Saturday was my first day of work. The office I work at has a large staff with multiple dentists, and is open later in the evening and on Saturdays. A bit different from a "traditional" office. Josh decided to ride down to Ramstein with me. He was going to get help from his friend who lives in Ramstein to do some maintenance work on my car - oil change, change out some belts, change the spark plugs. My first patient was at 8, which meant we had to leave our house at 6:15. I knew accepting a job with an hour commute was going to, at times, have some disadvantages. I was reminded right away what those disadvantages were. Our drive to Ramstein was uneventful, and my first day of work went well. I met only two of my co-workers (there is quite a large staff, but it's a small staff on Saturdays) and they both seemed to be nice. It was a relatively smooth first day. I had only been hoping to have a day that was not a disaster, so I was pleased with how it went.
The one advantage to working a Saturday is I was done by 2. Work went by fast, and I was done early in the afternoon. I met up with Josh and my newly repaired car. We had an early dinner with our friend, did some shopping on base, then started home around 5. Josh told me how badly Frank had needed the maintenance he did. Of the three belts he replaced, two of them were ready to break. Out of 6 spark plugs, only 2 of them were actually working. He had saved the belts and a spark plug to show me how bad things were... but the visual demonstration was a bit lost on me. However, I could appreciate the work he put into it. Josh warned me that Frank might drive a bit different/better than before considering how bad off the spark plugs had been. Frank already drove well.... a quick press on the accelerator always resulted in a roar and a leap of speed. With all of his new parts, this was heightened. Frank the Tank was even more of a tank now.
We were driving down the autobahn, singing Frank's praises about what a bitchin car he was, when the stereo stopped working. Josh fiddled around with it trying to make it work. He thought it might have a short in a wire somewhere which made it stop working. Suddenly I noticed my RPM gauge was no longer working. A few minutes later my speedometer quit working, followed by my gas gauge. We pulled over, and Josh popped the hood. Smoke came rolling out from under the hood. Not a good sign. Josh then looked the engine over and tinkered with some things here and there. We had blown a few fuses... so Josh moved some non-vital fuses over to the ones that were blown. I tried to start the car, but Frank had deteriorated to the point where he wouldn't start. We were only 30 kilometers from Ramstein, so we called our friend who came to help us out. We gave Frank a jump, and he started right up. After letting the batter charge for a few minutes, we took off down the road hoping that would be enough juice to get us home. We only made it about 15 more kilometers down the road before all of the gauges died one by one. As I was telling Josh the last gauge had gone, Frank died. I started to pull towards the side of the road, and the steering locked. Thankfully, we came to a stop on the side of the road safely.
When we got to Germany we were encouraged to get ADAC, which is similar to AAA in the states, only it offers more services. We called the number for ADAC, and said our usual greeting of "Hello, do you speak English?" (but this is said in German - "Sprechen Sie Englisch?"). We were told we wouldn't have any problems getting an English speaking person when calling ADAC. To our surprise, we were told no, they didn't speak English. So... we weren't sure what to do... so we called back... multiple times... until we got someone on the phone who spoke English. One difference between ADAC and AAA is when you break down, the first thing they do is send out a mechanic to try and get you up and running before you get towed. We sat in the car waiting for our mechanic to arrive. By this time the sun was setting and it was getting dark. We sat in the dark, not speaking (what could we say?), the only light coming from the headlights of the cars passing by us. It was a moment that reminds you that you are in a foreign country, you do not speak the language, and indeed you are shit out of luck.
45 minutes later, our mechanic arrived. I had a surge of hope. Our savior! Here to fix the car and get us home! The mechanic spoke some English, although it was broken, heavily accented English. He asked Josh a few questions about what happened, then popped the hood. He approached the car with a flashlight strapped to his head and a hammer in his hand. He then looked over the engine and would randomly bang on things with his hammer. Seriously? This is suppose to be our savior? The man with a hammer? I could do that. In fact, that is typically my way of fixing anything - just hit it until it works. When he had beat Frank to his satisfaction, the mechanic hooked something up to our battery... and determined the alternator had gone out. He told Josh we could either buy a new battery from him, which would give us enough power to make it home, or he could call us a tow truck. We just recently signed up with ADAC (thank GOD), and we haven't gotten our "membership" cards yet. Since we didn't have our cards, we were told we would have to pay for the tow truck out of pocket up front and, we could be reimbursed later once we got our cards. Josh and I had already been trying to get home for over three hours, and the idea of waiting for a tow truck was not appealing. Buying the battery was going to be cheaper than paying for a tow truck (at least upfront), and Josh assured me even after Frank got a new alternator we'd need a new battery. The going rate for a car battery when you are broke down on the side of the autobahn at night is 120 euro - which is $161. At the office I'm working at I am paid based on a percentage of what I produce. I knew what I had made for a paycheck on Saturday, and I couldn't help but think that after I take out taxes that I worked just to pay for that damn battery.
With the new battery in place we headed up the road. The mechanic cautioned us to use only our headlights and nothing else that would drain power from the battery. The headlights were dim as it was, and I worried the 60 kilometers we had left to drive that we wouldn't make it. But, we did. We pulled safely into our drive a full four hours after we left Ramstein, a drive that typically takes just over an hour. It was one hell of a first day of work.
I am lucky in that Josh knows a fair amount about cars and is mechanically competent. He assured me he would be able to change out my alternator himself with no problems. On Sunday morning Josh did some research online to see what an alternator for Frank would cost. To order a refurbished one from the states would be a minimum of $180. To buy a new one was about $400. We decided to try to find one at a junk yard. In the area where we live, there is an abundance of 90s BMWs, and a great majority of them are driven by military people. They are generally cheap to buy for a beater car to drive around for the time you are here. This makes finding parts for these old BMWs a bit easier. We found a junk yard off base which had an alternator. The only catch was Josh had to take it out of the junk car himself. However, the junk yard alternator was 80 euro and we could have it immediately instead of having to wait for a part to ship. We decided to go with the junk yard (Josh is over there getting the alternator out as I write this). We are lucky it is a relatively easy fix, and we were able to find a part cheaper than we originally thought. I realize my car is 20 years old, and beings that it is that old things are bound to break and need repairs. But I can't help but be annoyed at the situation. I believe this annoyance is stemming from fear. What if that had happened while I was alone? What if that happened while Josh was deployed? I wouldn't really know what to do, and would be at the mercy of a German mechanic.
