Philly, PA: Wrap-Up

Although my placement in North Dakota will forever have a special place in my heart, I am so grateful for the opportunity I had in Philadelphia to experience city life and to work trauma in such a crime-filled area that really was between an area with very “little money and a lot of money,” as my manager Diane told me. I made so many great new friendships & connections in Philly as well. Jeny from the Block is truly irreplaceable as are some of my other friends (Kunbi, Jen R., Colleen) ❤️

Here are some of the highlights from my second travel assignment in Philadelphia, PA:

Favorite brunch spot: White Dog Cafe was a restaurant I discovered from TikTok via my friend Chryste. I am just sad I did not discover it sooner. Holy HECK their food was amazing and there are so many rooms to choose from to eat in there, all dog themed of course 😍 I was obsessed.

Favorite coffee spot: Good Karma Cafe! I went to coffee with my coworker / friend Colleen the first weekend I was in town and I just LOVED the vibe in there. Super funky, lots of colors, delicious coffee too. Totally a great choice of local coffee shops! I am sure all of the locations are great but I always went to the one in Center City off Pine Street 😉

Favorite dinner spot: Han Dynasty – I ordered them anytime I craved Chinese food (which was a lot). Their DanDan noodles & sold sesame noodles were my faves but I also loved their beef with oyster sauce & scallions and their braised beef soup. Everything tasted super fresh and delicious. I often doordashed from where I stayed but when I ate in Center City I felt like I got more food in person 😂 Trust me, I ate that stuff FAST too.

Favorite memory: (Briefly) doing karaoke & going out on the town with Jeny from the Block and other coworkers of mine who are now friends!

Where I stayed: The Studio of Solitude. It was in a high-trafficked area but still super quiet and it was roughly 1 mile or so away from the hospital aka 10-15 mins drive depending on the morning with traffic 😬 I stayed there all 3 months and it was a great deal, had everything I needed and more in a small but functional space. The area wasn’t the absolute greatest but I was able to handle it and I don’t really go out past dark anyway lol so it was fine.

Where I worked: Main Line Health Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, PA (a township of Philadelphia). I worked on trauma and omg it was so busy and at times challenging but I learned so so incredibly much especially from site supervisor Jeny (from the block). She may not realize it, but I really really valued how she took me in under her wing even though she found out very quick that I had very little to NO “real” discharge planning experience (although I had worked in trauma before… nothing like this). It took me a while to get fully trained but after that I can handle anything. Seriously!

Favorite Unit to Work on: I absolutely loved trauma honestly. I don’t even think I ever had a sick day because I loved what I did and I KNEW people depended on me.

Favorite Excursion: Sea Isle City, New Jersey. You can read about my day trip there in my previous posts! Great food and the beach was AMAZING. I loved being so close to the East Coach beaches!

I will never forget THIS about Pennsylvania: The first time I heard someone say “How you making out?” vs. “How are you?” — that and being given the nick-name of cabbage patch 😂

What I learned about cultures around healthcare & mental healthcare: I did not realize how much violence occurs within the African American / black community towards other people who are also AA/black. I am aware that likely highlights and shows my privilege because I am just now realizing it, but it breaks my heart. My first week there was a trauma that shook me to my core where someone was shot with 20+ bullets who was in a gang of other folks who were also AA/black. This needs to stop. Violence needs to stop. We all need to know that ALL black lives matter, even those part of that community. I also learned a lot more about privilege itself and how to show that I recognize that my exeperience is different from someone else’s and even though I may not be someone who caused them harm, we all have trauma reactions based on other factors (generational history, previous experiences with people who are also white, etc.) It was truly eye opening.

What I learned about myself: That I am not at all meant for city life. I found it to be very stressful at times and tbh I was excited to be going somewhere more rural. I hate traffic and busyness anyway and I think I find so much more enjoyment in rural or suburban environments.

Did you finally eat a philly cheesesteak? YES. Without the cheese LOL!!

Overall verdict: I really enjoyed my time in Philadelphia and despite my realization about not being one for cities, I am so grateful for the experience I gained and that I inherited from my coworkers, friends, and managers.

Coming soon, my first impressions of Mount Vernon, WA 😁