Travel Tip #4: Keep on Smiling

San Frantastic

Last weekend, Taryn and I set out for yet another adventure. On Friday night, Taryn took the LAX to Bakersfield Airport sketch-machine-on-wheels arriving at 10pm. I picked her up with 2 cups of coffee and a bag of pirate's booty ready to travel. We drove with our adrenaline  and TamTam the TomTom leading the way. We took advantage of the time and the maps to plan our trip home. With the mind-numbing combination of adren

aline, caffeine, and a large bag of booty, we planned and we even made a theme our week of halloween trip home. The 5 hour trip flew by, possibly giving the illusion that the trip was quicker than it was. We arrived to find our lovely host, Rupal, waiting for us. Any normal person in this situation would have gone to bed, but we spent almost 2 hours talking and sharing stories. We reenacted our first half of the trip, talking about our late night drives and our encounters at Zion. We told her about the rule of suggestions, and when she asked if we had really done all of the suggestions, we said yes, with the exception of the Pinnicles. We talked until we decided that it was way too late, and that we had a big day ahead of us. 

Rupal lives in Mountain View, about 45 miles away from the city. We woke up, had some breakfast and hit the road. We changed worlds a couple of times, diving in and out of mountains in the clouds until we reached the land of San Fran. I find that cities are generally all the same, with their outskirts looking dirty and brown, and their insides full of tall buildings with tall executives. I was excited by the amount of color. Pinks and purples and greens and reds. All blended tog

ether with houses that are literally on top of each other, rolling along the hills like waves. The overcast sky 

was a welcome sight, and the cool air was the most refreshing taste of fall that I could have asked for. Our first top was the market. We had brunch just walking around tasting fruit, cheese, and dips. The art for sale was impressive as well, but not your run-of-the-mill craft fair prices, and so my only souvenir, a bracelet, was from China Town, our next adventure. We walked downtown until we heard it coming. We stood, looking up an impressive hill, the parallel parked cars ushering us up, their front wheels in perfect synchronization, guiding us to the sounds of gongs, be

lls, and sizzling foods. We reached the top, each pretending not to be out of breath, took a good look around and said "let's go that way." We wandered in an out of street vendors and performers, looking at the sky filled the red lanterns backlit by the 

sporadic sun and intensely blue sky.

Our next adventure took us to the piers. We parked by Pier 39 and walked to Ghiradelli Square. The fruit we ate was quickly burned off during the China Town excursion and our stomachs were suddenly rumbling. Rupal, enduring a cultural fast of only fruit and water, allowed Taryn and I to make the call regarding food. Our legs must have hoarded all the energy from the fruit to propel our curious bodies, leaving nothing for our hungry frontal lobes therefore creating the perfect situation for poor decisions and impulsivity. The scene plays out like this:

Walking down a busy San Francisco street, Taryn and Amanda spot an In-n-Out burger joint. 

Amanda: Look. An In-N-Out.

Taryn: People always say that is good.

Amanda: Yeah, people say it is the best.

Taryn: Should we go there?

Amanda: Yeah I'm so hungry. 

Taryn and Amanda order a burger and fries each. They pay, wait for their food and then devour it quickly. 

Taryn: I feel like crap.

Amanda: This place sucks. 

Taryn: We're idiots. 

Amanda: Yup. 

Tip of the day: In-N-Out sucks. Don't believe what they say. 

Jealous of Rupal's inborn cultural sense to eat natural and healthy things, we continued on our way to the Square. Upon arrival, we were immediately distracted by the ships that closely resembled pirate ships and had to investigate. We took fun pictures, caught a great glimpse of Alkatraz, and moved on to the Square. We spent a quick 10 minutes to get a free piece of chocolate and move on to the next destination. We walked back to pier 39 to walk around and see the sea lions before heading to the car to go to a park with a great view of the golden gate bridge. 

