It is obvious that I have made the east coast to west coast relocation...and now...it's time to go back! I have recently been offered and accepted a position at Virginia Wesleyan College as an assistant athletic trainer. This is the same institution that I served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at during graduate school. I am extremely excited about this opportunity as it is a full-time position that offers full benefits. It is also in a place that I fell in love with - the beach! I will officially start my position on Monday November 12th - YES, THAT IS IN JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS! My plans are currently to fly home on November 6th with my belongings, enjoy home for a few days, and then drive out to Virginia Beach on Friday the 9th. I am currently in the process of securing housing - a condo unit right on the Lake Rudee and just a couple of blocks from the ocean front :D I had actually accepted this position a few weeks ago, but it is just now that I believe all necessary parties know of my decision so it can "go public" -- so sorry for the delay.
This move is a little bittersweet as I have only been in California for a few months. However, I'm very proud of myself for having met many of the challenges that I set for myself. I have:
> lived without a car and learned to rely only on my bike and the public bus
> lived with little more than the necessities of life
> learned to cook a little more
> proven to myself that I can exercise on my own - even without a gym
> applied concepts discussed in graduate school to my professional practice
> have started to become an independent adult...slow start...
These experiences have led me to really appreciate and understand many factors facing low income individuals and families.
> it makes sense to buy a McDonald's meal for $5 instead of three fruits or vegetables for the same $5 -- the McDonald's will be more filling for sure
> all transportation requires intent - one would not absentmindedly spend money on a bus fare ($5 or more round trip) or the extra twenty-thirty minutes of travel time just to check out a sale at a department store
> when easy transportation is not an option and you have little money to spend, it's a tough decision to whether one will be sedentary or get out and be active
> understanding the difference between want and need - even whether I need or want lotion
I am extremely grateful that I have had these experiences! Although at first I thought moving would eliminate any potential for more of these lessons I have now realized that I will continue to grow and learn from the experiences that I'll have in Virginia. Moving back to Virginia will not be a case of me going back to my "old life" there because I'll be in a different position at VWC, I'll be living on my own, I'll have other responsibilities (i.e. paying back college loans), and NO SCHOOL!! Obviously, I am most excited about the last statement :) Despite not being in school, I am excited to still be associated with the Old Dominion University's post-professional athletic training education program as I know it will continue to challenge my professional practice and be a leader to the graduate assistants at VWC and in the profession.
I will continue to write about my exploring, dreaming, and discovering of the east coast so stay tuned!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"
I must admit, I've always loved stories of survival; stories of overcoming insurmountable odds; stories of defying science; stories of inspiration. I've read books and watched movies like Between a Rock and a Hard Place (the book the movie 127 Hours is based on), Soul Surfer, Iron Heart, The Help, The Long Run, and The Gift of Valor. The last of which I first heard about from a different book entitled Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital. The progression from general survival stories to those associated with the military coincided with my move to Virginia Beach - a community greatly infiltrated with military bases, service members and their families. Although a smaller community, the military community here in Monterey has also continued my interest in what it means to be a service member, what motivates one to join the military, what it's like to support a loved one in the military, and how it changes an individual.
I would say the book that really provided me insight was The Heart and the Fist: The making of a Navy SEAL, the education of a humanitarian. This book has also challenged me to determine how I can best show my support for the men and women that maintain safety, security, and peace for us here at home. The author of The Heart and the Fist currently runs a non-profit organization to support returning veterans with injuries and disabilities who often feel a loss of purpose when they can no longer serve or work in the capacity they once had. This organization is called The Mission Continues, and it is definitely worth a look! This is something I want to contribute to, but there were not many opportunities in my current location so I continued to search the internet. What I found were organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project, the Boot Campaign, and Soldiers' Angels.
Soldiers' Angles was exactly what I was looking for. A plethora of tangible ways to support the troops. I do not have the funds to adopt a soldier, but I found the letter writing team and joined immediately! I have signed up to receive one soldier's name each week and commit to writing him or her at least once. I have already sent off three letters and have even received a couple emails back :) It has been amazing to know that I am supporting a service member by simply sharing my life with him/her and him/her me. It has shown me how such a simple task, such a writing a brief letter or email, can continue to inspire and motivate a service member thousands of miles away; to remind him/her of the reason he does what he does; to know that there are appreciative people continuing to support their efforts. Please check out the website and determine how you can help: making a fleece blanket, sending in products for hygiene packages, sewing, writing letters or emails, and so much more. There is not only a need to support deployed service members, but an increasing need for support for returning veterans, especially those injured during duty. Please find some way to help even if it is a one time contribution! Please leave a comment if you have a favorite non-profit organization we should all check out.
