Africa

It's been a few years but how can I not return back to blogging as I am about to go on a trip of a lifetime. It all started a few months ago when I was starting to think about turning 30. No I was not have a mid life crisis or whatever you want to call it. I was just thinking about how to celebrate it. Usually I'm not one to throw a big party for myself but this is big. I should do something special to bring in a new decade with a bang. Then I thought to myself, what is the one thing I've always wanted to do?? Simple answer: do a volunteer build in Africa. Something about volunteering in Africa have always fascinated me. I almost went immediately after graduating physio school but my parents thought it was too dangerous to go alone. After not seeing your family for over 2 years you miss them too much to get into a long argument.

Well 4 years later and I still haven't gone to Africa. What the heck am I waiting for?? Yes I need to save up to do renovations, save up for retirement in 30+ years, save up to open a clinic, etc. The list goes on. Sometimes I feel so settled when I'm not married or have kids yet. Life's too short to not take a break from saving up for that life security.

So here we are today, less than a week until I head off to Tanzania, Africa for 3 weeks. I will be doing a volunteer build for 2 weeks and then hoping to climb Kilimanjaro the following week. It's just starting to hit me this week that I am actually going. Eeek!!!

Details of the volunteer organization to follow!!!

Coaching

Wow I just realized that its been months since I've posted anything. It's been almost exactly one year since I've been back in Canada and the situation that I am in right now is pretty much, if not more, than where I had hoped I would be. I'm currently working between two sports medicine clinic and doing sports physio. I always thought that I would start off working in a hospital to get my feet wet but things have a funny way of working itself out eh. I pretty much went from nothing to the top. It may have been an extremely steep learning curve with immediate high expectations but it was a challenge I could not turn down. Do I wish I had more support and guidance? Of course but lots of people would die for my job opportunity.

Lately work and coaching has just taken over my life, not that I'm complaining. I basically go home to eat and then immediately go to sleep. I started going back to my high school and asked if I could help coach the softball team. It's something that I've always wanted to do ever since I graduated. Going back there have made me feel old but it also made me appreciate where I am in my life. I look around and there's so many unknowns and stresses that lay in front of these young high schoolers. They have so many questions and worries about what lies beyond the high school walls. It's great being able to teach them softball and provide some life advise. It feels like I'm in my element when I'm there.

I knew I would enjoy coaching but I was a little worried that it would make me want to play softball too much, even feel envious of them but it didn't happen. I absolutely love it and many of them think I get more excited about practice and each little accomplishment than they do. The best part about coaching yet not being their teacher is that I can kid around with them more and have more fun. The teacher coaches are more serious and can't make fun of them as much as I do.

The head coach cancelled practice on Friday morning to give them so extra rest and I ended up going there in the morning to play basketball against one of the players. Then two more players showed up and played with us. It was funny because beforehand they kept talking trash about how they were on the bball team and how they would school me. They thought I was only good at one sport. Damn did I show them...They can't beat the quickness and the energy that I have, even if they are almost 10 years younger. haha...Yes I realize this may sound like I'm bullying them but it's not like I forced them to play. I just didn't show them any mercy. Plus I would never hear the end of it if they did win. It's what I like to call tough love...

Work

I started working at THE sports physio clinic a few weeks ago. This place is crazy busy. People come from all over and will wait forever to get treated here. There's quite a few physios there but only one person is full time and she had to get knee surgery so I am fortunate enough to cover for her on MWF. Damn it's crazy...? Many times I have 3 people going at once because you're just running late.

I'll be the first to admit that I was quite worried and nervous going into that first week. Firstly I hate the idea of covering for another physio, let alone one that is more experienced. Secondly people expect to be treated by the best there and for the therapists to know their stuff. But after two weeks of this I can confidently say that I love my job more than I ever thought I could.

