Monday, November 22, 2010
And so it begins....
I am however SO excited for Christmas, I love the holidays, and I'm planning between finals ending and my trip back home I can get out and see all the decorations here in the city. And I'm looking forward to my trip home to see all my family and friends. Hope everyone else that is experiencing the stress and anxiety of finals gets through it easier than me, and just try and focus on the wonderful break that will start in a few short weeks.
Bye for now <3
Friday, November 12, 2010
Mom and Philly
Grams will be here the end of Thanksgiving weekend, and will be taking me to see the Nutcracker! SO excited for that!! I have 1 month left of school, and am going to start writing finals very soon! And then I will only have 1 more semester until I have my Masters in Social Work!!!! SO EXCITED! I can finally start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Here are a couple pic from my mom's visit, the rest are on http://picasaweb.google.com/cmwright121
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Halfway to finals....
My internship is going great this year. It's so much different than last year. Not different in a good or bad way, just different. There is a lot more structure and paperwork! SO much paperwork....but I'm enjoying learning about the population I'm working with (severely persistently mentally ill) and getting to know the clients at my agency. I run 5-6 groups a week ranging from healthy living to teaching them about values, and I also was able to do my first intake this last week (initial assessment). I was told that I might start doing more intakes, and that may become my Tuesdays for the rest of the year...I also will shortly be assigned clients to work with individually. All in all, my internship is going great this year and am enjoying all the staff, interns, clients and the work I'm doing so far.
My mom comes to visit in a little over a week, and I am SO excited to see her! She will be here for a week and we have lots of fun things planned, including a trip to Philadelphia! I will post pictures and update my blog after she leaves!
Back to paper writing, 1 left to do.
bye for now <3
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Welcome to Midterms
Thursday, September 16, 2010
2nd year internship
I think that's enough information for now, I'm really excited to continue on this year and see what happens. I will update later this month/early next when I have actually had my first group and possibly even seen my first client. School is school, I'm looking forward to 2 of my 4 classes, and think I will learn a lot in those two, but I really could do without the other two. I've already started the countdown to Christmas break ;)
Bye for now <3
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Last Year
I am happy to be done w/ summer and back into a routine, but I'm sure soon as the stacks of reading pile up I will wish for it to be summer again. I'm loving the new apartment and the location is fantastic. The best part is my internship and school are both a 5 minute or less walk each from my place! Not much more to talk about, just the fact that I have officially started my last year of school, and am anxiously awaiting my internship to start and am crossing my fingers that I enjoy it and have as good of an experience this year as I did last.
Bye for now <3
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
My new apartment!!!
Bye for now <3
Saturday, August 7, 2010
July
Being jobless, I had to cancel the trip to DC I had planned this month to visit my friend and wasn't really able to do many fun things in the city. It's been SO hot here that I haven't really wanted to wander around the city as it is. I did however just move. My lease was up at the end of July and the whole month my roommate and I have been frantically looking for a new place. We had a low rent price we were willing to pay and many requirements, so it was very difficult to find what we wanted. But after seeing 15 apartments, all in a 2 day span, we found a really nice place in the West Village. The West Village is one of my favorite, if not my most favorite areas of the city. The best part is I can walk to school, it's only 3 blocks away, AND I can walk to my internship! The neighborhood is amazing and there is so much to do here, and it is just so pretty. I'm sure I will be posting pictures frequently of the neighborhood. The apartment is great and I will post a video of our place once we get all the furniture in and put together. I am now living w/ a girl that I went to high school with. I knew who she was, but I probably only talked to her a few times while in school. She just recently moved to NYC for law school and we decided to live together. We get along great and I'm looking forward to living w/ her for the next year or more.
That's about all that's going on in my life right now, I'm just trying to enjoy the last few weeks of my summer, I can't believe my last long 4 month summer is almost over!
bye for now <3
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Canada
It was such a great trip, even if I feel like it past too quickly. We have so much in common and are so similar that we always have a good time, even if we are just sitting around watching tv. The hardest part of my trip is that Ottawa and Montreal are bilingual, and most of their friends speak french as their first language. So they would randomly while speaking break into french. I would listen and quickly turn to look at Mel to ask her to translate for me! She would summarize what they said for me, the part that was the funniest is that most didn't realize they did it, so a few times people would ask me questions in french and not realize that they hadn't just said whatever in english.
I'm hoping that they will come sometime in the next year to visit me again back here in the city, I really do wish we lived closer to each other. However, we are so similar and work so well together that we are planning to travel together. All 3 of us are planning a trip in 2012 to go to Australia. They are planning on going for a few more weeks than me, so I will meet up with them there, but I'm so excited to start planning that trip and go explore more of this world w/ them. I will upload my pictures later this afternoon online, so check my http://picasaweb.google.com/cmwright121 later today for pictures from Canada.
