"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Yes I was a blonde. Secrets out! My hair isn't naturally purple.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a timeless question that is frequently asked over here as we all attempt to get to know each other and understand the different paths that brought us to this point. I understand that 18 is considered an adult, but at 20 I have so much growing up to do. It’s funny to me that even though the same question was asked in kindergarten, it’s more valid than ever today.

To begin to answer the question I’m double majoring in Spanish and Exercise Science which, in theory, doesn’t really make any sense. In my defense, being a super senior is a dandy trade off with being a global citizen and having experience in a different culture and fluency in a popular language.

When I grow up I want to be an Occupational Therapist working with children with disabilities like CP and autism. In Spain this career doesn’t exist and I frequently find myself explaining that I don’t find unemployed people new jobs. “Occupational” seems to be awfully confusing when translated.

The point of occupational therapy is by the most basic definition “the use of particular activities as an aid to recuperation from physical or mental illness”. There are so many reasons I’m passionate about occupational therapy. Hugh Rawlings describes OT saying “As OTs you may not be saving lives, but you will be helping to create lives worth living”, to further this I absolutely love reading OT forums with OTs talking about why they love to do what to do what they do. I’m nerdy okay? Tune out now if you must, but here are some of my favorite quotes:

·      “I chose OT because it is a chance to restore the functional abilities a person once had to them. A chance for each individual to enjoy something they took pride and joy in doing again. There never goes a day when at some point (even on the difficult ones) when I don't appreciate my profession and the abilities we help return to people. OT is truly a rewarding career and I hope I have many more years in this field.”

·      “PT will teach you how to walk, OT will teach you how to dance”

·      “I feel like OTs live and breathe their ethos- they are socially just, empathetic and compassionate human beings who strive not just to help but to help others help themselves, EMPOWERMENT AND GIVING THE CLIENT A VOICE which sometimes gets forgotten in the medical world. Giving the client the opportunity to be the drivers in their own recovery and rehabilitation is definitely the greatest thing to watch, seeing people blossom in the face of great adversities and challenges and seeing them personally grow and participate meaningfully in life through the power that is OCCUPATION- is something that I am truly grateful I chose this profession!”

·       “It’s the little things that can make the biggest differences in life sometimes and celebrating every little step towards a greater quality of life for someone reminds me of how resilient people are and I am continuously inspired and privileged to learn from those I work with.”

The reason I want to work specifically with children with disabilities is because they so desperately need a voice. It’s a terrible feeling to feel so limited in the body that you’re given. All people have disabilities, though they may not all require OT or be as severe as autism or CP. It’s so crucial to do the cliché and find the ABILITY in the disability, because there is so much ability to be found in every disability. Occupational therapy aids the person in finding everything they can do.

I feel that the career is also incredibly humbling, and a daily reminder not to take things for granted. It’s hard sometimes because I am blessed with an able body and good health. My senses are all in tact. It’s easy to forget how fortunate I am until I get sick and can’t hear the music, or get a cold and can’t breathe in the fresh air. I’ve become more passionate about being an OT during the past week and a half in Spain. Here I am limited. When I talk to my host parents I have so much I want to tell them, but I am limited by my Spanish vocabulary. Its difficult and I feel stressed that I know exactly what I want to tell them, and I want them to understand me, but it’s just not possible, the bridge isn’t there. This feeling of helplessness is exactly why I want to be an occupational therapist; I want to create the bridge.