Being 45 minutes out of town has had its advantages and disadvantages. The kids have really enjoyed the freedom to roam outside and use their imaginations, the birds and frogs make a continuous joyful noise, and the road out to our house can be best described as a roller coaster. Infact one of the hills is called roller coaster hill. While the commute is fun, I have to eat my way home in order to make it that far with out falling asleep, because let’s face it as all night shifters know. The windows down, music blasting, and face slapping does not really do anything. This week my schedule is kind of crazy. Two twelve hour night shifts, two eight hour night shifts, and one eight hour swing shift. The one eight hour shift that I already completed I got called to come in early. I don’t feel like it ever really pays to work over time as a traveler because so much of your paycheck is housing and incidentals that are not included in your hourly wage that it is a bit of a slap in the face to work a whole extra twelve hour shift of overtime and have your check be maybe $200 more, so as a rule I don’t do overtime as a traveler at least. I am hoping to be put on call for one of my shifts this week, that would be great.
We have been pleasantly surprised at how many activities in Hawaii are free. Food is very expensive, but you can do that part reasonably if you stick to the foods that the locals eat. Gas so far has been cheaper than the mainland. But the beaches, and parks are pretty much all free. No charge for parking, no charge for entrance to state parks, so hikes and snorkeling are free as well as just chilling in the sun.
Here are a few pictures of what the kids have been doing to entertain themselves! Checking out waterfalls, dancing in the rain, water fights, coloring on the cement with chalk they found, coloring brown paper bags, catching frogs, long walks, checking out lizards, swimming, finding shells, and making forts and boats out of branches they have found. Have a blessed week love the Owens family!
Owens Endeavors 