So Glad It's Fall!

This week has been the typical first week of a travel nursing assignment.  Here's how it goes:

• Hospital orientation/hearing the same thing you've heard at every hospital ever (HIPPA, patients first, safety, don't give out your computer password, etc)
• Unit orientation (where the supplies are, how to use the charting system, where is the break room just in case you ever have enough time to sit down and eat)
• Settling in to a new apartment (where to park, where to take your trash, how to get pizza delivery people to come to the right place)
• Figuring out a new neighborhood (where do you buy groceries, are there sketchy areas to avoid, what do you do if you have an emergency/you don't have any coffee in your apartment and you need some right away)

There were some disappointing moments like when I found out that there had been a miscommunication and the hospital wanted 8 hour shifts instead of 12's which means that I will have to work 5 nights a week and won't be able to have long stretches of days off like I am used to, and when the pizza delivery person couldn't find my apartment and I had to go outside and stand in the freezing cold to try and figure out where she had gone. 

There have been pleasant surprises too.  There is indoor parking (which is going to be wonderful for winter), free internet service, and there is a coffee shop right down the street from me.

But the best part of this week has got to be the opportunity to explore my neighborhood and enjoy the fall weather.  It's so easy to see God's hand in the beautiful leaves and the bright sunshine.  Here's a little tour of my neighborhood:

Worcester! It's pronounced Wustah, not sure what that's all about.

There are some great old churches here.

Yellow!

This made me wish I had a bicycle.

Worcester Common is right by my house.  It looks like there's even an ice skating rink here for the winter.  I need to work on my triple axel, so that will be very convenient.

Art in the city!

Buildings like these make me happy.

I'm keeping an eye out for Luigi now.

Crunching leaves is one of my favorite activities and since there was no one else around I stomped back and forth through these twice.

A pumpkin rolled down the hill past me as I walked by this alley but I couldn't see anyone up there...maybe it's haunted!

I really like red vines, ones like this and the candy ones too.

So that's it. My new neighborhood.  If anyone wants to come visit me, they should.  But hurry because I'm pretty sure winter is just around the corner and it might not be as friendly as fall.