As a single nurse looking for adventure, I decided to become a travel nurse. There were so many parts of the US that I wanted to see and I thought to myself, ‘what better time than the present?’ I was not attached, was able to be very mobile and could not think of a good reason not to consider the opportunity. And, with the last checkmark being the financial ability to continue my current lifestyle being satisfied, I decided to apply for and accept an offer.

My first assignment was in a small town outside of Kansas City. I was providing OB/GYN services to the small rural community of women. I was staying in great accommodations and was able to travel to see the area on my day’s off. On several occasions, I made my way into the city to have an escape and to meet some new people.

One night when I was eating dinner at a local favourite restaurant with friends, one of my friends had brought someone that they wanted me to meet. Even though at first I was a little upset that my friends were trying to set me up, when I saw Patrick I was very intrigued.

We immediately struck up a casual conversation and continued to enjoy dinner. We followed dinner on our own with coffee and desert at a local diner around the corner and left our initial meeting with the goal to get together again. I did not have my schedule in front of me, but I knew that with only a 2 hour drive, I could certainly make it back into the city to meet him on my next long weekend or my next 2-3 days off in a row.

We started to see each other quite regularly and had formed a great relationship. Patrick knew that I was only scheduled to be in the area for a total of 6 months before I would receive my next assignment. And, while I did have some choices available, it would be unlikely that the next place would be close enough for us to continue our relationship.

So, on a beautiful winter day right before the holiday season and before I was able to get my next round of assignments, Patrick proposed. I immediately accepted and then we spoke about what was next. As a successful business owner in Kansas City, Patrick proposed the idea of me moving to the city permanently and finding a full time nursing opportunity close to his home. I was very excited and so I accepted.

I certainly did not become a travel nurse to meet my future husband, but it could not make me any happier that things had turned out this way. I was able to travel to a new place, to enjoy the surrounding landscapes, I made some great new friends and now I am marrying the man of my dreams. And, this is all because I took a leap of faith and became a travel nurse.

It was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to travel more. But, it never seemed like I could get the time off or if I could, it always seemed to be too expensive. As a nurse, I had been told about a career path called travel nursing but had never explored it as a possibility. I had heard that you could travel and work at the same time and at the time in my life, it sounded like a great opportunity. So, I looked into it and decided that it was the best thing for me to consider and so I made the jump.

The first travel nurse job that I had was in central Florida where I was providing care to aging adults and the elderly. While I was working in Florida, I was able to see a great part of the state. One of my favourite places to see was the Florida Keys. I had four days off in a row and so I took a drive all of the way down to the Keys. While I was there, I went to see the Hemmingway house and I was able to rent mopeds and drive around the small area of the state.

While I was in Florida, I of course headed to all of the Disney theme parks. I was able to see Walt Disney World, Epcot Center, Animal Kingdom and MGM Studios. I did each of these parks on different days as there are simply so many things to see and do. It was great to be just a few hours away in the car.

My next assignment was all of the way up in Ohio. I was placed in a rural area and was again providing nursing services to aging adults and the elderly. Ohio was a nice change of pace from Florida and I was glad to have new scenery around me and new things to see and do. One of the greatest things about my time in Ohio was that I was able to experience the seasons changing. Living in Texas originally, I was never able to experience a true Fall or a true Winter. So, that was by far my favourite part of living in Ohio. I was also able to see some of the larger cities in Ohio such as Cincinnati Columbus.

These are just two of my favourite spots that I was able to see as a travel nurse. Changing the direction of my career enabled me to have variety in where I was living and in many cases, what I was doing professionally. Living in a new place not only offers new surroundings, but it also gives you the opportunity to meet new people. Once you start moving around, you get the hang of it. And, if you work with an agency that specializes in placing travel nurses, many of the basic tasks of moving are taken care of for you. And, when you move a great deal, this can be a major benefit.