Just Katie Thoughts--5/16-5/22/2015

(Or, in which I battle bronchitis, ask you to give me $25, and flash back in time to share a tweet about a personalized license plate from Missouri.)

1. Last Friday, I came home from work and began losing my voice. By Saturday, I was walking around in a haze and croaking like a frog. By Sunday I couldn't speak at all and went from feeling super energized to feverish and weak in the span of seconds. I finally went to the doctor on Monday and discovered I had bronchitis. I ended up missing the last two days of school entirely because I was feverish with mild laryngitis and a brutal cough. Being sick is no fun. I am terrible at being sick. I think of all the other things I could be doing besides being sick and then attempt to do these things, only to surrender after about 5 minutes in order to go sleep for 3 hours from the exertion that I put forth. The good news is that this was the first time I have been go-to-the-doctor sick in 5 years, and a week later (and with some scary strong antibiotics in my system), I am on the mend.

2. United Parent Support for Down Syndrome Fundraising update: I have now raised $275 towards my charity for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon! Only $725 to go! (that number sounds absolutely terrifyingly daunting, but most of this whole marathon-for-charity experience has been such a leap of faith that I am holding onto hope and trusting that funds will be raised by my deadline of October!) My goal for the end of May is to have reached $300 before entering June. That's only $25 away! Now, I recognize that only about 3 people plus my parents read this blog, but if each of those 3 people who are reading my words donated $25 (or $10.....or $5....or the pennies you find in the lint of your couch....really I'm not picky.), that would put me $50 over my end-of-May goal and only $650 away from my final goal number of raising $1000 for UPS for DownS (which, as a refresher, is a charity that provides support for the families of individuals with Down syndrome and is using the proceeds from this year's race to promote literacy and learning in DownS patients). Might I ask you now, dear reader, to help a sister out?

CLICK HERE TO DONATE YOUR PENNIES TO A GOOD CAUSE


3. Last July, Alyssa, my Dad, and I went to the Woody Guthrie Festival in Okemah. This annual event became one of my favorite summer-in-Oklahoma things to do during my college years, and I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Oklahoma's native son and his legacy of folk music. Anyways, at the festival last year there was a lady named Amy Speace and she performed a song that she had written in honor of the late great Pete Seger. The song is called "Hymn for the Crossing" and is absolutely perfect for me in describing why music therapy is an important part of the interdisciplinary team of a hospice. Ms. Speace released the song for download a couple of months ago, and this week I finally got around to digging out my guitar and transcribing the song for my future musical endeavors. And speaking of which....

"Don't need my name carved into stone, just sing me a hymn for the crossing"

4. It is time for me to once again pursue my dreams of practicing as a music therapist. I recognize that those 3 of you + my parents who regularly read my words are probably thinking "good gracious, when will this girl stop having an existential crisis and stop boring us with details about her non-existent career?" All I can say is, sorry; not sorry. I'm still 24 years young and still figuring this whole "life" thing out. Being a para at Logan Avenue was a great transition job for me into married life and living in a new community. I will always be grateful for my brief time there. Also as of now I'm still working at Logan Avenue as a para next year and until a door opens for music therapy. But something in my heart has changed and I know that it is time to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy*.

It's hard to explain all the things that have changed to bring me to where I am right now. I've been seeing so many of my classmates and music therapist peers taking big chances, starting new jobs, and really following their dreams to provide music therapy. They have inspired me to once again follow my passion and take the risk of trying out my potential. Throughout my clinical training, my supervisors always told me that I had great potential, creativity, ability to go far in the field of music therapy. The problem with potential, though, is that the words means nothing if you choose to just sit and stagnate. Also on top of this new desire to take chances and follow my passion, I had my 30-day supervision meeting a couple of weeks before school was out for my job as a para. Long story short, I asked my boss if I could possibly include brief music therapy opportunities in my schedule next year with the kids in the classroom I serve; I was told a very kind but very definite "no". I like my job as a para, I really truly do. But it doesn't set a fire in my soul like my music therapy career paths have. So why am I investing my time in a place that doesn't set my soul aflame? Also there's this app called TimeHop that shows you status updates and other things you've posted from recent years. Lately my TimeHop has been filled with tweets from one year ago, when I first started a music therapy position at AseraCare Hospice in Lawrence and when the world was absolutely bursting with possibility Some of the more convicting tweets I've been reading about my life as a music therapist are as follows:

To be honest, this tweet could have been sent on most of the days in which I went out on patient visits.

