The Purpose of Life

Do you ever have those days that are so great that you just smile the whole time because you are so happy? today was one of those days for me. This morning I drove to Temecula the town my brother and sister in law live in and hung out with them and their 4 kids for the day. I got to watch my niece and nephew play in their basketball games and see a job my brother's company is working on, i read a book to my niece as she went to bed, ordered pizza plus stayed up chatting on the couch with my sister in law after the kids had gone to bed. it was a perfect day. I couldn't help but think as i was driving back to san diego with the radio blasting this is the real plan of happiness. i usually don't get too religious on my blog but i just had to put a post out there saying how grateful i am that we have a loving heavenly father who placed us in families and gave us the opportunity to have these kinds of days. I couldn't help but look up at the moon with the clouds all around it and have this feeling that he really loves us and really wants us to be happy even with all the hard things we face and the ups and downs of life family really does make things happier. i sat tonight and watched my brother play with his 2 year old daughter and i couldn't think of a more important part of life. then when i got home and checked my mail i had a letter from my mom and dad with a wonderful note. I just sat their and read it and thanked my lucky stars that i have the family i do and parents who love me and would do anything for me. Sometimes i have these moments when i just sit and think about life and where we came from and the about the whole reason we came to earth and i just get overwhelmed when i think about how loved with are from our heavenly father. I look around at all the cars on the freeway and just can't imagine what that must be like to be responsible for all these people and for the out pouring of love that he gives us. I am so grateful that my family is sealed together forever and that nothing will break that bond. All i can say is i am so thankful for the great plan of happiness and for my family and all their love!

Man I love the public

So i am hoping i don't get in trouble for this post but sometimes the most classic things happen from working with the public everyday in the health field so i just had to blog about a few. earlier this week i was working with a patient who is from south of the border and has an injury that will remain top secret but the most important part is that he has to wear depends now because of it. now normally this wouldn't affect me BUT because this person just happens to be a few screws LOOSE this is an important part of the story. here it goes,so just as i am explaining what exercises i want him to do i ask him to turn around and hold onto the treatment table so he doesn't lose his balance he turns around he looks at me and says, "are you going to spank me now" I can honestly say i have never been asked this before and in my mind i never expected i would be asked that question under those circumstances. not only that but this same patient later on in the treatment when i am getting ready to put a heating pad on his back adjust his depends and ask me if i want to see his thong... again never been asked this by anyone much less a middle aged hispanic :) i of course walked out of the room and told my boss i needed a raise.

Next... so today i have a patient who only speaks arabic.. sorry i have no clue how to spell that... anyway this person was with their spouse who does speak english and does the translating.. at one point during the session i needed the patient to loosen their belt so i could put an electrical stim patch on their low back.. well the patient was struggling so the spouse stands up... not only loosens the belt but un-does the button the zipper and drops the spouses pants... looks at me says "that is my job" with a creepy smile..i of course was shocked hahah.. then when i put the heating pad on this patient the spouse looks at me and says.. don't burn the butt they need that with yet another creepy smile hahahah i swear it is a good thing tomorrow is friday

on the flip side today i also had a patient who is recovering from a traumatic brain injur. This patient has worked every single day to regain their speech. the use of their right side of their body along with so many other obsticles that come after the brain is injuried. Today i helped get their arm straight and the wrist flat on the table and let me tell you this patient was stoaked for that minor accomplishment. there may have been a few swear words and a couple of tears but it was really really exciting for both of us. I feel so lucky to be apart of these amazing experiences. I also had a patient who is close to 90 years old give me a hug today and thank me for helping her feel better with less pain. I can honestly say i love my job. i love the unexpected and the surprises that come everyday. i feel so blessed to do what i do everyday.

Holy Sh** I went hiking today

Why is when something sounds like a good idea it turns out to be a REALLY bad one? So this week my boss and one of my coworkers told me about this really great hike not too far from my house. They said it was only 1.5 miles to the top and a lot of switchbacks so i am thinking hmmm must not be that bad and since it is beautiful here in southern CA i might as well get out there and enjoy it. BAD IDEA hahah so friday night I say to Blair "B my coworkers told me about a little hike we could go on." Now being the good friend that she is and knowing that I am trying to get back into better shape she of course agreed. Well around 10:30 am we drive about 15 min to the base of the so called small hike. we sat in the car for a good 5-7 min debating if we have just made the biggest mistake by going there. For the record we both HATE to camp and we HATE to hike hahah. after going back and forth we decide since we are already here we might as well give it a try so gatoraids in hand we start the long journey to the 360 degree view of san diego. Let me just say this the hike was not small and was wicked steep. the best part was they had a sign for ever quarter of a mile you walked. I knew after i saw that first 1/4 mile we had made a mistake but since neither of us wanted to quit we just kept chugging up a giant dirt rocky walkway. Half way up blair turned around and says "you owe me a trip to disneyland for this and we are so staying until midnight" hahah this is because we just went to disneyland and well i am ok if i only go once every 5 years and i could leave at 9 pm and be just fine. I think the only thing that got us to the top of the mountain was laughing over a convo we heard coming from 4 girls about our age... it went something like this:

"So that guy I went out with over the weekend he invited me to church with him. He told me god invites all children to come unto him."

