Physical Therapy Haven

The Why

My fortune cookie message confirmed that I should. It will be a great opportunity to learn and grow as a person and a professional. I sometimes feel like we are losing our ability to get lost. For it is in those moments when we are outside of our comfort zones that we find  out who and what we are, and that we discover more about the world around us.  

The How

Months of planning. Support from family, friends and work. Even though not everyone always got it, their comments, questions, encouragements and even doubts forced me to ask myself if I was sure. That led me through a process in which at the end I knew that I was.

The What

A Journey around the World    

 You may recognize Simon Sinek's Golden Circle of Leadership format in which the Why precedes the How and the What. The Why acts as the foundation and provides understanding and background to the action.

So… Why, How, and What’s Up?

I leave this November 30th 2014 for an 8+ month trip in an attempt to capture a glimpse and montage of Physical Therapy, health, and service around the world.  I hope to create a mosaic through writing, photos, and videos.  My travels will take me to roughly 20 countries that span Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

The idea of this trip has been tugging at my heart for over four years and I am a big believer that you have to listen to the things that tug at your heart. In the past three years I have been on nine short term mission trips to Latin America and have participated in mentorship and community activities in my base city of Chicago. My perspective on life and people has grown in that time and I have become convinced of the positive ripples that we can create around the corner as well as around the world. I have learned that we have more in common than we have apart: and that the most universal of commonalities is a genuine and friendly smile. It’s powerful. In some of my past articles I have also talked about the magic of our Hands and Words and how language and touch can create positive ripples that start at the patient and extend to, through, and beyond a community. Lastly, I have learned that people generally want to serve and contribute to the positive flow of things. We just sometimes don’t know where to start. I invite you to join me on this journey as I seek more understanding of the world, and an eager Physical Therapist’s place in it. I hope to be inspired by places and people, and I hope to inspire others to follow their passions within and outside of the profession, no matter what it may be. Expect pictures, videos, articles, and anecdotes and I would appreciate it if you contribute to and follow the conversation at #globalPTconnect (website and hashtag). Beyond this site we can be found on PT Haven: Facebook , Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube

I recently came across Walt Whitman’s poem “O Me! O Life!” and its last two lines are unforgettable:

That you are here – that life exists and identity,

That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. 

This speaks to all of us...it speaks to you...

...That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse...