Although I don’t usually do things like these, I do like reading them about others, and thought maybe all of you would like getting to know me a little better. Plus, the adorable Kristin of SuperSpaceChick.com nominated me to participate, so who am I to say no? 😉 There were a lot of questions, so I shortened it down to the ones I thought were most interesting and that I don’t tend to share here on the blog. I won’t nominate anyone, but I hope you all enjoy a little look into the Meli behind Melificent!
FOUR JOBS I’VE HAD
- Receptionist at a law firm; My first dip into a job (away from my father’s business) was in a commercial real estate firm as a receptionist. Super exciting, right? I remember the office not having any windows at all. It was dark and cold and overall, the worst. However, thanks to my OCD, I became a little enamored with putting together closing packets and got really, really good at them. Silver lining, I guess?
- Behavior technician; When I was about 18 years old, I took a job away from the law firm and working with kids on the spectrum for the very first time. I knew I wanted to major in psychology, but this job introduced me to the world of ABA and behavior analysis. I instantly fell in love and knew this was what I wanted to do. However, I had a very bad boss that took the wind out of my sails and made me question that decision after a couple of years…
- Clinical coordinator; Which led me to go back to the realm of clinical psychology. I worked as a clinical coordinator at a therapeutic foster care agency for 5 years. It was so rewarding at first, and then the complete opposite. It was day in and day out of feeling like I was hitting a brick wall repeatedly and not making a difference in anyone’s lives despite working so hard to do so. I knew I needed a change and remembered how fulfilled I felt when I was working as a behavior tech with kids on the spectrum.
- Behavior analyst; That led me to a complete career change. I went back to school, collected experience hours and and sat for 2 very grueling exams after the age of 30 to start working as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. I absolutely love what I do (even though it can be very stressful and frustrating at times), and it makes me feel like I am helping others on a daily basis – a feeling that really drives me.
FOUR THINGSÂ I DON’T EAT
- Anything with gluten; Through blood work in my late 20’s, I was diagnosed as being gluten intolerant. It has been a war ever since, trying to avoid it as best as possible despite being an extreme lover of all foods. I miss a whole lot of stuff and sometimes I cheat, but I’ve been squeaky clean since finding out I was pregnant 6 months ago. I fantasize about drinking all the beers and eating all the burgers.
- Strawberries; I still felt sick even after doing blood work, so I decided to go for a comprehensive exam that tested my body’s reaction to over 300 different foods, chemicals and environmental factors. It turned out I was allergic to a whole slew of foods that can be found in basically…everything. Strawberries is one of them. Cue sad music.
- Vanilla; This was also on my list – do you know how hard it is to avoid vanilla?? It’s basically in everything. It doesn’t help that this was categorized as being on my “severe” list, so I really can’t ingest it or my stomach goes into immediate rejection mode.
- Lemonade; Aside from all my food intolerances and allergies, there are some things I just dislike (but very, very few). Lemonade is one of those things and I know that’s pretty weird. I just can’t stand the taste and find it entirely too bitter. However, I totally love Starbucks’ iced tea lemonade like there is no tomorrow. Who understands taste buds, amiright?