So of course this perked blair and I's interest, but we could have NEVER guessed what was going to happen next. She stops looks at her friends and says.

"He was a mormon and was trying to convert me."

hahah we laughed so hard.

WEll to make a long story short we made it to the top of that damn mountain sweating bullets and breathing hard and decided we would never do it again. But i must say the breeze at the top and the view of everything was pretty amazing and it made me appreciate the 80 degree weather even more.Plus we stopped by sonic on our way home and crabbed a diet coke a diet strawberry limeaid rootbeer float and fresh fruit slush hahha Just so you can all see the view i added a picture of what it looks like at the top :)

Lots of random thoughts

I guess when you only blog once every 4 months you have a lot of different random ideas for the next time you blog. So much is going on in life that it is hard to even know where to start. first i moved to San diego, began paying way to much rent for a condo that I really love and started as I told my boss on the 3rd day of work.. "well there is day 3 of my career" the good news is my boss thought it was hilarious and i think that may have been when I decided heavenly father answered my prayer and sent me to the perfect PT clinic just for me. We listen to talk radio, we discuss the outragious amount of TV we both watch and I have some of the coolest patients ever, along with a few crazies but they keep it intersting.So even though i still say i hate to work I LOVE my job and along with the move i also turned 26. something i never thought would happen since in a lot of ways i still feel 16. Its funny how when we go through changes there are are so many ups and downs that go along with it. I feel so blessed to be in a profession that is safe in these crazy times. I feel beyond lucky to have the roomate i do and to be closer to the family i adore, yet sometimes i still feel unsettled and i am not really sure why. I've decided it must just be the feelings that come with being in the middle of your 20's and not knowing how life may turn out. but for today at 11:00 pm i have decided to focus on all the things that make me happy so here are a few of those things.

One of the reasons i moved to cali was to be closer to my brother phillip and his family. I have missed not getting to hang out with their kids which is why i love this new picture of aubrey and I


Today my niece brooklyn called me today and just kept saying hi joanna, i love you. this little girl makes me so happy. and doesn't Jackson make the cutest dragon. i love him so much


It has been so fun exploring SD with Blair. Its like i said all along, the best thing about Boston came with me to CA. And I am so lucky to have kacey be in my family


Riding the ferry to coronado island. Gotta love the view of my new city

Family vacations to bear lake. My mom threw this together and we had a blast. I am gratetful this is my eternal family.

Friends. I love them and since i have no sisteres heavenly father has done an excellant job putting amazing friends in my life

Taking my parents to fenway park. Its a day i won't ever forget.

Don't Laugh

Alright so this may be crazy but yes i am actually doing a blog post on the late Michael Jackson :) It won't be long but of course any channel i turn on these days is nothing but photos and videos of him performing and well since hs was and will always be the king of pop i thought i better give a small tribute to the man in the mirror.

YouTube - BILLIE JEANS BEST EVER MOONWALK


Thriller For Life!

Second post...

Sorry but its been a long time since i have blogged so i decided to do 2 post tonight... this one is just of pictures of what has been going on in life.

Hung out in St. George for Marci's wedding. It was fabulous. I have to say a little more about this picture and give a shout out to Marci. I met Marci at utah state and I will go as far as to say it was fate. Marci is one of the greatest people i know. She can do anything and is a friend for life. i am so excited for her and her husband adam and their new adventures. My life is better and happier because she is my friend. She truly is one in a million and one of the the greatest people I know. Marci i love ya to death.. congrats again on getting married. It gives me hope it can happen for me one day too :)

Went to Palmyra and visited the Sacred Grove and the Joseph Smith farm

My parents came to boston for my graduation. We had a blast. I owe so much to them, I think they will be grateful to get my off the Swensen Payroll :)

All my friends from my program.. I could have never done it without them

Went to the city of Brotherly love and met Rocky... One of the highlights of my life

My dear friend Whitney came to visit and I had a blast showing her around the city and helping her become a sox fan

Traveled down to Fort Meyer Fl to catch some Redsox spring training.

I love the beach. I went to the beach in Florida and a few times in Boston before i left just to get my fill until i move.

Spring finally came to Boston after the longest coldest winter of my life.

