Boring Update: The First Week

So...

Since last week, I got my schedule approved by my advisor, registered for classes, and then began attending them on Wednesday. I went to my Childhood Trauma class where we talked about September 11 and collective/community trauma. And we talked about how until the early 90s, the general idea out in psychology land was that children are not affected by traumatic experiences because they are too young, or won't remember, or will "bounce back". And now the research is shifting to say kids are never too young to not be affected by trauma. So then we talked about scary things like a whole schoolbus of kids getting kidnapped and being buried underground, or a girl snatched out of her bed at night and how they affect the victim, but also those hearing the stories.

On Thursday, mom came and picked me up. We went to the Longfellow House which is only a 5-10 minute walk from my house, and incidentally, right across from where the LDS church building is that burned- otherwise I'd be going to church there. (Hopefully they'll get it rebuilt and I can stop walking 30 minutes and taking the T to church!!!!)

The Longfellow house was also where George Washington stationed the army as the revolution was beginning. Mom and I were taking a tour when I started to feel like I was going to barf or faint. I tried to make it better, but the only way to do that was to sit down on the floor and draw attention to myself, which I finally did. And felt much better. They had someone come to guide me out and get me a paper cup from the bathroom filled with about 5 ounces of lukewarm water. It was gross, but I drank like 10 cups. (Don't worry- I got them myself. The museum staff didn't seem that inclined to help.)

Anyway. Then we walked back to my house and drove home to CT. On Friday, I cleaned most of the day and got my hair cut. I decided I might as well go to a cheap place so that if it turns out as bad as last time, at least I didn't pay a small fortune for it. I was really happy with the cut- the woman took a lot of time making sure it looked how I wanted and she was very picky about making sure it looked alright. So I gave her a big tip and still walked out paying less than $20. Now I just hope she's still there and remembers what she did when I need it cut again.

Friday night, Sean arrived from Washington D.C. We got up Saturday morning and I made breakfast before mom and dad left to go to Boston and Sean and I drove around and eventually ended up in Boston where we walked around Harvard and went and met my parents for a movie. We used the free tickets that Megan sent to me in the mail that were originally gifts from Evan like 8 years ago. I had mine as well, so that made 4. I hadn't used them because there weren't any theatres around Cromwell. But luckily, there was a theatre in Lowell, where mom and dad were staying.

We also decided that was the best gift we could have gotten; sort of like buying forever stamps. The price of movie tickets has continued to go up since then.

Movie tickets = $10.50 a piece (who pays that?!) x 4 = $42
Large popcorn = $6.75 x 2 = $13.50
Regular soda = $4.25 x 4 = $17

Total cost today: $72.50
We paid: $0
Circa 2002 Evan paid: I don't know, but I know it wasn't $73!!

Seriously. Those movie passes were a pretty good deal!

We saw Inception. It was good I guess- but I prefer to think the little spinny thing fell over at the end because I do not want to spend any more time thinking about that movie.

Then on Sunday we went and drove around and saw the medical schools Sean applied to in Boston, went to church, and walked the freedom trail. We ate at an Italian place in the north end (where everything is Italian) and then decided we might as well stand in line at Mike's Pastry, which always always has a line around the block for a cannoli. I have to say, it was a delicious cannoli. And I don't like cannolis generally. We also had a chocolate creme brulee, an eclair, a strawberry lobstertail cream puff, and another cannoli. It was delicious.

And then Sean left on Monday morning and I tried to read a bunch of assignments I failed to do over the long weekend. And then I went to dinner at a friend's house- she made us a "raw" dinner because she's trying to get back into eating only raw foods because she has health issues. Everything looked delicious and it was surprisingly filling, but it took her quite a while to make and I like my meat and processed foods just fine.

Tuesday I had three classes: Individual counseling, Risk and Resilience in Adolescence, and Practicum Seminar. At Practicum Seminar we usually talk about how things are going and get feedback on what to do with students, etc. But, this time we had our Practicum Site Fair where 21 different schools/NPOs came and we tried to convince them they liked us. Luckily, there were more practicum openings than there are students, so that made me feel a little better. A little.

So you sign up for interviews and then you're required to go visit at least three of the sites, and interview there. Then you make a list of your favorite sites, they make a list of their favorite interns, and hopefully they match up.

I had two interviews yesterday, one today, and possibly two tomorrow. I've officially been on the bus by myself now- got off about 8 block too early, but whatever. I have two interviews at middle schools, three at high schools.

Our lists are due by Friday at 1 and then we hear hopefully that night where we're going. And then practicum starts next week!

Yesterday I also had Group Counseling class. It was fine, but I think it will definitely be my sort of touchy-feely class of the semester. Individual Counseling is like that too, but not to the same degree. Group involves "sections" (most classes do- they're like "labs" at BYU) but in group our sections are actually... groups. We each take a turn facilitating a group counseling session with each other as participants. (We also have a Teaching Fellow (people now graduated and working who took the class) who run the group for a few weeks to get us going.) It's a little weird, not gonna lie. But at least not all that intellectually challenging.

Alright, I have to go get ready for my interview today.

-mollie