Bye for now <3
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Florida
I had a great trip to Florida. It was too short, but I was glad I got to at least see Angie and where she now calls home. Friday Angie took me on a tour of her town, then we went to visit her sister. Angie's nephew, who is 6 - is my boyfriend, and he had a gift for me when I got there. He baked me cookies, gave me a picture of himself, made me a lego heart, and gave me a marriage license and wedding ring! She lives right outside Daytona Beach, so Saturday we spent the day at the beach. She showed me the nightlife in her town on Saturday night and then Sunday I left. It was really short, but it was great to catch up, and next time I go I'm hoping to be there for more than a few days and maybe go to some of the theme parks in Orlando. Here are a few pictures from my trip.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Summer
My summer has been very full of eventful things so far, and it's only going to get more exciting. This past weekend a group of friends and I went to the Belmont (the 3rd a final race of the triple crown). I had so much fun, we took a trolley there and back and watched races all day and hung out with friends, and made some new ones too. Thanks to Aunt Carolyn, this weekend I am going to visit Angie (my old roommate and friend) who lives in Florida. I am so excited to see her and see where she now calls home. Then in two and a half weeks I leave for Canada. I will be up there visiting my friends who I met last year in Europe for a week. They came down at New Years time to visit NYC, and now I'm going to see Canada. I will be there for Canada Day and one of the girls 25th birthdays. I am so excited to be going up there to visit them, and look forward to seeing Canada. The rest of the summer I have no real plans so far, except I would like to go visit my roommate who is interning in DC for the summer.
I updated my pictures from this summer, here is the link.
http://picasaweb.google.com/cmwright121/Summer2010#
bye for now <3
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Up to date...
Aunt Carolyn did the NICEST thing and gave me her air vouchers that were about to expire. So in a couple weeks I will be going to visit my friend and old roommate, who moved about the same time as me last year, in Florida. I'm so excited to see her and am super excited to see some of Florida. I unfortunately because of my new job will only be there 2 days, but that's better than nothing and I'm so glad I finally get to hang out with her again. I miss her terribly, and because she isn't back in Cali anymore I can't even see her when I go home to visit.
That's about it for now. Here is the link for pictures...
http://picasaweb.google.com/cmwright121
bye for now <3
Friday, May 14, 2010
D-O-N-E!!!!
I somehow pulled off a great surprise. I went home this past week to visit my family. It was the only time this summer I was free to go, because school is over and I don't start my job til the end of this month, so it was perfect timing to go home and visit....AND it just so happens that Mother's Day fell during the time I wanted to come visit. SO I surprised my mom, and did a great job, no one spilled the beans and told her, even though me and my sister many time almost slipped. She was very very surprised and wouldn't let go of me for a while, she kept saying she was dreaming. It was great to be home and visit with the family and see my friends. My dad helped out so that I could bring Willy w/ me because it would have cost more to board him here than to bring him back and forth with me. Thanks Dad! I was able to see most of my friends, and spend quality time with them and the family. It was only a week trip, which always flies by too quickly, but I'm excited to be back in the city and experience Summer here. There is so many things to do and experience during summers here, I'm looking forward to concerts, plays, and movies in the parks, and just spending time outside exploring the city more.
I just flew home from CA tonight, and am on Pacific time still so I can't sleep, but I will update later this week w/ some pics from my visit and a bit more about whats going on in my life. Sorry it's been so long since I updated this, but the day after I finished finals I flew home.
Bye for now <3
Monday, April 19, 2010
Finals
Bye for now <3
Currently listening to: Undisclosed Desires by Muse
Saturday, April 10, 2010
April
Now for April....I lose all that social life I had last month. No more dinners during the week, or on the weekends. No going out with friends. I have finals due in 3.5 weeks now....I can't believe I am almost 1/2 way done with my Masters!!! I have to write 3 15pg papers (one I have to read a 400pg book first-I'm on 219 right now), study and take a final exam, and write my part of a group paper, edit the group paper, and give a group presentation. I HATE presenting, so I'm hoping that I can speak less since I will be the one editing the paper! We shall see if my group members allow that. I am done with my internship on the 29th of this month, so I have to start talking to the kids about how I will be leaving and that they will have new social workers next year. I think it's gunna be kinda hard with a couple of them. :( School ends on the 28th, except one class goes until the 5th of May because we had a snow day in Feb. and we have to make up that class.
