2019 Year in Review: Transitional Hallway Phases and New Beginnings

The days feel long but the years are short! This year has by far been THE YEAR OF THE MOST CHANGES for both my husband and I professionally and personally AND. I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT.

2019 brought many travels, many unknowns, more transitional stages than I initially anticipated, and new beginnings.

Anyways, this is my fourth year writing “Year in Review” posts. If you are truly bored, here are three quick links to my previous years 🙂 ! It honestly blows my mind how much has changed since then!

•  2018 Year in Review: Reflections and Revamped Spirits
• 2017 Year in Review: First Occupational Therapist Job, New Last Name
• 2016 Year in Review: Reflecting on the End of My Occupational Role as Student and Recharging for New Role as Fiance and OT Practitioner

Here is a timelapse – month by month reflection of what happened to me in 2019!!

JANUARY

January 9, 2019, officially marked the start of my third year of practicing as an occupational therapist. James finished his last month long interview away rotation in his fourth year of medical school. Oh, and Gravy continued to support me in my endeavor to for whatever the reason to continue blogging (albeit sporadically – but hey I am becoming more regular)!

FEBRUARY

The month of Love or should I say love for different toilet devices (jk). February brought me increased opportunities to collaborate with nursing in a creative and slightly embarassing way. Pictured is me in a brief surrounded by a whole lotta different toilet contraptions. This was a day where I lead an inservice at my previous job within the acute rehab hospital setting.

Also in February some of my family from Northern Ireland visited and celebrated Mardi Gras which was a blast!

James started a fourth year elective month long rotation with Dr. Aziz, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician and medical director within the acute rehab unit WHERE I WORKED! The best part was when a patient suggested that I go and “talk” to the blue-eyed bowtie wearing doctor; if only that little lady knew I was in fact married to him:) !!!!

MARCH

March started with planning and celebrating my mom’s slightly belated 50th birthday party with a bunch of her fun (but very loud) friends.

March = much anticipated MATCH DAY!! After an excessive amount of anticipation James and his medical student peers across the US found out on Tuesday of Match Week whether or not they matched into a residency spot; that Friday on Match Day, we found out where our next adventure would be. (***Hint Hint #gojags )

His phase from being a pre-med student as a psychology major to his acceptance to medical school to finally fourth medical student going on months long interview journey to the culmination of opening an email to discover the door called USA University Hospital in Mobile, Alabama (also known as the place where we met and where I went to undergrad and grad school).

PS we also celebrated Auburn University being absolute ballers that spring in basketball by rolling Toomer’s Corner, a tradition unique to the university in celebration of winning.

APRIL

OT MONTH and AOTA conference!! Honored and ecstatic at the approximately 1000 OT students and practitioners who participated in this year’s #ABCsofOT (you totally should look up this hashtag on Instagram:) — it is a challenge I created during the month of April for the purpose of increasing awareness of the profession!

The National occupational therapy annual conference was held in the sweet city of New Orleans. Click here to read an article I wrote for Covalent Careers on “What to Do and See in New Orleans…”. I THRIVED at conference. It was so fun to meet fellow therapists and students who are passionate about the profession (and also passionate about doing karaoke at the Cat’s Meow 😉 !!) I helped orchestrate a social media “meet up” which was a highlight of the trip for sure and facilitated turning IG friends into Real life friends.

April also started the “holy crap we are moving away from Auburn, Alabama back to Mobile, Alabama…do we buy a house and what size and where at and how do we even do this” phase.

April concluded with Easter celebrations with the Coley clan in Montgomery.

MAY

Oh, I need a blog post just for this month alone.

Resigned from my first job out of school, celebrated and said goodbye to dear coworkers who took me under their wings, drove back and forth to Mobile to look for houses, went to the Biltmore Estates (FREAKING BEAUTIFUL) and highly enjoyed ourselves (the wine, oh the wine- and the views and the sheer architecture –breathtaking), explored North Carolina, visited family in South Carolina, cheered for my brother-in-law Clint for graduating law school, celebrated my 26th birthday by viewing and putting in an offer on what would be THE HOME, and said more goodbyes to Auburn friends.

I then watched my sweet husband walk across the stage as Dr. James Coley (holy freaking cow!!!) and finally ended the month by going on an 8 day Caribbean cruise in celebration for him completing four years of  grueling medical education.

June

Officially packed up and moved away from small town Auburn, and bed surfed back and forth between his parents and my parents’ homes in our transitional phase between moving to Mobile. Oh gosh, I. Do. Not. Want. To. Ever. See. A. UHaul. Ever again. (We had terrible luck with 3 different UHauls and will be using a Penske truck next time.)

I traveled back to South Carolina to watch my brother Dillen officially become a Marine after 12 weeks of rigorous boot camp training. It was very moving and special for sure!

Started my first PRN job, which to be transparent was a good experience but I learned that I greatly dislike not having the consistency of a full-time job with familiar routines and patients.

On June 20, 2019 we officially became HOMEOWNERS!! We are grateful for our kind realtor and to our parents for their guidance.

JULY

Spent many hot days painting the inside of our home to update it and make it our own. Pretended to be Joanna Gaines for a hot second and then I got exhausted and realized home decor is EXPENSIVE. After what felt like forever, I finally began interviewing at different OT Positions for my next full-time OT job with the hope of working in a hospital setting with flexibility to pursue other passions.

James embarked on his first day of his Internal Medicine Residency as an official doctor! Cheers to intern year!

Also on July 15, 2019, James and I celebrated 2 years of marriage 🙂

AUGUST

August brought the heat of the South and James and I began to feel a little more settled in our home. We set up our office space –also known as the room with the most expensive wall in the house– which became James’s go to room to write hospital note. This month were fortunate to do many day trips to Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores this month as a way to maximize James’s typical one day off of work pattern (work life leisure integration).

I started my new job which to my surprise is in a stand alone rehab facility rather than a hospital setting like I originally envisioned. This change of pace in this job offers peace and increased flexibility which I am thankful for.

SEPTEMBER

September equaled to nightshift rotation for James, which I really REALLY disliked (but also realize it is imperative to his medical training). Not the best sleeper without my person, but we did adjust to me going into work slightly later so that I could see him very briefly after he worked a nightshift.

I loved loved loved going to the Alabama Occupational Therapy Association Fall Conference held in Gulf Shores.

OCTOBER

October hastily came and went. We hosted our Housewarming Party with our family, friends, and new neighbors AND we won “Yard of the Month”!!!!!!!!!

James was able to get off work for us to spend a weekend in beautiful Fairhope to attend and celebrate our friends’ wedding.

Friendly Shoes, an adaptive shoe company created by the vision of an occupational therapist, reached out to me for social media consulting and I gratefully and joyfully agreed.

NOVEMBER

November was the ultimate test of team support! James and I enjoyed cheering and attending the South Alabama vs Auburn in which Auburn barely won 69-68. November also equated to family time, Thanksgiving, and getting excited to decorate for Christmas!

DECEMBER

My favorite professional memory of the year was definitely being asked and providing the guest speech for my alma mater at the USA OT Class of 2019 at their commencement Pinning Ceremony.

My friend Ashton visited and we reminisced on undergrad memories:)

I wrote a Holiday Gift Guide for Therapists (click to read me:) !!

Birthday celebrations for James and Jesus during the most wonderful time of the year!!

To close out December my friend Sarah and her hubby visited to ring in the New Year in Mobile, Alabama.

 

WOO What a year!!! So thankful for this life and the people who support me. Looking forward to year 2020 and the upcoming addition to my career outside of clinical work:) !!! (insert big eyed emoji here !!???)

Much love,

SHANNEN M