On a different note... as Josh was working on Frank, he pointed out many original parts Frank has. On these parts you can see, in small print the statement "Product of West Berlin." Just another reminder of a different time, but one that, in reality, wasn't that long ago. And another reminder of where in the world we are.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Gainfully Employed
Last week I went out my resumes, and I will admit I wasn't very confident about it. I was hoping for a response, but I wasn't really expecting one. To my surprise, I was called by a dental office to have an interview today. The office is in Ramstein, which is an hour drive from where we live. The position I was interviewing for a part-time/fill-in hygienist. I wasn't trilled at the idea of having to drive an hour each way... but I was happy to find something to be a foot in the door, or something to keep me busy/out of the house, and something in my field to keep my skills sharp.
We've been battling colds at our house this past week. Our weekend was spent going between the couch and our bed watching movies and passing out with NyQuil. I've been feeling really tired... yet last night I couldn't sleep. After trying, unsuccessfully, to fall asleep, I turned on a movie and fired up my computer to pass the time. At midnight I was sitting in the dark eating CoCo Puffs watching Avatar. I would have been the perfect woman for some computer nerd somewhere out there. I woke up this morning from the classic "I'm late/I don't have enough time to get ready" dream. A sign that I did have some jitters about my interview.
For the first time in what seems like months, I blew my hair dry and curled it... and then put on makeup. It's not that I've completely "let myself go" since I've been in Germany, but the warmer summer had my hair up in a pony tail, and my lack of human interaction had led my makeup to be minimal. I ironed my clothes. Although Josh was exhausted, he stayed up and talked to me as I was getting ready. He also offered to cook me something or pack me a lunch every 10 minutes - a sign that there is a bit of a worried mother inside of all of us. When in doubt, feed the problem.
After checking (for the fifth time) to be sure I had everything, I finally got into my car and fired up the GPS. I know how to get to Ramstein, but I wasn't sure where exactly the office was. From our house there are a few ways you can get to the Autobahn, but I wanted to take the easiest (read: not a country road) path. The GPS seemed to fight me on this... It kept trying to tell me to make a U-turn as I was headed (in the right direction I may add) to the the Autobahn. To get from our area to Ramstein, it is pretty much a straight shot. You get on one Autobahn, then later shift onto another. Not a big deal. However, my GPS for some reason tried to have me exit soon after getting on the Autobahn to cut across to a secondary highway... which would have basically had me drive an extra 40+ kilometers and do an unnecessary triangle just to get back onto the Autobahn I was already on. Proving again that our GPS always picks the most unreasonable path.
In typical fashion, I showed up for my interview early. Lucky for me I had prepared myself for this and brought along a book to read. When I couldn't stand sitting still any longer, I climbed out of my car and into the office.
The dental office is an office which caters to American military families. All of the staff is American and speaks English (so I fit right in). There are multiple dentists who work in shifts, so the office is open later and works on Saturdays. The office manager interviewed me, and then I met the head dentist of the office (although it wasn't all that formal). I then spent most of the afternoon observing and talking with one of the hygienists. She was showing me the ins and outs of how they do things, and showing me where things were in the office. It was helpful to get a better feel of the overall office. At the end of the afternoon the office manager asked me if I wanted to work in their office, and handed me a hygiene contract. The hygienists working at this office technically aren't employees, they are contractors. Um. Sure, whatever. Doesn't matter to me... I don't get any benefits and I get paid. Sounds great. I filled out/signed my contract... and they asked me to start work on Saturday. Well, okay then. For now I work only "as needed" to pick up days people don't want or to fill-in when someone is sick... however I already have 4 days to work in October (just picking up days from one hygienist). I'm crossing my fingers it turns into more.
My interview started at 1:30, and I left Ramstein around 6. It was easily the longest interview I have ever had. Although I felt okay about finding my way back home, I turned the GPS on just in case (I once drove to Ramstein to go shopping with a friend, we missed our exit, and had quite the time figuring out how to get back home). I was almost home when it told me to exit the Autobahn not in the place where I was planning to exit. I was thinking the GPS was wrong... but... I wasn't sure... so I exited. The GPS did lead me home, but instead of taking me on the nice, straight, high-speed Autobahn it took me winding through unkempt country roads. EFF. The important thing is I did make it home safe. However, the GPS was threatened to be thrown out the window more than once today. I did seriously consider doing so more than once.
I am, happy to announce, that I am once again gainfully employed. And now, I have the fancy title of "contractor."
We've been battling colds at our house this past week. Our weekend was spent going between the couch and our bed watching movies and passing out with NyQuil. I've been feeling really tired... yet last night I couldn't sleep. After trying, unsuccessfully, to fall asleep, I turned on a movie and fired up my computer to pass the time. At midnight I was sitting in the dark eating CoCo Puffs watching Avatar. I would have been the perfect woman for some computer nerd somewhere out there. I woke up this morning from the classic "I'm late/I don't have enough time to get ready" dream. A sign that I did have some jitters about my interview.
For the first time in what seems like months, I blew my hair dry and curled it... and then put on makeup. It's not that I've completely "let myself go" since I've been in Germany, but the warmer summer had my hair up in a pony tail, and my lack of human interaction had led my makeup to be minimal. I ironed my clothes. Although Josh was exhausted, he stayed up and talked to me as I was getting ready. He also offered to cook me something or pack me a lunch every 10 minutes - a sign that there is a bit of a worried mother inside of all of us. When in doubt, feed the problem.
