Brad's in Okinawa now!

Finally in Okinawa. The trip was 24 hours to get here from start to finish. By the time I checked into temporary housing and went to bed, I had been up for over 27 hours! Then I woke up at 0430 Okinawa time! Great. So much for being able to timeshift easily as an ER doc! This week has been busy with orientation. I got my Japanese driver's license but don't know if I really want to drive here. Driving on the left side, signs in Japanese, and a system where you can be criminally prosecuted for a minor fender bender does not sound like something I want to do. And the cars here are TINY. It's like a bunch of smart cars with four seats and "smart car vans!" The vans are smaller than my Honda Civic. The Sequoia is going to seem like a bus after being here for 9 months. The people here are great- both the locals and the Navy personnel I will be working with. The weather, however, is not quite up to the "Hawaii-like" climate I was promised. I had to go out and buy some warmer clothes. Keeping up with P90X (I thought I was in shape until now) and actually found a spin class and a pool. I start work in 2 days after a month off clinically. Can't wait! LCDR Butler