Move...

"Move." I couldn't agree more. There's a lot to be said for trying new things, meeting new people (maybe making new friends), eating new foods, listening to/learning new languages, learning new skills, picking up new hobbies, and seeing new sights. 

Until I went to college, I'd never been around a group of diverse people who had strong--and usually well-founded--opinions of their own, who were aspiring to dreams and passions of their own, and yet looked at the world so differently than I did. There, I about learned the wonderful world of Spore, WoW, Guitar Hero, and Halo mixed in with getting calculus homework help and attending a class on entrepreneurship & creative design process along with 60+ of my fellow dorm residents. Some of my favorite memories are of the lively 2am discussions in the hallway about the ethics of genetic research, global climate change, how ESPN's player stats are run through the wrong statistical model, and why the students alternate rows to "saw 'em off" during the A&M fight song in order to maintain the structural integrity of the student section of Kyle Field. 

When I got to graduate school, my classmates were more streamlined and I had less time to spend with outside friends. Although the 35 of us were on a similar path, we were still quite diverse with unique reasons for pursuing physical therapy and different dream jobs post-graduation. I found a group of people who challenged me to study hard, strengthen my clinical reasoning, maintain my patient empathy, and work as a team more than an individual. Several classes were integrated with students from the other allied health programs as well as with the 1st year medical students; in those class discussions we worked through case scenarios from each of our disciplines' perspectives and formed a cohesive multidisciplinary hypothetical treatment plan.

Currently, I work and live in an culture that values sameness, tradition, tried-and-true methods, and personal relationships. I often find myself caught between these two worlds... and it's not easy. This restless girl with the travel bug occasionally feels trapped. This passionate forward thinker occasionally butts heads with "how we've always done it." Yet I continue to move as often and as far as I can. I try to bring others with me and expand their horizons. And I tell them my stories to inspire them to step into another's shoes or open their heart to new possibilities. 

If we sat down and talked, I'd tell you about the time I made friends with a young girl in Germany who spoke less than 20 English words. I'd tell you about the time I played soccer in East Malaysia with a ball made of plastic bags and twine. I'd tell you about the 4 hour church service in West Africa where the only word I could sing along was "Hallelujah amen!"  I'd tell you about the kind fellow passenger who helped me up when I fell on a hike in Antarctica. And I'd tell you about the autobiographical books I'm reading now that make my heart ache, laugh, and cry alternately with each page.

How are you going to "move" today?