So after waiting a long week after my two interviews I finally got some relief today. Most of this waiting was related to paperwork and politics. Who ever would have put those two together when talking about healthcare?! :) So the position I heard back from today is one a surgical/ortho floor. From what I understand, they HAD to give the first position I interviewed for to an "internal applicant". They explained this was the facility policy. Initially I was disappointed but the nurse mgr then told me that another full time position would be avaliable for me! I just needed to watch for the position to come avaliable online then apply for it. Because I previously interviewed for this position I would not need another interview and should hear about the job the beginning of this coming week!
So the nurse recruiter for the hospital (Straub Hospital) called me this morning to let me know the job was posted and I should apply for it because "they really want you to work there." That gave me confidence that this job thing should work out sooner than later. Hopefully before rent is due :).
Don't get me wrong, I am definitely enjoying my time off here in Hawaii, but I am ready to make some money and get in a routine. So I will continue to do my best with being patient and see what this next week brings!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Beach Running?
As I write this, my calves are still burning and I am regretting the decision I made this morning to run along the beach.
Here is where I came up with this idea to run along the beach. We have been to the beach almost every day since we have moved here to Kailua. Kailua beach is known as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
Something else that rocks your world about this beach is the people on it. People are very laid back and don't care what anyone things about them. Case and Point:
Very frequently there are women literally running down the beach in their skivvies or skimpy swimwear. They aren't trying to imitate a Baywatch scene, rather they are doing it as a work out! This just rocked my world (and Ben's :). It made no sense to me why someone would wear that during a run!? So me, the one who enjoys running, took this on as a challenge! I tried out this beach running, but ran in much more than my skivvies. I also ran barefoot, which is very common.
So, I made it four miles and finished with a few blisters. During my run, I learned a lot. I learned to dodge all the small jellyfish washed up on shore, watch out for the crabs burrowing in the sand, run on the firm sand as long as you can, and that running on sand can be a great exfoliant for your feet and can cause blisters at the same time.
One of the most refreshing things during these beach runs, is that occasionally the water will come up higher on the shore than you expect and the coolness on your feet will refresh and cool your entire body. It is glorious! Seeing God's creativity this morning through his creation in the waves, white sandy beach, and the sunrise was definitely worth the blisters! :)
And one final note: I think I have convinced Ben to join with me next time :). I will let you know when that happens!
Have a great Wednesday!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Our New Home: Kailua
Wow! I (Janell) finally arrived to Hawaii on Saturday. After a first class flight from Sioux Falls to Minneapolis, then an 8 1/2 hr flight from Minneapolis to Honolulu, I was here. I was reunited with my husband! The beauty of the mountains and ocean stole my attention as we drove from the west side (Honolulu) to the east side of the island (Kailua). I soon realized, "I am definitely not in Iowa anymore." No more cornfields or flat roads that go on for miles. That is okay though, It is good to experience another part of God's creation. And where better than Hawaii?!
Here are some pictures of our living quarters: One bedroom cottage.
We also have two outdoor patios ("lanais").
So, what have we done since we have been here so far?
Went to the beach:
Had a relaxing evening with a cheap glass of wine:
Let's just say it took some creativity to get a bottle of wine opened without a bottle opener!
Swept our Lanai:
And enjoyed a good night of grilling and "real" food:
The Grill Master:
Here are some FAQ I will address:
What is the weather like?
-80-85 degrees and sunny. It usually rains every day for about 10 minutes a day. There are occasional windy days, depending on the trade winds. The most windy months of the year are June-Junly. Today the winds were in the 20-25mph range.
What are the people like there?
-Laid back, less hurried than we are used to. You rarely see people on their cell phones. In fact, I got in trouble for using my phone on my 1.5hr bus commute home from my job interview on Monday. Who knew!?
-Let's also say for the record that blond hair, blue eye women are few and far between in this area. Ben does tower over a majority of the population here, but his looks fit this culture more than mine do.
So that's all for now! I had a job interview on Monday and hope to hear something Wednesday about if I got the job or not.
