Meet Alejandra Arroyo, OTD student
NAU Occupational Therapy Department
Describe your morning – what time do you get up, what do you do first, next, and what is for breakfast?
Since I recently began fieldwork, my mornings begin much earlier. I wake up at 5 am and the first thing I do is make a matcha latte, then I start my morning routine- getting ready for my inpatient rehab fieldwork rotation. It's usually too early for breakfast during the week so I have the latte and some crackers. On the weekends, I love getting to sleep in until about 8 or 9 am. I take my time making a big breakfast. My favorite is breakfast bagels and fruit salad, and I usually have a YouTube video playing in the background.
What happens next? What do you do for lunch?
I start work at 6:30 am, chart review till 7, eval and treat patients with my fieldwork educator 7 am-12 pm, document from 12-12:30, and take my lunch at 12:30. I'm very fortunate that the hospital provides students with free lunches so I've been getting to try their food. So far so good! My favorite has been the roast beef with potatoes.
What do you do for dinner?
I moved to Yuma for my first level 2 fieldwork rotation which meant moving in with my dad, step-mom and step-sister. My dad owns a restaurant in Yuma and is a great cook, so dinner can be something from the restaurant, something my dad makes at home, or take-out from one of his favorite restaurants. My favorite dinners are either when my dad makes homemade pizza or flautas from a local place.
How do you end the day and what time do you go to bed?
During the evenings, I prepare for the next day, that can include treatment planning, working on my weekly goals, and/or checking my emails. I binge some social media or watch TV with the family, and try to chat with some friends, family, and significant other.
What art are you doing and when do you do it?
A recent hobby I picked up was hand knitting blankets. This past holiday season I really wanted to make presents instead of buying things and give myself the present of learning a new skill. I had always loved the idea of knitting but didn't have enough time to learn needle stitching/knitting. I looked up some videos on hand knitting and have fallen in love with it. Each blanket only takes me 4 hours to make and I love the end result. Recently, I've been making about 1 blanket a month which I work on during the weekends.
What are you reading?
I just bought the book "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sanchez and I'm very excited to get started!
What are you streaming?
I haven't watched any new TV shows recently but I really enjoy watching Youtube videos and following certain channels. My favorites right now are The Try Guys, Glam&Gore, Moriah Elizabeth, and Bon Appetit.
How are you feeling?
I am feeling extremely grateful to be where I am- because of COVID-19 many of my classmates and students across the country had their fieldwork placements canceled/reassigned which can be incredibly stressful. I'm grateful that the hospital I'm at still accepted me to come and that I'm getting the opportunity to learn from the amazing patients we see every day. It's been rewarding getting to connect the materials we learn in the classroom to real patients and be a part of their rehabilitation.
What’s the first thing you’re going to do when the quarantine ends?
I would love to have a big get together with my friends and family and travel!