Day 2 in Nome

Today, I started working at Norton Sound Regional Hospital. It's a small, 18 bed facility that sits on 5th street, close to the sea and one of the local stores - Hanson's where I bought my first can of diet Dr. Pepper for only $1.04!!! What a deal :). The physical therapy clinic is very small, but functional. The PT I am working with, Joe, is hilarious and just returned from a training course in Utah where he learned to perform EMG studies. I never knew PT's could do EMG's but I guess anything is possible when you're not in Indiana!!!! Unfortunately for me, I have not yet applied for my Alaska license, so I can't practice as a PT for at least another month until my application is processed and they make sure I'm not a criminal or some illegal alien!!! So I'll just be overpaid and underworked right now!


All of the people I met today at the hospital were very nice and excited that I had arrived. The VP even said she wanted to get out of her chair and do cartwheels but she hadn't had enough coffee yet :). Everyone here smiles and greets you when you pass by which is very refreshing.

It was rainy and cold here all day..at noon there is an air siren that goes off cueing people that it's time for lunch. I felt like I should climb under the table and cover my head when I heard it!!! At lunch we walked from the hospital, to the internet store, over to the post office, back to the apartment to eat lunch, then back to the hospital in about an hour!! Nothing is far away, but I can't imagine walking the distance I did during the winter months. It was muddy and wet all day though, so I brought out my rain boots after work when we went to Hanson's for groceries. I felt really overdressed. Most of the people here wear old jeans and sweatshirts, so my purple northface jacket, black pants, and shiny black boots stuck out. Oh well....I'm just special :)

It's about 10:20PM right now, and the sun just came out about an hour ago. It's really really bright and feels like noon.
I hope the sun continues tomorrow!!!