfast with a Scholar: Carolyn Baum and Florence Clark", and "The Wounded Warrior and the Art of Independence". The sessions were inspiring, and motivating. After a long semester and starting to feel burnt out from studying, the conference was just what I needed to get excited about my chosen profession.

Slagle Lecture: Dr. Helen Cohen Photo Cred: AOTA

One of my favorite parts of the conference was the Slagle Lecture, which is a prestigious lecture and award given to a prominent member of the OT community. This year's was by Helen Cohen, and it was amazing! She spoke on "A Career in Inquiry". She spoke about the importance of asking questions and seeking for knowledge. Here are a few things she said that stood out to me: "The process of inquiry is as important as the product." "Inquiry allows us to move forward." "Engaging in inquiry is an act of courage!"She talked about how having a career in inquiry means you never get time off because you are always asking questions. To help us develop a career in inquiry, she gave a few guidelines: 1. Be nosy and ask questions (especially of authority figures). 2. Asking those questions requires courage. 3. Join our state OT association, and attend district and state meeting to get involved and meet more therapists. 4. Start a journal club. She also gave us all homework: Look at the stars and think of the questions the famous astronomers asked, then go to work, ask questions, read, think, push the envelope, be courageous, be a little bit subversive in a professional way, and go change the world!

The Expo

The conference Expo is held every year, and hosts tons of vendors selling tools, books, and products relating to occupational therapy. It was held in a huge gym, and was really overwhelming, but fun. Katie and I only spent a couple hours wandering around there, because we didn't want to get lost or too overwhelmed. :) Here are some of the things we played with:

Sensory Activities

A robot game

Sensory Swing

More sensory things for kids

Last look at Nashville

It's true: OT rocks, and so did my first OT conference! I can't wait to go again!

So. Much. Snow.

Snow outside my back window

For anyone who's missed it, Boston has had record snow this year. The winter started out super mild, but then in January and February it decided to dump snow. Within those 2 months, there were 5 blizzards! Plus extra snow on other days. We have a LOT of snow (So far 100+ inches this year).

As you can imagine, the city has had a really hard time keeping up with all the snow. The old snow removal equipment just didn't cut it, and eventually they had to borrow some snow removal equipment from NY, which was apparently super embarrassing for Bostonians. Snow banks have gotten taller and taller, street parking disappeared for a while, and we got super tired of having to unbury our car repeatedly--especially because we don't have a snow shovel anymore and all of the stores have been completely sold out.

At my grad school we had 5 snow days (some of the elementary schools had 10+ snow days), church was canceled twice, and there were a lot of days where the T wasn't running or it wasn't running very well. One day it took me 2 hours to get to school, when normally it takes 30-45 minutes. It was also soooo cold. Like colder than -10 degrees cold outside. I bought a wonderfully warm coat and snow boots, which completely changed my life. I don't know what I'd do without winter apparel designed to withstand the terrible cold.

Grandma Winters says I should post pictures to record this epic winter. The storms have finally stopped, the snow is getting slowly cleared away, and now all of the snow close to the road is a horrible brown/black color. So flash back to a couple of weeks ago right after a storm:

Early morning outside our back window

Early morning outside our front window

Sunrise outside our front window

Charlestown Navy Yard on my way to school

The path to school

Building 2CC in the Charlestown Navy Yard, where one of my classes is

It looks like the USS Constitution is floating on mounds of snow!

Well, actually the USS Constitution IS surrounded by ice

The USS Constitution--it's snowing again.

A couple days after a storm and the park benches are ALMOST usable

On my walk back from class: Ice in the harbor

There's something so incredibly beautiful and fascinating about the ice

My classmate Katie A. and I trying not to fall into the mounds of snow outside the Shouse Building
(check out my awesome new Sorel snow boots!)

My classmate Adriana and I all bundled up (see my new coat?)

The best part? The sun is finally starting to shine again (and it doesn't go down until 6:30pm now!), and the temperature is finally back into the 30's (amazing!) and it's supposed to be warmer next week. Just in time for spring break. I'm hoping the snow will melt before Alyssa comes to visit me in mid-April.

Maybe, if we're lucky, spring flowers will even be blooming...

Nameless (and not very good) Poem

We have had record snow here in Boston over the last month full of snow days and difficulties with transportation. I'll write more about the snow later, but for now I'll just say that it started out fun, but now it's getting rough. I'm ready for spring to come and the sun to warm up the world again. I recently finished this semester's fieldwork experience, which I did at a forensic mental health facility. It was an interesting experience. I should write more about that as well, but for now I just want to post a poem I wrote one day during my fieldwork. I should warn you that I don't know anything about writing poetry-I didn't use any specific techniques and it isn't very good. But I wrote what was in my heart. It was a very cold day in a depressing setting during a group that did not work out as planned (and ended up with upset clients and a stressful mood).  But during a brief moment in the middle of the group, everyone was in the flow of working on their art projects and the sun shone through the window warming the room. And in that moment I wrote the following nameless poem.

The golden rays of sun 

gently caress my face,

softening the edges of 

the cold, hard, frozen ground

that is my heart.

The sun

travels 

deeper

and my leaves, 

my hands, 

reach out,

stretching 

to meet

the sun.

The sun-rays travel down 

to my feet, my roots

slowly thaw, growing deeper,

and in my heart?

Hope blooms.

