Most of you reading this, i.e. the people who are not my friends and didn't find this on my various social networking pages, are probably wondering who the crazy person is that think she's cool enough to have a blog. By way of introduction, my name is Mel but I'll also answer to Lanie and pretty much anything else that isn't insulting. I'm a rising second year grad student and my passion is helping people, particularly children. It is my goal upon graduation to work in a Pediatric Oncology unit as a Social Worker. I could spend a whole blog post explaining why I feel compelled to go into this field, and I may tell the story at some point, but suffice it to say that I believe it was fate.
Others of you reading this may be curious about the blog title. If you haven't clicked over to my About Me section, let me explain. I was born with Cerebral Palsy, a condition that affects my fine motor skills and ability to walk. For that reason, and perhaps due to some laziness on my part;), I cruise around in a pretty awesome power wheelchair. She's pink and she's been instrumental in helping me gain my independence. I hope to use this blog and writing about my everyday life to inspire people living with CP and other disabilities. This blog will will also be an outlet for me so I'm not promising sunshine and flowers all the time, but I am promising to keep it real.
Another big purpose of starting this blog is to chronicle my journey as I work to accomplish one of my longest-standing dreams. For as long as I can remember, I've dreamt of living in California. Now would be the time for people to start rolling their eyes and asking "why do you want to live there?" These are usually the responses I get from those I tell. I suppose a lot of it might have to do with the fact that I was raised in the Midwest where California was always considered the weird place no one should go. I don't know what it is, the beach, the ocean, or the very idea of escaping that Midwestern mindset, but something about the Golden State appeals to me. Thus, I have made the decision to relocate there as soon as I'm finished with school next May. I'm a dreamer by nature and that seems like the perfect time to follow a dream. So I hope you'll follow me as I work to make that dream come true...all from the comfort of my Pink Hot Wheels.
