Bluffton, Indiana.

Today is Thursday, July 21st.

 I've been in Bluffton, Indiana, since Sunday evening, and there are many things I've wanted to share since then about the area that make me smile. Such as the proudly advertised "Cheese Curds" at the Dairy Queen, the signs to watch out for what seems to be bipedal deer (and one I'm not a fan of - "AUTISTIC CHILD"), the incredible heat and humidity that beats anything I experienced in North Carolina, and the awesome fact that it's broad daylight out until after 10 at night.

And just for a little taste of what's happened - I moved in, bought a futon, joined the Y, went to my first "Stretch and Flex" class this morning (more about that later), got my cat neutered and watched him determinedly try to eat his food with a toy in his mouth, bought wireless internet, bought a buttload of groceries (more than I've ever bought at one time, ever), and decided what RedBox movie I wanted to watch. I tried to get a library card, but I don't have anything with my address on it yet, so I have to wait for that. I did laundry in the $1.25/$.75 laundry room in my complex, did a bit of Pilates, tried to order cheesesticks from Pizza Hut but was declined because it wasn't the $10 required for delivery, and tried to eat at the Donut Haus, but it was closed. Dad, Daniel and I did make it to the Indiana Pancake House - can you believe it? - housed right here in Bluffton! (Yes, we're pretty sure it was formerly a Chinese restaurant.)  I don't think it's that famous, it just made me laugh and the food was absolutely scrumptious. Other than that, I've filled up my days with unpacking, catching up on the Bachelorette, playing with Oliver, organizing, and I'm about to start practicing and organizing my lead sheets. Tonight, I'm going to the Body Fit (insert tiny 'R' in a circle here) class at the Y.

It's all quite fun though - I like being amused as I drive down the street at these cultural differences found even in the same timezone as where I grew up.

Fun story: At 10:00 this morning, I went to the Y for the "Stretch and Flex" or flex and stretch or something class. I wasn't sure what to expect besides stretching and flexing. It ended up being just the instructor, Polly, and me. We pretty much stretched and flexed. :) She's trained in isolated muscle stretching, which she did down in Louisville. As the hour progressed, she of course started asking me about myself, what I was here for, how long, how old I am, etcetera. When I mentioned I was doing music therapy, she did a real slow head nod, shot me a sideways glance, slightly pursed her lips as she stretched her leg to the side, and said, "Oh. Music therapy is...interesting." It was clear she either was not well informed about what MT is and had just heard rumors, or really did not think much of it. My gut went with the former.

As we talked more, I learned that she is/has opened her own business in massage therapy. Before that, she worked at a place quite close to my agency that served adults with severe mental illness. She was a social work major but left because she was spending most of the day at the computer filling out paperwork (screenwork?) rather than spending time with people. Somewhere in the conversation, she asked what I'll be doing at Bi-County - baddabing, door OPEN to explaining what music therapy is! So I did, and she looked thoughtful. I explained what a session or a few experiences might look like. Her face became progressively open and excited as I talked, she asked questions about how old the profession was, about the paperwork/treatment plans we have to do, and could it be used in a medical setting? So you use a kinesthetic element too? and she exclaimed at the end, "our therapies could really work well together!"

It was great, and personally rewarding, to actually inform someone about our profession and hopefully erase any preconceived or negative music therapy experience-related ideas. Watching her, it was like her mind and heart opened up to embrace the idea of music therapy. So neat.

I'm getting my first tastes of representing music therapy to people who aren't my friends (older or younger) that have no idea what music therapy is. I'm praying the right words continue to come out of my mouth.

PS - I have catnip in my apartment that I realized would look suspicious if anyone ever searched my home, so I'm putting it out there - it's catnip.