Just a Thought or Two

It's hard to believe that I've been in central PA for almost four years- four of the hardest, most rewarding years of my life. Last week, the day after Thanksgiving, as I was sitting in my Mom's living room, already dreading returning home to DuBois, I had this aha moment. I couldn't deny the fact that I just really hated being so far away from family and friends. Although only two hours, comparatively speaking isn't that far, for me, it is. I will forever be a hometown girl. I love spending time with my family and friends, with whom there is safety. It's no secret that I tend to struggle to connect to my same-aged peers. At home, there is such comfort in being with my family. Elsewhere, I tend to isolate myself, loneliness sets in, and I become internally miserable. I have decided to take advantage of an opportunity that will give me the best of both worlds: the opportunity to be less than 30 minutes from my family, and the opportunity to remain in a job tha...

I recently spent a wonderful week at home. It was a much needed time away with some of my favorite people. I needed the home-cooked meals, the junk food, the conversation, the laughter, the hugs. This afternoon at work, I was feeling so stressed with how the day turned out; I was angry at myself for scheduling the appointments I did. It was a lot after being off almost a week- who knows what I was thinking! My last appointment of the day was an application to begin services for a customer. This customer has had it rough- she has multiple physical disabilities and multiple mental health struggles- many of which stem from being gang raped several years ago. She has no support system to speak of outside of the individuals working with her to overcome her barriers. As I was stressed, knowing that I wouldn't finish the application by 4:00, my heart skipped a beat as she told me she didn't have anyone to put down as an emergency contact. I don't know the particulars of why she ...