My 18-hour turn-around trip to Pennsylvania began with a sinus infection, a chorus of teething children screaming on a 5-hour plane ride and an Uber driver with a poor sense of direction.  

Talk about starting a blog with the worst sentence in history huh?

After arriving in Philadelphia, I eventually Uber-ed my way to my hotel with a pounding headache and a strong readiness to simply not be around another human.  Interesting fact: frequent traveling alone makes many of us just want to isolate in our rooms, and that is exactly what I did!

I ordered a glass of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from room service and was delighted to learn that Magic Mike was playing on the Lifetime channel.  After a solid night’s sleep which included a dream about Channing Tatum and I wine tasting in New Zealand, I headed to Harcum College in Bryn Mawr for their homecoming event.

With delight, I was greeted by the warmest hug and kindest welcome from Terri Groody who is a dear friend of my Fairy Godmother and, in turn, a fast friend of mine.  I shook hands with the Campus President and learned about the exciting ways that Harcum College is working to expand their educational opportunities on a national level.  As the lecture hall filled, I was ready to begin.

There is something just so cool about having a friend introduce you – it is honest and authentic and raw and cool.  Terri brought me to the stage and over the next three hours, we unpacked one of my favorite courses: “Local Anesthesia Techniques, Trends & Troubleshooting”.  Although it can be a dense topic, somehow I always feel as though time flies during this talk and after hours of lecture, laughs and a few instructional photographs and videos, my talk had concluded.

I had but a few moments to stop by the student poster session to see the incredible work of the students of Harcum College’s Dental Hygiene Program.  I was blown away at the level of poise, class and sophistication with which the students delivered instruction on their chosen poster topics. It is moments like this that make me truly excited for the future of dental hygiene, and I cannot wait to see what these incredible students do with their future careers!

With one final hug from Terri, I zipped off to the airport.  I was sad that I didn’t have more time to experience Pennsylvania in October, as the crisp fall air and light sun were absolute perfect weather.  As I zipped through TSA Precheck, my phone buzzed. It was Terri: “EVERY instructor said I can never have any one else present anesthesia!” … I think they liked me!

It is with immense gratitude that I endlessly thank the amazing people with Dentsply Sirona for their incredible support of this event.  Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do, and it is because of their support that I am able to deliver the content that I do with such an authentic flair.  I cannot thank them enough for this opportunity.

…I’m on the plane heading back to Phoenix and I just heard a small child begin crying… pray for me!

Cheers!