My Not-So-Brief Debrief

I'm sorry it has been so long since my last post. Things have been a bit crazy at the Charpie household with my mother going through surgery, but it went well, so I'm thankful for that! My mom had lost her senses of smell and taste and she was given numerous nasal sprays that offered her no relief. Eventually the doctors decided she should have an MRI just in case and as it turned out, they found a large tumor above her nasal cavity, right below the brain. Though we were all taken aback by the discovery of the tumor, she was able to have surgery a week later and now she is recovering. The doctors say she will never get her sense of smell/taste back, but as long as she's healthy, I think we have a lot to be thankful for.

On a happier note, my internship was amazing and I'm excited to fill out Amanda's debriefing categories. Here it goes:

Funniest internship moment: One of the boys that I worked with this summer asked to go to the bathroom, so I stood outside the doorway as I always do and waited for him to finish. When I checked on him through the peep hole I noticed that he was stripping off all of his clothes and singing to himself in the mirror. I started giggling to myself and when I was composed, I opened the door to direct him to put his clothes back on. When I opened the door he was standing there completely naked with his underwear on his head singing and dancing to "My Hips Don't Lie." It was classic.

Most rewarding moment: So much of my job was rewarding that it is difficult to pinpoint one specific moment, but I think the last day of my internship was the most gratifying. The boy that I grew closest to this summer, Eric, kissed me goodbye on my last day and said "I love you," which made me start crying (something I promised myself I wouldn't do). Most children with Autism do not understand what love really is, but hearing him say those three words put my heart in a knot.

Best new person? Again, I'm going to have to go with Eric. There really aren't words to describe the love I have for this kid, but I think this picture pretty much explains it--we're just on the same, ridiculous page.

Most boring weekend? Hah. Well there was that weekend I cleaned out my bathroom drawers and washed the outdoor furniture. That was pretty lameeeee

Craziest night? I spent the weekend at my friend Dave's house at the Cape... I've got some good stories. This post is already too long, so if you're interested, I'll fill you in later.

I think I'm going to miss my job and my family the most, but I am so excited to get back to Conn to spend time with all of you again! I had the best time of my college career at the end of last semester and I am so excited to get back to school and have the best year of my life. It will be, I know it :o)

Love,

Elizabeth