SCIENCE UPDATE!!

I suppose it's time for a dissertation update. Proposal not quite done. IRB submitted. I feel like I have jumped a major hurdle. Nearly time to have the proposal approved and the comittee picked. The areas of research highlighted in the study are mood disorders and working memory.

Science....it works, bitches. (One of my favorite T-Shirts of last year).

I have a new clinical job working with a forensic population and I love it. I have already documented treatment successes in all five of my long term clients.

Other than that, it's coming up to my year long anniversary of having my own appartment. It has been so rewarding to live on my own and I have learned to enjoy my own company. Beta Band (the best fish ever) and I have had quite a time in Palolo Valley....besides maybe the constant fireworks :D

Lastly, my radio show "Stories from the City, Stories From the Sea" is coming to an end. In order to increase my chances of matching for internship I decided to clear the decks on my extracurriculars. I know I can take it up again if I want to, but right now it's time to graduate and move on with my life.

Aloha For Now,

Rach

Big Islanding with Porn!

Aloha All,

I just had the most awesome weekend ever with my best friend, Poornima Muralidhur, my sister and travel buddy extrordinaire. Our destination of choice for 2011 was none other than the Big Island of Hawaii! We saw Akaka falls in Hilo, and then went to the very top of Mauna Kea for Thanksgiving! 33,500 feet up, and all of the clouds looked like a lake, with the top of the nearby volcano seeming like an island! It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen, and my eyes teared up at its beauty. After we stayed at the beautiful Royal Kona Resort, where we got to swim in their lagoon and do morning yoga as we watched the sunrise. For the next day it was off to Kona where we found Hapuna beach (after being lost twice) and visited the beautiful black sands beach of Punalu'u! (Even better than the Oahu Punalu'u). We also visited Volcanoes national park, where I saw a real live volcano! Then we went to Kalapana, where the lava flow met a town, and saw the beautiful floes as they cut through the rocks. That night was Modern Lovers back in Oahu, where we listened to Sleigh Bells and DyE with Davey and Andrew. The next day we went with Ross and Portland Christian down to the Hawaii Kai Blowhole! I actually jumped in the tidepools, which felt exhilirating after being housebound for three months after my foot broke. On the last day Porn and I actually went surfing. Yes, Rachael successfully mounted a surfboard! It was an amazing feeling to actually catch a wave, and the buzz is quite addicting. (I'm thinking of maybe joining a surf club or something before internship). We went standup paddleboarding as well, and Porn showed me the ropes (although I tired quickly). We watched "Happy-Go-Lucky" and spoke along to the "En-ra-ha, Poppy," parts the whole time. As I watched her go I felt such a joy that I had been able to experience another side of Hawaii after being housebound/showbound/etc for the past couple of months. It felt like a beautiful new start...and I hope the feeling lasts.

Love.

Understanding....

It's been hard for me to come to this point.

I feel finally ready to move on with my life and finish my PhD.

What's been holding me back has not been events, people, or external circumstances at all.

I want to move forward.

I want to do the best I can to get out of school next year, get out of Hawaii, and start my new life.

I'm ready now.

Broke mah foot....

It hurts still! Have to wear a cast for 8 weeks. At least I can kick people with my awesome ski boot :D

Teaching Feedback....

Once again, I find myself floored by undergraduates and how much they like my class (blushes). Some comments from my survey: "This professor cannot improve, she is so awesome," "Her knowledge of the material far exceeded that of most professors I've had." Several loved my discussion of treatments with patients. I feel so blessed that I can impart my treatment knowledge to people, as well as helping them gain understanding of psychopathology. Go me!

Cheeseball Moment....

Gonna be cheesy and say this: I'm so lucky to live in Hawaii and I have the most talented, intelligent and sweet friends. You guys make grad school *almost* bearable.

Thank you.

Last Behaviorists show....

So my good friend Susan Lin and I had been playing together in a little project known as The Behaviorists. (http://thebehaviorists.bandcamp.com) It was lovely to have another psychologist in a band with me, and we played a lot of shows together. Last night was our last show as a band. Looking back on the project I feel a great fondness for what we had been through together. We'd played with Julia, Margot, Richard (another psychologist), Hilary, and finally Ahnate. We'd see so many people come and go, including Jake Aesthete who recorded our EP, which is still hanging around at the KTUH station!

Still, even the best projects have to end sometime, and as the new school year begins I know I have to focus on my PhD. Susan does too, as she gears up for internship. Still, it's amazing that I had the opportunity to play shows in Hawaii with my own material. I'm proud of myself for being so brave and showcasing my talent without hiding behind any real 'effects' to speak of.

Still, in the next project to come (The Radge) my goal is to learn Ableton!

Wish me luck!