After checking (for the fifth time) to be sure I had everything, I finally got into my car and fired up the GPS. I know how to get to Ramstein, but I wasn't sure where exactly the office was. From our house there are a few ways you can get to the Autobahn, but I wanted to take the easiest (read: not a country road) path. The GPS seemed to fight me on this... It kept trying to tell me to make a U-turn as I was headed (in the right direction I may add) to the the Autobahn. To get from our area to Ramstein, it is pretty much a straight shot. You get on one Autobahn, then later shift onto another. Not a big deal. However, my GPS for some reason tried to have me exit soon after getting on the Autobahn to cut across to a secondary highway... which would have basically had me drive an extra 40+ kilometers and do an unnecessary triangle just to get back onto the Autobahn I was already on. Proving again that our GPS always picks the most unreasonable path.
In typical fashion, I showed up for my interview early. Lucky for me I had prepared myself for this and brought along a book to read. When I couldn't stand sitting still any longer, I climbed out of my car and into the office.
The dental office is an office which caters to American military families. All of the staff is American and speaks English (so I fit right in). There are multiple dentists who work in shifts, so the office is open later and works on Saturdays. The office manager interviewed me, and then I met the head dentist of the office (although it wasn't all that formal). I then spent most of the afternoon observing and talking with one of the hygienists. She was showing me the ins and outs of how they do things, and showing me where things were in the office. It was helpful to get a better feel of the overall office. At the end of the afternoon the office manager asked me if I wanted to work in their office, and handed me a hygiene contract. The hygienists working at this office technically aren't employees, they are contractors. Um. Sure, whatever. Doesn't matter to me... I don't get any benefits and I get paid. Sounds great. I filled out/signed my contract... and they asked me to start work on Saturday. Well, okay then. For now I work only "as needed" to pick up days people don't want or to fill-in when someone is sick... however I already have 4 days to work in October (just picking up days from one hygienist). I'm crossing my fingers it turns into more.
My interview started at 1:30, and I left Ramstein around 6. It was easily the longest interview I have ever had. Although I felt okay about finding my way back home, I turned the GPS on just in case (I once drove to Ramstein to go shopping with a friend, we missed our exit, and had quite the time figuring out how to get back home). I was almost home when it told me to exit the Autobahn not in the place where I was planning to exit. I was thinking the GPS was wrong... but... I wasn't sure... so I exited. The GPS did lead me home, but instead of taking me on the nice, straight, high-speed Autobahn it took me winding through unkempt country roads. EFF. The important thing is I did make it home safe. However, the GPS was threatened to be thrown out the window more than once today. I did seriously consider doing so more than once.
I am, happy to announce, that I am once again gainfully employed. And now, I have the fancy title of "contractor."
Monday, September 12, 2011
Struggles with Writing
I like to write - obviously since I keep a blog. I like to think, at times, I am decent at it. The thoughts in my head typically aren't all that special, or eloquent, but somehow I manage to get those thoughts out in a mostly organized somewhat intelligent way. One might say this is from getting a college education, but I'd rather give the credit to my English teach from junior year of high school. But despite my enjoyment of writing and ability to do so, I have spent the past week doing nothing for my Statement of Purpose essay for grad school. I mean to. I try. I open up the word document labeled "Statement of Purpose" and then stare at the screen. No ideas come to mind. No words flow from my brain to my fingers to the keys. I sit and stare... and eventually turn to online shopping. The same word document has been opened countless times with no changes made to it. It's not that I am not capable of writing such an essay. I know I am. I am just not sure how to start. Where to start.
I am not good at talking about myself. Yes, you can laugh at this because I'm making that statement on a personal blog where all I do is talk about myself. But. To write about my professional goals, strengths, and weaknesses is very different than telling a sassy story about attempting to decorate my house with my unwilling husband. To somehow explain in a formal essay to a college admissions board why I should be admitted to a program without sounding trite is... well... I don't know if there is any approach to take which hasn't been done before. I've even gone so far as to make a list of my strengths and weaknesses thinking it would help my ideas to flow. Thus far, my list looks as follows:
Weakness: perfectionist, low confidence, sets too high of standards for partners/co-workers, control freak, unable to delegate, I show my stress
Strengths: I'm an amazing bullshitter. I like to party. I'm a girl who drinks micro-brews.
Clearly... my strengths list doesn't look exactly like that. But this is where I'm struggling. It's not that I don't think I have strengths. I know I do. However, I feel as if everyone's strength list includes multitasking, time management, ability to work with others, ect. ect. Who wouldn't say those things? Honestly. Who's going to tell the admissions board they are unable to function without an overwhelming amount of caffeine, or they can't balance their time or checkbook? I just feel that everything I've written so far is bullshit. It is me typing out trite garble which has been done so many times before. I am not writing about me... I'm writing what I think someone wants to hear. Which... isn't right. And it isn't going to get me into grad school.
I know what I should write - what I need to write - in my essay. It is the same question I had to ask myself when I thought of applying to school. It's not if I can, but if I have the courage. Do I have the courage to compose an essay explaining how I lead to the path of being a "health educator" for perfect strangers?