Below are products that I recommend purchasing in an effort to show your support for our troops:
I would say the book that really provided me insight was The Heart and the Fist: The making of a Navy SEAL, the education of a humanitarian. This book has also challenged me to determine how I can best show my support for the men and women that maintain safety, security, and peace for us here at home. The author of The Heart and the Fist currently runs a non-profit organization to support returning veterans with injuries and disabilities who often feel a loss of purpose when they can no longer serve or work in the capacity they once had. This organization is called The Mission Continues, and it is definitely worth a look! This is something I want to contribute to, but there were not many opportunities in my current location so I continued to search the internet. What I found were organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project, the Boot Campaign, and Soldiers' Angels.
Soldiers' Angles was exactly what I was looking for. A plethora of tangible ways to support the troops. I do not have the funds to adopt a soldier, but I found the letter writing team and joined immediately! I have signed up to receive one soldier's name each week and commit to writing him or her at least once. I have already sent off three letters and have even received a couple emails back :) It has been amazing to know that I am supporting a service member by simply sharing my life with him/her and him/her me. It has shown me how such a simple task, such a writing a brief letter or email, can continue to inspire and motivate a service member thousands of miles away; to remind him/her of the reason he does what he does; to know that there are appreciative people continuing to support their efforts. Please check out the website and determine how you can help: making a fleece blanket, sending in products for hygiene packages, sewing, writing letters or emails, and so much more. There is not only a need to support deployed service members, but an increasing need for support for returning veterans, especially those injured during duty. Please find some way to help even if it is a one time contribution! Please leave a comment if you have a favorite non-profit organization we should all check out.
Below are products that I recommend purchasing in an effort to show your support for our troops:
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| Pura Vida bracelets not only support "Our Forgotten Warriors" but also local Cosa Ricans |
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| I have yet to use mine in an emergency situation, but it looks good nonetheless |
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| I hear boots are in season for the fall |
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Work to Live, Not Live to Work
This could not be more true in my current situation. I am currently working two part-time jobs with the goal of simply paying the bills and gaining professional experience. This may not have been the most financially responsible decision, but it was one I chose in an attempt to fulfill my goals of taking a chance, experiencing a different part of the country, and living simply. In doing so, I have learned so many new things (work related and personally) and am eager to continue to learn, meet new people, and broaden my horizons. To give you an idea of the work I do, I have provided brief descriptions of my positions and the how they have met my goals.
Assistant Athletic Trainer, Cal State Monterey Bay
I began my position at CSUMB on Monday August 13th, the day after arriving in town. To say I was thrown into the new position is an understatement! The first practice of preseason began at 7am. I was driven, by my co-worker Crystal, to the Otter Sports Center (OSC) athletic training facility (ATF) at 6am and given a brief overview of where water coolers and bottles, tape and first aid supplies were located. Contrary to my traditional feelings, I was quite calm and experienced relatively little anxiety in a situation that would typically cause a knot in my stomach and frantic and unorganized thoughts to race through my head.
It has been nearly 5 weeks since beginning work with the women's volleyball team and there have been several trials and triumphs. I have several tall girls with tall girl mechanical problems and thus knee pain. I have hitters with chronic shoulder pain that can only be attributed to the fact that they hit and have hit balls for a majority of their athletic career. I've had to tell a player that her ACL and likely MCL were torn (later confirmed by MRI). But I've also had the opportunity to utilize evidence based practice (EBP) to help treat patellar tendonitis in the attempt to avoid post-season surgery. I've improved my ability to apply kinesiotape, rotator cuff strengthening exercises, and instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization. And inspire, give hope, and motivate my patient with a torn ACL and MCL to work hard during pre-hab to optimize her post-surgical outcome. What I'm most proud of is that I've been able to assess the whole person, build strong interpersonal relationships founded on trust, and exercise independent practice. Additionally, I'm elated to be able to practice in a way I feel reflects my philosophy as an athletic trainer. I have not achieved every goal for myself, but I'm glad that I have already instituted EBP, I've started to use electronic medical records, and I can keep and organize the ATF as I see fit.