As we rounded the corner of the street that brought us to the park, our eyes immediately went skyward and so did our excitement. A kite festival! This was better than we could have hoped for! We saw dragons and pirate ships denying gravity its desire to ground them. We saw the opportunity to make our own kites and took advantage immediately. Such a simple craft brought so much fun into a blustery and overcast sky. There were orange papers and pink streamers swirling and diving everywhere you looked. Strangers were suddenly friends when 

their kites bonded and danced with strings entwined together. We even took the opportunity to fly our own wings. We tied a kite string to my sweatshirt pocket and attached a tail out my back pocket and Taryn had to hold on tight to keep me from soaring off and away through the mist over the golden gate bridge, or from buzzing the tops of the sky scrapers that disappear when you stand below them. 

We drove until we got to a "secret" beach with a great view of the bridge. Taryn and I couldn't resist climbing the biggest rock we found to get an even better view. After a few minutes of taking fun pictures, we all decided we were tired and drove around the city for a bit before we headed back home. 

Despite the fact that my esophagus felt like I swallowed a lighter and a match, we decided to go out to a sketchy local bar for some pool and darts. Although we discovered that there was no dart board (I use discover quite concretely because it was news to the bar tender that it was gone) we kept ourselves amused with games of ping pong and the local crowd. We stayed until close and snuck out without fulfilling the obligation to leave our numbers with the increasing amount of sketchy men. 

We awoke early the next morning so that we could head to San Jose to visit a friend from college. Unfortunately due to technical mishaps and miscommunication, we realized as the time got later and later that we would not be able to make it there, eat, and then get to the bus at 5:30 for Taryn to leave at 6. Discussing options, we decided to go just a little west and hit up Salinas and Monterey Bay. We hit the road immediately to enable us to see as much of Steinbeck's home as possible. We whisked our way down route 1, trying to find out where in the mist the ocean was. We finally found it and laughed as we tore down the hill leading to the water. The waves were impressive, and the surfers tackling them were even more impressive. Knowing we were pressed for time, we left quickly and decided to head further south on route 1. The scene before us grew increasingly beautiful. The clouds disappeared almost immediately, leaving a view of the bay that was better than a postcard. The blueness of the water rivaled that of the sky, and the beach glistened in the sun. We took the next exit in hopes of finding a cafe with a quick breakfast. We found a perfect place just inland, where we were the only ones and the cook took our order and made us sandwiches that weren't even on the menu. While we waited, we calculated what time we had to leave. How long would it take to get from Salinas to Bakersfield? Let's see, mapquest said 3.5 hours. Lets say 4 to be safe. And we have to get there at 5:30? So if we leave by 2:30 we'll be fine. And no, that isn't a blogging typo.

With emotions as high as kites in San Fransisco, we found the road to Salinas and soared over the hilltops until we arrived into town. A quaint place that was inspirational to on

e of the greatest inspired us to grab a cup of joe and take a walk. When we failed to find the house that Steinbeck grew up in, we decided to get in the car and use the map to get there. We found it,

 took some pictures, and made sure to get back in the car because we definitely had to make it back to Bakersfield by 5:30 so Taryn could make the last bus out of town. When we got in the car we realized we went over our time by 10 minutes. Could be worse. We turned on the GPS and plugged in home. And then we realized. We are idiots. Apparently not only does it take 5 hours, but we counted wrong too. The GPS estimated we would be back at 7 pm. The bus would be halfway to LA by the time we got to Bakersfield. Our only option was to get Taryn to the 3 AM bus. Knowing that the mistake was entirely ours, we laughed. And laughed. The only option we had was to find something fun to do along the way. Taryn opened up the map and scanned down the 101. The only option almost made our jaws fall off our face. The Pinnicles. You've got to be shitting me. 

And so at that point we just decided that some sort of fate or destiny had stepped in allowing us to make the simple calculation error that caused us to be so late and for us to have decided to go to Salinas in the first place which would be taking us down the 101 to Bakersfield. Obviously, we had to go. We took the incredibly winding one lane road to the park, where we had no idea what to expect. We went inside the rangers office to get an idea of what to do. She gave us a map with the advice to take a trail up to the rim, and if we had a flashlight to come back through the cave. Perfect. Another splunking adventure! It was about 4:30 when we arrived, and we hiked for a short while. The bouldering was amazing, but without gear we were hesitant to do too much. We scrambled up rocks and laughed at the world and shouted "I love my life!" from a cliff. We occasionally just burst our laughing at ourselves, and really appreciated each other as a traveling companion. We decided that most people would probably be really angry that they had to catch the 3 am bus, or that they made a stupid mistake. For us, we couldn't have been happier. Anyway, what could we have done? It was meant to be. 