I find I am having a similar struggle in making friends. I really haven't had a lot of opportunity to meet people to make friends. When I do meet people, it takes a while to get to know each other (on both sides of the equation) and see what you have in common, if I'd want to be friends with this person. I'd like to think by this point in my life I've gotten used to meeting new people and making new friends. Making new friends is similar to dating. You meet someone, and you have to "click" and "have chemistry." Then you have an awkward first date - I like to call it the first friend date. If the first date goes well, you make have subsequent "dates" as you get to know one another and get comfortable with each other. Finally, once you have reached this level of comfort you are officially friends and are free to do things such as borrow things, ask for favors, burp, fart, ect. By this point the friends realize what is special and unique in each other, and they treasure the friendship. I have many friends who I treasure, and they have some unique gifts I value. For example, my best friend Jen has an uncanny ability to read people (she's right almost 100% of the time) and she is able to "click" with people very quickly. My friend Kirsten is well spoken, and easily one of the best writers I know. My cousin Noelle is naturally beautiful, however she always looks fantastic because of how she puts herself together. My friend Brandy is an amazing cook, and hands-down the best hostess. I could make this list go on and on... but the point is everyone has many special things that others see in them. Things which make them awesome. I just wish that I was able to let people know right off hand that I'm awesome. "Hey, I'm awesome. We can by-pass the awkward beginning stages of friendship." "Dear admissions board: Go ahead and let me in cause hey, I'm awesome." It would help me get past the essay.
I am "encouraged" by UA to post "supporting documents" online to go along with my application and statement of purpose. Examples they use are your resume or professional portfolio. I am considering posting a professional portfolio which would consist only of my business card: "Kirsten Loberg Lehman. I. Kick. Ass"
I am not good at talking about myself. Yes, you can laugh at this because I'm making that statement on a personal blog where all I do is talk about myself. But. To write about my professional goals, strengths, and weaknesses is very different than telling a sassy story about attempting to decorate my house with my unwilling husband. To somehow explain in a formal essay to a college admissions board why I should be admitted to a program without sounding trite is... well... I don't know if there is any approach to take which hasn't been done before. I've even gone so far as to make a list of my strengths and weaknesses thinking it would help my ideas to flow. Thus far, my list looks as follows:
Weakness: perfectionist, low confidence, sets too high of standards for partners/co-workers, control freak, unable to delegate, I show my stress
Strengths: I'm an amazing bullshitter. I like to party. I'm a girl who drinks micro-brews.
Clearly... my strengths list doesn't look exactly like that. But this is where I'm struggling. It's not that I don't think I have strengths. I know I do. However, I feel as if everyone's strength list includes multitasking, time management, ability to work with others, ect. ect. Who wouldn't say those things? Honestly. Who's going to tell the admissions board they are unable to function without an overwhelming amount of caffeine, or they can't balance their time or checkbook? I just feel that everything I've written so far is bullshit. It is me typing out trite garble which has been done so many times before. I am not writing about me... I'm writing what I think someone wants to hear. Which... isn't right. And it isn't going to get me into grad school.
I know what I should write - what I need to write - in my essay. It is the same question I had to ask myself when I thought of applying to school. It's not if I can, but if I have the courage. Do I have the courage to compose an essay explaining how I lead to the path of being a "health educator" for perfect strangers?
I find I am having a similar struggle in making friends. I really haven't had a lot of opportunity to meet people to make friends. When I do meet people, it takes a while to get to know each other (on both sides of the equation) and see what you have in common, if I'd want to be friends with this person. I'd like to think by this point in my life I've gotten used to meeting new people and making new friends. Making new friends is similar to dating. You meet someone, and you have to "click" and "have chemistry." Then you have an awkward first date - I like to call it the first friend date. If the first date goes well, you make have subsequent "dates" as you get to know one another and get comfortable with each other. Finally, once you have reached this level of comfort you are officially friends and are free to do things such as borrow things, ask for favors, burp, fart, ect. By this point the friends realize what is special and unique in each other, and they treasure the friendship. I have many friends who I treasure, and they have some unique gifts I value. For example, my best friend Jen has an uncanny ability to read people (she's right almost 100% of the time) and she is able to "click" with people very quickly. My friend Kirsten is well spoken, and easily one of the best writers I know. My cousin Noelle is naturally beautiful, however she always looks fantastic because of how she puts herself together. My friend Brandy is an amazing cook, and hands-down the best hostess. I could make this list go on and on... but the point is everyone has many special things that others see in them. Things which make them awesome. I just wish that I was able to let people know right off hand that I'm awesome. "Hey, I'm awesome. We can by-pass the awkward beginning stages of friendship." "Dear admissions board: Go ahead and let me in cause hey, I'm awesome." It would help me get past the essay.
I am "encouraged" by UA to post "supporting documents" online to go along with my application and statement of purpose. Examples they use are your resume or professional portfolio. I am considering posting a professional portfolio which would consist only of my business card: "Kirsten Loberg Lehman. I. Kick. Ass"
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
One HELL of a cocktail
After my disappointing news from the base dental clinic, I took a good six hours to myself. For the first part of it I was upset, cried, got mad, cursed plenty, and had a few moments of "why me?" I'm glad I got that out of my system.
I spent the rest of my time thinking about what my options were. I can't get a job as a dental hygienist on base. Okay. I can, however, volunteer somehow on base in the dental or medical clinic. This will give me something to do, and it will get my foot in the door, so to speak. I can get a job with a German dentist. I already did the research into this, and I know it is only a matter of me actually finding a job. There are no extra exams to take, no special licenses. Which is good. It only leaves the task of updating my resume, writing a cover letter, and sending both off in the hopes of finding a job. Not nearly the crisis I had imagined for myself. Then there comes the unavoidable rhetorical question of "But what if there isn't a job out there?" This has been my biggest stumbling block. What if I send out my resume and there is nothing? What am I suppose to do then?
At the end of dental hygiene school, I was contemplating going on to graduate school. Something hard to believe, considering hygiene school is the closest to hell I have ever been, and crying was a daily activity. Dental hygiene school was in no way fun or enjoyable. However. I am a nerd, a geek, a bookworm through and through. I like to read. I like projects. I like to learn. I liked the fact that upon graduation, I was going to go be able to go out into the world and DO something. To some cleaning teeth doesn't sound like a life changing career, or even an enjoyable career. What I had learned at school, more than technical skills, was I was in a unique position to embrace the health care system. Embrace being a health care provider. I don't just "clean teeth" - cleaning is for scrubbing toilets. I have not only the skills to do more than work in the mouth, I have the passion, the drive to be more.
