Healthcare Traveler - July 2008 - (Page 26)

welcoming. Almost instantly, I formed a bond with two nurses who graciously invited me on their customary Friday night outings. I was grateful to be included among my coworkers and to count these fellow healthcare professionals as friends. They showed me the traditional sights of the Los Angeles area and helped to further my love of Southern California. I toured historic homes, stared into the eyes of a pelican, and viewed a double rainbow over the Pacific Ocean. An affection that will last I was able to shop in Santa Monica, dine ocean-side in Malibu, walk the pier in Santa Barbara, and take a stroll through CityWalk at Universal Studios. At farmer’s markets, I tasted locally grown persimmons. I experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly of Hollywood Boulevard and devoured a chiliburger at Tommy’s original outdoor stand.And I toured historic homes, stared into the eyes of a pelican, and viewed a double rainbow over the Pacific Ocean. At Gardens of the World, I experienced English, French, and Japanese landscapes, and I witnessed a sea lion poking its head out of the water. I saw pelicans dive for fish, and I consumed many a mocha from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a native L.A. chain. (To me, its drinks taste better than Starbucks. But don’t tell anyone that I, a native Washingtonian, admitted that!) From the Griffith Observatory, I took in the beautiful, yet smog-laden skyline, and I stood in front of an original Monet at the J. Paul Getty Museum. I even ventured to the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, as well as Hearst Castle. Still, while I had so much fun discovering Southern California and all it has to offer, I didn’t even come close to experiencing all my heart desired. I think back to this travel assignment and remember many good times, exciting adventures, and lovely friendships. Even with so many wonderful memories, I still associate my love for California with that first moment—the glorious, heavenly, quiet moment that I shared with God alone. Deep in the sunshine and wrapped in the ocean’s wonder, and amongst the busy Southern California way of life, it seemed beauty, creation, rest, and truth fused into one. Undoubtedly, I’ll settle down at some point and be committed to a new hometown, relishing the things that make it special. But I shall always long for my California love affair. HT Melinda Polk, BSN, RN, was a traveler with Boca Raton, Florida-based RN Network at the time of this assignment. At present, she is fulfilling a contract at Valley Medical Center in Renton, Washington, through O’Grady Peyton International in San Diego, California. This entry won first place in Healthcare Traveler’s 2008 Faces & Places Writing Contest. Circle Career Card No. 637 26 Healthcare Traveler July 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Traveler - July 2008

Healthcare Traveler - July 2008 Editor's Desk Contents By the Numbers Paws for Thought In a Flash Field Notes California Love Affair Taking Your Home on the Road Drug Update Clinical Tips Cityscape Advertisers' Index Name It When In... Good for You Big Deals Tax Facts Going the Distance Contest Rules Starter's Kit Allied Corner Classifieds Tales from the Road

Healthcare Traveler - July 2008

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