You bet your bottom dollar I miss my patients. Also, unrelated tweet beneath, but #Missouriproblems.

So what does this all mean? It means I'm tired of waiting for an opportunity of breakthrough to just fall into my lap. I'm tired of just settling for options that do not stir my very soul. And so I begin the process of deep, intense research into where the road might next take me. My plan at this moment is to begin brainstorming a list of every single possible place in Lyon County in which my services could be utilized. Then from there I will start creating job pitches and begging for interviews and making battle plans for either opportunities to start full-time positions or to go towards more of a contracting approach with several different agencies. Creating a music therapy job could happen overnight or it could take 3 years, but I am ready to actively pursue the career that I love and am ready to prepare for whatever may come next with a spitfire spirit and a manic, passionate attitude.

5. And last but not least (and hopefully on a much shorter note than the saga above), the weather is warm and I am absolutely dying to go on adventures. Yesterday I went to Chase county to visit their courthouse (which was pretty but also a slightly strange experience to be meandering through a government building during working hours even though an old sign on the door promised I was welcome) and also went for a stroll in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve while I was there (and didn't really get to stroll far before darn bronchitis side effects had me wheezing and choking).

Nalgene, tiny fire backpack, a map of the wonders of Kansas: all I need for summer adventures.

It was great to have tiny adventures, but Kansas is a big place and I have several lists of all the things I want to see here. So if you are an adventurous soul, or even if you aren't but are vaguely curious as to what could possibly be adventurous in Kansas, please. Call me up and join me on an adventure. We will get coffee and then go have an adventure. You might learn something along the way. I promise you won't be bored. And then before returning home, we will go for coffee again. Serious, open invitation here.

*if you got this reference, you win at life.

Just Katie Thoughts--5/4--5/15/2015

1. Last week at work was just really incredibly rough. But last weekend was delightful and filled with so much soul nourishment from time spent with loved ones. Friday after school I was surprised with a chance to Skype with my dear kindred spirit, Gabby! She's currently in Madagascar serving with the Peace Corps. She left last June and still has quite a stint to go, and since she is one of the people to whom I bare my soul/with whom I share my life, I jump at any chance I get to catch up with her in her electricity-and-wifi-limited locale. Catching up with her was so good for my soul, and I can't wait for her to return to Kansas for adventures (but am also so excited for her having adventures halfway around the globe!)! Also this time of the year makes me reminisce about the times when Gabby and I were active Jayhawk Hunters, and as I am also cleaning out my computer I am getting to relive old pictures and memories of all the Jayhawks on Parade that we tracked down :)

Gabby and Katie, Jayhawk Hunters, Inc.

2. Another great joy of the weekend was getting to spend Saturday morning with my beloved friend, Gretchen! We had chai on Mass Street and then went to the park where there was a weird dog festival thing going on. I haven't seen her since the wedding when I used to see her at least once a week, so it was good to simply rest and enjoy being with one of my dearest friends. Later that night, Libby met me in De Soto for a run. We had only planned to run a couple of miles, but we had so much to talk about that we ended up going for 7! Our trail was on one that Michael had told me about in a quiet wood in De Soto, and it was absolutely delightful to run and share life with my beloved so(u)l(e) sister :)

Run Kansas

Literally couldn't do life without this girl running by my side.

3. Speaking of running.....this week I reached $200 in my fundraiser for United Parent Support for Down Syndrome! I have been running a ton lately and have truly started reaching a place in which I am running not to train or to stay in shape but because I truly enjoy the beauty of running. I feel so blessed to be able to run, and not only to run, but to run for others. I am aiming to raise $1000 total for UPS for DownS before September as I prepare to run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Only $800 to go! That number sounds terrifying, but so much of this race is already seasoned with grace and beauty, I can only trust that the funds will be raised and that this training season will be a time of refreshing and soul nourishment. I could go on about this race for hours, so if you have any questions about the beautiful ways in which God is using this race to nurture my soul, ask me and I would love to share more :) But in the meantime, if you would be interested in sponsoring my run and helping me get ever closer to that $1000 mark, you can click the link here: SPONSOR ME!


4. Ever since I moved to Emporia in March, I have been eagerly anticipating the chance to join the city's municipal band this summer. All week long I have been beyond jazzed about the open audition (which was Thursday evening), only to get there and discover that their horn section was already full before I even got there. I was put on the substitute list, but it just really sucks. I miss having music in my life and I was so desperately hoping that I could play in this band and somehow get more connected with this community in which I have found myself. I asked the conductor if I could even just come to rehearsals as a substitute just to stay active in playing horn and around other musicians, but he told me that I really can't be at a rehearsal unless I'm playing in the most upcoming concert as a sub. It was so beautiful to get to play in the rehearsal last night and just a little painful today to realize that I might not be getting to play again for some time.

5. And speaking of music....my heart misses music therapy. I don't know when I will get to actually practice as a MT-BC again, but I am planning to spend some of my time this summer compiling a list of absolutely all of my options for music therapy in this community. I still don't know on which population I would like to focus. I have been missing my hospice experiences as of late, but could also see myself working in a hundred different possible settings or scenarios. The good news is that I don't have to be in a hurry. I can spend the time to really do research and prepare job pitches and deliver them whenever the time comes. I feel a sense of urgency to return to what I do best, but I refuse to return in haste. Not sure where this will all lead, but I am trusting that there is a bigger picture I cannot yet see, and I am eager to see where my career path may flow.

Just Katie Thoughts--4/25--5/3/2015

1. Today I ran half marathon #8! It was the Prairie Fire Marathon spring half series in Wichita. It definitely wasn't my fastest, but I felt strong pretty much the whole route and finished well. The reason I had originally signed up for this race was because I Run 4 Bailee and like to get races in for my buddy and because my past roommate, Bethany, had decided to run her first half marathon. We ran the first 4 miles together before getting separated, but she finished on her own and did well! This race made me so grateful for heart and lungs and legs to run and has me anxiously awaiting my next marathon in Chicago. Which brings me to my next point after some pictures....

Half #8: finished! (and wearing blue and yellow for Down syndrome awareness!)

Finishers! 

2. I have now raised $60 towards my charity, United Parent Support for Down syndrome, for the Chicago Marathon! This organization is using all funds raised to promote literacy for individuals affected by Down syndrome. The amount I've raised so far is not a lot in comparison to my goal of $1000, but it is so encouraging every time I get online and see even $10 more donated towards my running mission. My hope is to raise up to $300 of my goal by the end of May. If you would like to donate to this charity and my chance to run in my dream marathon for this charity, please click the link below!

Help Katie run the Chicago Marathon!!

3. All the people involved in my life are probably tired of hearing about how obsessed I currently am with the new Josh Garrels album, but it is literally one of the greatest things I have heard as of late. And, good news, it is FREE for a limited time on noisetrade! If you like music or just have ears, go download this. I am 99%
sure you will not regret this download. It is audible beauty and awesomeness. Katie endorsed.

http://noisetrade.com/joshgarrels/home

4. The other night, Michael and I went for a walk and made a kitty friend. Her name was Maddie and she came when we called. She was super well-kept and friendly and let us pet her in the hospital parking lot for a significant amount of time. I love that cat. I want a cat. Maybe someday when we live in a pet-friendly place...

5. It is springtime, which means my heart is absolutely bursting with desire to go on Kansas adventures! If you would be interested in joining me on a Kansas journey at any time in the next several months, please let me know! Doesn't even matter if I know you well or not. Friendship can form on tiny road trips to see random stuff. Adventures will be beginning quite soon and I have a whole list of Kansas things to accomplish!