We are at a unique time in the world of health care. Prevention is finally coming into focus, not only in dentistry, but in all aspects of health care. Prevention is key. Prevent something from happening instead of treating the aftermath. An important part of this new venture is realize how everything works together - to treat a whole person not separate diseases. Treat not just their mouth, heart, or blood sugar, but to see the whole picture: how the blood sugar effects the heart, the mouth, how the heart effects the blood sugar, the mouth. If you can treat one - heart disease, periodontal disease, diabetes - you will affect the others positively. The term "systemic health" can be seen more frequently not just in the medical field, but in main stream media as well. It has been stated, predicted, that in the coming years we will see a shift in healthcare as providers, not to just towards the prevention frame of mind, but to becoming more as a health team - an interdisciplinary approach to health. To have not just a cardiologist, a general practitioner, an ophthalmologist, and a dentist who see and treat a patient separately... but to have all of these providers be in communication with one another, to be informed of all parts of a patient's health and to have a holistic approach to treatment.
The idea of systemic health in connection to oral health is something that was hammered into us at school. As a dental hygienist it puts me in the position of doing more than the typical lecture about brushing and flossing. It is my job to educate patients about how their brushing and flossing can and does effect the rest of their body. Being a cardiac patient myself, I always seemed to take this message personally because I could see a direct correlation. In school, we were able to take this education a step further and had to do community projects. My community project was an educational presentation I did for parents of children with congenital heart disease (a topic near and dear to me). I spoke to the parents about the importance of good oral health in relation to their child's cardiac health. After the presentation, one of the mothers who had been listening introduced me to her daughter. Her daughter had to have been about six years old, and when she smiled I saw all of her back teeth were stainless steel crowns. All I could think was thank God your mom came to my presentation and please, please let her have taken away even a small portion of my message. It was at that moment in time that something was awakened inside of me. I had the power and the ability to help others and to make changes. Not earth-shattering changes, life-altering changes... but changes. If it made a difference for one person, that was something. That was all I needed to know. That was enough for me.
I was blessed that my first job out of school allowed me to nurture this passion I had found. Our office participated in multiple health fairs where we would be available to talk to people about their dental health and how it related to their overall health. I, being the nerd I am, created brochures for these events (at my boss's request and with help from others). Many people do not enjoy having to do work outside of the office. If it were doing any work besides this, I would be in the same boat. But I was given the opportunity to see, in real life, what I had been taught in school. Dentistry can, does, and will mingle with the medical profession. There is an important bridge between the two.
When I originally thought about graduate school, it was to continue to receive a Masters in Dental Hygiene. In all honesty, I'm not sure what I hoped to achieve with that degree. I just wanted an outlet for this passion I felt, a way to create something, to DO something. I wanted to be more than a "teeth cleaner". I just wasn't sure how to make it happen. I didn't pursue graduate school right away... mainly for reasons of laziness. I had just gone to college for five straight years, three of the past years had been particularly tough, and I wanted a break. I wanted a chance to read books that were not textbooks, to be able to enjoy spare time... and to enjoy my new paycheck without worrying about student loans. I also thought it would be important for me to get some "real world" experience. So I have spent the past three years getting experience in the "real world," all the while my idea of graduate school has been sitting in the back of my mind. Percolating. Shape-shifting.
In the later part of my six hours of self time, my thoughts turned back to graduate school. What of it now? It is something I could do to fill my time, and it is something productive. Although I am having difficulty finding a job in my field right now, I could do something to help procure a better job later on. The big question was what was it I wanted to do later on? What kind of a job was I wanting, and what was the degree to get me there? I thought about this for a long time... and realized what I really wanted to do was to keep educating people about their health. Yes, I still wanted to work as a hygienist as I love my job... but I wanted to educate people on a bigger, grander, more official scale. What was the degree to back that up? A lot of online searching lead me to the University of Alabama - not a school I would have ever in my wildest dreams thought about. UA offers a Master of Arts in Health Studies. This degree also prepares students to take the national examination to become a Certified Health Education Specialist. A fancy name and title to the thing I want to do. The best part of this program is that it is 100% online distance education - something I would have to have. The more I read about the program, the more I was hooked on the idea. I really wanted to do this. I wanted to go back to school - this school - and get a masters - this master. But did I have the courage?
When I first brought the topic up with Josh, I was nervous. I'm not even sure why. I think I was afraid he would tell me it was a bad idea, or a waste of time and money. I wasn't really prepared to face him rejecting the idea. I had so firmly planted the idea that I was going back to school in my head... I didn't want anything to change it. As I started to stammer out what I had found about online schooling... and how I found something I really wanted to do... I started crying. Which made me stammer and stutter more. No one should be this nervous, especially not when talking with their husband. I think at first Josh was more concerned something was really wrong, or had gone wrong. It took him a minute to get past me being upset to realize that I wasn't talking about some family catastrophe or marital crisis, but going back to school. He smoothed away my tears, told me to stop "being dumb" (his way of saying stop crying), and told me if I wanted to go back to school, GO. He thought it was a good idea. At that moment I was reminded, as I have been reminded so many times before, that I married the right man.
So. I have officially started the process of applying to graduate school at the University of Alabama. I turned in my online application and paid the $50 application fee the other day, so I must be serious about it... I have ordered transcripts from EWU, and have asked for my letters of recommendation. My next task to focus on is to write my Statement of Purpose - a personal essay about why I want to go to graduate school and what my professional goals are. A task that will not be easy or quick. My application is due November 1st. I am hoping to start online classes in January. I am nervous, but excited at the prospect. I haven't said anything to anyone outside of Josh or my immediate family. I was going to wait until I knew I was accepted to say anything. However... it just seemed more appropriate to share the journey, whatever it may be.