Continue to pray for us and this huge transition we have made. It is great here and every day is feeling more and more like "home" to us. ~GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!~
Our address: 256 Aumoe Road, Kailua, Hawaii 96734
Monday, May 31, 2010
Updates
So its been over a week and a half since Ben has left for Hawaii. The first few days were quite rough. Moving to a new place you have never been to before without your spouse can make things quite difficult. Things were quite lonely for Ben, but he was able to stay with our friend Heidi and her husband for the first night. Their support and encouragment has been a huge help to us. They even let him borrow their car for a few days while Ben went apartment shopping. He was able to find a one bedroom cottage a mile or so from Castle Med Center after a couple days of being on the island and was able to move in almost immediately. It is completely furnished, which is exactly what we need. The location and the quieter atomsphere lead us choose to live in Kailua verses Honolulu.
Ben has enjoyed his work so far, which is a reief. It reminded us why he moved down there. This past week Ben has been in the classroom taking a crash course in Human Anatomy and Phys, Med Term, and ER stuff. This challenge was a welcome surprise for Ben. He had a few intense days of classes and successfully passed his final exam on Sunday! Today he officially started working in the ER. He is to shadow a medical scribe for 40 hours this week and hopefully be on his own next week! He is the only "full timer" working out of 10 other scribes so he gets to choose his shifts for the schedule.
I am planning on moving down sometime this weekend :) I got an incredible offer from a highschool friend, (Whitney) to use her "buddy pass." This means I don't need to plan my flight much in advance and it is significantly cheaper than regular tickets. We are also able to then save our $400 voucher for a trip back. Ben was able to talk to a nurse manager on a floor that I applied to at Castle and she was going to call me sometime this week to discuss my experience. She told Ben they usually hire "experienced" nurses on the Telemetry floor to which I applied, but that she would call me anyway. Otherwise, we have found that they are much more apt to hire you if you are currently down there and actively following up on your applications in person. So we will continue to pray that I find a job quickly after I arrive there. Otherwise, I may have to resort to serving drinks on the beach :).
Those are just a few updates since Ben has moved down. I am really enjoying living with my parents/family, but also am excited to see him soon. I pray that my flights and move down go well, or at least smoother than Ben's did. It will be so good to be back together and see this new place we will call "home" for a year.
Ben has enjoyed his work so far, which is a reief. It reminded us why he moved down there. This past week Ben has been in the classroom taking a crash course in Human Anatomy and Phys, Med Term, and ER stuff. This challenge was a welcome surprise for Ben. He had a few intense days of classes and successfully passed his final exam on Sunday! Today he officially started working in the ER. He is to shadow a medical scribe for 40 hours this week and hopefully be on his own next week! He is the only "full timer" working out of 10 other scribes so he gets to choose his shifts for the schedule.
I am planning on moving down sometime this weekend :) I got an incredible offer from a highschool friend, (Whitney) to use her "buddy pass." This means I don't need to plan my flight much in advance and it is significantly cheaper than regular tickets. We are also able to then save our $400 voucher for a trip back. Ben was able to talk to a nurse manager on a floor that I applied to at Castle and she was going to call me sometime this week to discuss my experience. She told Ben they usually hire "experienced" nurses on the Telemetry floor to which I applied, but that she would call me anyway. Otherwise, we have found that they are much more apt to hire you if you are currently down there and actively following up on your applications in person. So we will continue to pray that I find a job quickly after I arrive there. Otherwise, I may have to resort to serving drinks on the beach :).
Those are just a few updates since Ben has moved down. I am really enjoying living with my parents/family, but also am excited to see him soon. I pray that my flights and move down go well, or at least smoother than Ben's did. It will be so good to be back together and see this new place we will call "home" for a year.
Friday, May 21, 2010
May 20th, 2010
We had waited for this day to come for a long time, and here it was. We were feeling less prepared for this day than we thought we would be. It had been a busy week of saying good-byes, and packing up our apartment. Today would be the last official day of normalcy in Sioux County. This place we have called home for over 20 years. this is our comfort zone. Home to our family, friends, familiar highschool/college community, and our church families.
God was pushing us out of the nest (like a loving mother bird would), knowing that we would be able to fly. We, however, are still not fully aware of the fact that we can fly though. This makes the time between jumping (or being pushed) out of the nest and falling to the earth rather scary. And with that said, this is where Ben and I are currently. We may even be in this place for quite some time. We are somewhere in this free-fall of life. We took this leap of faith!
