Journey to Life's Purpose... maybe

I started a practicum at a physio therapy clinic recently and now I am considering moving in the physiotherapy direction as it seems to match my skills and personality quite well. For this practicum we are required to write an essay near the end about our learnings during our experience. I've found that it always helps to start early. It also helps to have a blog/record of feelings to refer to in case I forget specific wording that I think will make my essay very nice. Here I will write about the beginning:

The beginning of my practicum journey doesn't begin with the moment I stepped foot into ___ Physio Therapy. The story started, as I recall, sometime back in winter semester 2010, when I opted to take an interesting course called Flexibility and Relaxation. Although the majority of the course was composed of flexibility anatomy, relaxation techniques and their physiological effects, we also touched on alternative therapies and learned about techniques used in physio clinics such as myofascial release. Here a seed was planted. During the summer I had a job as a personal trainer and was able to experience another form of exercise "rehab". I found myself wishing I knew a little more about rehabilitation exercises and could offer some different solutions instead of so much focus on "toning up" and looking slim. I decided to do a practicum in a physio clinic for fall semester, feeling it would offer me something of the information I was looking for. After only a few days of my practicum I already felt I had made a good decision.

I went into my practicum ready to absorb the experience like a sponge. The first few days consisted of learning the basics: laundry, hot packs, cold packs, towels... introductions. I was able to shadow both the kinesiologists working there and the physiotherapist (who seemed to do relatively the same jobs, aside form assessments, but with a much different pay grade...). In my second week, I watched my physiotherapist supervisor do an assessment on a man's leg injury which he incurred while playing recreational baseball. He listened and jotted down notes. It was obvious to me already what had occurred as I'm sure it was to him. He asked the man some very precise questions, then manipulated his lower leg this way and that to further understand the issue. It was a very analytical job. It required good listening skills, observation, imagination, understanding of anatomy, and of course bed side manner. This was the moment I thought this path might be just perfect for me.

to be continued....