It's been frustrating waiting to get the opportunity to work here and for awhile I was beginning to wonder whether or not I should just go work somewhere else, which I started to and have tons of opportunities. This was worth the wait though. I've seen more cases and more people in this past 2 weeks than I would have in months of working at another clinic. The range and challenges have been incredible. Every new grad has a learning curve but mine is probably the steepest it can ever get. I went from being a new grad to working for the best sports physio clinic in town. This profession is hard in the sense that you don't have anyone to consult with or mentor you. You're working on your own and when people ask you a question or come in with a problem, you need to do something about immediately. If it doesn't work, they know because they can feel if there is a difference.

A few more weeks the physio will return and I'll be back to working only a few hours at this clinic but you have to put in the crappy hours in order to move up right? At least I got my foot in the door and hopefully I make a good enough impression on these clients that it forces them to give me more hours, not that there's enough space for more than one physio at a time. For now, I'm enjoying being busy and loving the feeling of people wanting to see me. I'm so busy that I am fully booked for next week and there's a waiting list of people who want to be called if there happens to be a cancellation on any day that I'm there. I wish it was that busy at my other clinic then I would be set.

I was also offered to work for another professsional team's doctor this week. He is considering opening up another clinic and has asked me if I am interested in working for him. I won't be treating pro athletes at this clinic but again it's about making contacts and working for the best.

Skating in ACC

Last weekend I went ice skating in the Air Canada Center, that's right the very same rink where the Toronto Maple Leafs play on. I know I know, they're not doing that great right now...blah blah blah stop giving me a hard time...I'm always going to cheer for the home team. Anyways Michelin originally told me that there will be some Leafs players there like they did the previous year. Unfortunately we realized, the day of, that they actually had a road game that afternoon. Back to back games, of all weekends...darn...

I was quite disappointed by the sudden news but it turned out to be quite fun and exciting. This was my first opportunity to ice skate this year. Here's a pic of us hanging out on center ice and one of me with Carlton the Bear. I wasn't leaving until I got a pic with someone/something on the Leafs team.

To go or not to go????

Lately the theme for me is "need or want". Do I need it or do I want it? This question works for almost everything these days. The question is: Should I go back to Australia and attend my graduation? It was easy for me to leave Perth because I truly thought that I was going back soon. Now I don't know anymore. I've been struggling with this for months now. It doesn't help that I've had a few persistent friends in Oz frequently emailing me to attend.

I do want to go back. This is an opportunity to see and catch up with my friends, former teammates and former physio evaluators. The way I see it, if I don't go back now there's going to be many people that I will probably not see again and would like one last opportunity to update them. I would also like to show my parents my life for the past 2.5 years.

On the other side, it's very hard for me to financially justify doing this. I'm just starting to work as a physio and that's all I want to do. I want the experience. It's been a long road to get to this point. Yes I will have the rest of my life working and in the very near future, the cost of the trip will not be a big deal. Getting the time off is not a big deal because my employer already thinks I'm going and physios are more contractors than employees so we can take the time off whenever we want.

I don't know what to do. I want to go but I also don't want to go. That's what I get for going so far away for school...

New Years Eve 2007

New years eve is a time for countdowns, reflections and celebration of new beginnings. I personally think it's overrated like many of the other 'big dates' and made into a big thing by marketers and the media.

Nevertheless this has been an incredible year, a year where it seemed like I could do no wrong. It seemed like a never ending stressful ride which caused a period of minor insomnia when the end was within grasp. This is saying a lot considering I am NOT a very stressful person, as most of you know. Fortunately everything I did I was blessed with success and whenever I had to wait for any kind of results or before a big day, I was afraid that my luck would run out. I often convinced myself that I was going to fail because I have been so blessed and it was just a matter of time when the life cycle comes back around. People around me were/are experiencing setbacks and I definitely did not deserve to go through this year as all of us had hoped/scripted. Who knows what this upcoming year will bring for me but I can't help but feel like a dark cloud will eventually arrive and it's just a matter of whether or not I'll be ready for it.