Although I am currently working with the volleyball team, I will have very limited responsibilities during the winter season as we only have men's and women's basketball that will be covered by the full time staff athletic trainers, and I will then again pick up more responsibilities in the spring with women's water polo. I look forward to being able to enjoy the CSUMB basketball games as strictly a spectator and be able to explore the area a little bit more with more with free weeknights -- I hope to make it to the aquarium. Most importantly, I'll be extremely excited if I'll be able to pick up more hours at the PT clinic.
Physical Therapist Aide, Terrapin Physical Therapy
In order to afford to live out here, I've picked up another part-time position as a physical therapy aide at a nearby outpatient PT clinic. The owners have been incredibly nice and helpful in getting me the position. I am currently just working Monday and Tuesday mornings for a total of just 8 hours per week. It's not much, but it provides a paycheck and has also given me another resources of education. As an aide, I do a lot of cleaning and laundering, but I also have the opportunity to work patients through their rehab exercises and talk with the physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. What is perhaps the most unique part of the job is being able to do aqua therapy with the Hydroworx pool. Although a little disappointed that pretty much every patient does the same exercises, independent of their ailment, in the pool, it's still a great experience to be able to utilize a tool I would not typically have access to. I have already begun to think about the type of exercises I could use in a standard pool for my own patients at school.
The clinic is very nice. They put a lot of effort into making the clinic physically appealing with wood floors, dark wood cabinetry, dimmed lighting, "spa water," and matching staff shirts that have coordinating colors for certain days. For example, Monday I wear royal blue and Tuesday I wear maroon. This position is relatively easy because of the large amount of overlap between my duties as an AT and the necessary tasks of an aide. However, I wish the PTs would realize this as well! I sometimes feel like the PTs or PTAs talk to me in a manner that does not respect the amount of knowledge I have - I have a Master's degree, I am a peer, I am a professional for goodness sake! Despite some unfavorable feelings, I will continue to work hard, clean vigorously, and learn as much as I can because my attitude is ultimately what will make my experience. There is no reason to be miserable the whole time so I promise to smile while I make spa water, not roll my eyes when a PT explains to me a concept I already know, and be an advocate for athletic trainers as health care professionals.
I am happy this opportunity has presented itself and I will work hard to try to get Tony, the owner and one of the staff PTs, to start a patient load at CSUMB so that I can work as an aide for him while he's on campus. That will increase my hours as well increase the convenience of working with Terrapin. Prayers and thoughts of healing and health for my ailing volleyball team are greatly appreciated! :)
Assistant Athletic Trainer, Cal State Monterey Bay
I began my position at CSUMB on Monday August 13th, the day after arriving in town. To say I was thrown into the new position is an understatement! The first practice of preseason began at 7am. I was driven, by my co-worker Crystal, to the Otter Sports Center (OSC) athletic training facility (ATF) at 6am and given a brief overview of where water coolers and bottles, tape and first aid supplies were located. Contrary to my traditional feelings, I was quite calm and experienced relatively little anxiety in a situation that would typically cause a knot in my stomach and frantic and unorganized thoughts to race through my head.
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| The Otter Sports Center located on the outskirts of campus |
It has been nearly 5 weeks since beginning work with the women's volleyball team and there have been several trials and triumphs. I have several tall girls with tall girl mechanical problems and thus knee pain. I have hitters with chronic shoulder pain that can only be attributed to the fact that they hit and have hit balls for a majority of their athletic career. I've had to tell a player that her ACL and likely MCL were torn (later confirmed by MRI). But I've also had the opportunity to utilize evidence based practice (EBP) to help treat patellar tendonitis in the attempt to avoid post-season surgery. I've improved my ability to apply kinesiotape, rotator cuff strengthening exercises, and instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization. And inspire, give hope, and motivate my patient with a torn ACL and MCL to work hard during pre-hab to optimize her post-surgical outcome. What I'm most proud of is that I've been able to assess the whole person, build strong interpersonal relationships founded on trust, and exercise independent practice. Additionally, I'm elated to be able to practice in a way I feel reflects my philosophy as an athletic trainer. I have not achieved every goal for myself, but I'm glad that I have already instituted EBP, I've started to use electronic medical records, and I can keep and organize the ATF as I see fit.
Although I am currently working with the volleyball team, I will have very limited responsibilities during the winter season as we only have men's and women's basketball that will be covered by the full time staff athletic trainers, and I will then again pick up more responsibilities in the spring with women's water polo. I look forward to being able to enjoy the CSUMB basketball games as strictly a spectator and be able to explore the area a little bit more with more with free weeknights -- I hope to make it to the aquarium. Most importantly, I'll be extremely excited if I'll be able to pick up more hours at the PT clinic.
