So, you hear about this all the time. That social work is a profession in which you take the work home with you. Yeah. I heard it. But now I feel it.

I'm kind of familiar with this because I was never an attorney who could leave my cases at the office. I was forever mulling things over in the shower, while driving around, etc. I find I am doing the same thing now with the cases from my field placement. At odd moments I will think of something I should do. I retrace my interviews, even the ones not process-recorded, thinking of ways I could have handled particular moments differently, how I could have responded differently. On the weekends, I find myself wondering if my clients are behaving themselves at the facility --- if they are doing what they are supposed to be doing or if I am going to show up on Tuesday to find they got themselves into trouble.

I know I am putting in more than the requisite hours. Apart from the time spent actually at my placement, I find myself researching issues and drafting reports at home. More than once now I have stopped by the facility on a day that I am not required to be there in order to take care of this or that. I have to admit I thrive on this sort of thing. I like to work. And I enjoy having work that is absorbing.

I don't know if all this means that I am on the "right" path or if I'm simply a candidate for early burnout. I certainly hope the former, but we shall see.