Conclusions

Last week, my internship came to a close. After 7 months and 10,000 miles of driving, it's time to begin the next chapter of my life. But before moving on to that, I'd like to take a few moments to reflect on the last 7 months:

7 months ago, I moved to Atlanta to begin what I knew would be one of the biggest challenges I've faced thus far in my academic career. I knew a handful of people in the area (including my roommate), but for the most part, I was leaving most of my friends and family behind me. This was also going to be my first time working in music therapy full time, all day every day. This fact alone elicited a lot of anxiety for me. What if I only enjoyed learning about music therapy (after all, it is fascinating) and not actually practicing music therapy?

7 months ago, I was writing on this very blog about what it might be like to leave behind the "college student lifestyle" (that is, staying up late, sleeping late, etc.) and take up the "grown-up lifestyle (in bed by 11, up before the sun, and taking on THE WORST COMMUTE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA). How would I adapt?

What if I didn't like my supervisors? What if I didn't get along with my fellow interns? What if my car breaks? Or my computer? Basically a slew of questions and "What if's?" were flying through my head so fast, it's a wonder I didn't blow a fuse.

But now, 7 months later, I can happily reflect and answer those questions. I love what I do. Even during my most challenging days, I wouldn't trade it for a desk job of any kind. I loved my fellow interns. They were all kind, funny, interesting people. Each one of them will be a helluva music therapist. My car broke, and my roommate loaned me his. My computer mercifully is still chugging along. Waking up early and commuting did stink, but I made it work (and I was only late 3 times! Trust me, out of 150+ morning commutes in Atlanta, that's pretty solid). And I loved my supervisors. They challenged me, encouraged me, inspired me, and helped me through the tough times.

And there were some tough times. My wonderful girlfriend of 5+ years lives in Orlando. It's tough being that far away from someone you love for this long of a time. My dog had to be put to sleep in March. That's never fun. I had some challenging kids to work with, and there were many days when I went home thinking "what am I doing wrong here?" Plus, living on a $0 income for 7 months is no picnic either.

But I made it through all that, and that alone is something I'm very proud of. You know, there aren't many other jobs out there that go through the gauntlet that music therapists go through. I've noticed it's something we wear like a badge of honor though. When you talk to other music therapists, they know exactly what you're going through, because every last one of us has been there. No wonder we're such a tight knit bunch. It really is like a fraternal organization.

So I'm proud to be in this battled-tested group of professionals; this fire-hardened team of rock star therapists, this steel-willed band of heroes. I made it through the 7 month boot camp that is the music therapy internship. I've been hit, kicked, spat on, and yelled at, and I've kept on pickin' and grinnin' through it all.

I've also seen some amazing sights as well. I've seen "non-verbal" kids sing, "non-ambulatory" kids dance, and "angry" kids have fun. I finally got my "a-hah!" moments I hear music therapists talk about all the time. That moment your client does something for the first time. That break-through moment that makes this job better than any other job out there. That phenomenological reward of doing what we do, and man, is it awesome.

So forgive me for waxing poetic. Past interns, thanks for your wisdom. Current interns, keep on keepin' on. Future interns, get ready for the ride of your life.

One of the most memorable and influential people in my academic life, Dr. Clifford Madsen told us that change is always the most challenging aspect of life. Jimbo Fisher says that "change is inevitable, growth is optional." Bobby Bowden said "You're either getting better or getting worse, but you never stay the same." Going from being a student to an intern is certainly a change, and it's a challenging one too. But the change you see in yourself at the end of it all makes it so worth it.