Physical Therapist Aide, Terrapin Physical Therapy
In order to afford to live out here, I've picked up another part-time position as a physical therapy aide at a nearby outpatient PT clinic. The owners have been incredibly nice and helpful in getting me the position. I am currently just working Monday and Tuesday mornings for a total of just 8 hours per week. It's not much, but it provides a paycheck and has also given me another resources of education. As an aide, I do a lot of cleaning and laundering, but I also have the opportunity to work patients through their rehab exercises and talk with the physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. What is perhaps the most unique part of the job is being able to do aqua therapy with the Hydroworx pool. Although a little disappointed that pretty much every patient does the same exercises, independent of their ailment, in the pool, it's still a great experience to be able to utilize a tool I would not typically have access to. I have already begun to think about the type of exercises I could use in a standard pool for my own patients at school.
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| The pool has an underwater treadmill, front and side jets, as well as underwater cameras that give feedback to the patient and PT/PTA/aide |
I am happy this opportunity has presented itself and I will work hard to try to get Tony, the owner and one of the staff PTs, to start a patient load at CSUMB so that I can work as an aide for him while he's on campus. That will increase my hours as well increase the convenience of working with Terrapin. Prayers and thoughts of healing and health for my ailing volleyball team are greatly appreciated! :)
Thursday, August 30, 2012
I Ride a Bike...a Bikecycle
Just a couple of days after arriving in Marina it quickly became apparent that I would not be able to get by with using my feet and the bus as my sole transportation because of the odd hours I, as an athletic trainer, work. Although the generosity of my co-worker with a car was great, I could not burden her with arranging her schedule around mine so I could get to work. Thus, three days after arriving, I purchased a bike. I was ecstatic to find that there is an REI just 0.8 miles from the building I work so I'd be able to get this bike all on my own. I checked out some bikes on the REI website and walked to the REI following practice one day to purchase a bike. I arrived at REI to be helped out by a very helpful young man with large hair who set me up with a couple of commuter Cannondale bikes for a test ride. Unfortunately, there was not the appropriate staff member there at the time so I couldn't test ride either bike. I went back the following day and was able to purchase a Cannondale Quick 5 bicycle.
Not having a car, I have been forced to use my brand new bike and the public bus. This is a welcomed change as it was a challenge to myself at the beginning of this journey to live more simply, more green, shape up and save money. So far things have worked out well! I must admit, the ride to campus on the bike is a bit tough between the continual hills and the incredibly strong wind. I swear the road to campus is a wind tunnel for the seas breeze off the bay. Thus, when possible I try to take the bus to campus and ride back home. I had never taken my bike on the bus before, but it turns out it is really simple. There is a bike rack on the front of the bus that allows for two bikes to be secured during the ride. This is a splendid feature of the bus as it allows me to do half the work for certain rides. For example, I can take the bus for 15 minutes to get on campus then ride my bike 5 minutes to get to Target. Or I can take the bus to work when the bus schedule allows and then ride my bike home when the bus schedule doesn't allow.
