It Finally Happened...

I'm done!  I can't believe I am actually saying those words...I'm done!  I'm done, I'm done, I'm done!  I finished my last day of internship today!  Do you know what this means?!  I am done with my undergrad!!!  All that's left to do is walk in May!  I still cannot believe it...it is so surreal!

When I first moved to Jackson, I thought "This is going to take forever!  6 months cannot go by fast enough."  But now here I am, at the end of the 6 months, and it's impossilbe for it to be over.  Now I have one week left in Tennessee.  And what am I going to do?  Chill...relax...sleep in...whatever I want!  Of course I'll pack, but probably not until the beginning of next week.

I gotta say, there were some rough patches along the way.  Sessions didn't go as planned, I was asked to do things that nowhere near applied to my internship, etc.  But overall it was a great experience.  I made some great friends and learned a lot.

Now I'm ready to move on to the next phase.  I pack up here the 31st, make a stop at home, and head up to Springfield to move into my new apartment!  I'll be living with my sister...partay!  After I get everything mostly moved in, I'll head home for Easter.  Then it's back to Springfield for a few days to see all my friends and hopefully get some things done.  I have to take the MAT and the board certification exam in the near future.  Oh I also have to apply for the Master's program at Drury.  So I'll still be a little busy!

And now I'm going to enjoy a big glass of chocolate milk.  I wish everyone  a happy week.  Keep enjoying this beautiful weather!  Happy Spring!  Hopefully I'll see you in the near future!  :-D

A Few Minor Changes...The Count Down Begins!

As you may or may not have noticed, I completely changed my blog!  Thanks to the genius that is Kyle David Vanderburg, I got a crash course in html editing and tweeked my new template just the way I liked it.  So here it is!  You'll have to let me know what you think!

I was sitting at my dining room table eating some mac 'n cheese (yes, I'm 8 years old tonight) and said to myself "Oh my goodness self!  You only have 2 weeks of internship left!  This is crazy!"  Looking back, I have done a lot over the past 6 months.  And I thought about telling you all about it...but seeing as you are probably not interested in the music therapy-related stuff, I thought I would share some of the more random things I have learned...

1. Always be on guard, because you never know when you are going to be attacked by a paper airplane.

2. Fudge making/packaging is REQUIRED at least 2 times during internship.

3. Napkins are not meant to look like crab rangoon, unless you attend a STAR Center fundraiser.

4. Always look busy, even if you aren't.  That way you won't be asked to do as much.

5. No matter how stupid something may seem, make the best of it.  Because you won't be there for long, and you will soon leave some awesome people behind.

Hope you enjoyed this ramble!  I'm off to get ready for church now.  Until next time...keep loving this beautiful weather!

Ramble On My Wayward Son

I realized I haven't posted in a few weeks, so I thought it was time for a little update of my life!  So sit back, relax, and get ready to read a whole lotta nothin!

Turns out, I only have 2 and a half weeks left of my internship!  CRAZY!!!  It seems like it has taken forever, but then I look back and realize it flew by.  My last day of work should be the 24th of this month, and then I move out on the 31st.  Having that week to pack will be good.  I hate packing...hate...abhor...loathe entirely.  But I'm almost done!  I have really enjoyed the internship.  I learned a lot, got both positive and constructive criticism, really enjoyed working with the majority of my clients, and made some really good friends at the STAR Center.  However I will not miss Jackson.  If you like to shop and eat out, this place is for you...but seeing as I have no money, this place is not for me.  I'm ready to get back to MO to be closer to home and see some of my buddies again!

Next ramble!  I got to make a trip home this weekend!  I used the excuse of needing to get boxes to validate the 6 hour trip.  I got 4 boxes...ha!  Anyway, it was good to go home.  I spent time with my familia.  When I got back Andy, Padre and I went out to Chili's.  We spent way too much money and ate way too much food.  And there was a ridiculous amount of high school kids there!  And they were the annoying kind...bleh.  Saturday I did a little shopping with mom.  I got lots of nice Clinique stuff (BTW it's bonus time again!) and we did some much needed clothes shopping for Andy.  I also hung out with some friends at Common Grounds, saw a movie, and went to church.  Oh and I got my oil changed!  That little place in Farmington is awesome.  Overall it was a good weekend.

Random movie reivew!  This weekend I saw Alice in Wonderland with mom, Andy, and the lovely Allyce Johnson.  I thought it only fitting to take Allyce to see Alice...ha!  I really liked it.  There's a little twist on the story plot from the original, which makes it interesting.  But I shant tell you what it is!  It is definitely not kid friendly though!  But this is only to be expected, because it is Tim Burton...and creepy crazy Johnny Depp...mmmmmm.  But if you are a fan of Tim Burton, multiple personality Johnny Depp, and Danny Elfman music, this is the movie for you!  I think all of us that went were pleased.

