Blog #9 My Ideal Vacation

Blog #9 – Ideal Vacation

The mountains are massive and very intimidating. When others want to escape the snow and cold, I want to embrace it and run with it. A log cabin somewhere up north with a fire place, a bar just beyond the kitchen, and no television or cell phones, just land lines in case of an emergency. The activities include: skiing, snowboarding, snow man building, Snowmobiling, Sledding, and many more. Just to be around friends having a blast would be my ideal vacation. After spending all day bundled up outside, we would make merry at night with story telling as we sip hot chocolate in front of the fire place and talk about past memories, I am amongst friends and my loving partner. Were all wearing sweaters and scarves trying to get warm from being outside all day. We laugh, we cry (from laughing so hard), we get into depth with our conversations, and just sit and talk.

Later we play board games while enjoying our concoctions of rum and soda, and cocktails. As we play these games we all bond and enjoy each others company with continuous laughter and jokes. Then as the fire dies down we would plan out who sleeps where. Some on the floor with there pillow and sleeping bag, others on couches and beds. No matter where we all sleep, we are all together, safe and warm. Until the next day, where our activities start all over again.  

Research Findings Blog #7

For my research topic I wrote about becoming a social worker. Below are my results and findings of becoming a social worker.

First off social workers help people overcome problems and make their lives better. They might work with people who are homeless, sick, or having family problems. One of the ways social workers help is by finding resources for people. They might focus on child abuse, poverty, violence, and other problems. Many social workers give counseling. They talk to people about their lives and help them to understand and solve their problems and to make plans for their future.

I never knew that there were three different kinds of social work. They are Child, family, and school social workers, Medical and public health social workers, and Mental health and substance abuse social workers. Also the education background is highly infinite. Social workers must go to a 4-year college. Many social workers also need additional schooling to get the jobs they want. Some people stay in school longer to earn a doctorate degree. In college, social workers learn different ways to help people.  Before they can get a job, social workers need a license, certification, or registration.

The pay ranges from the different departments that you could work in. These are the top five departments that are in the most demand for up coming social workers to choose from, as well as the pay range.  

       Popular Employers        Salary Range

US Department of Health and Human Services   $26,527 - $32,600

Child and Family Service                $28,028 - $34,590

The Children's Aid Society            $30,500 - $43,909

Department of Human Services                $30,500 - $43,909

Catholic Charities             $25,650 - $38,235

I was completely unaware that you could receive benefits for being a social worker. The benefits include:

                Medical: 81%                    Dental: 65%

                Vision: 46%                        None: 18%

Demands for social workers; are growing with a constant increase of 16% from now to the year 2018. From 2000 to the present day there are 64% of social workers working in the United States. I hope to be able to continue my education and become a social worker as soon as possible. By fall of 2011, I hope to have my social worker tech certificate and plan on attending U of M College.

Bittersweet Blog #6

The first snow fall that occurred just days ago was petrifying and beautiful at the same time. I absolutely hate driving in the snow. If it were up to me I would rather pay for someone to drive me around. I am very frightful of the roads and ice. Although it would be very comforting to have to go anywhere during the winter, we all have things to attended to in life. With this past snow fall, I left an hour early to make it to class that is just twenty min. away. Since I took my time driving upon the fresh fallen snow, I made it to class in about forty-five min. this tension that I feel when driving in winter I suppose began when I was in a car accident last winter.



Before





My car was a 2000 Chrysler LHS. It was such an amazing car that I bought only a month before. The salesman got me at heated leather seats, moon roof, killer stereo system, very luxury back seat and a huge trunk. I was in love with my brand new car (new to me). Then as my luck would have it, I was driving down my back road, which happens to be a dirt road, lost control on a patch of black ice and ended up in a ditch. I flipped my car landing on the roof and having to climb out of the car through a back window.



After



That happened to be my last day driving that car. Fresh fallen snow can be so bittersweet to me. It is so beautiful and yet every time I have to drive in the snow I get a bit fearful. I just love to be able to watch out the window at the snow falling and I love to be able to walk outside with my coat, gloves and hat walking on the snow and listening to it crunch beneath my feet.