Biking has also cut my transportation costs drastically (in addition to the bus I can use for free with my work ID). Although the upfront cost for the bike was pricey, I know it was cheaper than buying a car, getting auto insurance, having to pay for gas and any maintenance associated with the car. I have also found that despite the hard work it involves, riding my bike is quite enjoyable. I get to experience the beautiful weather, see wildlife (i.e. deer and wild turkeys so far), and have been increasing my leg strength. It's also fun to know that I am being ecofriendly! The ride between work and home is just about 3 miles and takes between 15 and 20 minutes. It's not much longer than the bus ride or driving. The ride isn't too terribly challenging, though it never fails to make me sweat and make my quads burn. What will be quite a challenge will be my ride to my job at the outpatient physical therapy clinic, Terrapin Physical Therapy. The ride is about 8 miles. I have yet to make the ride as my roommate, Sonja, loaned me her car the past two times so I wouldn't have to make the bike ride at 5:45am (my shift at Terrapin starts at 7am). I'm hoping I'll continue to get to drive because the ride includes one hell of a hill and would likely produce buckets of sweat - not ideal for arriving at work. I must admit though, the ride also includes an absolutely glorious view of the town of Monterey, the peninsula, and the Monterey Bay - breath taking! I'll have to take a picture some time, but it looks something like this:
I'm very happy that I have already been meeting some of my challenges/goals for this journey by being able to rely on my bike and the bus for transportation, but I'm also very thankful to have such a generous roommate and co-worker who have allowed me to use their vehicles and take me places like the grocery store or the Farmer's Market (at least until I get a bike rack with panniers). I've learned that having and utilizing resources is necessary to get by and to never underestimate the kindness of others. I'm also trying to figure out the best way to repay Crystal and Sonja - suggestions are welcome! My challenge to you is to get out on your bike, your feet, or the bus/train. It's not as bad as we sometimes think, in fact it can be quite enjoyable and allows you to experience your area in a whole new way - maybe you'll appreciate even more :)
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| Isn't she a beauty?! Can't risk her getting stolen - locked up at work. |
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| There are 3 simple steps: (1) lower bike rack (2) place bike on rack (3) secure with front tire bar |
Biking has also cut my transportation costs drastically (in addition to the bus I can use for free with my work ID). Although the upfront cost for the bike was pricey, I know it was cheaper than buying a car, getting auto insurance, having to pay for gas and any maintenance associated with the car. I have also found that despite the hard work it involves, riding my bike is quite enjoyable. I get to experience the beautiful weather, see wildlife (i.e. deer and wild turkeys so far), and have been increasing my leg strength. It's also fun to know that I am being ecofriendly! The ride between work and home is just about 3 miles and takes between 15 and 20 minutes. It's not much longer than the bus ride or driving. The ride isn't too terribly challenging, though it never fails to make me sweat and make my quads burn. What will be quite a challenge will be my ride to my job at the outpatient physical therapy clinic, Terrapin Physical Therapy. The ride is about 8 miles. I have yet to make the ride as my roommate, Sonja, loaned me her car the past two times so I wouldn't have to make the bike ride at 5:45am (my shift at Terrapin starts at 7am). I'm hoping I'll continue to get to drive because the ride includes one hell of a hill and would likely produce buckets of sweat - not ideal for arriving at work. I must admit though, the ride also includes an absolutely glorious view of the town of Monterey, the peninsula, and the Monterey Bay - breath taking! I'll have to take a picture some time, but it looks something like this:
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| Not a bad view at all! :D :D |
Sunday, August 26, 2012
The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow
Maybe...the weather here in Marina is a bit different than many of us midwesterners would expect for an August day in California. Marina has welcomed me with overcast skies, temperatures in the 50s and 60s, and daily fog/mist :) I think this information should also be included in the California misconceptions commercial! Like Betty White suggests, come visit and I'll show you how I roll - or I'll just tell you now and you can visit when it is all sunshine and surf.
After sleeping under the covers with a cool breeze blowing through the open window, I wake up, slip on my slippers and get ready for the day. I head out to the foggy, misty morning where clouds and cool temperatures are a staple. Riding my bike over the demanding hills of the three mile commute to work reminds me how strong a sea breeze can be. I struggle to decide if the overcast skies require my polarized sunglasses or not. I often cannot decide the proper clothing to wear because too much wind proofing can inhibit the ventilation I need for all the body heat I'm producing while biking; pants can be too restrictive and hot, while shorts lack sufficient material to maintain my body temperature; all my athletic footwear is mesh, but they allow too much wind through them. So, what I have found, despite my insecurities while walking around in such attire, is that capri cut running tights are the perfect bottoms for commuting. And a dry-fit material long sleeve top compliments the part workout, part commute. Footwear dilemma is yet to be solved.
Although the weather proves to be a little bit of a problem for my morning and evening commute, it is my absolute favorite for casual wear! Is there anything easier and more comfortable than throwing on a pair of jeans, v-neck, comfy sweatshirt, and fuzzy boots?! I also look forward to exploring fashion more and actually purchasing and sporting more publicly pleasing attire - a big thank you to pinterest!
So despite the misunderstanding of what moving to the beach meant in regards to weather, it's a happy change from the heat wave plagued Chicagoland summer. However, I don't want you to get too upset, the weather is about to turn around. The start of the "Indian summer" is around the corner. The start of September will be accompanied by warmer temperatures and more sun. This serves as an invitation to all to know that between September and early November is primetime to visit when you need a warm getaway :) Let me know when you'll be by, hopefully I'll have my commuting and casual wardrobe figured out by then.