One of my favorite comedians once said, "When life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade... and find someone whose life has given them vodka." I certainly feel as if I have been handed a whole basket full of lemons recently. I'm not sure if I am suppose to be the lemonade, or who the vodka is... but I am going to make myself one HELL of a cocktail.
I spent the rest of my time thinking about what my options were. I can't get a job as a dental hygienist on base. Okay. I can, however, volunteer somehow on base in the dental or medical clinic. This will give me something to do, and it will get my foot in the door, so to speak. I can get a job with a German dentist. I already did the research into this, and I know it is only a matter of me actually finding a job. There are no extra exams to take, no special licenses. Which is good. It only leaves the task of updating my resume, writing a cover letter, and sending both off in the hopes of finding a job. Not nearly the crisis I had imagined for myself. Then there comes the unavoidable rhetorical question of "But what if there isn't a job out there?" This has been my biggest stumbling block. What if I send out my resume and there is nothing? What am I suppose to do then?
At the end of dental hygiene school, I was contemplating going on to graduate school. Something hard to believe, considering hygiene school is the closest to hell I have ever been, and crying was a daily activity. Dental hygiene school was in no way fun or enjoyable. However. I am a nerd, a geek, a bookworm through and through. I like to read. I like projects. I like to learn. I liked the fact that upon graduation, I was going to go be able to go out into the world and DO something. To some cleaning teeth doesn't sound like a life changing career, or even an enjoyable career. What I had learned at school, more than technical skills, was I was in a unique position to embrace the health care system. Embrace being a health care provider. I don't just "clean teeth" - cleaning is for scrubbing toilets. I have not only the skills to do more than work in the mouth, I have the passion, the drive to be more.
We are at a unique time in the world of health care. Prevention is finally coming into focus, not only in dentistry, but in all aspects of health care. Prevention is key. Prevent something from happening instead of treating the aftermath. An important part of this new venture is realize how everything works together - to treat a whole person not separate diseases. Treat not just their mouth, heart, or blood sugar, but to see the whole picture: how the blood sugar effects the heart, the mouth, how the heart effects the blood sugar, the mouth. If you can treat one - heart disease, periodontal disease, diabetes - you will affect the others positively. The term "systemic health" can be seen more frequently not just in the medical field, but in main stream media as well. It has been stated, predicted, that in the coming years we will see a shift in healthcare as providers, not to just towards the prevention frame of mind, but to becoming more as a health team - an interdisciplinary approach to health. To have not just a cardiologist, a general practitioner, an ophthalmologist, and a dentist who see and treat a patient separately... but to have all of these providers be in communication with one another, to be informed of all parts of a patient's health and to have a holistic approach to treatment.
The idea of systemic health in connection to oral health is something that was hammered into us at school. As a dental hygienist it puts me in the position of doing more than the typical lecture about brushing and flossing. It is my job to educate patients about how their brushing and flossing can and does effect the rest of their body. Being a cardiac patient myself, I always seemed to take this message personally because I could see a direct correlation. In school, we were able to take this education a step further and had to do community projects. My community project was an educational presentation I did for parents of children with congenital heart disease (a topic near and dear to me). I spoke to the parents about the importance of good oral health in relation to their child's cardiac health. After the presentation, one of the mothers who had been listening introduced me to her daughter. Her daughter had to have been about six years old, and when she smiled I saw all of her back teeth were stainless steel crowns. All I could think was thank God your mom came to my presentation and please, please let her have taken away even a small portion of my message. It was at that moment in time that something was awakened inside of me. I had the power and the ability to help others and to make changes. Not earth-shattering changes, life-altering changes... but changes. If it made a difference for one person, that was something. That was all I needed to know. That was enough for me.
I was blessed that my first job out of school allowed me to nurture this passion I had found. Our office participated in multiple health fairs where we would be available to talk to people about their dental health and how it related to their overall health. I, being the nerd I am, created brochures for these events (at my boss's request and with help from others). Many people do not enjoy having to do work outside of the office. If it were doing any work besides this, I would be in the same boat. But I was given the opportunity to see, in real life, what I had been taught in school. Dentistry can, does, and will mingle with the medical profession. There is an important bridge between the two.
When I originally thought about graduate school, it was to continue to receive a Masters in Dental Hygiene. In all honesty, I'm not sure what I hoped to achieve with that degree. I just wanted an outlet for this passion I felt, a way to create something, to DO something. I wanted to be more than a "teeth cleaner". I just wasn't sure how to make it happen. I didn't pursue graduate school right away... mainly for reasons of laziness. I had just gone to college for five straight years, three of the past years had been particularly tough, and I wanted a break. I wanted a chance to read books that were not textbooks, to be able to enjoy spare time... and to enjoy my new paycheck without worrying about student loans. I also thought it would be important for me to get some "real world" experience. So I have spent the past three years getting experience in the "real world," all the while my idea of graduate school has been sitting in the back of my mind. Percolating. Shape-shifting.
In the later part of my six hours of self time, my thoughts turned back to graduate school. What of it now? It is something I could do to fill my time, and it is something productive. Although I am having difficulty finding a job in my field right now, I could do something to help procure a better job later on. The big question was what was it I wanted to do later on? What kind of a job was I wanting, and what was the degree to get me there? I thought about this for a long time... and realized what I really wanted to do was to keep educating people about their health. Yes, I still wanted to work as a hygienist as I love my job... but I wanted to educate people on a bigger, grander, more official scale. What was the degree to back that up? A lot of online searching lead me to the University of Alabama - not a school I would have ever in my wildest dreams thought about. UA offers a Master of Arts in Health Studies. This degree also prepares students to take the national examination to become a Certified Health Education Specialist. A fancy name and title to the thing I want to do. The best part of this program is that it is 100% online distance education - something I would have to have. The more I read about the program, the more I was hooked on the idea. I really wanted to do this. I wanted to go back to school - this school - and get a masters - this master. But did I have the courage?
