Loving Hawaii

Sorry it has been two months since the last update! We are now half way done with Hawaii. In mid-September the Army changed who controls the staffing contracts and it was a big mess and they tried to cut travel nurses. When they couldn't staff the units with regular staff nurses they had to go back to travelers. So for awhile we thought we'd be leaving at the end of September, then we were given the option to stay until December 31st and of course we said yes. My original contract that was for 6 months turned in 4 months. We were happy to not have to leave after one month. After we figured out we were staying we got an "island car." An island car is a junker that looks terrible but runs, and that's all that matters. We bought a 1993 Pontiac Bonneville. It looks terrible, but gets us where we need to go. It's kinda funny driving around in a boat of a car. We only need it for these few months and we'll be able to sell it for (hopefully) what we bought it for. Island cars don't lose their (minimal) value, so it's significantly cheaper than renting a car.
We have been exploring the island and really getting to know our way around. We have been all over Oahu, the island we live on. There are lots of waterfalls and trails to hike, plus some of the best beaches. We have been snorkeling a couple times, once even getting to swim with sea turtles. Last week we drove to the top of one of the mountains and stopped at the look-out. We could see from the east to the west coasts of the island. It is very beautiful.
My job at the Tripler Army Medical Center has been interesting. Because it's an Army hospital the pediatric population is small - only military kids come here. It is a large hospital on the side of a mountian and it's painted pink. You can't miss it. The unit hasn't been very busy since I started here, so it's like being on vacation at home and at work. Not a bad deal.
Just recently I took a day trip to the Big Island to see the volcano. The Big Island is very different than Oahu. It is covered in black hardened lava is many places. There is an active volcano on this island. We didn't get to see the lava, just the smoke rising up from it. Starting tomorrow we are spending a week on Kauai, the oldest of the islands. We are excited for the vacation from our vacation. I'll try to update again much sooner than 2 months from now.
Hope everyone back home is well!