Easter 3 day weekend.

 Hi everyone!

Happy Easter weekend! Today I’m taking Gianny to the local community egg hunt, which should be a lot of fun. Hopefully, I can snap some cute pictures to share on the blog later.

After that, we’re going shoe shopping for her—her feet are growing at an uncontrollable speed (seriously, lol). Almost all the shoes I bought her back in August no longer fit!

Later, I might swing by At Home to pick up a new carpet for her room. She’s been begging me for one ever since I had to toss the last one—it got way too filthy. Hopefully, she takes better care of this one!

I’m really looking forward to the rest of this month. Last month, one of my tenants—who had been renting with me for two years—moved out, and it’s been a struggle finding someone new. But good news! Last night I finally found someone to move in on May 1st. I’m so excited—one less thing to stress about!

Also, next week I’ll be booking our annual trip. Last year we traveled in May, but this year it’ll be in June. Gianny and I will be heading to Orlando for 3 days and 2 nights:
Day 1: Disney World - Magic Kingdom
Day 2: Aquatica
Day 3: Shopping day (definitely planning to hit the outlets and get a head start on back-to-school shopping)

Can’t wait! I’ll keep you all posted.
Alright, talk to you next week!

Weekly check in......

 Wow, so many of you are reading my blog!

I just checked my stats, and over 400 people visited my blog in the past month—what?! That’s wild to me! I’m seriously curious—how did you all find my blog? Was it through TikTok? Google? Somewhere else? I’d love to know where you're all coming from.

I know a lot of you are pre-CAA and enjoy my shadowing posts (thank you!!), but I’d love to learn more about the rest of you too. Where are you from, and what kind of posts do you want to see more of?

I’m going to try to post weekly and stay consistent now that I know you’re actually reading 😅

Also—life update! I found another summer job! As most of you know, I teach, so once summer hits and school’s out, I’m basically unemployed. I do teach part-time at the college, but that doesn’t fill the whole summer. So this year, I’ll be juggling two jobs and four classes 😵‍💫 Let’s see how that goes!

Thanks for being here. Talk to y’all soon—BYE!!! 💛

Our SeaWorld Adventure: A Trip Down Memory Lane

 

Hey everyone! This past weekend, I took my daughter, Gianny, to SeaWorld Orlando for a fun-filled day. Fun fact—back in 2016, I used to work at SeaWorld when I lived in Orlando! It's crazy how fast time flies.

SeaWorld offers a Preschool Pass for children under 5, which gives them unlimited visits for the rest of the year, all the way until December 31st. But there’s a catch—you need to register by a specific deadline and activate the pass by a certain date. For us, the deadline was March 31st, which is why we made the trip this past weekend.

So, on the day of our adventure, we set off early. We left our house around 6 AM and took an Uber to the Hertz car rental location. I had already checked in online, so when we arrived, we just hopped into the car and were off! I had a fantastic experience with Hertz, and I’m definitely planning to use them again for our June trip to Orlando.

We didn’t leave until about 7 AM, and since Orlando is only a 2-hour and 15-minute drive from Palm Beach (via the Turnpike), we made it to the park by 10 AM, after a quick breakfast stop along the way.

Once inside, we got to see some amazing marine life, including orcas, dolphins, and sharks. I had hoped to take Gianny to see the penguins, but things have changed since I was last there. Now, in order to see the penguins, you either have to book a tour or ride the Penguin Roller Coaster. Unfortunately, Gianny wasn’t tall enough for the roller coaster, so we missed out on that.

Even so, we had an amazing time! We got to enjoy the Sesame Street area, meet characters, and watch a parade. It was like reliving my childhood all over again through Gianny’s eyes—it was such a special experience. I can’t wait to go back in June and do even more!

One exciting perk I discovered is that SeaWorld offers a teacher pass, so if you’re a teacher, you can get free admission until September! So, looks like I’ll be taking advantage of that for my next visit.

Another cool benefit of the Preschool Pass is that it includes access to Aquatica, SeaWorld's water park. So, we’re definitely planning to visit Aquatica in June as well. Our June trip will include Magic Kingdom, Aquatica, and SeaWorld again—it's going to be a blast!

I’ll be sharing some pictures from our trip below, along with links to both the Preschool Pass and Teacher Pass for anyone interested.

