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.