2014: A Year of Uncomfortableness but also Goodness

In 2014:

• John graduated from UVU in computer science
• I was accepted into graduate school in Boston
• I had to leave a favorite job of mine (helping people with disabilities find competitive employment) and we had to say goodbye to many people we love in Utah
• We traipsed (or rather drove) and camped across the country with our evil cat: 
• In New Mexico we had an unexpected and tragic funeral for our motorcycle and we nearly froze without sleeping bags, but we LOVED Carlsbad Caverns
• In Texas we didn't camp but stayed with family; our cat explored stairs and had an unwanted adventure meeting a big puppy
• We discovered a great Podunk town in Arkansas, and experienced the muggiest & hottest camping of my life
• In Kentucky we visited Mammoth Caves and John had a run-in with a Tick while camping
• In Pennsylvania we stayed with family again
• And finally we arrived in Boston 
• Once in Boston we experienced homelessness for a week after our housing fell through and we scrambled to find something new
• We camped for most of the week and then were invited to sleep on a then-stranger now-friend's floor for the weekend
• Luckily through a series of fortunate events and chance meetings we found a fantastic little apartment for a great price (for Boston that is: it's still twice as much as we paid in Utah for only half of the space)
• We moved into a new apartment on the first day of my new graduate program (thanks to the missionaries we survived moving into a 3rd floor apartment with a narrow windy staircase)
• I began my doctorate of Occupational Therapy program
• John worked from home for a summer, then decided he needed to see people in person and so he got a new job in Chinatown, Boston 
• He now works for a start-up company called Act.md, which makes medical software for doctors and patients to communicate with one another. He's learning a lot and enjoying it
• I experienced a surprise pregnancy but then had a miscarriage
• It was very difficult and heartbreaking, but it turned into a faith-building experience. I learned more about the relationship between Christ's sacrificial atonement, healing, and repentance
• I got to read some interesting books and articles, attend a couple fascinating conferences, and be confronted with new ideas and thought processes
• Our cat is starting to get a tiny bit more friendly with strangers (he tends to be mistrustful and introverted)
• We discovered the deliciousness of homemade jam (we will never return to store-bought jam)
• And we really enjoyed making some amazing new friends in Boston who we are looking forward to continue getting to know!

Although it was a good year, it was a year that really stretched me as a person. Growth is good, but I won't feel bad about saying goodbye to 2014. Here's to a New Year full of wonderful people, new experiences, and learning!

I'm excited to welcome in 2015!!!

Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving--the time for turkey, pie, lots of yummy food, family, friends, and remembering the things we are grateful for.

Over a decade ago, when my parents got divorced, I struggled to find peace in my heart and my place in the world. I cannot recall the details of the occasion, but one of my church youth group leaders shared the idea of a "gratitude journal" with us. I found a beautiful little journal, and began writing every week. I wrote anywhere between one and ten things that I was grateful for. At first I wrote the large blessings in my life: a home, family, church, the opportunity for education, freedom, etc. As time wore on, I noted the small things that I am grateful for: hot chocolate on a stormy day, fall leaves crunching beneath my feet, tickle wars with my sister, a much needed talk with a friend, etc. 

As I noticed and wrote down the large and small things in life, I began to live in a greater state of awareness. I found peace in a period of my life full of turmoil and confusion from both family problems as well as teenage years and political problems. And as I practiced gratitude, I eventually found myself.

It has been a few years since I have even thought about my old gratitude journal. Recently I feel like I have been so overwhelmed with all of the changes in my life (both good and also difficult) that I have forgotten about the daily practice of gratitude. The gratitude in my prayers has even gotten more than a little rote rather than conscientious and deliberate.

I am setting a new goal that for the rest of this year I will write down a few things I am grateful for in my journal every Sunday. 

And as far as today goes, I repeat the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“For each new morning with its light, for rest and shelter of the night, for health and food, for love and friends, for everything thy goodness sends. I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and new.”

New friends have been so good to us in our new journey in Boston. Old friends have been so supportive of our move and new life--and we've even been able to reconnect with friends who have been passing through or staying in Boston. Family friends have been so good to us as I've been struggling with my miscarriage. So I am grateful for my friends, the old and new.

Aching

My heart is aching.
I've been trying to fill it by wasting my time on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram during my rare free time. I've also been treating myself daily to donuts and baked goods from the bakery around the corner.

But my heart is still feeling empty.

The theme in sacrament meeting this month is families. We were supposed to give talks on families yesterday, but I couldn't do it. I cancelled our talks four days before we were supposed to give them. I kept thinking about our family during the talks that were given. I love our family.

I'm simply disappointed that things are happening the way they did.

I know we're young--we'll have children yet, this wasn't our only chance. I'm not sure that I was ready for children right now anyway, with graduate school being so busy. But I was starting to get excited.

Now everyday I see the empty bassinet and empty baby rocker sitting in the corner of our living room. I see friends posting their baby bumps on Facebook. I see brand new babies and happy parents. I am happy for my friends, I truly am.

But I hate answering the dreaded question when friends ask me how I'm feeling, if I have morning sickness yet, if I am excited.

No, I am just sad. It comes in waves, but it is always there in the back of my head and heart.

The dreaded doctor's appointment is on Tuesday. They want me to have a D and C. They say it will prevent health complications and allow my body to heal. But it won't take the ache out of my heart.

Maybe it will be a little while before I feel myself again.