Until next time—bye!

https://seaworld.com/orlando/tickets/free-florida-teacher-card/

https://seaworld.com/orlando/tickets/preschool-free-admission/

Spring Break Update & Summer Plans

 

Hey everyone! So, I’m currently on spring break and have had the opportunity to fully rest. I’ve decided to make some changes to my plans, and I wanted to share an update. I’ve decided to shift my focus and not take the PA-CAT. Instead, I’ll be applying solely to AA (Anesthesiologist Assistant) programs. With that in mind, I’m dedicating the next two months—April and May—to focus exclusively on studying for the GRE. My plan is to take the GRE exam in June.

One thing I’ve learned is that GRE scores are typically available within 8-12 days after the exam, which gives me a good timeline. Many schools will open their applications in June, and since Summer A classes end on June 26th, I’ll be able to apply by June 30th—still early in the application cycle. If I can score well on the GRE, I’ll have plenty of time to submit at least six applications by that date, which is a solid start!

On a fun note, this Sunday, I’m taking Gianny to SeaWorld. Since she’s 5, she gets in for free with the preschool pass, and since I’m a teacher, I also get in for free with the teacher pass. I’m really excited! I haven’t been to SeaWorld since 2017, so it’ll be a nice change of pace. Later this summer, I’m planning a trip to Disney with Gianny, and I’m hoping to visit SeaWorld and Aquatica during the trip, making it a 4-day vacation.

This summer is shaping up to be packed, but in a good way! Aside from studying and the vacations, I’m also planning on working as a medical scribe, since I won’t be teaching or doing hospital homebound work during the summer.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s coming up:

April: Focus on studying for the GRE and enjoy Easter weekend.
May: Wrap up the academic year, celebrate Memorial Day weekend, continue studying, and start Summer A classes.
June: Take the GRE, receive the score, submit my CASAA application, finish Summer A classes, start Summer B, and take Gianny to Disney for a 4-day vacation.
July: Continue with Summer B classes, Gianny finishes summer school, celebrate my birthday, and do back-to-school shopping.
August: Back to work as the academic year starts, Fall classes begin, and Gianny’s birthday.

It’s going to be a busy and exciting few months ahead, but I’m looking forward to what’s next!

My Official 25-26 Application Checklist

 

25-26 Application Cycle Checklist

Prerequisite Courses

Biology 2 Lab         -  Summer A’25	UTampa
Chemistry 1 Lecture     -Summer B’25	UTampa, South WPB, South Orlando, South College
Chemistry 1 Lab           - Summer B’25	UTampa, South WPB, South Orlando, South College
Physics 1 /w calculus lecture   Summer A’25	South WPB& South Orlando
Physics 1 Lab           -   Summer A’25	South WPB& South Orlando
Chemistry 2 lecture      -  Fall’25	South WPB, South Orlando, South College
Chemistry 2 Lab            -  Fall’25	South WPB, South Orlando, South College

 

Academic Calendars

Summer A’25 May 19 - June 26, 2025

Summer B’25 June 30- August 13, 2025

Fall’25 August 25- December 12, 2025

EXAMS

PA-CAT: 3/28/25

GRE: 6/18/25

CASPER: 5/29/25

Schools

NSU-Post BAC Program
MCW
NSU-FLL
NSU-JAX
NSU-Tampa
NSU-Orlando
South Orlando
South WPB
University of Tampa-PA
South College Orlando-PA
South College Atlanta-PA
South Knoxville-PA

25-26 Application Cycle Checklist

Summer Tuition Waiver	Send Transcripts-After Summer A
Shadow Verification Form January 8 Hrs.	Register for Fall courses
Receive Casper Scores	CASAA-Personal Information
Receive Gre Scores	Receive summer B grades
Receive Pa-Cat Scores	Fall courses in progress
LOR-AA	CASAA-Academic History
LOR-AA	CASAA-Supporting Information
Fall Tuition Waiver	CASAA-Resume
LOR-PA	CASAA-shadowing Forms
LOR-PA	Supplementary applications-PA Schools
Receive Summer A Grades	Send updated transcripts- Academic update December
CASAA-Licenses	CASAA-Prerequisites
CASAA- Article summary	CASAA-Program Materials
Personal Statement	Experiences*include shadowing
Achievements	Double Check/ Review Each section of app
PA-Personal Statement	PA-Academic History
PA-Personal Information	PA-Supporting Information
PA-Prerequisites	PA-Program Materials

 

 *This checklist is personalized for the schools I'm applying to, and you are welcome to copy the format it and edit it to your schools. 

Welcome March!

Here we are—officially in March. That means a brand new application cycle for CaSAA is opening, which also means I’ll be reapplying. Honestly, this isn’t exactly what I had hoped for, but I’ve come to realize that I don’t make the plans—God does. On the bright side, this gives me the chance to apply early this time around, which should work to my advantage. In addition, I’ve decided to add a few PA schools to my list of applications. I can’t help but think about how much I love surgery, and becoming a PA will allow me to do exactly that. So, without further ado, here’s my list of schools for the 2025-2026 application cycle. Let’s do this! 

 CaSAA Schools: MCW - Medical College of Wisconsin NSU - Fort Lauderdale NSU - Jacksonville NSU - Tampa NSU - Orlando South West Palm Beach South - Orlando 

 PA Schools: University of Tampa South College - Orlando South College - Atlanta South College - Knoxville These are the only schools I’ve found that don’t require healthcare experience. My background is in education, so I know it will be a challenge, but I’m ready to take it on!

How to Shadow a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant

This has been a highly requested blog post, and I’ve received so many emails asking how I was able to find a CAA to shadow. First, keep in mind that I live in Florida, a state that allows CAAs to work, which makes finding shadowing opportunities easier. If your state does not allow CAAs, you will definitely have to travel for shadowing. Now, this is how I went about finding shadowing opportunities—but you can approach it however you like! My First Shadowing Experience The first CAA I shadowed was in Tampa, Florida, back in November 2023. She is no longer in Tampa. I had to emphasize that because people keep asking for her contact information. When I shadowed her, she was preparing to leave that hospital and move to another state. I’m not sure if she still offers shadowing opportunities. I found her by searching for CAAs on social media. Yes, I’m a bit of a stalker (lol), and I’m very persistent. I looked for CAAs on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. She was the only one I found on YouTube at the time, so I watched all her videos and left several comments asking if she offered shadowing opportunities. Eventually, she responded and told me to DM her on Instagram—which I did immediately. Since she was near Tampa and I’m in Palm Beach, she was about four hours away from me. She was also fully booked for at least six months. I originally reached out in the summer, and I didn’t get to shadow her until November. As you can see, I don’t give up easily! Before approving me, she asked to see my transcripts and inquired about where I was in my application journey. After explaining my situation, someone from the hospital where she worked sent me forms to fill out, including proof of vaccinations. Once everything was approved, I was allowed to shadow her for two days (a total of 16 hours). Because she was four hours away, I had to rent a car, book a hotel, and take two days off work. I also had to arrange an overnight babysitter for my daughter. So, if you can’t find a local CAA, be prepared to make some sacrifices. I even had another CAA I found on Instagram who was willing to let me shadow, but she was in Texas—which was too far and too expensive for me to travel. That’s why I was so grateful for the Tampa opportunity. My Second Shadowing Experience My next shadowing experience was in Melbourne, Florida, which was much closer—only about an hour and 45 minutes away. I found this opportunity through the CAA Discord (definitely join it—it will be a huge support in your CAA journey!). I’ll try to link it below. This opportunity was different because it wasn’t a direct contact with a CAA. Instead, it was through an anesthesia agency that hires CAAs, CRNAs, and anesthesiologists. Because of this, I had the option to shadow any of them. I highly recommend shadowing multiple CAAs at different hospitals to see the variations in how they work. They allowed me to shadow on two separate days, two months apart. However, they did require me to get a flu shot, so keep that in mind when applying. My Melbourne experience helped me understand so much more about the CAA profession. Every hospital operates differently, and each CAA you shadow will have a unique experience. At Melbourne, the environment was much more team-oriented. The anesthesia department had its own room, and the director took the time to explain the roles of CAAs, CRNAs, and anesthesiologists. She also walked me through the charting process and clarified how the team model works, where CAAs and CRNAs operate under anesthesiologists. Final Thoughts If you’re serious about finding shadowing opportunities, start reaching out to CAAs in their DMs, asking in the CAA Discord, and checking the Facebook group for leads. Be prepared for the reality that your shadowing opportunity may not be local. For my Melbourne experience, I had to rent a car, leave my house at 5 AM, drive two hours, and be at the hospital by 7 AM. It takes sacrifice—but if this is the career path you want, it’s absolutely worth it. "https://discord.com/servers/caa-706407688359247924" (Link to Discord)