When I first brought the topic up with Josh, I was nervous. I'm not even sure why. I think I was afraid he would tell me it was a bad idea, or a waste of time and money. I wasn't really prepared to face him rejecting the idea. I had so firmly planted the idea that I was going back to school in my head... I didn't want anything to change it. As I started to stammer out what I had found about online schooling... and how I found something I really wanted to do... I started crying. Which made me stammer and stutter more. No one should be this nervous, especially not when talking with their husband. I think at first Josh was more concerned something was really wrong, or had gone wrong. It took him a minute to get past me being upset to realize that I wasn't talking about some family catastrophe or marital crisis, but going back to school. He smoothed away my tears, told me to stop "being dumb" (his way of saying stop crying), and told me if I wanted to go back to school, GO. He thought it was a good idea. At that moment I was reminded, as I have been reminded so many times before, that I married the right man.
So. I have officially started the process of applying to graduate school at the University of Alabama. I turned in my online application and paid the $50 application fee the other day, so I must be serious about it... I have ordered transcripts from EWU, and have asked for my letters of recommendation. My next task to focus on is to write my Statement of Purpose - a personal essay about why I want to go to graduate school and what my professional goals are. A task that will not be easy or quick. My application is due November 1st. I am hoping to start online classes in January. I am nervous, but excited at the prospect. I haven't said anything to anyone outside of Josh or my immediate family. I was going to wait until I knew I was accepted to say anything. However... it just seemed more appropriate to share the journey, whatever it may be.
One of my favorite comedians once said, "When life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade... and find someone whose life has given them vodka." I certainly feel as if I have been handed a whole basket full of lemons recently. I'm not sure if I am suppose to be the lemonade, or who the vodka is... but I am going to make myself one HELL of a cocktail.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Back to Belgium
Even though we just went to Berlin last weekend, Josh and I had agreed to travel again this past weekend. Josh had the weekend off, including Labor Day. I feel we need to take advantage of the extra days when we can. Originally, we had planned to drive east into the Bavarian part of German to tour around the town of Rothenburg (it's high on my to-do list). We were going to stay at a near-by army base. Josh had called the base hotel a few weeks ago and was told they do not take advanced reservations. We would have to call the day-of to reserve a room. On Friday morning I called the base hotel and was told it was full with no openings all weekend long. Aw hell. I looked online to try and find a hotel in the surrounding area, but everything was either booked up, or more money than I was willing to pay. I really wasn't sure what to do. I waited until Josh got home from work to ask him what he wanted to do. Do we throw in the towel and stay home for the weekend? Where else could we go? We decided to search for hotels and just see what was available... and wherever there was a good hotel deal is where we would go. I played around online looking for hotels... and finally found a great price on a hotel in Antwerp, Belgium. Off we went.
Antwerp is north and east of Brussels. In all honesty, I had never heard of it until I started researching our trip to Brussels. We learned right away Antwerp has a historic center which is as beautiful as the one in Brussels. Multiple picture perfect public squares, and a towering cathedral. We spent most of Friday afternoon wandering around the center enjoying the sights.
We were going to catch the tram back to our hotel when some old military vehicles drove across the street. We followed them, and found one of the town squares was full of people dancing in front of a stage. We looked around and saw a bunch of flyers for Liberation Day. Liberation Day is a celebration of when the port of Antwerp was liberated in 1944 by British and Canadian troops. I had no idea. Multiple bands performed on the center stage - lots of "big band" music. I was in heaven. There were tons of people dancing. Josh and I didn't dance (I'm sure it wouldn't have been a pretty picture) but we spent plenty of time watching everyone else. Most people were dressed up in retro 1940s outfits - some great hair-dos! There was a beer stand and many food stands surrounding the festivities. We ordered a few beers to further enjoy our people watching. We would have stayed longer, but their kegs ran out. In Montana that is a criminal offense. It was still neat to stumble upon.
The next day we went down to the diamond district of Antwerp. Antwerp is the world capital of diamond trading/selling. Again, something I didn't know. We went to the Diamond Museum and saw a lot of amazing pieces of jewelry. Sadly, they don't allow you to take pictures. In the diamond district surrounding the museum there was easily 50+ jewelry stores. I had a lot of fun window shopping as we walked along.
Our hotel in Antwerp was a bit of an adventure. I had found it as a "flash deal" through booking.com. We were paid a discounted rate of 44 euro a night, which is about $62. Our hotel was a Ramada highrise, and I was excited thinking I'd gotten a steal on a nice chain hotel which got great reviews online. I was wrong. The bathroom was dirty and was in desperate need of a facelift. The room was suppose to have air conditioning, but ours wasn't working. We told the front desk about the problem, and they sent someone up to our room who basically told us he thought our room was cool enough and they couldn't do anything to make it cooler (even though it was very clear the a/c wasn't running or working). The hallway was much cooler than our stuffy room. More than once we debated sleeping out in the hall. Our room was suppose to have an electric kettle and a coffee maker. We discovered the electric kettle was to work AS a coffee maker. The first morning we were there I put water in the kettle, added coffee grounds, and turned the kettle on. In less than two minutes water and coffee grounds boiled out of the kettle and all over the counter top. I grabbed the kettle and ran with it into the bathroom - which was a stupid idea because boiling hot coffee ground mess splashed all over the carpet and bathroom floor. It was a huge mess to clean up. After that I left the coffee making up to Josh... who was smart enough to heat up the water before adding coffee grounds. I've always been of the opinion that in most cases a hotel is just a place to sleep and keep your stuff (unless you're actually planning to hang out at the hotel). In that respect, our hotel was fine and was still a steal at the price. However, there is plenty to complain about. I can't wait to go online and write the hotel a crappy review.
