One Rogers Road Trip Winner, Lily Anderson, reflects on her time in San Diego

10/17/23 01:30:pm

“I had such a wonderful time! The clinic was absolutely beautiful and everyone was so welcoming. In the spirit of the trip, I was able to make many new connections and I even found out that Michael, the behavior specialist that I was shadowing that day, went to the same high school as I did in Madison, Wisconsin!

Since the Denver clinic is still relatively new, I wanted to learn how things operated at another site to see if there were any improvements that I could bring back to Denver. Something that I really liked about the San Diego clinic was the use of whiteboards in exposure rooms. Behavior specialists use these boards to list out a patient’s agenda for the day, keep track of goals, and record important notes. It seemed to help patients stay on top of their tasks and be reminded of what they are working toward.

I was able to grab dinner with Michael, Tami, and Dr. Lukach at Brigantine. The restaurant had a beautiful view of the ocean as well as amazing food. I rarely get the opportunity to eat fresh seafood in Denver, so it was such a treat to experience this cuisine in San Diego! Tami also recommended the mud pie for dessert, and I’m so glad she did because I’m still dreaming about it to this day.

On Saturday I went to explore the San Diego Art Museum and Balboa Park. As an art history nerd, I love exploring the local art museums whenever I go to a new city. One of my favorite artists is Bouguereau, so I was very excited to see the Young Shepherdess on display. After my excursion throughout the museum and the park, I went to Boutique Vino, a cute little wine bar downtown. I ended the night by attending a jazz and swing show that I happened upon and had such a great time enjoying some of my favorite songs.

Overall, I had such a wonderful time meeting so many new people in San Diego. They are doing truly amazing work and changing so many lives for the better. I loved exploring all that the city had to offer and would love to visit again in the future!”