My friends have gotten used to me working as a traveling nurse practitioner for over 7 years now. They are always asking me about my next adventure. I have worked only in Florida over this past year, and many of them are surprised. They are surprised I am not traveling to work somewhere new. The reality is that – Life Has Changed.
My priority isn’t just travel somewhere new and have fun, new experiences. I am more focused on working somewhere I enjoy and being close to home when needed. For example, this fall I had several weddings and baby showers to attend at home so I didn’t want to have to travel from afar often. I also have nieces and nephews now that I want to see frequently.
Some of my family have asked me why I don’t just work locally in Miami, FL and take an assignment there. The truth is I am spoiled now. I don’t like to commute to work in traffic, and since I wouldn’t be “traveling” to work in Miami, additional housing or a rental car wouldn’t be covered for me.
For winter, I considered going back to my favorite place – San Diego, CA. However, since my time in Europe, I am in a long-distance relationship with someone that lives in Europe. So, it’s easier for my relationship to stay on the East Coast instead of having an even more challenging time difference. My partner plans on moving to the USA eventually, and he is open to traveling with me for work when I want to. So, life changes, and I just adapt. I still want to be a traveling nurse practitioner but it’s going to look a bit different each year.
