You could say I’ve been at a bit of a crossroads for some time now.
I graduated from college in 2009 with a degree in English, and landed an internship at a small literary press. On the side, I worked as a waitress in an Italian restaurant so I could pay my bills and fill my days. At the end of last year, I got my first full-time job at a prestigious publishing house. It was a wonderful experience that I’m incredibly grateful to have had for many reasons, one of which is that I quickly figured out that I did not want to devote my life to the publishing industry. It also confirmed that I’m not really cut out for 9-5 office life (although I have the greatest respect for those who are), and since June, I’ve been working as a hostess in a restaurant and waiting for “the next phase” to begin.
There were a few things I did know, though: I want to help people. I want to talk to people. I want to have relationships with my coworkers and those I serve. I want to make my own schedule. I want to feel good about my job- and myself- at the end of each day, and I want to feel excited about starting the next one.
I have a lot of idealism and a lot of demands, but a career is something a person spends hours, days, months, years of their lives devoted to. I don’t want my job to become my life, but just because it’s how I support myself doesn’t mean I don’t deserve to be happy while I work, either.
Before I got hired at the publishing house, I started to think about other options- careers that really didn’t have anything to do with writing or reading (two of my great passions) at all. I kept returning to two main ideas: 1) I have to work with people, and 2) Maybe what I do for a living shouldn’t be what I do for fun. It’s true that I’m passionate about books, food, wine, and travel, but I also figured out during my first job that there needs to be a clear separation between where work ends and life begins, and vice versa.
Meanwhile, several close family members and I all suffered serious injuries. My dad was in a bike accident and broke his collarbone, shoulder and thumb. You all know my dad as the vibrant man who whips up fancy dinners and throws great parties, but he was out of commission for weeks.
My grandfather, the coolest 90 year old, still travels, exercises, and has more social events in his datebook than I do. Last winter he fell and hit his head after a black-tie event. He went to the hospital, in his tux, after suffering serious head and body injuries. He recovered miraculously, and this past summer, we took a trip together to France.
I myself have suffered my own physical injuries (although mostly self-inflicted) through running; I’ve broken my femur, had recurring plantar fasciitis, and suffered horrible bouts of iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). 
Yet we all got through it, with the help of strength, determination, and our great physical therapists. And there it was: the “Aha!” moment I’d never before experienced.
Running is one of the activities I am truly passionate about. When my feet hit the pavement, worries about politics, finances, and the frustrations of daily life seem to magically melt away. The periods when I wasn’t able to run due to injury were some of the most frustrating experiences of my life, from hobbling on crutches to struggling through everyday activities while sharp pain shot down my life. It was only with the help of a physical therapist that I overcame my injuries and learned that exercise and knowledge about the workings of the body could help keep them from returning.
Physical therapists rehabilitate everyone from athletes to victims of brain injury to children with developmental disorders. They use a range of skill sets from psychology to science to nutrition to sociology to help patients get back on their feet. And on January 31st, I’ll begin my journey of becoming one, too.
As someone with a liberal arts education, I literally took two science classes in college: Contemporary Concepts in Physics (also known as Physics for Poets) and Geocinema, in which we watched and discussed films about natural disasters. So I have a lot of catching up to do! I’ve enrolled myself in a post-baccalaureate, medical pre-requisite program to get all of the math and science classes I need in order to qualify for the Doctoral-level health professions. The program will take 2 – 3 years, and the DPT (Doctorate of Physical Therapy) program will take another 3.
It’s going to be a big adjustment to go back to school again after almost two years, especially when I know that the first half of the ride will be difficult math and science classes. But one of the items I’m adding to the list of goals for 2011 is to treat school like a full-time job. While I’m going to continue working part-time at the restaurant, it’s most important for me to focus on doing well in all of my classes, getting organized about paying loans, and doing whatever I need to make it work. And I will. I’m so excited to start and share this new wild ride with you!
How did you decide what your “calling” was? And are there any current physical therapists or DPT students out there who have any tips for me?
Congratulations!! I’m so excited for you! My mom is a physical therapist for those exact reasons and she has loved her job all of her life. Good luck!
Congrats on an incredible decision! I’m 35 and slowly but surely figuring out my calling. I love my job but not sure I want to do it forever!
Invite all your blog friends to your PT graduation! We’ll all be there!
Congratulations, that sounds like an amazing career.
GAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i’m SO excited for you!!!! i can’t wait for you tell me all about it on friday!!!!!!!!! yayyyy
Katie! I love ya girl and am so HAPPY that you are finding something that you love! I really feel life is too short to not follow your dreams! I am very excited for you and thanks for sharing this with all of us in the blogworld!!! xoxo
it sounds so cliche, but i think when you know, you know…
it sounds like you know
i think youll love it
Oh my! So, so, so excited for you Katie. This post put such a big smile on my face. I have the utmost respect for you for following your heart and I can’t wait to read about how everything pans out. I have a feeling you’re going to flourish.
Congratulations! That is so exciting and physical therapy will be such a challenging and rewarding field! It’s so interesting and always changing.
I quit my job this past year and am taking pre-reqs for a master’s in nutrition. It’s definitely different and sometimes I think twice about when I realize how much money I am going to spend, but in the grand scheme of life I know I will be much happier.
congrats on taking this next step in your life! it sounds like a lot of hard work but i’m sure you will do awesome.
CONGRATS! I can’t wait until I have one of those career aha! moments myself. I’m excited to hear more about your classes.
Wow, that’s great! I had a stint at Coffee House Press that brought me to your same realization about publishing. So cool to hear that you’re embarking down this new path. Good luck!
i almost never comment but i’m an avid reader!
just had to say OMG! (insightful, no?) and soo many good wishes your way!!!
cannot wait to see where this takes you, your journey and all your future success and happiness! i have so much confidence that you’ll be able to tackle all of your goals
xo
Congrats girl! Sounds like you got a great plan set for you! So happy for you
Can’t wait to continue to watch your journey of finding what you love to do, it is an exciting time!!
Yay. I am so psyched for you. You’ll have to do a rotation here with my pt friends…
Wow– so awesome!!! Very excited for you, Katie, and can’t wait to follow along through the blog!!
Such wonderful and exciting news – congratulations! I’ve had a few different directions in my career path, and after having been a classroom teacher for the last several years, I am making a change to what I’m doing. I am currently looking for a non-profit job, and if I can find one related to volunteer managing and community organizing, I’d be really happy.
Very exciting! Congratulations!
Awesome news! Congrats on taking this step for yourself.
I can see that you write beautifully and with your passion you should heal others beautifully. Best of Luck…..Sounds like you are going to be working hard but enjoying your days.
Katie, it’s exciting that your new journey is about to begin. Some of my best friends are physical therapists – no, really. Best of luck to you.
Sandy
This is really exciting. You’re so smart to do this. I was 24 when I quit my restaurant job and went back to school to study something I never knew would interest me. Like you, I realized that what I did for fun couldn’t be a business and still feel fresh and exciting, and that I needed to do something to help others. There were a few bumps at the beginning of the road, but I’m so glad I did it. You will be, too.
Congrats! That is so exciting—my boyfriend is just finishing up a post-bac program that will allow him to apply to med school and as you probably know, I’m working towards my MS RD. It’s hard work learning all that science but so much fun nerding out once you get into it : )
I am so incredibly proud of you! You are so amazing and I know you will do so well in this field. Heart!
I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but it wasn’t until I read my birthday horoscope (I KNOW!) on my 14th birthday, which said I was destined to be a journalist, that I decided journalism would be my career path. Good thing I like it hey
oh my gosh! that is awesome!! i am so excited– that a physical therapist is something I am interested in becoming too
WOW Katie this is so amazing! To follow your ‘calling’ isn’t always an easy decision, but you’re going to love it I’m sure, and it’ll so be worth it!
Congratulations! I’m so happy for you, its wonderful that your following your heart and pursuing a great career, I look forward to reading all about your adventure!
This sounds absolutely amazing — being able to combine your personal experience with running to a job that will benefit people at the same time sounds like the perfect thing! Congratulations
I found my calling for fitness and nutrition last year and Ive been in school since, and today I am quitting my full time desk job to focus on studying, practicing and to find a job in the field that I love that im passionate about, its gonna be tough and im so nervous about quitting TODAY but I know in myheart, the desk job is making me miserable and so unhappy, I want to be out there, helping people get healthier! Im finishing up my group fitness instructor program this weekend and Im 1/2way done studying for my personal trainer certification and then to nutrition school I go…
best of luck katie! i think its awesome, not many people chase their dreams, you can make such a positive impact on someone thru pyshical theraphy!
Oh Katie congratulations! This is such an exciting step for you. It takes a lot of courage and self reflection to ask ourselves tough questions like “what do I want?” And “what do I want to do?” But you are strong and awesome and I’m so happy for you. It definitely took me some switching around before I found an area of study that I can see myself working in. And you are right – our biggest passions are not always the best career choices.
I’d love to talk to you about this more but I’m sure you are a bit overloaded right now!
