09/18/2024
A little over two years ago I went back to school.
After a few years of trying to make cooking work for me as a job. I couldn’t take the “heat” (for me it was the anxiety of keeping up with the work load and the chronic pain from standing all day) so I got out kitchen.
It was a lot of work, and I didn’t work at a job for most of that time.
I had to say no to a lot of things in order to make space for myself to learn. I had to ask for and luckily received a lot of help from friends, family, my school KVCC Kennebec Valley Community College, and the occasional medical professional (what a blessing ADHD meds are even though they only came into play in the last quarter of my recent education).
It was maybe the hardest thing I’ve ever done and that’s saying a lot because some of those long weeks working in a kitchen sure were hard mentally and physically (quitting ci******es 10 or so years ago & staying quit is maybe equally hard).
After a lot of work, and priority shifting…I’ve finished!!! I am now a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant, a job that requires an AA degree, passing a state board exam, and a functional knowledge of a good bit of anatomy and kinesiology…among other things.
I really love my new line of work, even more than I expected too. I’ve been working at a nursing home/rehab facility for six weeks now. With folks who are recovering from recent injuries or regain functional levels of mobility that have diminished. The variety in my day suits me and it’s a mix of movement and desk work that keeps me moving but not on my feet all day.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. Community college is a great resource - I’ve graduated from it twice now and although no experience is perfect the affordable education I is invaluable to me!
