Day 21 - Packing for Hoonah, AK

I enjoy having Sky during the past week. She is a faithful alarm clock - always by the side of my bed ready to go for a walk by 6:30 or 7:00. Unfortunately, she has no concept of the weekend. So this morning there she was, 6:30 AM, ready to go. Needless to say, I was not quite as eager to get out of bed that early on a Sunday morning.

I eventually did wake up and spent the morning packing for my trip to Hoonah. I had to make a trip to Fred Meyer to pick up microwavable lunches and dinners since food prices in the small village are apparently very, very expensive. I can see the price difference here in Juneau (the capital of the state!) so I can only imagine the price inflation in a small village town with a population of way less than 1,000. I am really excited to travel though. Not only will I get to see more of the state, but I will really get to see a different perspective on dentistry. I can definitely tell that the concept of dental care and oral disease prevention is a fairly novel concept in Juneau but, in the end, it is still a major U.S. city. Hoonah will be a completely different experience.

The clinic in Hoonah is staffed by a dental health aide therapist for most of the year. As I have mentioned before, these DHATs can perform only the most basic dental procedures so if you have a problem with the root of your tooth or a broken crown or bridge there is really nobody in the village who can help you. The dentists from the SEARHC clinic in Juneau take turns traveling to the smaller clinics throughout the course of the year. They usually stay for a week or two and see as many patients as possible. This is obviously not an ideal situation for those in live in Klawock or Hoonah or Haines and that is how the idea of dentistry has become so foreign in the state. I'm sure I'll have more to write about this topic after a few days in Hoonah.

I didn't do much this afternoon. It was a great day outside so I took a little hike around the Mendenhall Lake. It's a great trail system - very well marked and smooth and paved the entire way. Not to mention, there are many ponds and lakes that are clear and blue. Today was also a great day to be lazy because there were lots of sporting events on T.V. - the NBA finals, the Stanley Cup, and the Cardinals. Not only has the Alaskan experience been great because of the nature and atmosphere of the state, but I enjoy being in the United States so I don't miss out on Sportscenter and Baseball Tonight. I guess that's some advice for those planning a summer project for next year - remember to keep your priorities in check!

I went to Subway for dinner tonight. Apparently Alaska has a different slogan than the rest of the country. In Nashville or St. Louis it's the "$5 Foot Long", but in Juneau, Alaska it's the "8, 8 dollar, 8 dollar Foot Long".

I've come to find that I'm much more appreciative of the weekend when I know that I have to go to work on Monday morning. As bad as I think school is I guess I'm thankful that I have about 10 more years of structured school as opposed to having to jump right into a 40 hour work week after I graduate from Vanderbilt! Tomorrow will be an early morning because my flight is at 7:20. Looking forward to writing from Hoonah tomorrow night...