San Diego to Hawaii

Check out this YouTube on Pacific Partnership Helicopter Department as it fly's over Wake Island!

You do not appreciate technology until you are unable to access Internet, call home, call someone to meet you NOW, or plan  the next day’s adventures....I am writing this May 12th and we'll see when I get access to the Internet. Our satellite went down shortly after leaving San Diego and everyone waited until Hawaii for the replacement. Now that the Internet is up, the military staff is happy and reconnected. The NGO's (non-governmental organizations) are still waiting and it's complicated letting us into a secure governmental network, so they are arranging for wireless. Sometimes I miss it, but not really, because its soooo slow! It can take 5 minutes for a picture on Facebook to load! So that is not an important situation. 

What is ship life like???

Interesting! I did not get sick and I took my mescaline to prevent such torture! It is weird to work out on a moving ship. If you are on the treadmill you feel like you are running rolling hills! Until you acclimate you walk in a zig zag fashion on the P-ways (halls) and you occasionally walk into a bulkhead (wall) :) 

The Beautiful Sunset

This is not just a job it's your home, so there is an interesting bond between co-workers. Everyone has a real interest in each other’s well-being. I know there is a hierarchy in healthcare and military, but this is your family out here on the Pacific Ocean too! 

The food is good, but I often laugh because they feed us like we feed our patients in the hospital... 6, 11, and 1630! It leaves room to work out in the evening. I have been going to Insanity at 0530 the last few mornings and then hurrying through a shower and chow before muster at 0730. It's hard, but I am motivated by those around me. 

I am going to Church on Sundays. It has been really nice. It's been nice to go and connect with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It's hard being in the Navy atmosphere. It's very 'loud' in your face, are you tough enough for this kind of environment. So meeting fellow Christians gives you a place to take a deep breath and refresh. 

My experiences...I love meeting new people, so I try to sit with someone new at chow (meals). The benefit... Going places on the ship you have to be invited to!!

- I have gone to the 'bridge' where the ship is navigated. I learned about the tracking and mapping of this vessel. 

- I went to the steam room. This ship is massive and we have a steam engine! Hence why we move at 20mph!

- Was invited with a group to tour and lodge in Hawaii without having to plan anything.

- Had a meeting with the Commodore (the head of the ship)

- Represented the NGO's at an executive board meeting where I sat between the ships master (head of the movement of this large vessel) and the commodore!

- Watched a flight OPS. We always have to stay clear of the flight decks when the helicopters or 'birds' are practicing. I met a girl who works on the flight deck securing the bird and attaching cargo while the bird hovers 2 feet above her head!!! She invited me to watch and I had to put on a cool vest and helmet.

- On the way in and out if port we 'man the rails' and it is a tradition to pay respect to the ports we are going in and out of. On the way into Pearl Harbor as everyone manned the rails in their dress whiles it respective uniform we passed the USS Missouri and the memorial of USS Arizona. The soldiers saluted as we passed and it was a cool experience.

- When we loaded on more people in Hawaii I gave a tour to the new nurse NGOs and Partner nation (Canada) 

Steel Beach Party

I am a part of DNS: Department of Nursing in the Division of ICU (Intensive Care Unit). My lead is great and very personable. My director is the only Nurse on this ship who is a captain. Which I have learned is extremely hard to achieve. She's funny and can host stand-up comedy! So far I am one of 3 nurses in the ICU and we have 6 core men (enlisted technicians) they are awesome and I am sure I can learn from all their experience in the field. My core men are all men in the ICU. We will be bringing on more staff in Guam. 

They call me Ms. Kelly haha that is going to have to stop as many of them are older than me! Kelly is fine! We are getting all our departments up and running. We have a TON of equipment!!!! It's all old, and has been in since the last mission on the 'elect two years ago. So imagine sorting and sorting and cleaning. Yes! That's what we are doing! And putting together training manuals. I found out my first MedCAP is 6 days off the ship in Indonesia. I am going to Talaud Island! Can you say bug spray!!! 

There is a girl nicknamed the Fun Boss. She runs the MWR morale welfare and recreation department. Today for the 104th Nurse Corp Birthday the ship held a Steal Beach Party!!! We had so much fun! It was a massive barbecue on the flight deck with the Navy band playing some rocking music lots of dancing! Games; catch, basketball, beanbag toss and lawn ball? Two golf balls on a string and you throw them to get then to wrap around a post. Super soaker Water fight. I got my first 'deck' burn and will reapply sunblock next time.

Refueling in the middle of the ocean take 4 hours

I am currently sitting out in the weather deck where the life boats and rafts are typing this into a 'note' on my phone while laundry is going! 

Ohhh... For now I got moved into a new room! A state room of officer berthing. Not sure if I'll be here the whole time as more people come on ship. But I did not ask and actually turned down the move when they first offered it to me. They offered one more time saying since I volunteered from the beginning they wanted to move me into a bigger space. I have 4 other roommates at this time and a whole lot more storage... Coming from enlisted berthing I don't even fill my drawers. I will probably be the last one in tonight. We go to bed early but everyone in my rooms is up for insanity workout at 0500!!!

Check out this word press blog from Pacific Partnership