I looked more into the study aboard program in Costa Rica, and although I would love to do it, I physically cannot afford it. So I will be in NY all summer (which is a 4 month summer for me!) I am looking for a job, and my current supervisor has passed my resume onto a former employer who is trying to get him back at their agency. If I am able to get a job there I would be working with adults who are disabled. If I cannot get a job there, then I will just apply to admin jobs or receptionist jobs, because I'm sure I can't get much more than that with a company knowing that I will have to go back to school in the fall. That's about it for now. Off to go work more on my finals.
<3 Bye for now.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
It's Springtime in the city!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Friday, March 19, 2010
March
As soon as Kimmie leaves I am on the home stretch to being half way done with my Masters! That's right, I am almost half way done!!! I have 6 weeks left as of now, so once Kimmie leaves I will be focusing on finals, finals, and more finals. I have to wrap up things at my internship and discuss termination with my clients. The children are used to have a new Social Worker each year at the school, but it doesn't make it any easier to say bye. I have filled out my paperwork for my 2nd year placement, and am hoping to be placed in the psych ward of a hospital or a in-patient residential facility. I should find out sometime mid summer.
I am still waiting for the tutoring position to start, I have gotten fingerprinted, and according to the women I spoke to earlier today I should be getting a phone call to complete the hiring process on Monday. So I can get 3 months of tutoring kids before they have summer break. I also may have a possible job opportunity with my current supervisor's old company. I don't know much more than it would be with disabled adults, but my supervisor will inform us more about it this upcoming week.
Lastly, I am hoping to go study abroad in Costa Rica this summer. The program is through the Social Work program at NYU and I would go for 3 weeks to Costa Rica and take an immersion Spanish class. According to students that went last year, you will come back fluent (on an elementary school level) in Spanish. It would open so many doors to be fluent in Spanish, especially in the field I am in. A lot of my clients come from immigrant families and do not speak the language, and the most prominent language we see is some form of Spanish. I found out the cost of the program, and now am waiting to find out how much financial aid will cover for summer classes. I would love to go, and it would benefit me in the long run professionally, but I don't have extra money to spend on anything. So if financial aid can not give me enough to cover the program cost, then I will be staying here in August instead of going to Costa Rica.
That's about it for now...I will update again after Kimmie leaves and let y'all know all about her visit!
bye for now <3
Monday, March 1, 2010
NC for the weekend
I went to North Carolina this weekend and had a wonderful time. I got out of NY just as the snow storm hit, I was the last AA flight out of NY. I finally got to meet Hannah, and spend time with the girls and my brother and sister in law. I had a great weekend full of playing with the girls, and going out to dinner w/ Brian and Mere. I also had a chance to go experience Monkey Joes, and it's seriously the best idea someone has come up with! They now need to invent one for adults too!! :) I wish I lived closer to all of them, I've been back only a day and I already miss them so much. The next few weeks may be a bit stressful for me, I have midterms to write and a exam to study for, and I have to make up a day at my internship for leaving early to beat the snowstorm. Here are a few pics from this weekend, the rest are on http://picasaweb.google.com/cmwright121
Bye for now <3
Monday, February 22, 2010
Baltimore and DC
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Friday, February 19, 2010
What a year
wow! So walking home from running errands, I was walking down a street that had stereotypical NY apartments, brick buildings w/ fire escapes. The street looked so pretty, even if the lack of leaves on the trees, and the dirty melting snow on the edges of the sidewalk. I realized as I walked down the street that if someone would have told me a year ago that I would be living in NYC and going to NYU I would have thought them crazy. First off, there is NO WAY that NYU would accept me, and secondly NYC?!? I always thought that it would be so much fun to live here for a summer but I thought that I couldn't last longer than that here just from what I saw in movies, tv shows, and how people described it to me. I have to admit when I came to visit I didn't understand what the big fuse was, and why everyone hated this city so much. So many people have very strong feelings about NYC, some positive, but mainly they were negative thoughts and feelings. I have been here about 6 months and I think I fall into the category of those who have positive feelings towards and about NYC. I think this city is amazing and I love that there is always something to do, somewhere to go, and you never have to do the same thing twice or eat at the same restaurant twice.
A year of go I would have thought you were crazy that I would move cross country and leave all my friends and family to go to graduate school. It was really hard, and still is hard to not be able to just take a quick trip home for the day, but I am so glad that i did it. I think I would have always regretted and wondered "what if" if I hadn't come. I know that this is not a city I want to spend the rest of my life in, but for someone in their early 20s I think it's a great place. Moving away forced me to leave my comfort zone and do many things that I wouldn't have done if I still lived in California. I will run errands and go shopping alone, I will go to the movies alone, and I will even eat in a restaurant alone. I feel like as a person I really have grown in the last half a year, and I have learned a lot about myself and who I want to be.
