"Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life." ~Henry L. Doherty

Internship is a wonderful experience, one I would recommend for just about any profession.  It offers the opportunity to learn by observation, by action, by discussion and collaboration.  For professional counseling, the intern is assigned to a supervisor, and mine's the best:  Bonnie Blauser at Sunbeam Family Services.  I thoroughly enjoy my time in supervision with Bonnie, and have learned so much from her - I want to take her with me to Oregon/Washington, but know that's impossible.  On that note, I've emailed and spoken with 5 therapists in the Portland/Vancouver areas regarding possible supervision and have decided to apply for licensure in both Oregon and Washington.  To that end, I have appointments with two of the therapists who are approved supervisors for both states.   I look forward to meeting them and expanding my network of colleagues.

But, yikes - time is flying!  In a nutshell, here's how the next few weeks will look:

• March 19: our 'baby' daughter Jaime's 26th birthday!
• March 21: we leave with Alex and Devon Miller for the American Counseling Association's national conference in San Francisco.  This will be my first trip to California, the keynote speaker is Irvin Yalom, and attendance serves as our final paper for internship class.  Now, that's a deal I couldn't pass up! 
• April 12: off to Portland.  Buck's never seen the area (yes, he's still game for the move!) and we want to look at rentals. 
• April 13:  meet with therapists Bob Powell and Ceit Aquin Brooks in Vancouver, WA, to discuss licensure supervision.
• April 25: my final day of class - that means finishing up my case study, continuing the required hours of study for the National Counselor's Exam, and completing a take-home final.
• April 25 or May 2:  not sure which date yet, but one will be the end of my internship at Sunbeam. 
• April 27: my last day of work at OCU, which will be very bittersweet.  I've been here for just shy of 12 years, earned my bachelor's and (almost) my master's degrees, and made lots of wonderful friends - faculty, staff, and students.
• April 27: Jaime comes in for the weekend to host a bridal shower. 
• May 5: Graduation Day!!!
• May 10: our target date for leaving OKC for the great Northwest.  If the house hasn't sold, Buck and the dogs will have to stay behind while I go up to find a job.  Prayers, please - St. Joseph (buried in the yard) needs some motivation!

Throw packing into the mix, and it figures to be a busy couple of months.    And while I get tired at the thought of all the hubbub, I'm excited, as well.  Activity.  Variety.  Adventure.  They're all tied into the best pasttime ever - learning!