Traveling for work

A while back I contracted with a company that provided temporary medical help. It was great, I'd pick a place I wanted to see and tell my recruiter, and she'd find me a job there. The jobs came with a nice furnished 2 bedroom apartment, utilities and basic phone and cable. The company offered a household package as well, but if I supplied my own I collected the money, so of course I chose to supply my own as that meant I could use the stipend for more touristing.

It was a terrific way to see places, 3 12 hour shifts or 2 24 hours shifts a week, the rest of the time spent sightseeing. Plus, workwise there was always a light at the end of the tunnel because the most you signed up for at a time was 39 shifts. If the hospital was a hellhole or the ED was a knife and gun club you weren't stuck for a long term contract.

Since the most expensive part of vacation is usually getting there and a place to stay, and my company covered both and provided a kitchen I had it made. And I was still earning while playing.

The downside to this was the moving. Every few months I'd pack dishes, sheets, towels, books (always lots of books) and lots of clothes and shoes into the trunk of my car and drive. And for security they always put me on the top floor. Which was nearly always the 3rd in buildings with no elevator. I learned to start clearing stuff out well before leaving. I'd mail a boxes of books to my sis, drop the ones that wouldn't interest her off a few at a time in the ICU waiting room, and cut down the stuff in the kitchen cupboards until I was eating fast food.

Even with packing and moving every few months I loved it. In a few years I worked my way down the east coast (Boston, NYC, Washington D.C., SC, FL) through flyoverland (OH, MO, OK, TX, CO, MT) and down the west coast (Seattle, Portland, Eureka, the wine country, Walnut Creek, SF, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara, Oceanside, and San Diego, CA), up north to Fairbanks, then to Hawaii, the Marshall Islands, and Bermuda. Did lots and lots of sightseeing, all while making more than if I'd stayed in one place and and with housing and utilities covered. And I got to pick where I wanted to go based on what I wanted to see next.

I'm all settled in a regular job now, but I still miss it. My best friend is still at at it, but he has a set routine. He works in Hawaii during the summer for the surfing and in Truckee during the winter for the skiing. What a life!