For the duration of the five weeks, we stayed with a retired pharmacist and her two children in a beautiful home that had been passed down through the family. Rock Hill is a small city in northern South Carolina, just 30 minutes south of Charlotte, North Carolina (the airport that I flew into from Pittsburgh). It is home to Winthrop University, which gives it a slight college-town feel. Downtown consists of a short stretch of shops, bakeries, restaurants, and bars on Main Street, which is adjacent to a newly-built plaza with a lovely fountain. Other points of interest include the outdoor conservatory, Glencairn Gardens, and Cherry Park. All of these were in walking distance to the house, so I visited them often.
Rock Hill is home to the Catawba American Indian Tribe, which is the population that we served during our ambulatory care rotation. The small clinic belongs to the Indian Health Service (IHS)--an key branch of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS). Due to the nature of the federal organization, pharmacists generally have more freedom and authority as practicioners than those in the private sector. Aside from helping the two pharmacists with medication dispensing and counseling, students took on the responsibility to manage the influenza clinic, which required us to immunize as many tribal members as possible to prevent the spread of the flu. We also worked closely with the community health nurse during events such as educational programs and blood pressure screenings on the reservation. During downtime, we completed a variety of projects, such as creating a video depicting a patient's success story with smoking cessation. Jenny and I were joined by two local students, Amber and Summer, who were both awesome. The tight-knit staff on the Catawba Service Unit was extremely welcoming. The tribe is also friendly, but they have lost many of their traditions and customs relative to other tribes in the Southwest U.S.
Jenny and I joke that our first week in Rock Hill did not exist because it rained everyday and passed so slowly. With 100% humidity, it was often difficult to decipher the constant drizzle from the excessive moisture in the air. Luckily, however, our town did not flood, unlike central Columbia and costal Charleston. As a result, we spent our first weekend in Rock Hill, getting settled and adjusted to our new home. We explored downtown, local pubs, and found our favorite French bakery, Amelie.
By week two, the rain had finally passed, leaving behind sunny and 75 degree weather. Due to the warmer climate, I noticed that the autumn leaves changed color much slower than those in Pittsburgh. Our weekday routine revolved around the clinic, where we worked from 8am-4:30pm. Jenny drove to South Carolina from Pennsylvania, so we made the 20-minute commute to the reservation in her car. Our afternoons were laid-back, consisting of exercise, dinner, projects, and job applications. Like true grandmas, we were almost always in bed by 9pm. One afternoon, however, we explored the nearby walking trails after clinic. Along the six-or-so mile route, we stumbled upon the Catawba river, a teepee, horses, and turtles.
On Sunday morning, the weather cleared up, so Jenny and I visited two local farms. At Windy Hill Orchard and Cidery, we sampled a flight of craft ciders and apple cider doughnuts. My top picks were the original and peach ciders, but I took home a bottle of the pomegranate cider. We spent the afternoon hiking at Kings Mountain State Park in nearby Blacksburg.
The clinic was closed Monday for Colombus Day, so Jenny and I took advantage and went to the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte. This outdoor adventure park had everything; whitewater rafting, rock climbing, zip lining, obstacle courses, mountain biking, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, and more. I most enjoyed the whitewater rafting course and paddle boarding on the Catawba River. Overall, it was an incredibly fun and active day, full of new experiences for us both.
After a short week at clinic, our preceptor gave us Friday off to visit the neighboring Cherokee tribe in North Carolina. Jenny and I left after clinic on Thursday and drove about two and a half hours to Asheville, North Carolina, where we spent the night in a downtown hostel. Asheville is a cute mountain town with a genuine hipster vibe. The city has plenty of breweries and good eats--definitely a place where I plan to return. Jenny and I sampled a few craft brews (not many, as we are both extreme light weights) before calling it a night. We woke up early Friday morning to drive about 45 minutes through the breathtaking Smoky Mountains en route to Cherokee. The residency program director gave us a tour of the facility, where I fell in love with the brand-new hospital.Jenny and I spent the rest of the morning at the Oconaluftee Indian Village, where we were given a tour of the traditional Cherokee lifestyle and customs. We were exposed to everything from basket-weaving and weapon-making to traditional music and dances. The falling autumn leaves were the perfect backdrop to the demonstrations. Afterwards, we drove back to Rock Hill, stopping along the way to eat at the famous Asheville restaurant, 12 Bones Smokehouse--easily one of the best meals of the entire trip. As a side note, South Carolina currently has the cheapest gas prices in the country--the lowest that I saw was $1.68/gallon!