That is all for now, off to Baltimore and DC in the morning! :)Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
February
This month I have a lot going on. Next week I have a couple field trips with the children at my internship, so we are busy trying to get them all organized and get everything we need for the trips. Next weekend, Valentine's Day and Presidents Day weekend, my friend Amanda is also coming to visit! I'm so excited to see her and show her my city! ;) The week after that I do not have my internship because schools here have winter recess for a week in February, the week of Presidents Day. The weekend after Presidents Day I am going w/ my friend to Maryland to get a personal tour of Baltimore and then down to DC for a day. I'm so excited, because those are both places that I have not been, and both are on my list of places in the states I want to go! :) The last week this month I have a midterm due, then I leave to go to North Carolina to visit my brother, sister in law, and my 2 little nieces! I'm so excited to finally meet Hannah! It's been too long since I have been to NC and been able to visit my brother and his family.
I'm excited for all the fun adventures this month, but I know that school is the first priority, and I want my grades this semester to be just as good as last. I'm actually procrastinating right now from my readings....so back to that.
<3 Bye for now
Friday, January 29, 2010
Culture and Social Issues of Central America - Study Abroad in Costa Rica
This course will introduce students to the European-heritage and Indigenous cultures of and contemporary socio-political issues facing developing countries with a focus on Latin America emphasizing issues affecting children and families in of Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Using Costa Rica as the focus of study, domestic and international aid responses to poverty and vulnerable populations, public and private, will be explored.
This course is an opportunity to learn about and from the developing world… in Costa Rica! From a global perspective (with an emphasis on Latin America), we will explore social policy issues as they affect vulnerable populations, particularly children and families. We will be introduced to domestic and international aid responses through guest lectures and site visits.
For the field portion of the program, we will be spending three to six afternoons at a public child care center for very poor, pre-school children, half of whom are Costa Rican and half of whom are from Nicaragua. Students should be prepared to engage the children in activities (arts and crafts, music, dance, games), providing their own supplies.
So, I found out this week that my program each summer goes to Costa Rica for a study abroad class. All I know so far is as much as I posted above (the course description) But I was thinking this would be a pretty cool thing to go and do. I want to travel more and although I have a always associated study abroad w/ Europe, why not go to a place I have never been and speaks the language I am trying to soon become bi-lingual in. We shall see what happens, I can not find out any more until after the information session in the begging of March. Very excited though of the possibility
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
And so it begins again...
I also have a busy social life this semester too, now seeing how much time school takes I see that I do have enough time to do other things too. I have a friend coming to visit every month from back home in Cali for a long weekend. My sister is also coming in March during her Spring break, and I am going down to North Carolina to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and 2 nieces next month! I am finally going to see more of the North East too, my friend from Maryland invited me to come down with her during one of the long weekends in February to see Baltimore and then she said she would take me to DC too. I'm also looking into studying abroad this summer for 3-6 weeks. I am going to a meeting later this month to see if I can afford it and if the courses offered can count as an elective towards my Masters. And in July I plan to go up to Ottawa, Canada to visit my Canadian friends who came down here for New Years. I am very much looking forward to all the exciting adventures ahead and continuing to learn at my internship and become a better therapist.
Monday, January 11, 2010
New Pictures
I will update later this week or early next week about my grades and next semester's classes. :)
Monday, January 4, 2010
Happy New Year
I had a great trip home to see my family and visit with most of my friends. It was great to be in warmer weather (a little too warm for December) but it's SoCal. I was home for a week and a half and it was not enough to visit with everyone enough. Christmas was great and I got very needed warm clothes! The day I came back to NY my friends from Canada, that I met this summer in Europe, came down to visit for a week. We were busy the whole time they were here, showing them all the tourist and must see site seeing place. We also did ALOT of shopping. Well I did looking, but they were able to have a larger selection to choose from here than they do back at home, and our clothes and shoes are cheaper than in Canada. We went to a club for NYE and had a good time. Their whole visit was jam packed but it was great to hang out with them again. I already started to plan my trip this summer to go up to Canada for a long weekend to visit them! The past 4-6 weeks have been packed with finals, Christmas back in Cali, and out of town visitors. It was a great time, but I am looking forward to slowing down the next few weeks. I start back to my internship tomorrow (same school I was at this past fall) and have that 3 times a week until May, classes do not start until the 20th, so I have a few weeks to relax until I'm back into the swing of school. I am so exhausted from being on the go for so long, I'm going to go eat some dinner and go to bed early. I will update soon about what classes I will be taking and how I did on my first semester of grad school.
<3 Bye for now.