Final ramble!  This weekend I got to feast upon many fabulous food items.  At Chili's I had the trio sampler appetizer thing.  I got chicken crispers, southwest eggrolls, and spinach dip.  All were quite tasty.  I later learned that the plastic Chili's to-go containers are not microwavable...oops!  Saturday I got to feast upon the beauty that is Flying Burrito.  It is pretty much customary that when I come into town my family goes there with the Johnsons.  I cannot describe the magnificence that is Burrito.  It's like God himself woke up one morning and said "Today, I wish to bestow upon the world a small sliver of heaven in the form of a plethora of greatness surrounded by a tortilla."  And it was so.  The final awesome meal of my weekend was Sunday lunch.  My mommy made brisket with the FANTASMO gravy, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, and rolls.  To...die...for.  I got to bring back leftovers and will be feasting upon them for lunch today...mmmmmm.

Well I think that is all my rambling for now.  Hope you enjoyed!  And now I shall leave you with this sassy picture of myself taken at the STAR Center Dinner & Dance a couple weeks ago.  Enjoy this beautiful weather!!!  I will be back home for the Easters!

Home Is Where the Heart Is...

For the past few years now I tend to get really homesick around this time of year.  I first noticed it during the second semester of my junior year of college.  I know the reasons for wanting to go home that semester...a lot of different emotions and a few different circumstances just piled up all at once, and I needed to get outta there!  But I've had the feeling of needing to go home and get out of my current surroundings for 3 years now at pretty much the same time each year with nowhere near the same circumstances.  I really don't mind living in Jackson.  I've met some great people, I love the church I've been going to, and my internship is going well.  But I still just wanna leave!  What is up with me?!

Maybe it's due to the weather change:  it's finally starting to become spring.  The weather is warmer, the sun it out longer, and it makes me want to get up and go.  But being farther from home and all the friends I left makes it pretty much impossible to have a good weekend getaway.  Plus having this little furball to take care of makes it a little more difficult to travel...he's so needy!  Maybe my homesickness (is that a word?) is due to the fact that there's nothing to do here unless you want to spend money:  eating out, shopping, going to the movies...that's pretty much it.  And since I am a poor college student that focuses on surviving rather than having fun, I don't like spending a lot of money right now.  Or maybe, as pathetic as this might be, it's because of all the mushy gushy love time going on:  Valentines Day, people getting engaged, wedding season coming up...it's all a little overwhelming when you don't have a "special someone" of your own.  Being around friends and family makes it all a little more manageable, and when I don't have that, I miss it.

Enough of the depression and loneliness.  I'm almost done with my internship!  And it's gone really well!  I've gotten lots of positive feedback, but I've also learned a lot while I've been here.  I should finish my last day on March 26th.  I'll move out of my apartment the 31st with the help of mom and dad.  Then it's a quick stop at home to pick up Laura's stuff, and then it's off to Springfield again!  Mom and Laura found an apartment that's about 10 minutes from both Drury and MSU.  And the really nice thing is that they offer a shuttle service to MSU, which means Laura doesn't have to worry about parking when she gets on campus.  It looks like a really nice apartment, and I'm ready to be back in the Springfield area.  And the weather has been great this week!  The snow has finally melted, and I don't freeze my tookus off every time I step outside.

Well, I guess it's time to stop rambling for now.  I need to clean the apartment, do some laundry, make a quick run to the store for some groceries, and maybe work out...maybe.   Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! 5 and a half more weeks and I'm home!!!

"Home is a place not only of strong affections, but of entire unreserve; it is life's undress rehearsal, its backroom, its dressing room." ~Harriet Beecher Stowe

The Perfect Guy

As you may or may not have noticed, it's Valentines Day!  Or for those of you in the same boat as me, it's Singles Awareness Day!  And for those of you that don't care about any of that, it is also the Chinese New Year (year of the tiger) and, according to my brother, the third day of the Olympics.  Yay!  In honor of this momentous day, I thought I would share with you a song I wrote a couple years back.  It's titled "The Perfect Guy."  I was gonna post a video of it, but it wouldn't upload.  So you'll just have to settle for the lyrics.

The Perfect Guy

If I were Drew Barrymore I’d go on 50 first dates
And with each first kiss I’d think this is fate
If I were Paris Hilton, you’d be hot
And we’d have a little dog that I would carry while I shop
If I were Kate Winslet, I’d never let go
Unless you’re hogging all the clock on which we float
If I were Britney Spears I’d shave my head
And sing to you Toxic while we lie in bed

Cause you’re the perfect guy
You’re the apple of my eye
Even though that line is cheesy
I thought I’d give it a try
You’re just so great that thinkin’ of you makes me rhyme
That’s why
You’re my perfect guy

If I were a penguin, I’d give you a pebble
I’d waddle up to you and we would cuddle
If I were a lobster, you’d be mine
We’ll never leave each other, be together for all time
If I were a seahorse, you’d have my babies
Cause the guy seahorse gets pregnant, and that’s just crazy
If I were a lioness, you’d be my king
And every morning I’d wake up and sing

Cause you’re the perfect guy
You’re the apple of my eye
Even though that line is cheesy
I thought I’d give it a try
You’re just so great that thinkin’ of you makes me rhyme
That’s why
You’re my perfect guy

If I were a present, you’d be the bow
That sparkled in the beauty of the fallen snow
If I were a trinket at a garage sale
You’d be the pretty penny that bought this pail
What makes you so perfect is I don’t know you yet
You’re a great big mystery since we haven’t met
That makes it all the better, cause one day I’ll see
That we’re meant to be together, just you and me

Cause you’re the perfect guy
You’re the apple of my eye
Even though that line is cheesy
I thought I’d give it a try
You’re just so great that thinkin’ of you makes me rhyme
That’s why
You’re my perfect guy

Hope everyone's had a great day!