As I close the door on another year, I'm also ending a significant chapter of my life. This was a year that defined my future and helped me realize the things and people most important to me. I realized how much I have missed Canada, family, the friends who I grew up with and how much I love my Fastpitch team. Yay Waterloo Blue Sox! Not only did I complete my Physiotherapy program in Australia without any delays, I am now fully registered here in Canada. For a while, it looked like it wouldn't happen by the end of this year. What a dream end to a dream year.

I will be bringing in the New Year feeling like the luckiest person in the world and counting my blessings. Happy New Years everyone and I hope 2008 brings you as much success and joy as 2007 brought to me.

Cheerio!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

This is turning out to be the best Christmas holiday that I can remember. There's quite a few things that makes this year so special. It's been almost 3 years since our entire family were together during the Christmas holiday. It's nice to sit down and have a meal all together again.

If that wasn't enough I received the best gift ever. If I don't get another gift or have to give away all my gifts thus far, it wouldn't matter to me. This afternoon, on Christmas eve, I opened the front door to throw something out and there was an envelop lying right in front of the door. Not uncommon for the mailman to leave bigger letters outside our front door but then I noticed the logo on the top left corner...It's from...from the Canadian Alliance...
My results, they've arrived. They told us that we would have to wait at least 12 weeks and it's only been 6. This could either be really good or really bad news but I wasn't as nervous as I was opening the results of the written exam. When I saw that it was in a big envelop with a stamp of "Do Not Bend", it could only be good news. Nobody cares what condition a letter is in if it's bad.

I opened it up and read the magical word..."Congratulations"...WooHoo...Finally it's over...I can finally close this important chapter of my life and start a new one. I have waited so many frustrating months for this. To be able to say that I am officially a fully registered Physiotherapist in Canada. How freaking awesome is that??? BooYa!!!


The best part was telling my parents and watching their reaction. They were so excited to hear the news. My mom was surprisingly more nonchalant about it after the initial excitement. My dad kept going on and on about what a great xmas gift this is and how relieved he was. At dinner he was saying how worried he was and the hassle it would've been if I had failed. My mom kinda got offended that he didn't believe that I would pass....My dad, not close to even being a school person, just kept saying that you never know with exams...Maybe he was speaking from experience. It was interesting listening to my parents discuss this right in front of me. This news is a gift for them as much as it is for me. Overall tonight was a great Christmas eve dinner of just me and my parents. (My bros already had previous engagements planned.) A quiet one before the craziness of pot luck dinners and bigger family gatherings.

Timing is everything and this one was perfect, just like the white Christmas that we're going to have this year.Hahaha, I put my mom up to this pic...

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Poor puppy...

I was barely through the front door when DC's mom looks at me and started saying something to me. All I heard was something about my dog. "Pardon?" She repeated it again, saying that something happened to my dog. I don't have a dog. What the heck is she talking about?? She's never spoken to me in this tone before and both DC and Michelin are both just standing there waiting for her to tell me this news. Her being a parent my first thought was, am I in trouble?? What the heck did I do?? I feel like I did something wrong. Oh no...What's going on?? Think brain think...

Then suddenly a light bulb turned on...Oooh my heat pack that's also a stuffed dog. It's one of those beanie heating packs that can be warmed through in the microwave. I lent it to them to use awhile back. Then for the 5th or 6th time, she repeated herself "I broke your dog" or something to that extent.

We then went inside and she handed me the poor dog. It had a little hole on its side, from slightly getting overheated in the microwave. It must've blown up for that to happen. Apparently Michelin told her to put it in for 1 minute but she somehow thought she said 3 minutes. Don't ask me how that happened. What's funnier is that when my poor dog was getting overcooked, DC thought someone was making popcorn because that's what it smelt like...haha...note to self: burning beanie dog = smell of popcorn...

DC's mom looked soo sad and disappointed, kinda like a kid who knew they were going to be in trouble. I felt bad because it wasn't a big deal at all. Nothing's meant to last, especially stuff like this. Just shows how fast a situation can change. I went from thinking I was in major trouble to being the one in the position to distribute it.