I Hope This Works...

I just tried something that I am not sure will work, but that I hope will. I messed with a Zoom series to add another meeting on the same link as before...

I've been told that this cannot happen, but it seems to be working on my end. The problem? I won't find out until tonight!

I love it when my assumptions are challenged, and I have been told that you cannot use the same Zoom link for more than seven sessions in a row. I think I have figured out that fact is not quite true - but again, I won't know until tonight. If no one shows up, then I'll know that I was wrong and the others were right, but I'm not sure that I am wrong.

I am getting ready for Spring Break. It was a year ago (Friday) that we were told that everything was going to be changing. We had one day to get things ready for an uncertain future immediately after break and then were sent into the uncertain world. I had a colonoscopy scheduled for the Monday of break, so my thoughts were much more on preparation for that procedure than the Coronavirus, but all of a sudden, there were many more things to think about. My colonoscopy didn't happen, by the way, but the preparation did. It was a disappointing week all around. Last year, I sat down with a financial advisor for the first time, the day before she had to go entirely virtual. I have an annual meeting with her this Monday to review my financial status and discuss what I want to get for my retirement. This is a topic that is getting more and more relevant as I get older and older. Before I meet with her, I have lots of materials to read through to prepare. I have little to no knowledge of how the stock market and all that works, so I trust that she does know and can get me where I want to be in about seven years (I think).

This break is going to be spent about the same way as last Spring break - at home, trying to figure out what the future holds for me. The best thing about this year is that I have no colonoscopy preparation to do right now. The worst thing is that I still do not feel comfortable going anywhere.

So, I am updating some of my craft supplies (just splurged on a set of new coloring pens - 40% off!), packing up some things that I just don't use much, and throwing some things out completely. My stay-cation will be quiet. I don't even have the cat to talk to this year. My Dad won't be calling at random times of day this year. It will be a time for contemplation and reflection and tears and laughter. I don't know all that I will be doing, but I hope to take myself out for a walk in some sunshine or a drive in the rain. I am looking forward to sleeping as much as I can whenever I want. I am looking forward to watching silly movies and random television shows. I am looking forward to being quiet.

I came up with a great blog post idea yesterday as I was watching my intern finish up her last Monday groups of this last week of her internship. I cannot remember what it was - maybe I should write it down on a post-it note next time... Anyway, I am in the midst of updating my internship program to reflect changes that have happened in the past 363 days. I realized (after mentoring three interns through all of this mess) that my internship program is great for teaching basics, but there was a bit too much rigidity that could not survive the ups and downs and complete pivots of this year. I am changing that to make things a bit more flexible in how we get to our end goal of competence for the interns I accept into my program. I am finding that many of the things that I want them to do are still relevant and needed, but the ways that I have available to get them there are not as clear as they once were. So, it is time to pivot a bit.

I have decided to take a break from interns to help me figure out how to do my job in this new reality. I will be spending some time getting things coordinated on my end as therapist while thinking about what I think my interns need from a "culminating clinical experience." 

Things are still somewhat nebulous on my end, so I will refrain from talking more about this topic until things become a bit more certain. Just know that I am exploring as many ideas for experiences as I possibly can!  

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