On Saturday, Jenny and I participated in the Bone Bash Dash 1-mile fun run on the reservation to raise awareness for domestic violence. During the afternoon, I rented a bike for a few hours and visited my favorite places in town. Jenny and I reunited that evening to attend the Oktoberfest in downtown Rock Hill. Main street was packed with people enjoying the music, beer, and brauts!
After my long run for the week, Jenny and I made a Sunday afternoon trip to Charlotte. We were both shocked at how clean and modern downtown was. It was also refreshing to be in a "real" city again. We walked around for a few hours, passing parks and the popular Epicenter. We also stumbled upon a huge Latin American festival going on in the middle of downtown. Each country had a tent with their local customs and foods on display, and there was a band playing latino music. I was so excited by the city's large Spanish influence! After finding a tasty place for dinner, we made our way back to Rock Hill, refreshed and rested to start the week.
After a full week at clinic, Jenny and I realized that we were already coming up on our last weekend in South Carolina. This was our final opportunity to see the coast, so we made the three hour drive to Charleston. We left Friday after clinic, arriving at the hostel around 8pm. After checking in, we walked to mainstream King Street for dinner and drinks. It seemed that the town had recovered quickly from the recent flooding.
Saturday morning was spent exploring downtown historic Charleston. We happened upon farmer's markets, parks and plazas, historic homes in the French Quarter, street performers, fresh bakeries, and store owners offering free samples of everything you could ever want. At Summer's excellent recommendation, we stopped for lunch at the Brown Dog Deli. Charleston reminded me of New York in the way that it is located on a peninsula and divided into various boroughs.
After a few hours, Jenny and I stopped for dinner at Poe's Tavern (another recommendation), having learned that Edgar Allen Poe lived on Sullivan's Island. That night, we checked out the nightlife on King Street, Market Street, and East Bay. Luckily, Jenny and I were on the same page about "detoxing" during the week, and treating ourselves on the weekends.
On Sunday, we drove to nearby Folley Beach. Shortly after beginning my walk, I realized that everyone there was doing the same thing--looking for sea shells! In no hurry at all, the beach goers would occasionally lean over and search for a shell that caught their eye. There were also a few surfers, a fishing pier, and lots of dogs enjoying the beach. After a few hours, Jenny and I had found a variety of shells, hermit crabs, tadpoles, and even live sand dollars and starfish! We were reluctant to leave, but eventually went to grab lunch at the Lost Dog Cafe--another home run recommendation by Summer and Amber. The popular lunch spot reflected the laid-back and hippie vibe of the island.
After lunch, Jenny and I visited the Angel Tree on John's Island. This ancient oak tree is thought to be 500 years old. Our last stop before heading back to Rock Hill was the Magnolia Plantation. Here we walked through the impressive outdoor gardens, accompanied by old ponds and swamps, bridges, and Spanish moss. There was also a petting zoo with a variety of animals, including goats, deer, pigs, and peacocks. The plantation offered several tours, but we were both tired, and decided to start the long drive home. Charleston was by far my favorite city of the trip.
Our last week in Rock Hill was over in the blink of an eye. Apart from the first rainy week (that didn't exist), the whole month flew by. On our last day at clinic, the students brought all kinds of sweets and treated ourselves to Chick-fil-a for lunch! It was an overall good experience, though different from what I had expected. Nevertheless, it has factored into my decision to pursue a residency with the IHS next year, as an avenue to join the PHS. Let the application process begin...
