Labor Day weekend was our last official hurrah before we become buried in school and work this fall. We decided to try something different and go camping in the mountains about two hours away from home. Due to AJ's work obligations, we had to adjust our plans a bit but everything still worked out perfectly.
On Saturday afternoon we drove straight up to a campsite in the mountains of New Mexico. Although we were initially disappointed at how many people were already there, we managed to find our own private spot on the top of a hill nearby. Once we were up there, it really felt like we were all on our own. We set up the tent, and then AJ went back down the mountain to grab us McDonald's salads for dinner. I read a textbook in the tent while he was gone. We shared dinner at a picnic table at the campsite before gathering tinder and wood for a fire near our tent (there was already a fire pit made of rocks, so it was totally safe). AJ got a great fire going, and we spent the rest of the evening listening to piano music on his phone and talking. It was so relaxing.
Although we didn't get a ton of sleep because of the hard ground, the weather was great and there were no scary forest critters to speak of besides the herd of wild horses at our campsite. In the morning we packed up the tent before heading to Denny's for breakfast, just to have a nicer meal. I took advantage of being in the Southwest by adding some "world famous" (as they say here) green chiles to my breakfast burrito while AJ got his usual. It was fun seeing the local crowd with all the men dressed in cowboy hats, button-down shirts, jeans, and cowboy boots. Definitely something we would not have experienced back home!
We grabbed some Subway sandwiches for lunch and then drove back up the mountain for some hiking. We were really the only people on the trails, and went pretty far. Even though most of the trees had been burned in a wildfire a few years ago, it was still stunningly beautiful. I definitely enjoy hiking in the national forest much more than the rocky desert here. After eating our sandwiches we headed back to town, grabbed some tea from Starbucks for the road, and went back home. We loved the chance to get out of the city and enjoy nature, but we sure were glad to come home to the modern conveniences we enjoy every day :)
Okay, so it doesn't feel at all like fall here in the Southwest. The temperatures are still in the 90s (although low 90s!) and most days are pretty sunny, with the exception of the last two. Since moving here I have definitely learned that there is such a thing as too much sun.
Last week I started my second (and Lord willing second to last!) semester of grad school. On Monday I just had one class about advanced practice with individuals. We'll be doing a lot with the DSM-5 (diagnosing related to mental health) and using clinical theories to do therapy with clients.
Wednesdays are by far the worst day of the week. I have to leave at 7:20am to get to my first class at 8:30. That class is about family therapy, and I can tell I'm going to enjoy it. This professor is teaching for the first time and is pretty realistic about what our lives are like as grad students. She's also an Army wife--who knew?
I have a break for about two hours, during which I grab lunch (and coffee), do homework, and hang out with the other advanced standing students. In the afternoon I have an advanced policy class, which is all about politics and policy as they relate to the interests of social work. I'm going to have to write a letter to the editor of a New Mexico newspaper, research policy, and participate in a mock debate with my classmates. Again, good professor, although not my favorite subject.
I get another two hours of down time before I go to my last class, which is mental health treatment of adolescents. I'm really interested in the topic, but not so much in the style of the course. Due to the fabulous technological innovations of my generation, we can be in a class taught by a professor in Albuquerque. It's basically like a Skype session, with us main campus people together on one end and the professor with the Albuquerque students on the other end. The only trouble is we can't see the professor's powerpoints and class participation is tough for us since the professor is on the other end with another class. It got so tough, and we were so exhausted that sometimes we just muted our end of the session and talked amongst ourselves. Oops. Anyway, I'm finally free at 8:30pm and am almost too tired to drive back to the other side of the mountains. But I do.
This week the real fun begins, since tomorrow is my first day of field! I have my hospital badge and parking permit and am all ready to go. The days are sure to be long and busy, but I'm excited to jump in and start doing social work again. And Lord willing, I will survive grad school to tell you all about it. :)
Labor Day weekend was our last official hurrah before we become buried in school and work this fall. We decided to try something different and go camping in the mountains about two hours away from home. Due to AJ's work obligations, we had to adjust our plans a bit but everything still worked out perfectly.
We grabbed some Subway sandwiches for lunch and then drove back up the mountain for some hiking. We were really the only people on the trails, and went pretty far. Even though most of the trees had been burned in a wildfire a few years ago, it was still stunningly beautiful. I definitely enjoy hiking in the national forest much more than the rocky desert here. After eating our sandwiches we headed back to town, grabbed some tea from Starbucks for the road, and went back home. We loved the chance to get out of the city and enjoy nature, but we sure were glad to come home to the modern conveniences we enjoy every day :)
