So what has been happening? A ton like always! The month of November was busy because I came off orientation and started on nights on the floor, which is another beast entirely! I am on nights for a little over two months and I have never worked nights before so it has been an adjustment. In fact I am up at 1 AM here because I have a night shift tomorrow that I need to work. In the Navy floor nurses work nights and days; usually two months of days then two months of nights and so on and so forth. This is the fairest way for scheduling because then no one gets stuck on nights or days plus if they did it by senority all the ENS would be on nights together and that just isn't smart obviously. We work an average of 4 shifts per week, sometimes more, rarely less but lately the floor has been pretty slow so they let people go if they can. Our shifts average 13-14 hours at a minimum normally. Report starts at 0645 in morning and 1845 at night. I usually don't get off until about an hour after my shift just because things need to be tied up and there are also extra things we have to stay for sometimes. Like my last shift I was on the random pee test list and then needed to do GMT's (general military training) which are due every year. The Navy does A LOT of training, whether some of that training is necessary is debatable but they do it regardless.
The best part of November was that I was able to spend Thanksgiving in Okinawa! I loved it there! Not sure if I would want to be stationed there but it was AWESOME to visit. The beach getaway was just what I needed and I discovered a new hobby that I enjoy, scuba diving! I am currently working on getting certified and I have an upcoming trip to Thailand so I hope to be able to dive there. Okinawa is a very military island and the Japanese are much different there. I had a blast though! We went zip-lining, scuba diving, snorkeling, swam on the beautiful beaches and just enjoyed each other's company. The scuba diving was amazing because we were able to dive with whale sharks, they were feeding them right in front of us! It was amazing! I went with some great friends and really enjoyed myself. I can't wait to go back eventually. I'll include some pictures but they don't do the experience justice!
The month of December has been filled with Christmas parties and work. I also picked up a new collateral so that has kept me busy on my off days. In the Navy you have what are called collateral duties, they are different things that you can do to contribute to the command, community, Navy, etc. There are a wide variety of them and some of them are much more work than others. ENS do not really need to worry about having collaterals but I offered to do this one because it sounded interesting to me. It is the T3 team here in Yokosuka which is the diaster response team. So if a disaster were to happen anywhere in the area we would respond to it and triage, treat, and transport patients; hense T3! The last drill we had was actually a big deal (though I had no idea at first) it was on the Japanese news and there were a lot of important people observing so I was actually nervous! But it turned out great and the practice was good.
It is bittersweet to be away from my family this year and as I look through Facebook and see everyone as home it pulls at my heart strings a little bit. Some of my friends are going home as well and I wish I was too. BUT! I will be spending my Christmas eve and part of the day snowboarding the beautiful mountains of northern Japan, meeting new friends on a Tokyo Snow Club tour. A very unique holiday and I wanted an adventure so I try to look for it around every corner. I will be working New Years eve but then a couple days later I will be on my way to Korea for 5 days and then to Thailand for another 5 days. I am soooo excited for this trip and we have a TON planned. So it may be a while before I update again but I will try to be more consistent! So much to do, so little time! Loving Navy life for the most part, it can be a lot of work but in the end I am getting paid to live in an amazing country and travel the world. What more could you ask for!!? Merry Christmas all!