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| Definitely overcast |
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| Some sunshine, but proof of fog in the distance |
After sleeping under the covers with a cool breeze blowing through the open window, I wake up, slip on my slippers and get ready for the day. I head out to the foggy, misty morning where clouds and cool temperatures are a staple. Riding my bike over the demanding hills of the three mile commute to work reminds me how strong a sea breeze can be. I struggle to decide if the overcast skies require my polarized sunglasses or not. I often cannot decide the proper clothing to wear because too much wind proofing can inhibit the ventilation I need for all the body heat I'm producing while biking; pants can be too restrictive and hot, while shorts lack sufficient material to maintain my body temperature; all my athletic footwear is mesh, but they allow too much wind through them. So, what I have found, despite my insecurities while walking around in such attire, is that capri cut running tights are the perfect bottoms for commuting. And a dry-fit material long sleeve top compliments the part workout, part commute. Footwear dilemma is yet to be solved.
Although the weather proves to be a little bit of a problem for my morning and evening commute, it is my absolute favorite for casual wear! Is there anything easier and more comfortable than throwing on a pair of jeans, v-neck, comfy sweatshirt, and fuzzy boots?! I also look forward to exploring fashion more and actually purchasing and sporting more publicly pleasing attire - a big thank you to pinterest!
So despite the misunderstanding of what moving to the beach meant in regards to weather, it's a happy change from the heat wave plagued Chicagoland summer. However, I don't want you to get too upset, the weather is about to turn around. The start of the "Indian summer" is around the corner. The start of September will be accompanied by warmer temperatures and more sun. This serves as an invitation to all to know that between September and early November is primetime to visit when you need a warm getaway :) Let me know when you'll be by, hopefully I'll have my commuting and casual wardrobe figured out by then.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Location, Location, Location
I have safely made my way to my "permanent home" here in the Golden State. "Home" is now here in Marina, California - a central coast town on the coast of Monterey Bay. It's a beautiful place that is characterized by rolling hills and agriculture with weather similar to San Fransisco because of it's proximity to the bay. The campus of California State University, Monterey Bay is actually situated on Ft. Ord, a previous military base which still has obvious remnants of its history. The campus has bought many former military buildings and converted them for appropriate use as collegiate buildings. Although the campus center likely looks similar to any other college campus, it's the outskirts of the campus that continue to marvel me. The lands are cluttered with abandoned buildings, vacant parking lots, and roads to nowhere. The setting is intriguing, a bit desolate, and a recent controversy. There is currently debate as to what to do with the land that remains unused: remain wild or sell for development. It will be interesting to see what happens with the land if anything occurs while I'm here.
Beyond the immediate area, there is the beautiful beach and coastal town of Monterey. The area is quaint and includes a Fisherman's Wharf, complete with barking sea lions, cute otters, and fiber filled seagulls. My co-worker took me to the local farmer's market that provided for cheap hybrid and regular
produce. I bought two plum-apricot hybrids and an avocado - both were delicious! I will most definitely be making my way back there and likely will try some highly recommended crepes and doughnuts. The market also provides clothing, music, different wines, olive oils, dips, and even musical instruments. It's great to live somewhere where I can ride past the farms that supply the stands at the fame's market - that's FRESH!!
I am living with Sonja, the new assistant softball coach at CSUMB and her dog Baxter, in a two bedroom, one bath government issued apartment building. The building itself was not built for Chicago's four seasons as it boasts thin windows, paper thin walls and doors and very little insulation. It will definitely aid me in fulfilling my goal of living simply - no stainless steel appliances, a shared washroom, plywood cabinets, and simple hardware. I look forward to further exploring the area and sharing my experience with you.
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| Roadways to nowhere - now part of the disc golf course |
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| Old Barracks |
Beyond the immediate area, there is the beautiful beach and coastal town of Monterey. The area is quaint and includes a Fisherman's Wharf, complete with barking sea lions, cute otters, and fiber filled seagulls. My co-worker took me to the local farmer's market that provided for cheap hybrid and regular
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| Yes, that ginormous sea lion is just a few steps away! |
I am living with Sonja, the new assistant softball coach at CSUMB and her dog Baxter, in a two bedroom, one bath government issued apartment building. The building itself was not built for Chicago's four seasons as it boasts thin windows, paper thin walls and doors and very little insulation. It will definitely aid me in fulfilling my goal of living simply - no stainless steel appliances, a shared washroom, plywood cabinets, and simple hardware. I look forward to further exploring the area and sharing my experience with you.
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