1:05pm. This was the time of Ben's flight departure from Omaha. Lisa, Emily, and Myself were there to send him off on this exciting yet scary day. It was raning heavily once we arrived to the airport and that is how us women were feeling. Heavy hearts. Knowing this was a chance of a lifetime. We had mixed emotions. The first move away from home is probably the most difficult. As Ben noted, "it feels as if I am finally going off to college. Leaving our families for the first time, but knowing I will be back here in a year." That is an accurate description of our situation. Once Ben made it through the security gates, after they almost took his PS3, he was able to get bumped. This was thanks to Delta and their over booked flights. He was able to get upgraded to First Class for the rest of his flights, a $400.00 ticket voucher for anyone to use at any time (that would be for me:), money for food, and a free hotel and good night's rest in LA. This moving stuff wasn't too bad!
As I write now, Ben is currently flying over the Pacific Ocean, making his way to Honolulu International Airport. He is to arrive at 11:30am (Hawaii Standard Time), which is officially 5 hours behind us who live in the Central Time Zone. Once he arrives he will check out an apartment near his hosptial (Castle Medical Center) and his golf course in the town of Kailua. If all goes well, and the pictures are an accurate depiction of the apartment, we will have a place to live! :)
One thing God has really blessed us with is making a connection with a Dordt Alum who is currently living in Honolulu. Heidi has been so willing and helpful through this whole moving process and has even offered to let Ben take their car this afternoon while he does some apartment shopping! When God opens doors, he REALLY opens doors.
So what about the wifey?! Many people have asked what I am up to or when I will be moving down. I am currently living with my parents in Hospers. I will be working til the first week in June at the hospital and am hoping to move down sometime the second week in June. I need to officially book my ticket yet! I still have not heard anything about jobs and have applied for 8 positions in the past month. I am trying to be patient. I promised Ben I would be down no later than one month after he moved. SO, if that means working at Starbucks or a golf course for a bit until I find a nursing job, I will do it. Sometimes you just need to move to a new place and get down there. That would be another large leap of faith for me. Showing them that you have committed to a move and are ready to interview and work anytime may be the thing I need to do to get a job.
So there is an update on life so far. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next couple weeks as Ben will be down there by himself orientating and starting a new job and as I am here finishing up mine. Also, pray that we find a place to live soon and that a job open up for me.
God is taking us on quite the journey and I am happy to be able to share that with you!
God was pushing us out of the nest (like a loving mother bird would), knowing that we would be able to fly. We, however, are still not fully aware of the fact that we can fly though. This makes the time between jumping (or being pushed) out of the nest and falling to the earth rather scary. And with that said, this is where Ben and I are currently. We may even be in this place for quite some time. We are somewhere in this free-fall of life. We took this leap of faith!
1:05pm. This was the time of Ben's flight departure from Omaha. Lisa, Emily, and Myself were there to send him off on this exciting yet scary day. It was raning heavily once we arrived to the airport and that is how us women were feeling. Heavy hearts. Knowing this was a chance of a lifetime. We had mixed emotions. The first move away from home is probably the most difficult. As Ben noted, "it feels as if I am finally going off to college. Leaving our families for the first time, but knowing I will be back here in a year." That is an accurate description of our situation. Once Ben made it through the security gates, after they almost took his PS3, he was able to get bumped. This was thanks to Delta and their over booked flights. He was able to get upgraded to First Class for the rest of his flights, a $400.00 ticket voucher for anyone to use at any time (that would be for me:), money for food, and a free hotel and good night's rest in LA. This moving stuff wasn't too bad!
As I write now, Ben is currently flying over the Pacific Ocean, making his way to Honolulu International Airport. He is to arrive at 11:30am (Hawaii Standard Time), which is officially 5 hours behind us who live in the Central Time Zone. Once he arrives he will check out an apartment near his hosptial (Castle Medical Center) and his golf course in the town of Kailua. If all goes well, and the pictures are an accurate depiction of the apartment, we will have a place to live! :)
One thing God has really blessed us with is making a connection with a Dordt Alum who is currently living in Honolulu. Heidi has been so willing and helpful through this whole moving process and has even offered to let Ben take their car this afternoon while he does some apartment shopping! When God opens doors, he REALLY opens doors.
