Island Life........ yep, it's slow!

We've been on the island of St. Croix for nearly a month now. There has been so much to write about, but school has really kept me from doing the things I really want. So thankful I only have 3 weeks left!!! I'll be able to keep up my blog much better after that!
We have gotten settled in. Boy oh, what a culture shock it was when we first arrived. Our condo was not what it was advertised to be, things are really expensive. Day to day living here is really difficult... and it's HOT! Well, more so humid than hot. It's 85 every day, and 75 at night. It really never changes. The biggest variable is whether the sun is beating down on you or not. Work is horrible. I have never seen such complete lack of structure in a facility. There is no accountablility, and no drive to make things better. The ED is basically an admission overflow unit. We hold patients for days on end, and are expected to also take care of the ED patients. Its pretty pathetic.
All that being said, the island itself is amazing. We live in a tropical paradise. There are no big fancy resturants, no big hotels blocking the view of the ocean. All the beaches are free access to everyone...... and no one is ever on the beaches! Funny huh?! Well, that is exactly how I love it. No frills, just simple beauty and God's perfect scenery. (Well, I do miss good coffee!)
The kids are loving it in St. Croix. They have become my little water babies. They are in the pool or ocean every day!!!!

Intro

This blog was created to document the adventures my family and I have while working as travel nurses. We haven't always done travel nursing, by any means. Eddie and I have worked as nurses for 12 years now, in traditional jobs. It has been my dream to do travel nursing for years now. Eddie has never wanted to, for fear of the unknown, fear of traveling, fear of leaving his family, and the reasons go on and on. After a bout with cancer last year, I finally convinced him we could pay off some bills quickly by traveling. So we took josh out of school, are homeschooling him, and are starting our second addignment in just a few days.
Our first travel job was fabulous. We were terrified when we took a job in Owatonna, MN, and we ended up loving it. We worked in a tiny ER that was staffed with more nurses than we had ever seen. Although I hated working 8 hour shifts, the work was ridiculously easy. We all loved Minnesota. We went to the Mall of America, Duluth to see Lake Superior, and the list goes on and on. We have found that we love to travel, the adventures are endless, the pay is phenominal, and we have the freedom to live and work anywhere we want. I love that kind of freedom. There is no workplace political drama, no meetings, no commitment to an organization/facility. Eddie, nor I, want a traditional job ever again. We both see that as nurse we control our own lives.
As I type this we are driving to Miami. We are just south of Jacksonville and will be in Miami in just a few hours. Tomorrow we get on a plane for a nonstop flight to St. Croix, USVI. We will be working in the ER there for 13 weeks. That'll put me on a tropical island throuegh February. Iys been a lifeling dream of mine to spend a winter on a tropical island. Yes, we all are excited.
Pics and updates to come frequently.