Monday, November 19, 2012

Wheelin' it on Semester at Sea

I'm rushing off to class, but I wanted to quickly post this awesome video featuring a guy who uses a wheelchair on the current SAS voyage.   See, I'm not the only crazy one!



Picture from semesteratsea.org.


http://www.semesteratsea.org/2012/11/19/changing-perspectives-how-sas-helped-one-student-redefine-beauty/?cerror=incorrect-captcha-sol#respond

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Spotlight on The Deaf Dream



  One of the most amazing things about Semester at Sea was the people I met on my trip.  Practically everyone was adventurous, globally minded, and committed to changing the world for the better.  I'm very excited to introduce you to one of these awesome people, Destiny and her recently launched organization The Deaf Dream.


   Destiny was inspired by our SAS trip to create an organization to empower Deaf individuals all over the world.  Everyone has dreams, but not everyone has an environment that will allow them to come true.  The Deaf Dream will work with individuals and communities to promote education and employment in places that are not currently set up to offer those opportunities.  As you can see on the organization's home page, it's not about helping, it's about empowering.  It's about working together and creating future leaders in the Deaf community.



Destiny and Friend on the Trip

  Start with this video, and learn more on the website!


Friday, November 2, 2012

Hurricane and Halloween!

The past couple of weeks have been a whole lot of fun!  I had been doing great and my wheelchair was gathering dust after two weeks of disuse.  Good times!   I also have been getting to know people in the dorms and in my program a lot more.

First order of business is how flipping excited I am that my boys won the World Series!  I fell asleep before the end of the game (yes I'm a granny who goes to bed at 9:00) but I woke up to a spectacular text from my Dad telling me they won.  There was much rejoicing.  And I carved this at my dorm pumpkin carving event.  Because I love the Giants.  A lot.

Gooo Giants!!!!
I started celebrating Halloween early with an OT party on Saturday.   It just reinforced how much I love the people in my program!  I went at a honey bee and was pretty proud of my last minute costume.  I went shopping for a few hours earlier that day (no wheelchair! yay midodrine!) AND made the costume AND had fun at the party all in one single day!


OT Halloween Party.  We are so flipping adorable!  

Le Honey Bee Costume (with messy room in the background)
  Then the excitement didn't stop as I spent Sunday battening down the hatches for hurricane Sandy!  It was my first hurricane so I was beyond excited!  Classes, and therefore TWO midterms, were canceled on Monday so I got to spend the whole day watching the storm and discovering tumblr.  Before the storm hit though, I was sure to make a hurricane emergency kit:


That would be: flip flops, charged phone, water, glow sticks, waterproof cameral case and video camera in waterproof case, a large and awesome book, a useless umbrella, lip gloss, and my sonic screwdriver.  


    The storm turned out to  be just ok on the excitement level though.  I'm sure those in NYC will have a different story, but I felt perfectly safe and cozy inside.

The expectation:





 The reality:



  The only bad part of the storm was that the low pressure royally screwed with my body.  I collapsed on the stairs trying to get to lunch that day and have been utilizing freddy the wheelchair ever since.  I'm hoping this is all due to the storm, because I also have headaches again and that does not bode well for my surgery free future.

Anyway, then it was Halloween!  I dressed up in my second awesome costume for anatomy lab.


I then promptly had a really horrible shaky time and spent most of lab doing my best seizure impression and then wanting to nap.  At the tail end of the lab, I started to feel better and we had some Halloween fun.  And made up dance moves to go with the muscles in the hands.  Because that's how we roll.
Halloween, anatomy lab style!

Meet George.  George is a special skeleton.  His arm is on backwards and his scapula goes up to his chin. Now George has a mustache so he is a sir.

Also, freddy dressed up for Halloween.  :0)

 Time to get ready for Friday service learning at the Boys and Girls Club.  Always the highlight of my week!  Last week the kids played Quiddich!