Whether it was meant to be or we just have a wonderful tendency to only see the positives in life, I have decided that the mindset should be applied not only to travels and adventure, but all aspects of life as well. To be positive and productive in life is infectious, let's start an epidemic. 

Tip: Update loved ones frequently, they start to get worried after a while

And so I apologize! I have been so incredibly busy out here in sunny California, it has been a blast. I hardly know where to start....how about the beginning?

The Arrival

I departed from LA giddy with excitement for my new apartment and job. I headed north east, with Ugly Monkey pointing the way. Gradually, the stores, gas stations, and houses began to fade. Winds picked up and dust began to swirl. The mountains that are a smoggy mirage from LA began to take shape, and Roxie rumbled with the ascent. Signs warning "avoid overheating: turn off air conditioner" and "radiator water ahead" are probably enough to describe the desert scenery. The trip up the mountains is a slow, long journey. Trucks with their rhythmical flashers perpetually flank the right hand lane. Skeptically, I pushed on the gas ever upwards. When it seemed like the dusty dunes were a trip to nowhere. We crested. And as soon as the road flattened out, we were on our way down. A smile crept across my face. Here is my new town! Here is my new opportunity for knowledge and friendship. Just around the corner. Like Pochahontas, everybody together now, just around the river bend! Here is...hell on earth? Dear God what is this place? Allow me to elaborate. All the eye can see for miles and miles is the patchy quilt of the desert pretending to be bountiful. But I was not fooled. Watertowers and irrigation systems were hardly discernible through the smog. Roxie was descending the mountains as fast as my expectations. The entrance to the flatlands is guarded by oil drills. Tons of them. Slowly bobbing always sucking away at the earth. And much smaller than I had imagined. Even they were disappointing. 

Bakersfield, California. Now I understand that look people give me when I tell them where I am headed. Their head turns to the side, a deep breath sucked in through gritting teeth. Eyebrows furrowed. That breath is released with a judging "ohhh...Bakersfield...why?" Yep. Bakersfield. Because that is where I can have that hands on opportunity to work with the complicated population that I find so fascinating. 

The Centre For Neuro Skills

Fortunately, in the midst of the 105 degree days, I find solace in the work I have come to love. Brain injury is a sudden and catastrophic change in every patient's life. It can happen to anyone, and it can be totally innocent. So many diseases and disorders in our culture are preventable, detectable, or immediately curable. So many of my patients were simply going through their daily routine when somebody merged to quickly, when somebody was driving drunk, or when their work machinery suddenly fails. Too many cases of the wrong place at the wrong time. And then there are some where you know they will always regret that extra beer, or that helmet that was strapped to the back of his bike and not his head. 

Almost every person that I treat should have died. Some twisted fate allowed them to live. Many, after coma and respirators can tell me with their own breath that they shouldn't be alive. For some, this is motivating, and the therapy I provide along with my co-workers is a challenge to live and get better. Some become depressed and wallow in the memory of what they were before the fateful day. Most can say that they are not the person they used to be. 

For those unaccustomed to the way of the brain, just remember this: your brain controls everything, therefore anything can be altered. For many people, it is the ability to move their bodies. The motor cortex is susceptible to damage as it is on the outer surface of the brain. Many patients have difficulty with coordination, strength, and control of muscle tone. I provide ways for them to perform their daily activities while healing those deficits and supplying compensatory strategies to live independently. Vision is often disrupted after brain injury. The eyes are controlled by tiny muscles, but muscles nonetheless that can be impaired in the same way as the bigger muscles of the limbs. We treat for poor ocular coordination and strength. We also treat for visual perceptual deficits. A person's eyes may see 20/20, but their brain has to make sense of what they are seeing. The ability to see something and remember what it was, the ability to see letters and interpret them correctly, the ability to see half a picture and know what the rest is are all brain functions that are commonly disrupted. OT has the responsibility of reintroducing these topics and rehabilitating individuals with these deficits for functional use. This gel is toothpaste and you use it to clean your teeth. This is an unsafe situation and here is what could happen. Things we take for granted every day but is as complicated as calculus to some of our patients. Which leads into the patients with injury to the front of their brain, controlling their executive functioning. These people are unable to solve the problems they used to and have difficulty controlling their emotions and desires. Many patients present with inappropriate behaviors after brian injury. Sexual comments are common, there are even who brain injury therapists refer to as the "butt grabbers." But they have simply lost the ability to filter their thoughts and behaviors. Because all of this is controlled in the brain. In the same sense, people lose the ability to regulate their emotions. They cry at an instant and laugh inappropriately.  And in some cases, people experience the change in personality. 

