Our First Week in Philadelphia

Hey guys!!
Well, we have been here a week and things are going wonderfully. To say that everything has been an experience would be an understatement! Things are definitely different here than they are back home. Our accents seem to be the main topic of conversation when we meet new people. It is funny to see people's reactions to they way we talk. There are times when it seems that we speak a different language. It is really funny! Obviously, the southern accent is not one that is heard alot up here!
One thing we have been a little surprised at is how nice people have been. To be honest, we were partially expecting to find the stereotypical "yankee" attitude that we had heard about. Thankfully, that has not been the case at all. We've found that it is all in how you treat people. People have been more than happy to help us out and tell us about things that we "have" to do before we leave. They seem all excited to have us experience "their city" as they say.
We have seen alot of really neat things and met some really great people. On the first day of orientation, I met 15 other travel nurses which has turned out to be awesome. Two of the other girls (one from Canada and the other from eastern TN) live in our apartment complex and we really have alot in common. We have done alot of stuff together, which has been really nice. We have also become friends with a guy who works in the research department at CHOP and lives in our complex. That works out great so that Shane does not have to hang out with all girls all the time:).
Our place is pretty nice. It really reminds us alot of our apartment in Asheville. The complex itself is huge with over 600 apartments. We are in a really good area with several stores and restaraunts around and nearby. We also have a bus stop right down the road. we took our first bus ride and are learning to navigate with public transportation which is really convienient, especially when we go downtown. We also took our first cab ride which was pretty neat (yes, I know that i am amused by simple things).
The city is awesome! We love the fact that there is sooo much to do! The skyline is incredible and I love to just look at it at different times of the day. The weather here has been unbelievably warm. They have still had no snow as of yet this winter, which is a shock. hopefully, they will get some while we are here!
I have worked 4 days so far, including orientation. The hospital is amazing and HUGE for a children's hospital!! The building itself is awesome and kid-friendly. the lobbies are designed with different learning games that kids can play while they hang out in there. The games are all educational and are built into columns (sort of like a hands-on museum). THe floor I am on is pretty great to, although I have switched florrs twice since geting here. There was some initial confusion as to where I was supposed to stay, but it all worked out. Everybody has been so nice about everything and very helpful. The charting and equipment has been different to get used to, but I am sure that will be the case everywhere I go. The thing I am having to be careful about is my chating and what I call things. They call things by different names than what I am used to so I have to be careful when I am reading or writing a note. All nurses notes and vital signs are on paper which is also different, but all MD orders are entered into the computer by the MD!! (imagine that! AND you can read everything they write!!! I would highly recommend this!!!):)


Here are some pictures to show you guys what we have been doing!






The first picture is Shane at the LIberty bell and then us at the Liberty Bell. We had to go through security to see the bell. I had a vest on and had to take it off to go through security. They really take protecting this bell seriously!! THe next picture is of us at the George Washington statue at Independence Hall. This is also somewhere where they are serious about security. For future reference, although there is no sign, DO NOT cross the one way road here. The security gaurds go biserk and jump up and down while they blow their whistles. I think it is actually the highlight of their day!! THe last pic in this row is of us with Nike in our new apartment.



This is Independence Hall with me in front of it. If you look close, you can see the road I was talking about earlier. The next picture is of us on our first busride, which was alot of fun. THe other girl in the picture is Amy, one of the other travelers who lives in our complex and is from TN. George Washington's statue is the last pic on this line.



THis is Reading Terminal Market which is a market downtown and has alot of history behind it. Spataros is the place that we had our first philly cheesesteak which was YUMMY!!!!! This is the guy who cooked them and them while they cooked! And, of course, us as we ate them.


THis is Amy and Julie (Julie is the traveler from Canada) having their first cheesesteak. These are flowers at the market along with another pic of Independence Hall. The next picture is the atrium at CHOP (Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia), which is incredible. The last picture is a close-up of City Hall.


THis is a close-up of Ben Franklins face which is engraved at City Hall. This is SHane, Amy, and I in front of the lobster tank at the market. Those lobsters were HUGE!! The next is City Hall from a distance. It is a really beautifully built building. Wouldnt you know that there is a city toilet that you can pay 25 cents to use. THe doors open like an elevator and you go in. There is a 25 minute limit and it automatically cleans and sanitizes everything after you leave. Its pretty cool!!! The funny thing is that there are 2 rows of port-a-johns on each side of it!!


This is me at the Liberty Bell. THe next pic is a statue of what we think is a giant clothespin, but are told that it is actually two people in an embrace. To me, thats just a fancy, expensive, and romantic way to describe a giant clothespin! This is a view of a few buildings from ground level.

There are lots more pics and updates to come! I will try to add blogs every few days so keep a lookout for them!!!! Hope to see you soon!!!