So what about the wifey?! Many people have asked what I am up to or when I will be moving down. I am currently living with my parents in Hospers. I will be working til the first week in June at the hospital and am hoping to move down sometime the second week in June. I need to officially book my ticket yet! I still have not heard anything about jobs and have applied for 8 positions in the past month. I am trying to be patient. I promised Ben I would be down no later than one month after he moved. SO, if that means working at Starbucks or a golf course for a bit until I find a nursing job, I will do it. Sometimes you just need to move to a new place and get down there. That would be another large leap of faith for me. Showing them that you have committed to a move and are ready to interview and work anytime may be the thing I need to do to get a job.
So there is an update on life so far. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next couple weeks as Ben will be down there by himself orientating and starting a new job and as I am here finishing up mine. Also, pray that we find a place to live soon and that a job open up for me.
God is taking us on quite the journey and I am happy to be able to share that with you!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
HAWAII!
We are officially moving to Hawaii in May/June! We are moving to the island of Oahu which has the capital city of Honolulu. Ben got offered a full-time position there for a year and we are going for it.
Scary?! Yes. CRAZY!?, Yes. In need of many prayers?! Yes! At first when I thought about the idea of moving to Hawaii, I thought, "how does one even go about moving to an island?" What about housing? transportation? jobs? our doggie? Well, now all these questions will be answered in the near future. Ben starts job orientation mid-May. I cannot move until I have a nursing position lined up down there. I hope everything works out soon for that. I applied for my nursing license yesterday (which was a lot easier than I had expected) and I have applied for few jobs. Ben will be working at Castle Medical Center and I hope to get a job there also. This hospital is located in the city of Kailua. It is on the east side of the island.
So we will have a busy month: graduations, packing, moving. We will keep you updated when we know more!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Answers
March 15. We received answers we were not fully expecting. We knew how difficult it was to get into Medical School, but you keep holding on to the possibility until you have received that letter of rejection. We finally received that dreaded letter. It was devastating and disappointing to say in the least. It was hard on us and just as hard on our family. We had come up with many "Plan B" options for this scenario. Me (Janell) being the planner had a few options. We kept on saying "things will be okay. God has a plan for us." Saying it and actually believing it were two different things. It was difficult to believe God had something better for us. We thought that school was where we needed to be after graduation. But God new better.
It took a good 2-3 weeks before we fully accepted the fact that we needed to come up with different life plans. At least for a year. We decided to just start applying for jobs anywhere and everywhere. If worst came to worst, I still had a job in Orange City and Ben could find something around the area to do for a year before reapplying for graduate school.
We tried to make connections with different friends and family to see what opportunities were out there. This was more for Ben than anyone else. It is important to "stay in" the medical field for a year if he wanted to pursue graduate school the following year. This proved to be a more difficult search that we had imagined. Let's just say that there are few opportunities where an unlicensed/uncertified person can work in the medical field. Sure, he could volunteer for a year and get good experience like he had done in previous summers. But there is just something about getting paid for your time and having a little spending money for a year. Nursing can be a very mobile profession, so we knew that me finding a job would not be as difficult as Ben finding one.
We found a connection through my cousin, Kristi. She had a physician friend who started a program/business called Scribe America. We perused the website and discovered it would be the PERFECT opportunity for Ben. A "scribe" works in Emergency Depts. alongside ER Physicians. They help physicians with dictation and putting in orders while the physicians are at the bedside assessing the patients. It allows for more patients to be seen during a shift. This is crucial since EDs have become overwhelmed with an increase in patients coming in to be seen. It is a paid position and would offer Ben with the medical exposure needed for the future. You sign a contract for working 1 year full time or 2 years part time. The 1 year, full time position would be perfect.
There are over 36 hospitals nationwide that have scribes working in the Emergency Dept. Most are located along the east coast and California, Texas, and Florida. So, living in Iowa, that means we will be moving this summer. Ben submitted his application and we waited about 2 1/2 weeks before we heard anything. We put our top choices of location as: Florida, California, and Texas. We are willing to move pretty much anywhere and are excited to see what opportunities God may have for us.
Meanwhile, I began applying for nursing positions in Orlando, Florida area. What could throwing in a few applications hurt?
