Traveling to Salinas/Soledad-from Florida

[Sashi48]

I haven't signed contract yet. I've never traveled, flying without a net. RN to Soledad Prison by the end of May. Supplemental Health. I do not comprehend the instructions for licensure by endorsement. They seem to contradict. I signed up on Nursys. Now what? Can I ride out there and get temp license and fingerprints all in one day? If I start the process by mail, will I be stuck waiting and waiting. Should I download Livescan form fill it out along with the app and take it with me to the Board, chase down a livescan place once I get there or is that only for Californian's (it asks for Cali drivers lic. #, I'm from Florida). Anyone know the housing scoop out there?. Agency will find me a place, but can I do better on my own? I know, I know, I sure have a lot of questions. I'd love a few answers. Any would be greatly appreciated.

[maggiedanurse]

ca is a walk thru state. bring your license from fla both nursing and dl. at the board in sacremento they will give you the live scan and you can take it to the police station about 4 miles away and get your finger prints done by live scan. if you intend to get a perm license have your college transcripts sent to the board from all colleges you attended, and have a passport photo to give them. after you have gotten your finger prints done you get your temp license in about 20 minutes. salinas is nice it's down by monterey carmel big sur. great location. research on line yur own private furnished housing vs taking thiers and ask how much you will get in subsidy if you choose your own housing versus theirs. go online and look for furnished apartments in salinas. good luck and enjoy.

[Sashi48]

Thanks so much Maggie. I was sure there was an easier to understand explaination than what I was reading on the web site. I just needed someone to translate it into English for me LOL. Found a nice place w/o furniture. Heck I'm not paying $700 a month to rent furniture. I'm bringing an airbed and a card table w/ 2 chairs. I'll spend the $4,200 on my OWN furniture when I get home. There's always yard sales if I really need something.Well, I've always wanted to rough it!!! Here goes!!

[sheilabRN]

Well Sash,

Here we are in July. How are things going in Salinas? What did you end up doing about an apartment? Furniture? I was in Sacramento until this past Jan, and I look forward to going back, one day. But I may want to go around that area, maybe Monterey or something like that. How is your job, and the travel company you are working for? Give us all the gorey details!!
Sheila

[Sashi48]

Well Sash,

Here we are in July. How are things going in Salinas? What did you end up doing about an apartment? Furniture? I was in Sacramento until this past Jan, and I look forward to going back, one day. But I may want to go around that area, maybe Monterey or something like that. How is your job, and the travel company you are working for? Give us all the gorey details!!
Sheila

Hey Sheila and everyone,
Salinas was a bust, I didn't last there a week. Instead I'm in Monterey.
The trip from Fl to Cali was fab. I drove alone. Stopped in San Antonio at the Riverwalk and spent my birthday(and a few hundred buckaroos). There is NOTHING west of San Antonio except Dust....Dust Storms....Dust Bunnies....I still have dust in my teeth. Made a quick run from El Paso into Juarez Mexico. Getting the license in Sacramento was a breeze, IF you get there in the am. Not me though, I breezed through the door at 4pm and ended up staying another day before I got done.
Well to my amazement, though this assignment has NOT been a nightmare, unless you call NOT having any weekends off a nightmare.I just wish I knew earlier that 2 slots were open.
Sun, Mon, Tues w/ e.o. Sat.......or ......Wed, Thur, Fri..w/ e.o. Sat.
I so was hoping to find a big muscular blond surfer dude and fall madly in love while I'm out here, tough to do when the most weekend you have is every other Sat off. I guess all the people I knew in the 60's, that left NYC and headed out to California with flowers in their hair, either run companies in the Silicon Valley, smoked too much pot and are now walking the streets of Salinas looking for cold stogies, or they got here and decided to "switch rather than fight" Not much chance of a romance there. Sooooo, On to bigger and better things.
Having lived on the east coast my entire life, NY, Fl, Ga, I was not prepared for the breathtaking beauty out here. It is unbelievable!! I've seen mountains upstate NY, Penn. Tenn. Ga. Va. but to see the beauty of the mountains AND the ocean all in one picturesque shot is definately something.
Funny, California was never on my list of places to go.
Rome, Sicily, Portugal, Greece, YES!!!,but California?? Naw..
.On the way home tonight with the fog rolling in from Monterey Bay and the sun setting on the mountains, all I could think as people passed me doing 80 was "Are you people crazy?, Don't you see this beautiful sunset? You don't even know what you have!" I've become quite a photograph-eur. Thank God for digital cameras. I could never afford the film or developing fees. I snap every silly thing I see. Now I just have to figure out how to edit them on my computer. I spend all my free time riding my bike all over Seaside, Monterey Pacific Grove, Carmel, etc. Next week I'm headed for San Simeon about 100 miles south where the Hearst Castle is.