LIFE as it is today

Its saturday night around 9 pm and i am back in idaho after a week long road trip which included a baseball game at Wrigley field and Coors field, visits with old friends, and a wedding of one of my dearest friends. Its no wonder i have lots of mixed emotions tonight. A week ago tomorrow i packed up my car and moved from boston mass. Boston has been my home for the past 2 years and it has been some of the best 2 years of my life. i have fallen in love with the city and met some of the greatest people. I still can't believe 2 years ago i wasn't sure what i wanted out of life and wasn't too happy with where i was so after spending the summer in san diego i ventured off to meet one of my dearest friends marci in boston to complete a physical therapist assistant program. I owe many thanks to marci. she has always been a very good friend to me and I love her so much! Its funny the feelings we have when an era comes to an end and there is a new adventure on the horizon. its exciting but scary. In some ways i couldn't wait to move and then as i drove out of town i couldn't help but feel sad too and now sitting in my favorite spot on our couch downstairs i can't help but think how i have changed and how my life has changed from living in boston. Its all very exciting and yet i feel a little melancholy. The plan is to study for my board exams and move to sunny San Diego the middle of August, i am lucky because my closest friend from boston is making the move with me which makes it a little less scary and a lot more exciting. I know i will love the next chapter in life and i know i learned the lessons i needed to the past few years. I guess the good news is I am excited to see what is around the corner and until i make the turn to hang out with my family for a few months in Twin

Things i will miss the most from boston
1. The boston red sox

2. The charles river
3. The most amazing food on the planet
4. The city at night

5. East coast beaches
6. The chaotic driving
7. My classmates
8. The boston celtics
9. The Harbor
10. Last but not least all the amazing people i met

I don't think I make a very good adult...

You ever have a day or days when nothing seems to work out or crappy things continue to happen... that has pretty much been my monday and the only conclusion i can make is that i don't make a very good adult.... It all started when i decided to be a responsible adult and get my alignment checked on my car... This is important in boston cause during the winter from the snow and ice GIANT potholes are EVERYWHERE. so as i am driving to the tire place i freaking hit a pothole and knew something was wrong... 3 lights came on on the dashboard... it felt like i had no power steering and my car just seemed weird. So i get to the tire store and the verdict was that i would need 1. serpentine belt, 2. AC belt, 3. alternator belt plus all the BOGUS labor charges. a few hundred dollars later and i was on my way.... needless to say when you are in college with no job, and no job in sight for another hmmm 5-6 months... this is about the worst way ever to start a monday... the irony my car's alignment was fine.. that was the cherry on top... On top of that i still am trying to figure out the whole health insurance/hospital bills from a visit to the hospital back in SEPT!!! Can i just say i hate bills... they are no fun and i have decided that insurance bills and car bills are what makes a person an adult... which is why i now know i am a horrible adult :)
The good news of the post is that after a year and a half of endless school work and studying i am finally done with my work in the classroom and tomorrow i start my second clinical rotation at New England Baptist Hospital which i am really excited about because it is the official hospital of the Boston Celtics... lets hope tomorrow's first day goes A LOT better then today... and keep the fingers crossed that one day i will be better at being an adult....

FINALLY an exciting New Years!

Most people have heard me talk about my life list. This is a list of things I want to do in life before I die and over the Christmas break I had the chance to mark 2 of these things off. 1. See San Francisco and 2. See the Golden Gate Bridge. I am not really sure where it started but I LOVE bridges. The Brooklyn bridge is my favorite but the GGB is definitely a close second. One day I will make my way over to the London bridge. I have always wanted to go to San Fran because everyone says it's an amazing city with a European look. I must say I loved the bridge and thought San Fran was great but Boston is still my #1.
The best part of the trip was I met up with Marci in SLC and we met Blair in Cali in Santa Rosa where her sister lives. These friends have become my vacation buddies and we have the best time together. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Blair and I in front of the bridge. I was like a kid in a candy store the first time we saw the bridge. We had no clue we would see it on our drive but it was the best surprise. The bridge is amazing. I would even go as far as it say it really is a little piece of heaven on earth.

Marci and I doing what we do best; being crazy. I was so happy Marci was able to make the trip. I miss seeing her everyday in Boston and it made for the best new years getting to spend a few days with her... (Marc if things go bad there is always a place for you in So. Cali)

I know I know another picture of the bridge but I really was shocked by how beautiful it is.This was one of the best moments in life. The day was sunny and clear with the best company. It was absolutely perfect!

We Decided to take a drive along the coast because it was such a perfect day. We didn't really have a plan we just started driving. We drove through Pacifica, Half moon bay, and finally to santa cruz. This lighthouse was along the way.

From living in Boston I have fallen in love with the beach, and the 3 of us used to go to the beach almost every weekend in the summer so it was so fun to get to see the west coast beach together.

Blair and I decided to be adventurous and ride the swings in Santa Cruz. It was fun to feel like a kid again and the best part was swinging way out over the beach.

The whole reason we drove to Santa Cruz was to ride the roller coaster on the pier along the ocean. It is one of my most favorite memories of the trip. I feel so lucky to have the chance to get together with Marci and Blair and see the world and enjoy being young. We have such a great time together and there is nothing more fun then going on a trip with close friends.

We spent new years in the big city and it was a blast. It was fun to see the city with everybody out bringing in the new year. We watched fireworks over the ocean on the pier.

I would say the number 1 reason I could never live in SF is also one of the things that made marci and blair laugh the hardest on the trip and that is the fact that their parking meters are almost as tall as I am. It was hilarious we were walking down a street chatting when they looked over and saw the meter was as tall as I was. They made me take this picture while people starred at us and they couldn't stop laughing. I must admit I had a laugh inside thinking man I really am short hahah