On Sunday we took the train to the town of Ghent. I had read about Ghent back when I was researching our trip to Brussels. It sounded like a neat place to go see. Taking the train to Ghent was a breeze. It took less than an hour, and two round trip tickets were less than 20 euro. It was more the type of European train travel I had expected. Ghent was fantastic. I loved it. It was much more quaint and less modernized than Antwerp. It does have a historical center like Antwerp, but the historical center seems to stretch further out. It is a whole town full of picture perfectness.
There are many canals that wind through the city, and there are boat tours where you can take a ride through the canals. On Saturday morning in Antwerp Josh and I helped a foreign couple figure out the electronic ticket machine for the tram system (we were mainly able to help them because we had struggled in the same way the day before). Although there was a major communication barrier between us, we were able to help them out, and they seemed grateful. We talked about building up good karma for ourselves - in a joking type of way. As we were walking along the canals of Ghent a couple approached us and offered us a free boat ride. They had bought their tickets online and had two too many. Our good karma paid off. It may sound silly, but I really enjoyed our boat ride. It was a great way to see more of the town.
We discovered during our boat ride a flea market. I've been told by many people that Belgium is the place to go for flea and antique markets. We wandered around the flea market for quite a while. It snaked along multiple streets, and just when we thought we had gotten to the end of the market it would take a turn down another street and keep going. In the "middle" of the flea market area there was a beer garden with food. We took a break and enjoyed a beer before walking around some more. Josh found two beer glasses at the market to take home as treasures. Like one big fantastic garage sale.
Although we hadn't planned to go to Belgium, it was a fun trip. I believe if we were to do it again, I would spend only one day in Antwerp, one day in Ghent, and then spend one day in Bruges. Bruges is north of Ghent, and it is said to be the "Venice of the North." I've enjoyed the time we've spent in Belgium, and I'd recommend it to anyone who hasn't been.
Antwerp is north and east of Brussels. In all honesty, I had never heard of it until I started researching our trip to Brussels. We learned right away Antwerp has a historic center which is as beautiful as the one in Brussels. Multiple picture perfect public squares, and a towering cathedral. We spent most of Friday afternoon wandering around the center enjoying the sights.
The next day we went down to the diamond district of Antwerp. Antwerp is the world capital of diamond trading/selling. Again, something I didn't know. We went to the Diamond Museum and saw a lot of amazing pieces of jewelry. Sadly, they don't allow you to take pictures. In the diamond district surrounding the museum there was easily 50+ jewelry stores. I had a lot of fun window shopping as we walked along.
Our hotel in Antwerp was a bit of an adventure. I had found it as a "flash deal" through booking.com. We were paid a discounted rate of 44 euro a night, which is about $62. Our hotel was a Ramada highrise, and I was excited thinking I'd gotten a steal on a nice chain hotel which got great reviews online. I was wrong. The bathroom was dirty and was in desperate need of a facelift. The room was suppose to have air conditioning, but ours wasn't working. We told the front desk about the problem, and they sent someone up to our room who basically told us he thought our room was cool enough and they couldn't do anything to make it cooler (even though it was very clear the a/c wasn't running or working). The hallway was much cooler than our stuffy room. More than once we debated sleeping out in the hall. Our room was suppose to have an electric kettle and a coffee maker. We discovered the electric kettle was to work AS a coffee maker. The first morning we were there I put water in the kettle, added coffee grounds, and turned the kettle on. In less than two minutes water and coffee grounds boiled out of the kettle and all over the counter top. I grabbed the kettle and ran with it into the bathroom - which was a stupid idea because boiling hot coffee ground mess splashed all over the carpet and bathroom floor. It was a huge mess to clean up. After that I left the coffee making up to Josh... who was smart enough to heat up the water before adding coffee grounds. I've always been of the opinion that in most cases a hotel is just a place to sleep and keep your stuff (unless you're actually planning to hang out at the hotel). In that respect, our hotel was fine and was still a steal at the price. However, there is plenty to complain about. I can't wait to go online and write the hotel a crappy review.
On Sunday we took the train to the town of Ghent. I had read about Ghent back when I was researching our trip to Brussels. It sounded like a neat place to go see. Taking the train to Ghent was a breeze. It took less than an hour, and two round trip tickets were less than 20 euro. It was more the type of European train travel I had expected. Ghent was fantastic. I loved it. It was much more quaint and less modernized than Antwerp. It does have a historical center like Antwerp, but the historical center seems to stretch further out. It is a whole town full of picture perfectness.
There are many canals that wind through the city, and there are boat tours where you can take a ride through the canals. On Saturday morning in Antwerp Josh and I helped a foreign couple figure out the electronic ticket machine for the tram system (we were mainly able to help them because we had struggled in the same way the day before). Although there was a major communication barrier between us, we were able to help them out, and they seemed grateful. We talked about building up good karma for ourselves - in a joking type of way. As we were walking along the canals of Ghent a couple approached us and offered us a free boat ride. They had bought their tickets online and had two too many. Our good karma paid off. It may sound silly, but I really enjoyed our boat ride. It was a great way to see more of the town.
We discovered during our boat ride a flea market. I've been told by many people that Belgium is the place to go for flea and antique markets. We wandered around the flea market for quite a while. It snaked along multiple streets, and just when we thought we had gotten to the end of the market it would take a turn down another street and keep going. In the "middle" of the flea market area there was a beer garden with food. We took a break and enjoyed a beer before walking around some more. Josh found two beer glasses at the market to take home as treasures. Like one big fantastic garage sale.
Although we hadn't planned to go to Belgium, it was a fun trip. I believe if we were to do it again, I would spend only one day in Antwerp, one day in Ghent, and then spend one day in Bruges. Bruges is north of Ghent, and it is said to be the "Venice of the North." I've enjoyed the time we've spent in Belgium, and I'd recommend it to anyone who hasn't been.
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