Adventures of a short vet

Of course it can't be all fun and games over here. Although this is a travel journal I do occasionally have to do some work to fund further trips. Luckily this short vet is able to pick and choose from quite a few jobs around the country as people are desperate to find some holiday cover in order to take advantage of the few days of "summer" granted to the UK.

So, when I needed to fill a couple of weeks in between trips I managed to get some nightshifts at an emergency clinic in Brighton. This worked out quite well as I was based one street away from the main pier and was able to take advantage of my afternoons off to see what all the fuss was about. And I have to admit, coming from NZ & Aussie where you can't deny that we have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, the stony steep slope of the main beach failed to impress. Though it was a new experience seeing an amusement park and casino on a pier! The less than tropical water didn't tempt me to swim, though there were plenty of people braving the chilly waves. Even saw a few people attempting to surf the short dumpy waves on a particularly windy day - not much of a ride but better than nothing. Had I had a longer placement I I would probably have joined them at the next big swell!

The clinic provided a very steep learning curve as I had to quickly brush up on my emergency medicine skills, as well as using several toys and products usually not available in general practice. It was also very different working at night with only one night nurse to keep me company and no other vets to bug about their opinions! But it was good fun and definitely something I will consider for future placements.

It was great being by the sea again though, as I hadn't realised how much I missed the ocean even after only a few short months. Luckily my next trip was to be to Jersey Island, where I hoped to spend a week exploring the island and swanning around on the beach. Unfortunately the weather had other plans...