The UAB Department of Neurosurgery is spotlighting staff to focus on the importance of hobbies for stress relief, wellness and self-care.
The goal of the series is to connect individuals across the department by highlighting their hobbies as they relate to mental, physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, environmental, social and financial wellness.
 
Donna Dixon is the clinical research administrative director in the Office of Research within the Department of Neurosurgery. She has been providing administrative support, oversight and training to research faculty, staff, residents and students for 24 of the 26 years she has been employed at UAB. She earned her M.B.A. from UAB in 2014 and is a certified clinical research professional (CCRP) through the Society of Clinical Research Associates, Inc. (SOCRA).

What hobby do you currently focus on in your downtime?   
My husband and I enjoy traveling and exploring new cities and visiting national parks. Over the last year, we have traveled to Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine to visit Acadia National Park, Cocoa Beach, Florida and experienced kayaking in bioluminescence waters at night with alligators. We traveled to St. Louis, Missouri, and Palm Springs, Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California, to visit Joshua Tree National Park. We also traveled to Arizona and Utah, visiting three of the mighty five national parks and took many weekend trips to the Gulf Coast.

What inspired you to explore this hobby?
I have always enjoyed traveling, but after meeting my husband, who is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and travels most of the time for his work, I realized I was mostly visiting states in the Southeast and, now that our girls are grown, there is so much more I would like to see. We both like to stay active and enjoy the outdoors, so visiting national parks is a great way to do that and see the beautiful landscapes.

Have you noticed a change in your well-being since beginning this hobby and how does that translate into your work?  
I have challenged myself to do some hikes once I am in the national parks that weren’t originally on my itinerary after reading about them while planning the trip. It feels like such an accomplishment, and I can return to my work with a relaxed and refreshed mindset.

What are you most proud of?  
While recently visiting Arizona and Utah over 12 days, I took 133,190 steps, hiked 58.5 miles, walked up 171 flights of stairs and drove 1010 miles.