We’ve talked about this before, but I’m so happy for you! I think you’ll make an excellent physical therapist:) Let me know if you ever need help with any of the science classes.
Oh Katie that is SO awesome!! Congrats on such a huge decision and for taking the time to get there and figure out what is right for you. It sounds perfect. It’s a long road but I promise you it will be so worth it. Very excited for you!!
congrats!!!! that’s so exciting
i double majored (athletic training and biology) and currently work as a scientific researcher. the therapeutic aspect of AT was rewarding but super frustrating for me. i couldn’t take it when people refused to try to rehab themselves because it was too much work. hope you have better luck than me! i chose the anti-social lab job
One big congratulations to you!!!! I cannot tell you how happy I am for your decision. I truly believe that adult experience can shed light on what our true calling should be. You are a great example of that!
I can relate as I graduated from the U of Minnesota in 2007 with a degree in Communication and have fallen into various sales/business roles. The cubicle life has its perks (bagel friday anyone?) but I quickly understood that I needed to pursue a career in a helping profession. I missed working with kids ( I nannied throughout college) and I enjoy volunteering in the local schools. Because I work at an online college, I receive free tuition and decided to pursue something I’ve thought about for a while now… a Masters in School Couseling! I won’t be making big bucks when I begin my first job in counseling, but I think it will be worth the personal happiness of fulfillment of the job.
I’m so excited for you! I’m also going back to school this semester. It’s scary, but quite exciting! Good luck!
Congratulations, I am so happy for you! It must be such a relief to finally decide exactly what you want and to start on the path to getting it. Good luck!
Congratulations, that’s awesome — so happy for you!!
<3 <3
Congratulations for settling on going back to school! You’ll love it and it’ll open so many doors for you.
Sorry to hear about your injuries (and everyone elses of course!)..I’ve been writing some entires on running injuries so hearing about you having them struck me lol
Congratulations on the decision to go back to school! Good luck with it all.
i’ve been waiting for this post! you know already how excited for and proud of you i am. this is going to be such a great journey for you, and i know all the hard work ahead will reward you in spades.
and i think your words about there being a separation between where work ends and life begins are really, really wise and something you can’t really grasp until you get out in the working world and experience it. i enjoy my job and it involves my passions for writing and theater, and i am happy to spend extra time there when i need to. but when i leave work, i leave, and that’s where i have time for all my other passions. the balance of the two is key. you will always be katie who loves books and food and culture and fashion and running, and that stuff isn’t going anywhere. now you’ll also have this whole other element that will make your life even more full. i can’t wait to see where it takes you.
Congrats on your decision…that’s so exciting!
Congrats on figuring things out! It’s crazy isn’t it? When we all went to college, we were supposed make the decision then what we wanted to do as a career—I don’t know many 17 year olds who actually know! Some get lucky, and some find their passions and go through the thought process you went through earlier in life.
It takes a taste of what you don’t like to figure out what you do like sometimes!
I’ve been really lucky—that I picked the general category of health and have been able to tailor it to what I want to do at any given moment
Looking forward to following your journey!
YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY!!! you know i am so very excited for you about this – it’s been a long road here, but you made it! and you are on your way to wonderful, helpful, lovely and exciting things
HOLY COW!!!! I’m so impressed. Joe is very curious about how the schooling will work, so if you get a chance, you should send him more details! He’s asking me all sorts of questions
Anyway, good for you, darling!
Congratulations on finding something that you’re so passionate about, Katie! I truly believe that life is a big journey, and you are going down a really awesome path. Good luck getting back into the swing of school, and I think that you will probably inspire a few of your readers to rethink their own paths.
Best wishes in this new phase of your life! I am so excited for you:)
Katie, I’m so excited for you! I can relate, I always thought I’d follow a more liberal arts education, but now I find myself considering dietetics (not necessarily to work as a registered dietitian, more so for the field of nutrition/health politics). Anyway, I never thought I’d find myself mapping out my academic career with courses in organic chemistry and biochemistry. But I think (at least for now) that it will be worth it for the end result, which is a field that I find truly fascinating, complex, and relevant. Sounds like we’re at a similar crossroads!
Best of luck Katie, and I can’t wait to read more about your schooling!
When I saw your writing let me think of myself. I often have the same disturb about how to keep balance between life & work.How can I through the work enjoy my life and feel it’s valuable.As the full-working time always cost 2/3 hours maybe more in one day.After working, it’s always hard to have other my hobby or any activity.Off work I always feel my body tired. I only think how to relax my body and keep nothing on my brain.Change mind really need more courage to fulfil it.I am happy that you have so large courage to change it make life more comfortable and happy.Congratulations!!