Kimler Adventure Pages (http://randsco.com)

Nanaimo, British Columbia

After two years of hard work and good grades, we're starting to see the fruits of Rachel's scholastic labor, as Rachel has (just today) received her first job offer. Mind you, it's not in writing, but it IS from the place we are looking at as our 'number one choice' - Vancouver Island. Specifically, Nanaimo, on the eastern coast, north of Victoria.

Nanaimo: Aerial view of our (potentially) new home - Nanaimo, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island (Naniamo Region General Hospital is the large, reddish structure in the central foreground, where Rachel will be working, if she accepts their job offer).

The offer is with Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, for a full-time 'surgical float' position, which means that Rachel would be "floating" between two different surgical units. Because nursing positions are government jobs in Canada, the pay is pretty much fixed and she's be starting at $26.25 per hour (less than what the Province of Alberta is paying - $27.93 per hour). However, she does qualify for up to $5,000 in relocation expenses and, perhaps, a sign-on bonus. The schedule is a split shift, working four 12-hour shifts (2 days, 2 nights), with a 4-5 day hiatus, between stints.

We're just now beginning the job hunt and today's news has put us in high spirits. We'd like to move back to British Columbia, but are willing to consider offers from Alberta too, as we think the Province has a bright future. Because Scott is from California and Rachel from Vancouver, we're partial to warmer climates and for that, Vancouver Island can't be beat. One of the locations to which we've applied, Duncan, boasts the highest mean temperature of any incorporated, Canadian municipality - (they're talking our language)!

Stay tuned, as we accept offers and decide which is best for the Kimler Clan. What do you think? Should we stay or should we go?