It is the ultimate challenge to help these people get their lives back. Most who are admitted can not live independently yet, and Centre for Neuro Skills (very cleverly abbreviated CNS as in Central Nervous System) has apartments for these individuals to live in. Rehabilitation assistants offer the amount of support needed and take critical notes for the case managers and rehabilitation staff to use for therapy. CNS offers an incredible system for patients and their families to return to a life ready for society. I have been thrilled to be a part of this system, and the knowledge I have gained from the direct contact would have been impossible to teach in school. With a solid neuro training from Ithaca and the preparation from my previous clinical instructors, I have succeeded in my attempts to gain as much knowledge as I could in 8 weeks about rehabilitation in brain injury.

Bakersfield Living... probably not a best selling magazine

Quite honestly, Bakersfield has been a blast. When I moved in, Ally, a PT from Ohio, was about halfway through her rotation. We had a great time being roommates and we got along with the other staff beautifully. Two times a week we would head to the rock gym and excitedly conquer new bouldering challenges. Of course, since the rock gym went past Moo, we stopped for ice cream frequently. Not just ice cream, but The. Best. Ice. Cream. Ever. Really. Ever. They make their own rediculous flavors. Guiness, Coffee Toffee Crunch. Butterscotch Pecan, Red Wine, Jalapeno Sour Cream. Cookie Monster. Stop Drooling On Your Computer. Yeah, that good. We made "muffins of the week" and went on a hiking/camping trip to Yosemite with some of the work crew. Unfortunately, Ally left me in the dust for home, and I can't say I blame her. Although I have had fun in the valley, I'm aching for the changing of the leaves and apple picking. I even tried on fall jackets at Target today even though it was a high of 95 today.  Of all the things that I have come to realize and learn, it is that home is home, and it is pretty hard to change that. 

The Weekend Warriors

Of the total of 8 weekends I will have been here, I have spent 2 in Bakersfield. Which is safe to say it is the only way it is tolerable. I have been wine tasting in Paso Robles, camping in Yosemite, and exploring the crevices of LA. Just last weekend I spent the long weekend in LA with adventures that could span a novel. To start, I fulfilled my promise to visit Greg, a college friend who was throwing a house warming party. I drove to Long Beach with excitement to see him and to forget about the stresses of work for a while. He showed me into his house and began introducing me to his friends when a very familiar face appeared around the corner. I can not describe my facial expression except to say every one who witnessed my face when Eric walked out said "You should have seen your face! It was awesome!" What I can describe are my thoughts. They are.         .  Then, the nausea and loss of balance. Then the fake anger. "You never told me you were on a plane! You said you were at the Tavern in Saratoga! What the hell!?" Then the hugs and kisses etc. Fake angry glares at Greg. And then a great night and weekend. Eric and I spent a day at the beach and playing in the waves. 

We met up with other friends and enjoyed the small town feel of the beach colonies. We took our chance to be ultimate tourists in Hollywood, taking pictures with the sign and with stars on the boulevard. We even watched Ferris Beuler's Day Off in a cemetery. I mean really, it was quite a weekend. 

Next weekend the Taryn/Amanda Duo adventures resume as we are headed to San Francisco. 

From here, I have two weeks left at CNS. I'll be heading to Hawaii (Allooooohaaa!!) to visit my Bubbles! I'm sure our visit with be just that refreshing breath of home that we are both craving so desperately. After, I'll be in L.A. for 2 weeks doing mini-trips and preparation for the adventure home. Home. A word that has never sounded better.