Adventure anyone?

For the longest time I was a stayer.  I stayed.  I stayed at Ford's for 18 years. I stayed in my relationship for 15 years. I stayed in my house for 12 years. I didn't really think about it, wouldn't have described myself that way, but I was a stayer.

And then I wasn't.

Six years ago I chucked everything, moved to Miami  and opened a medical clinic.New field, new city, hell could have been a  new country for as different as Miami is from DC.  And what an adventure it was.  I learned so many things. Most good, some bad, but most of all, I learned about me. I learned what I was capable of. I tested my own grit and determination and was surprised (yes, its true), truly surprised to find what I had in me.  What I was capable of. (Thank you for those who helped on that journey. You know you are!)

Four years after that adventure began, I moved back to Philadelphia, to my family and the theatre. While in the clinic, I had truly missed the arts. More often than not a line from a show was the best way to illustrate a point or complete the perfect reference, or just make me smile. Colleagues were surprised to find that there actually are people who break into song at a moment's notice.  It's been known to happen, I'm not embarrassed.

Fast forward to the theatre and I found myself missing the patients.  No doubt about it, the patients were the best part. Hands down these were the strongest, most courageous, sweetest people I have ever met. Some became friends, some I'm still in contact with - thank you Facebook for keeping connections. Oh sure, some were exceptions.  We had some doozies but 90%, NINETY PERCENT were amazing.  That's a pretty good number.

While at the clinic a little seed had begun to germinate.  The idea of going to grad school had planted itself in the back of my mind. I could take this stuff I do with patients and really study it. Learn it.  Be better at it.  Make a difference.  The age old desire to make a difference.  As someone told me later, I had caught the bug of helping people. There was a certain high you got when you could feel it click.  You did it. You just made a little difference in some one's life.

So now, two years later, I'm embarking on a new adventure. In a mere two and a half weeks, I'm heading to graduate school. It has been thirty years, 3-0, thirty years since I sat in a classroom.  I am thrilled, terrified, excited and paralyzed with fear all at the exact same moment.  But I'm doing it anyway.

When I was trying to decide about leaving the clinic, I felt like the universe was sending me all sorts of messages.  Blog posts I read, articles on my news feed, new stories on TV, all seemed to point in one direction, the more I ignored them, the louder they got.  This year, as I contemplated my plan, the same thing happened.  Every message seemed to say, Carpe Diem, do it, live scared, follow your dream, you're never too old.  Lordy, lordy, I hope those fortune cookie messages were right, because I'm jumping in!

On September 3, I begin the Masters of Social Work program at Bryn Mawr College.  Oh don't worry about me at any ivy covered hoity toity college on the Main Line.  The school of social work is down the road a bit in what looks like a renovated girls school from the 1960s.  Its a homey little place and it will be my home away from home for the next two years. That is when I'm not at my field placement.  FIELD PLACEMENT!  Starting the very first week of school, I have a field placement two days a week.  In a hospital. In a Behavioral Unit.  That is locked. Yep. Locked. I start my first week of school in a placement in a locked ward at a hospital.Go big or go home, right?  I'm going BIG!

In preparation for this massive life change I'm moving as well.  Why make it easy, right?  I'm downsizing both in physical space and expenses.  My new pad (I get the keys tomorrow) is cozy, as they say in real estate, and perfect for my new hermit-like existence.  It  has absolutely gorgeous outside space (below) perfect for visitors coming to share a meal.  I will have to eat, you know. So come visit. Bring food.

And don't worry.  It has been proven that you can take the woman out of the theatre but you can't take the theatre out of anyone!  I will take my theatre, my art, my creativity with me wherever I go and whatever I do.  It is the perfect art form for communication, exploration and teaching. How I use it, who I'll work with, what I do -- all this remains to be seen. I have some ideas but I am open to everything. I am open to learning.

My job has been kind enough to keep me on half time for the near future. So I'm about to get crazy.  I will be working, schooling, hospitaling and reading, reading, reading and reading. After that well, hell... this whole thing is one wild ride.  I'll keep you posted.  Adventure anyone?