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Well I've no idea how but it's been 4 weeks since I left the UK and it's absolutley flown by! I can't believe I have to say goodbye to my Australian family next week and tomorrow is my last day of placement!
I have loved living in Perth and I don't think I'll ever get bored of going to work in shorts and finishing and walking out the doors to a clear blue sky and the blazing heat! Afternoons spent at the beach with the dog, chilling in the garden or exploring the city, it's the perfect combination of placement and sunshine!
I have been working at a dialysis clinic (for people with kidney failure) and loved every minute. The staff are awesome and the patients are just as lovely. I have learnt so much about cultures and people from all over the world-not a day goes by where you don't hear at least 3 different languages spoken by staff and patients alike. It's a truley international community and it's been a complete privelidge to be a part of it.
So my day begins at 5.15am...haha just kidding that happened for 1 maybe 2 days!! Now it's more like 5.55am/6am to leave at 6.15am!! It maybe much warmer but I still just don't do mornings well! I get a lift to the train station, then the train where I have become a regular in the morning rush to the city; I usually share a carridge with:
the lady who wears heels way too high for her to walk in
the post lady who is running late more often than not
the guy who stands and waits for the train in the exact same spot every day despite how many other people will be in the same 1m sq!
the woman who always waves across the platform to her friend that carries his bike down the stairs instead of using a perfectly good lift.
then there's the guys with there sun hats who look like their set for a day out hiking
there's the really tall lady with the nice skirts and the business couple who always walk hand in hand the length of the platform
...and then there's me, half alseep breakie in hand hoping that there's a spare seat so I can have an extra 10 minutes sleep!!
10 minutes down the line I arrive at my station then it's a short walk to the clinic (really short- you can see it from the train!) Over the bridge and across the field I arrive to start work at 7am. Ready to start the morning always flys by. Setting up machines, sorting documentation and helping prep patients for their treatment and asking about 100 questions a day-it's never boring and there's always plenty of people to chat too. [insert comment from mum along the lines of "oh no those poor people, they can't move to stop listening to you!" well no that may be true but hey we have lots to talk about! :P] haha anyways chatting to my patients is one of my favourite parts of this placement and in fact nursing in general- there's so much to this job but I love that part of it is talking!! I have learnt so much from them about dialysis, Australian life and lingo...and constantly been told how much better the weather is over here, although after over 100 days of no rain they were pretty pleased when it chucked it down the other week!)
By 9am I'm always ready for coffee, as are many of the staff it would seem- it kind of became my unofficial job to alert the receptionists when the coffee truck arrived! After coffee it's back to work...and maybe a bit of ballroom dancing- yes there was a day when we had a little dance around the clinic! To be honest being on placement didn't really feel like being at work, it was fun and everyday there'd be something funny to laugh about! After lunch we'd do a bit more work-often as it was a little quieter i'd write my notes for the day, and I have even started thinking about my assignment that goes with this placement.
Home time at 2pm-back to the train, then the bus, I didn't even mind sitting in the sun for 20 minutes for it to arrive-at least I could work on my tan! After a short walk back through the park I was home to a warm welcome from one very excitable dog! Chester is about 3 and always super happy to see you especially if you mention the word walk!!
I say this the first time I went to take him for a walk we got out the front door and he flat out refused to more! Seriously he laid down and wouldn't budge. He looked at me as if to say 'don't even bother I ain't goign anywhere with you!' So I gave up and went back inside! Thankfully since then he's decided that actually going for a walk with me is better than not at all!
So yeah after I get home it's time to relax or go to the beach or the park, sometimes the shops or whatever exciting things we have planned. Dinner is always amazing! I am learning loads about cooking...we had to start pretty basic though, I offered to make the salad but didn't recognise/know what to do with half the veggies!! Brocolinni- in salad, do you eat this raw? No, no you don't! haha nevermind we got there in the end. I like to think I will practice these new skills when I get home but only time will tell!
In the evenings if we don't have plans to go out and socialize or go to the football or whatever then we relax at home, I've even do some study!! It's been so nice to chill and not have to run around like a crazy person. Although I've been working and have heaps of study to do I actually feel like I've somewhat destressed over the last month and long may that feeling continue! As much as from a study and exam point of view this trip probably wasn't the best timing but other than that it's been exactly what I needed!
So there you go, that's a little of what my day is like, and who knows maybe in the future it will last for more than just a month? Everyone at work keeps saying I should come back...
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