Updated Status: MUSC Alum :)

Monday Afternoon
I am proud to say that I graduated with my Master's in Occupational Therapy from MUSC this weekend & was absolutely humbled by the love I received from my family & friends. It was a wonderful weekend spent with those I love and cherish most :) Now that you know that I have my Master's, you might be wondering what is next on my list...well, here it is.

A Start To A Graduate's To-Do List

1. Study over the next month & pass the NBCOT exam in August. Claim that OTR/L status!

2. Secure a job. Any job really. In the state of South Carolina. Charleston would be nice.

3. Become a true "South Carolinian" & say good-bye to my TN tags & driver's license. 

4. Move out of my downtown apartment & into something with washer/dryer connections.

5. Put my new racket to use & take up tennis. Be ready to challenge Nandito in 12 months. 

6. Commit to studying Spanish & practice it daily. But really this time. Really.

That's a hefty list. Numbers 1 and 2 terrify me, but I know things will work out on their own if I put forth the effort and ask for help along the way. I have no idea what my life is going to look like in the next few months or even in a year, but I plan to stay positive, dance to Stealers Wheel when I am stressed, keep chocolate nearby & trust the Big Man Upstairs :) 

That said, cheers to the next chapter! Thanks again for all your support. Would not have survived the last two years without you all in my life. Love you all & enjoy the pictures!

"Faith is not about everything turning out okay; faith is about being okay no matter how things turn out." 

We Vibe

Wednesday News

1. I have a love for posting on Wednesdays. Probably because it's known as "Hump Day".

2. Had an amazing 4th of July in Hilton Head. Riding on handle bars & catching blue crabs.

3. Heading to TN in 2 hours. Couldn't be happier. Love seeing my best friends & family. 

4. Currently on the hunt for a new apartment in Charleston. Definitely staying in SC :)

5. Still in search of a job. Waiting to hear back from a few. Positive thoughts & prayers. 

6. Graduating in 10 days. Wild. Welcoming change, an income and a career I can live for!

7. Found and retrieved my first sand dollar on the 4th :) Hoping it brings goooood luck. 

8. Haven't had the best luck with movie rentals lately. Ready for a movie to stir my soul. 

9. Lulu Marie experienced a minor bump & lost a pedal. In the shop until further notice. 

10. Finished my last rotation EVER last Friday. I'm going to love the status of an OTR/L. 

Featured Music

This song has been making its round through emails, You Tube, Vimeo & blogs since dropping July 1st. With 400+ views in just a matter of days, this video is sure to make its way to 1000 in no time. You might think I am partial to this artist, and maybe I am, but you'll thank me later for introducing you two. If you like his sound, show him some love and "like" his video. His upcoming "We Vibe" EP will counter your thirst for more after listening to his first single, "I Don't Fear." 

Cheers to an indelible beginning, Marco Mar. May the world hear your music and vibe to the music of your life. Friends & family, as always, you are my reason for being. Love you all. Wishing you a great Wednesday.

Mid-Week Updates :)

All Smiles on Wednesday 

1. Woke up to "Good Life" this morning. Wonderful start to my day.

2. Received a call at 7:30AM with some great news! Interview (Part 2) on Thursday at 3PM!

3. After a rough hour at work today, a patient surprised me with dessert. Spirits lifted!

4. Left work at 5PM today. An early day in my book. No traffic & home 10 minutes later.

5. Happy to be greeted by such an excited pup when I got home. I'm such a mom.

6. So You Think You Can Dance comes on tonight at 8PM. Need I say more? Ps. Go Melanie!

Things I Learned Today...or Were Reminded Of :)

1. Every morning is a fresh start; a new day to grow beyond who we were the day before. 

2. God is my bus driver! If I take the steps to get to that bus stop, He will lead the way!

3. As much as I support them, my patients also support me. Love that about my career!

4. Nelson is such a great companion & keeps me entertained. Audience at the Fountain :)

5. I LOVE "smiley" emoticons.I find them to really convey my happiness in techy-mediums. 

6. Blessed with the most wonderful friends, family and boyfriend a girl could ever ask for.

WEDNESDAY JAMS

Jammed to Phoenix all the way to work this morning. Found it to be the perfect CD to dance to in celebration after receiving that AM phone call (really tempted to insert a smiley emoticon here...withholding). Want some entertainment? Pull up to my car when I am listening to their Wolfgang Amadeus CD. I can't control myself. Thanks to my kid brother, I was able to see them LIVE at Lollapalooza last year (most of you know this, but I am still in awe and have to remind myself of its phenomenal occurrence). I cried happy tears and danced uncontrollably through their entire show. Check them out if you've yet to experience them! Personal fave...1901!

Love you friends & Happy Hump Day!!

Paloma

The Weekend of Spoleto

Week's Recap

1. Great run on Tuesday afternoon...which was followed by dessert before dinner. Classic.

2. Made my first static progressive splint on Friday. No pattern & engineered a pulley :)

3. Had my first job interview this week. Great experience! Peer interview next week.

4. Trombone Shorty (!!) tonight at the Cistern Yard & Circa tomorrow at 2pm for Spoleto.

5. One week closer to being done! 22 days until Hilton Head & 36 days until Graduation!   

BIG Thanks

1. To all of my friends who prayed for me this week. Your support was felt miles away!

2. To Andres for making me laugh & conducting a mock interview w/ dinner last night. XO.

3. To my mom for her continuous support. Such a stellar lady! You inspire me.

Empowering Music

Nose job or not (who cares anyways...!), Beyonce is an inspiration to women world wide. Being a fan of hers since Destiny's Child, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching her develop as an artist and woman. Her music is edgy, innovative and more than anything, empowering. I love her new song, "Run The World (Girls)". I would expect nothing less from an artist such as her. It's eerie and risky. It's sexily swanky and makes me feel like I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. Ugh. Divaaaaaa! :)

   

Prayer Requests For...

