Block 5 Post 1

 Wyoming Women Fall/Winter Packing List

Fall for the locals feels like winter for us Alabama girls!

●     Rotation outfits

-       Business professional Monday-Thursday, jeans on fridays!

●     Pajamas

-       Also good to think about house slippers (cold floors) and/or a robe (only one bathroom so nice for walking to your room)

●     Casual clothes

-       T-shirts, sweatpants, sweatshirt

●     Hiking/outdoors clothes

-       Think lots of layers. You might get hot and sweaty this time of year on your hike or it may start spitting snow. Have to be prepared for all the elements.

●     Workout clothes

●     Student ID

●     Hiking shoes

●     Tennis shoes

●     Boots

●     Socks (boot and athletic)

●     Toiletries

-       I would recommend carrying your toiletries in something that you can carry to and from the bathroom. Again, -just want to be considerate of others with only one bathroom to share.

●     Lotion

-       You WILL dry out!

●     Daily sunscreen

-       Even if it is cold, the sun can get you

●     Hairbrush/comb

●     Laptop and charger/ iPad whatever you use primarily for class

●     Phone and charger

●     Watch and charger (Apple/Fitbit)

●     Headphone

●     Pillow

●     Towel

-       They have a lot at the house, but some of them have seen better days. Olivia brought her own washcloths for her face just to be on the safe side. Also, ladies you may want towel turbans for your hair.

●     Blankets

-       They do have some blankets at the housing area but again some are thicker than others. I would recommend bringing one for your bed and if you’re someone like Olivia and you get cold there's plenty of extra to keep you warm.

●     Face masks

-       The practice site also does provide surgical face masks you can pick up each day.

-       Many places in Lander and Riverton do not require masks, but almost everywhere in Jackson city limits did (just to keep in mind).

●     Swimsuit

-       Hot springs are only an hour away!

●     Sunglasses

●     Hats

●     Cold weather gear (toboggan, gloves, scarves, etc)

●     WY intern license

●     Rx Prep Book

●     Notebook, pens/pencils, planner

●     Water bottle

●     Lunchbox

-       There is a decent-sized cooler at the house that may be used for several people’s lunch.

●     Rain jacket/umbrella

●     Coats

 

The house has twin-size sheets, blankets, towels, tupperware

The house already had cleaning supplies, household paper products, dish soap, laundry detergent, and dryer sheets when we arrived, so I would wait to purchase any of these items until you see what supplies are like at the house.

 

Getting to Wyoming: By Nina

 

Olivia and I decided to drive to Wyoming while Ada flew into Riverton to meet us near town. We would highly recommend someone driving their car, especially if you are going to be here during the colder months because you need all the clothing layers. There are three practice sites and you will need a car to get to them whether you bring one or rent one. We found it would be cheepter to bite the bullet and make the long drive than to rent a car for all five weeks of our rotation. There are many routes you can take across the country to make it to Fr. Washakie, but we chose to drive from Birmingham, AL (Olivia was on rotation in Huntsville and I was coming from Mobile) and stopped in Springfield, MO and Denver, CO. We left on Friday, the last day of our previous block (Block 4), and arrived around dinner time Sunday before our rotation started (~27 hours total we broke up into 3 days). Our preceptors for block 4 had already planned to let us have this day off, but if you plan on driving, we would recommend discussing with your preceptor in the block before you go to WY about potentially having this day off. Most preceptors are very accommodating with schedule changes if you discuss it early enough in advance. This extra day of travel was extremely helpful for making it to our site in three days. If you are planning on driving and will have this rotation in WY any time between October - April, you will most likely need a car with all-wheel driving ability, regardless if you bring one or rent one. It was really helpful for icy days in Jackson and Yellowstone. Something you’ll also want to think about bringing with you to help drive during the colder months in Wyoming is an ice scraper; we would also recommend picking up some windshield wiper fluid that is rated for below 20 degree weather before your first snow. They do plow the roads if it snows; however, unlike in the south, the chance of snow does not equal “snow day.” Another thing to be aware of: unlike in the south where there is a gas station on every corner, parts of Wyoming outside big cities like Jackson are quite rural and cities may be separated by several miles. Be sure to plan for when you need to stop for gas on your travels and research where the closest one may be. Gas will be more expensive than what you may see in Alabama, and you will go through it as you travel to the practice sites and on weekend adventures. So, just take that into consideration as you budget for your rotation.

 

●     Stopped in Springfield Missouri

●     BBQ in Topeka Kansas


 

●     Stopped in Denver



●     Nina kept up with the Auburn game while driving—Auburn did lose to GA, big sad :(

 

●     You will see large windmills throughout large parts of the plans (so all of Kansas). Areas where you see windmills you WILL FEEL THE WIND. So, be prepared for driving through these areas. 



 

 

 

●     Laramie for lunch



●     3 beds, one room



 

 


●     First snow day on the Res!

 

 

-Nina, Olivia, and Ada (Wyoming Women)

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