Walter

Well, here I am, having another snow day.  I don't understand why either, but I do enjoy the extra day of being lazy.  I have to admit, living alone can be pretty nice.  I can go wherever, whenever.  I don't have to worry about cleaning anyone else's dishes or messes.  But it gets lonely sometimes too.  Luckily, I have a roommate.  Well...sorta.  I thought I'd tell you a little about him.

This is Walter.  He's my buddy.  I found him in Springfield last year.  He wandered up to my house at school the week I was getting ready to move out.  I found him one night before a big storm.  I couldn't do anything with him at the time because I was going to a friend's house at that exact moment...plus one of my roommates really didn't like cats.  So I left him to fend for himself.  The next day he was back.  This time Mom and Andy saw him too.  They let him in the house and immediately fell in love with him.  And to my complete amazement and bewilderment, Mom not only agreed but suggested that we bring him home with us!  So she and Andy went off to buy him a cat carrier, some food, and a litter box.

He is a very friendly cat.  Any person that comes to my apartment, he sees as a new friend and someone to love on him.  And he does surprisingly well in the car!  He's made 4 6-hour trips to and from Jackson, and we've only had problems once.  Well, since he grew up in the tough ghetto of Springfield, MO (note the sarcasm there) he learned to not like any other type of four-legged creature.  When we got him home, he would hiss and growl at both Gato and Ann (our other cat and dog).  Luckily, my apartment in Jackson is pet-friendly.  So I interited a new roommate!

You're probably wondering why we named him "Walter."  Funny story...I was in the kitchen getting him some water.  Andy asked me what I was doing.  I told him.  "I'm getting a bowl for water."  His response:  "Why did you name him Walter?"  He misheard me.  But we both liked the name.  And now we have Walter.  And like any pet we have, he has multiple nicknames:  The Walz, Wally, Bubby, Stupid Cat,  Walfred...the list goes on and on.

Don't let this lazy ball of fur fool you.  He can be quite the handfull.  He's very feisty and likes to play, but sometimes plays too rough.  We declawed his front paws, but he's got a good little chomper!  His breath stinks, he poops constantly, and he would eat an entire bag of food in a day if I let him.  He doesn't like it when I sleep late and will sit at my bed and cry if I don't get up.  And he sheds like a monkey!  And with his white hair, it is noticeable on everything!  He jumps up on all my counters (which I am correcting by squirting him with a water bottle...very effective).  And he eats anything and everything...the down arrow key on my computer keyboard is completely destroyed.  But as annoying as all of this sounds, I have to admit I love this little furball.  He keeps me company.  It's nice to have someone (something?) to come home to at the end of the day.  And it's really nice when he curls up beside me on the futon so we can take a nap together.

Well, that's about all I have to say about the Walz.  We are gonna enjoy this snow day by falling asleep watching a movie now.   Hope everyone is staying safe and warm!

Music Therapy

I realized that my saying I'm a music therapy student in my "About Me" section might not make much sense to everyone that reads this.  So, for your viewing pleasure, I present to you a brief look into my life as a music therapist.

I hate when people ask me the question "What is music therapy?"  There are so many different definitions out there and so much we do!  Here's the American Music Therapy Association's definition of music therapy:

• Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.

Everyone lost?  Great...basically, music therapy uses musical activities to address non-music goals.  It's not music lessons and we are not music educators.  We address cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and academic goals, just to name a few.  Lots of people can benefit from music therapy.  We work with people with Alzheimer's, developmental disabilities, Autism, TBI, ADD, physical disabilities, Down Syndrome, etc.  Turns out, music is a global process in the brain, meaning it takes different areas of the brain to process all of the components of music.  That being said, people can use music to communicate when other means of communication have been damaged.

I pretty much love music therapy.  It's the perfect combination of music, medical, and helping people.  I love the clients and the therapists I work with.  And I'm glad I've stuck with it.  It has taken 4 years of school and a 6-month internship, which I am still working on.  I should be done with my internship by the beginning of April.  Then it's back to Springfield to get my Masters.

Hopefully this helps explain what I do and why I do it.  Time to get back to work!  Enjoy your day!

"Music expresses feeling and thought, without language; it was below and before speech, and it is above and beyond all words."  ~Robert G. Ingersoll