1. Dre & our other friends who are taking the Step One board exam next week.

2. Strength and composure as I proceed to my Peer Interview next week. 

3. Emily & Marshall who get married next Saturday, June 18th! I love LOVE!

4. Marco as he prepares to release his first solo EP and share his music video :)

5. Those experiencing Bonnaroo. It's going to be a hot one this year.
6. Those awaiting surgery in the next few weeks: patients and family members. 

Quotes To Note

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps." 

 Proverbs 16:9

"Whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all."

 Galatians 6:10 

A Lulu Marie Summer

A Tuesday for a Monday...Don't Mind If I Do!
1. Eventful weekend with the girls.  High heels & educational dinners.
2. The start of a Lulu Marie Summer. A sea-foam "Popsicle" cruiser from Dre & Adge :)
3. Beach-driven days, J.LO featured playlists, and Blonde Bombshells in hand. 
4. Local adventures, lemonade for a $1.00 and carefree naps with Nelson. 
5. Open hearts, steps forward and lessons learned. Growing in love, faith & happiness.

Surprise/Early Graduation Gift from Andres & Adriana

To-Do's That Have Been Done in My Little, Wonderful Life
1. 3 weeks worth of laundry has been washed/dried/returned to its rightful place.
2. Survived my first bike ride downtown (in line with traffic!) by myself this afternoon. 


Prayer Requests
1. Those who have nothing nice to say. Being mean is not hip.
2. For continual growth & patience during the process of searching for a job. 
3. Open eyes & ears for help to listen & respond when I am being called. 


Tuesday Night Jams (a repeat this month)
1. KOL's New Album. Extremely therapeutic after a long weekend.  

My Monday

Lovely weekend & solid Monday :)
1. Went off-roading through an apartment complex Friday evening. Brief, yet exhilarating.
2. Made my first Farmer's Market purchase Saturday morning. A knotted bracelet & a pickle.
3. Purchased Spoleto tickets with Andres! Trombone Shorty & Circa the 2nd week of June!
4. Came across a plank of wood on our run Sunday morning! For our next project :)
5. Read Water for Elephants at WaterFront Park all Sunday afternoon. Loved the sun. 
6. Painted an "ode" to Jimmy Buffett last night. A Parrothead life is the way to go. 
7. Was approved for medical insurance today! Great, great news. Ollooo (MegaMind) Aetna!
8. Had a 1/2 day at work today! What's not to love about that. 6 more weeks to go!
9. Delicious shrimp pasta dinner tonight! 3 cheers for honey mustard and italian dressing.
10. Spotted a perfect window pane on Rose Lane today. For our next, next project :)


To-Do's That Have Been Done in My Little, Wonderful Life
1. Letters stuffed & stamped. Sending out 4 out with my resume tomorrow! J.O.B please!


Prayer Requests
1. Those in Missouri for relief, rest and shelter. 
2. My younger brother & his budding music career. 
3. Emily & Marshall as their wedding day approaches :)
4. Those studying for Step One in June. 
5. My classmates as we begin the job search. 


Monday Jams: Pitbull Craze
1. Pitbull & NeYo: Give Me Everything
2. Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull: On The Floor

Love you studs!! Have a great night. Check back for updates regarding my art projects! Can't wait to share :) XOXO.

The Immortals

With hopes that there is at least one faithful follower out there, I am back and deeply apologetic for my 24 day-hiatus. I have no excuse for my absence, no adventures on the other side of the world to speak of or a Picasso-inspired painting to display. 

What I would like to share with you is that I am one day closer to graduation (July 16th!) and find myself in a mad-pursuit to land a job here in Charleston (prayers deeply appreciated). I am still madly in love one year later and still break out in a sweat any time someone mentions his name. I am still enjoying my downtown apartment, though I curse the occasional “Palmetto Bug” that insists that he lives here too. I recently made a trip to Nashville to visit my girlfriends and find it comforting that some things never change. I still aspire to run everyday but find my comfy chair & Ellen DeGeneres more appealing after getting home from an 8 to 5 workday. I still snooze my alarm clock 3 times (maybe more depending on the weekday) before crawling out of bed but still manage to get to work with 2 minutes to spare. And lastly, I am still trying to perfect the art known as "cooking," but have developed a new love for whole grain spiral mac & cheese...by Velveeta. So, in a nut shell, my life is ever so blessed and I am most happy with my current situation. 

With this blog, I still intend to share music with you as it enters my life. I have had wonderful music experiences since my last posting, specifically with The Movement at Patriot's Point in Charleston. Wish you could have been present. However, it was not their show that instigated tonight's post. 

I was driving home from work today and found myself talking in circles. Not literally talking to myself, but most definitely in a cloud of thoughts that refused to give way no matter how hard I tried...that is until "The Immortals" started playing. I was not a fan of the new Kings of Leon CD when it first released, but their album has grown on me and their sound has not changed. For once, I will not share too much of my opinion with you regarding a song, but I do encourage you to take the time to listen to the lyrics and see how it might apply to your life at this point in time. 

This song personally lifted my spirits and saved me from crushing those I love most. Consider it a swift slap, a kind reminder, a best friend telling you to hang in there, to never settle, to live, to love and most importantly laugh at yourself...to find out who you are and who you want to be, to realize that there is more to life than you may allow yourself to see, and to never lose sight of your hopes & dreams. 

Give "The Immortals" a listen tonight. Know that I miss our careless ways and the times we took for granted when we lived together in the same space. Time to step into the light. Good night, my friends. Remember to always "Jump into the waters even when they're raging..."