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The rainstorms seem to be timing themselves with our long drives, because it happened again. Our drive from New York to Rhode Island was saturated and remained that way for the first full day. We settled into a cute apartment and Shereese and I made the mistake of walking to the harbor to pick up our dinner - about 20 minutes away. The rain synced itself with our walk both to and from and we got absolutely soaked. But - our dinner was delicious. |
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Thankfully, in the morning, the sun was out in full force, just in time for our scheduled hike in Saunderstown. We were scheduled to meet Ashley, Elena, Janice, and Rachel to hike the Shelter Trail, which was about 45 minutes away from Newport and our meeting point was down a two-mile dirt road. With none of us having ever been to this spot before, we were all a little skeptical that we were on the right path. The road had several deep divots along the way and some large puddles to cross due to the rain the day before. But lo and behold, we all made it safely - although some with worrisome levels of gas in their tanks.
Many of the ladies from this group hadn’t seen each other since the InterSystems Global Summit in 2019, and it was heartwarming to see how easy it was to pick up friendships right where they left off. Ashley and Elena were all smiles and their welcoming hugs were genuine and long. Ashley was excited to finally meet Juno, who came barreling out of car, as soon as she was invited to do so. And soon after, we confirmed our route on the AllTrails app and got to hiking.
Our conversations ranged from the importance of embracing a diversity of perspectives in our friend, family, and work groups, what it’s been like having kids at home full time during the pandemic, shortages in nursing staff around the country and the challenges that it brings about in terms of the credentialing process across state lines and recruiting, what happens to employees when their companies pivot and how to navigate change. As women in this field, we recognize there is a lot on our plates and we are tasked with being prepared for… everything.
It was a lovely afternoon, perfectly shaded by the trees, and not too hot. When we reached the end, we did our compulsory TikTok dance, took some group photos, and made sure all had what we needed to get back to our respective homes safely.
Shereese and I made it back to Newport and prepared for the following day’s back-to-back podcast recording sessions we had lined up, since we could finally guarantee solid WiFi.
On Thursday, we had lively conversations with a handful of Season 6 guests. We laughed, we cried, we tried to solve the world’s healthcare access problems, we admired each other for the work we’re all doing that makes a positive impact.
Just like Rhode Island itself, our time there was small, but mighty. Our next stop is to meet up with the New England HIMSS chapter for a hike in New Hampshire. And like clockwork, as we got ready to depart, it started raining.
Saunderstown & Newport, Rhode Island
Where we stayed: Airbnb in Newport, Rhode Island
Where we hiked: Shelter Trail to Penny Hill Cutoff Loop
Indigenous Acknowledgment - Narragansett Indian Tribe
Friends We Made
#BTS Video
There was a coffee shop / coop that was walking distance to our place and once we found it, we were committed to enjoying it as much as possible. It was part coffee, part food, part art store, with a lovely outdoor eating area and all-around friendly vibe. It must be a nice place to work too, because some of the staff have been there for more than 10 years. |
TikTok!
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