Kristen Eckhardt

I almost gave up last week. It wasn’t the greatest week of internship--or just life in general. I’m worried about not finishing my required direct contact hours by May, I missed a class assignment, I don’t have many counseling professional connections here in Louisiana, I haven’t seen my husband much, and I still don’t have a job.

The great question asked by every counselor educator to prospective students during intakes: "Why do you want to be a counselor?"

I’m writing this post early knowing that Isaac is on its way and losing power for a few days is a realistic possibility. Aside from getting important things done, my husband and I have prepared for Isaac as best we could--canned goods, water, flashlights, batteries, weather radio, and important documents all ready to go. We’ve been in Baton Rouge for less than three weeks, and while we certainly knew that storms are a possibility, we certainly didn’t think one would happen so soon. Our storms in Nebraska could be severe, for sure, but didn’t last for days at a time. We know we’ll get through Isaac just fine, but we’re both still apprehensive about our first big storm.

Just a few short weeks ago, my husband and I packed up our house and “family” (dog, cat, and two guinea pigs) and made the long drive from central Nebraska to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He started his doctoral program in music this month at Louisiana State University; I’m still finishing up my counseling degree through my university in Nebraska.