Finally, Ben had received a message on this past Wednesday night to call back a Regional Manager for Scribe America. She had questions regarding his application and wanted to discuss a few things. We became excited to see that things may be working out with this job. He reached her after playing phone tag on Thursday (after I was at work). She offered him a guaranteed full time position with Scribe America starting May 20th. That is just over a month away! That means we could potentially be moving within the next month. The bad news: the position was not at one of our three top locations. The good news: it was in a location that was even bigger and better than we could have imagined. I will not say at this time where this job is as Ben needs to contact the regional manager sometime the beginning of next week to discuss details on the location and either accept or reject this position. If everything works out and the answers we receive are good, we will be moving soon. My parents will be pros at moving their children after this next month. They will be moving Kim and Brady G. to another apartment, Brady into a farm house after he graduates from high school, and probably us. :)
We just ask for prayers this weekend and the upcoming week as we have some big decisions to make. This opportunity we have been given could not have been possible without my cousin Kristi. She has been such a huge help these past few weeks with talking with her friend and getting Ben's name to him.
This ultimately an act of God. Looking back a month ago, we were devastated and didn't see how anything "good" could come from this. But God is "good" all the time. Everything He does is for our own good. We just need to try to LET GO, and LET GOD! (Easier said than done.) Then we will see HIS plan for us.
It took a good 2-3 weeks before we fully accepted the fact that we needed to come up with different life plans. At least for a year. We decided to just start applying for jobs anywhere and everywhere. If worst came to worst, I still had a job in Orange City and Ben could find something around the area to do for a year before reapplying for graduate school.
We tried to make connections with different friends and family to see what opportunities were out there. This was more for Ben than anyone else. It is important to "stay in" the medical field for a year if he wanted to pursue graduate school the following year. This proved to be a more difficult search that we had imagined. Let's just say that there are few opportunities where an unlicensed/uncertified person can work in the medical field. Sure, he could volunteer for a year and get good experience like he had done in previous summers. But there is just something about getting paid for your time and having a little spending money for a year. Nursing can be a very mobile profession, so we knew that me finding a job would not be as difficult as Ben finding one.
We found a connection through my cousin, Kristi. She had a physician friend who started a program/business called Scribe America. We perused the website and discovered it would be the PERFECT opportunity for Ben. A "scribe" works in Emergency Depts. alongside ER Physicians. They help physicians with dictation and putting in orders while the physicians are at the bedside assessing the patients. It allows for more patients to be seen during a shift. This is crucial since EDs have become overwhelmed with an increase in patients coming in to be seen. It is a paid position and would offer Ben with the medical exposure needed for the future. You sign a contract for working 1 year full time or 2 years part time. The 1 year, full time position would be perfect.
There are over 36 hospitals nationwide that have scribes working in the Emergency Dept. Most are located along the east coast and California, Texas, and Florida. So, living in Iowa, that means we will be moving this summer. Ben submitted his application and we waited about 2 1/2 weeks before we heard anything. We put our top choices of location as: Florida, California, and Texas. We are willing to move pretty much anywhere and are excited to see what opportunities God may have for us.
Meanwhile, I began applying for nursing positions in Orlando, Florida area. What could throwing in a few applications hurt?
Finally, Ben had received a message on this past Wednesday night to call back a Regional Manager for Scribe America. She had questions regarding his application and wanted to discuss a few things. We became excited to see that things may be working out with this job. He reached her after playing phone tag on Thursday (after I was at work). She offered him a guaranteed full time position with Scribe America starting May 20th. That is just over a month away! That means we could potentially be moving within the next month. The bad news: the position was not at one of our three top locations. The good news: it was in a location that was even bigger and better than we could have imagined. I will not say at this time where this job is as Ben needs to contact the regional manager sometime the beginning of next week to discuss details on the location and either accept or reject this position. If everything works out and the answers we receive are good, we will be moving soon. My parents will be pros at moving their children after this next month. They will be moving Kim and Brady G. to another apartment, Brady into a farm house after he graduates from high school, and probably us. :)
We just ask for prayers this weekend and the upcoming week as we have some big decisions to make. This opportunity we have been given could not have been possible without my cousin Kristi. She has been such a huge help these past few weeks with talking with her friend and getting Ben's name to him.
This ultimately an act of God. Looking back a month ago, we were devastated and didn't see how anything "good" could come from this. But God is "good" all the time. Everything He does is for our own good. We just need to try to LET GO, and LET GOD! (Easier said than done.) Then we will see HIS plan for us.
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