On the job front I got one heck of a deal. I've had a full month of Mon-Fri orientation. Unbelievable....So I did have quite a few weekends off.. O.K I'll stop wyn-ing. I'm working in the ER 12 hr shifts 4 on 3 off .4 off 3 on. I'm lovin it!!!! Me with 18 +years in corrections and another nurse with ER experience had personalized orientation for a whole month..(HE got the Wed,Thur,Fri slot :mad: ) (Oh, OK, I'll quit wyn-ing )
Speaking of which, have you seen the movie Sideways?......A lot of that was filmed right here....Lots of winnery's......too bad I don't drink:
Good for those around me thought


On the apartment front:
Before leaving home I got an answering machine message left by the "Housing Co-ordinator" of my agency.(I WANT THAT JOB!!!) " Hi, bla bla bla,No room in the inn at Soledad. Here's where ALL the nurses stay," (never saw even one nurse while I was there. Guess I was all ready for a sorority house) "here's the web site and a phone #, bye ,you're on your own."( I Say, I WANT THAT JOB )Wish I would have just gone on Craigs list and found my own place. Turns out it was a family type, blue collar/migrant complex, though not too bad for the dough. Clean and neat.Lots of noisey kids and those 30 something 'kids' that'll never grow up. Lots of 'boom,boom' blasting from apts and cars. Finally got fed up and moved to Monterey, where I can get on my bike without having to put it in my car. I'm paying a bit more but enjoying it soooo much more.
Furniture??. The first place in Salinas wanted an extra $700 a mo. to furnish it for me before I got here. Sure glad I didn't go for that. It would have been like putting a mink coat on a mongrell... Instead I stopped at JC Penney and for $259. I got a full size high-riser aerobed. A feather bed for another $50. and 2 of those hanging canvas 6shelf thingies for the closet from Wal-mart (who needs dressers). All will fold up and pack nicely into my car...Voila....instant bedroom for about $300,and it's mine for the next trip. Went to a yard sale last week and for less than $30 I got a stool, a chair, 2 end tables and an occasional table. If I can't sell them before I leave, I'll just take it as a tax loss.....sure beats renting to not own.....Besides I'm hardley ever home.
O.K. that's enough rambling for now. If I can find a public photo site that's suitable I'll keep you posted when I post Cali Pics....bye for now, I gota go ride my bike along the Monterey Bay.......dupe-de dupe- du-----tra-- la-- la-- la.........
......................Sash

[sereneintexas]

Wow, sash!!! I just joined this forum and your post from....looks like over a year ago as best as I can tell.... was really exciting to read. Sounds like such a great experiance, hope things are going well for you and would live to read more about it.

[nursesong]

Yes, what a great story! I grew up in Santa Cruz just north of Monterey and the beauty of that area remains dear in my heart. i am currently on assignment in Pasco Washington at a small faith baised facility. I was given a $2,000 mo housing stipend and I found a great place out of town rear the snake river for $400.00 a month. There is no furniture but a foam pad and a few garage sale items will keep me comfortable. I took a hike to the river and there were 20 swans who I disturbed.... all took flight into the sky, what a beautiful sight!
if there is anybody reading this out there looking for their own housing Craigs list is a great resource! Happy trails: