Fourth / 4th year of grad school COMPLETE

Started off my fourth year of graduate school feeling like this sloth in my tea cup: 

...tired and lazy. I had not gotten a summer off the entire course of graduate school, and last summer was no exception. I took psychopharmacology and a disaster mental health class...and I b!tched about it the entire time, haha. 

I also started work at the Sioux Falls Veteran's Affairs Health Care System conducting neuropsychological assessments. Without a doubt, one of the coolest (and best) jobs I've ever held, aside from my work at the counseling center last year. I barely had any neuropsychological background, aside from a nifty 5 week seminar, so I learned SO much during my time at the VA. Definitely made me a very well-rounded clinical psychology trainee and I can't believe how lucky I was to have the supervision I had.

I went there 2x a week and really loved my supervisors and, of course, the population I worked for.

Luckily I was able to get a couple of weeks off of work and go to Colorado! I was presenting a poster at the American Psychological Association (APA). The rest of the time was spent with an awesome friend from college, Victoria, and time with my family.

Of course I brought Luna.

Luna even went across the Rio Grande! She's featured in the carrier. She wasn't the most excited, but she was a trooper.

We went hiking.

And tubing.

Enjoyed the gorgeous scenery.

We went to Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory -- I LOVE TEA

After that, I buckled down and got to work. It was my senior year and I was determined to complete my dissertation, match for a residency, and complete and all my required classes. 

Like I said above, for two days out of the week I was lucky enough to work at the Sioux Falls VA conducting neuropsychological assessments for our Veteran population. The other days I worked on my dissertation, saw clients at the Psychological Services Center, supervised a couple of my peers in providing psychological services, and took a peer supervision course. 

On top of all that, I applied for residency all across the state AND ADOPTED A KITTEN.

Oliver was found in a dumpster (and he also acts like it sometimes). He was barely 4 weeks old and he fell in love with Luna instantly. Luna didn't return the feeling. Unfortunately...he also brought fleas and ringworm into our little apartment. He was also too little to have ANY of the regular medication to treat these issues, so I bathed him daily, put ointment on him, did about 10 loads of laundry, and disinfected my entire apartment on top of all my other activities. *screams*

His favorite toy was a plastic spoon, and he loved my bed more than me. 

That was a terrible terrible TERRIBLE time in my life. I drank a LOT of coffee, had even less sleep, and I received offers to interview at 13 residency sites. I went home for Christmas to relax a bitfirst, haha. 

Oliver loved the Christmas tree. 

Luna and Oliver protected the house from bird attacks. 

In January, I interviewed all over the states for a residency site (e.g., Florida, South Dakota, North Dakota, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Ohio, etc. ). I was super lucky that I was able to make Atlanta my home station AND my parents were able to come with me so we could make "mini-vacations" out of the interviews. 

That helped me keep my sanity. 

Following that, I went back to South Dakota and found out that I was accepted into the Air Force and would be completing my residency (and beginning my career) as a Captain at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base!

The only thing left (aside from classes and work) was to finish up my dissertation. 

After a whole mountain of additional stress I was able to defend my dissertation, and Luna met what I had been working on while she sat in my lap. 

 Luna was unimpressed, per usual. 

And then... I moved out of my apartment in South Dakota and eventually got orders to move to Ohio. 

Goodbye, South Dakota, you were wonderful. 

I spent a total of 4 years in South Dakota. I cannot have imagined a better place to have lived while earning my degree. I think about South Dakota frequently and look forward to going back (for fun!) one day.

Hello, Dayton, Ohio!