| Selecting Assignments Where You Desire | | | | the road picture on my first travel nursing book, |
| No one else can tell you where to go as a travel | | | | Highway Hypodermics: Your Road Map to Travel |
| nursewell, not unless youre married. You are free | | | | Nursing. |
| to fly with the wind to the most exotic and | | | | While on assignment in Iowa, we toured the |
| out-of-the-way places like the rural areas of | | | | bridges of Madison County and John Waynes |
| Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska or Iowa, or enjoy an | | | | birthplace on one road trip, and later made a trip |
| assignment in the metropolis of New York City, | | | | to Minneapolis, Minnesota to watch the Twins play |
| Miami, Los Angeles, or Phoenix. Travel to the | | | | baseball and visit the Mall of America. |
| beaches of Southern California, Atlantic City or | | | | One assignment in Tupelo, Mississippi not only |
| Hawaii. Assignments can also be found ranging in | | | | took us to the site of Elviss birthplace, but a day |
| areas from the Virgin Islands to the great state | | | | adventure took us to the place where he lived |
| of Alaska. | | | | and died, at Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee. On |
| You might have to change companies, but so far | | | | a bigger adventure, we spent some time a week |
| I have gone every place that I have wanted to | | | | before Christmas at the Opryland Hotel in |
| visit. This is easier done if you have more than | | | | Nashville and had the extraordinary experience of |
| one specialty, like medical intensive care, surgical | | | | Christmas in Nashville. While in Nashville we |
| intensive care, cardiovascular intensive care, and | | | | explored many sites, such as the Ryman |
| emergency room, or telemetry, medical, surgical, | | | | Auditorium, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and |
| step-down and rehab. | | | | took in a show at the Grand Ole Opry. |
| What other career will allow you to be a snowbird | | | | See The United States |
| when you are thirty-five years old instead of | | | | When I started out as a traveling nurse, I had |
| sixty-five years old? When it comes time to | | | | been east of the Mississippi River once, and that |
| make a move, my husband selects what state he | | | | was for less than twenty-four hours. Now I can |
| would like to go to, then I put my state into the | | | | say that I have not only crossed the mighty |
| mixture and we submit to those hospitals and see | | | | Mississip, but I have even made it to the Eastern |
| who gives us the best deal. My son would have a | | | | Time Zone. In the last two years alone I have |
| choice, but he just wants to go to Washington, | | | | been from the beaches of Pismo, California to |
| where his girlfriend is. For the summer, I wanted | | | | Southern Miami Beach, and from the swamps of |
| Nebraska and hubby wanted Iowa; we went to | | | | Louisiana to the lakes of Minnesota. |
| Iowa. For the winter, I wanted Florida, hubby | | | | If water and beaches are not your thing, then |
| wanted southern Texas: Im writing this chapter in | | | | how about an amazing sunset in the Arizona sky? |
| Florida. And yes, next summer we plan on | | | | Or you can take in the breath-taking view from |
| spending it in Washington State. | | | | the top of the Colorado mountains. |
| Miniature Vacations | | | | How about a goal of seeing all the National Parks |
| One of my favorite aspects of travel nursing is | | | | that the United States has to offer? You can visit |
| the mini-vacations. These are little two nights | | | | the Everglades, the Appalachians, The Rocky |
| away to some place a little farther than you could | | | | Mountains, Yellowstone, The Grand Canyon, and |
| go on a day trip. | | | | Yosemite. |
| When I was in Central California, my family and I | | | | Are you into history? How about a trip through |
| went to San Francisco one day then up the | | | | the history of the United States, from |
| Pacific coast highway to the Redwoods. The first | | | | Washington D.C. to the Battle of New Orleans, the |
| night we stayed at a small motel on the outskirts | | | | Battle of Shiloh, or the Alamo. Dont forget to visit |
| of San Francisco in an older fishing village. | | | | the many military museums, including the |
| The second night we stayed in the Redwoods. | | | | Smithsonian, the Air Force Museum in Pensacola, |
| The trees were gorgeous, with their red and | | | | FL, and there are several battleships to visit. |
| green colors. The Redwood Trail is also the site of | | | | |