Category: Uncategorized
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Week 5 (Somewhere in the mountains)
It’s hard to believe that we have now been here over a month. In some ways it feels like yesterday that we made the trek across the United States to get here. In other ways, it feels like I have been here my whole life. I stick out like a sore thumb here with my…
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The power of hope (Wookie part 2)
I received the most wonderful news this week. Wookie gets to come to work with me! He now has a bed in my office again, but this time is a little different… My previous roles were corporate (one was onsite and the other was remote). So, I have only seen him interact in that type…
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Week 4 (Somewhere in the mountains)
It snowed 5 inches on Friday. Beautiful snow, not like the type we get in Texas that melts and turns into mud. Here it just evaporates, leaving no trace behind. We have began to locate new services here to replace the ones at home. Now that Wookie has a new groomer and I have a…
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Week 3 (Somewhere in the mountains)
I started out this past week weary and tired. But it’s not the kind of tired that sleep would cure. I think it is related to the challenges this week along with trying to establish a “new normal”. I think the most difficult part about establishing a new normal is that it requires an acceptance…
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Wookie
I wonder what Wookie would say about this whole adventure. I know he enjoys the hikes, new smells, new sounds, and new critters. But I also know that he misses home where he was able to run freely around our property (no fences). I believe he would have mixed reviews…. Backstory: Wookie is 3 years…
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No tears in travel nursing
To be honest, I started out today a little bit weepy. It was a long night without electricity and I woke up without any water. I cried a few tears as I spoke with my husband on the phone. No shower, no toilet. I brushed my teeth with Listerine and went to work at 0630…
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Baby, it’s cold outside (and snowing)
Today’s temperature got to 60 degrees outside and then quickly took a nose-dive. It is now 30 degrees with a “real feel” of 11 and snowing like crazy! The picture above is the very same view that normally has mountains in it. You would never know that mountains existed at this point. To make it…
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Week 2 (Somewhere in the mountains)
This. Is. Everything. I don’t know if the “new” will wear off, but right now life is pretty great. The mornings are cold and clear, the afternoons are hot and sunny. I don’t think I will ever grow used to the beautiful scenery and the surrounding mountain view. I suppose I am here at a…
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Week One (Somewhere in the mountains)
I woke up today and the temperature in the camper is 49 degrees. In the camper, not outside. This is definitely not Texas. I do have to say that despite the outside temperature being in the 20’s, it doesn’t feel that cold. The sun feels hot, the air is dry, and there is no wind.…
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Left behind
I had to give up everything in my greenhouse when I left home. It was FULL of things that I had started from seed and nurtured along. I brought three of the little plants with me. I am not exactly sure why, but maybe just because I couldn’t let it all go. One is lemongrass…
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Arrival
We arrived today! I can not explain the emotion as we drove across the pass to see the view of the little town that I would now call home, at least temporarily. I have never seen such beauty. The “majestic” mountains are surreal. The little town is built right up against them. There is no…
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Curious and Curiouser
I have so many questions that my questions have questions, just ask my husband. He will tell you that is my one annoying trait, and one that I happened to pass down to our son. In our search for answers in life, we are often labeled or assumed to be rebellious or rude. We are…
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Route 66
We are currently driving on the famous Route 66 which is fascinating to me. I believe that we got on it somewhere around Amarillo and will be on it until we turn north towards Nevada. The route is beautiful and does not disappoint. It is absolutely the most beautiful road trip that I have ever…
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Utter Exhaustion
I now know that I can not tolerate 12 hour drive days. Maybe I am a wimp. Or maybe it is because I have had such severe nausea all day, which I believe is related to fear/anxiety. Either way, I feel like I have the flu. Everything hurts and I am so exhausted. I feel…
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Big Skies
It’s a 12 hour travel day for us. Our plan is to stop in Arizona and finish the last leg tomorrow. I saw snow-capped mountains for the first time today while traveling through New Mexico. They were every bit as wonderful as in the picture books. Has anyone ever told me how big and blue…
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A Long Way From Home
We are traveling 1350 miles to my first assignment as a Director of Nurses in Nevada. It is a long way from home. We have estimated that it will take 3 days to get there. Maybe I should provide a preface, I have never lived in another county, much less another state. Becoming a travel…
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To love someone is to feed them
Did I tell you what an amazing husband that I have? He is always ensuring that I am taken care of -remember the obnoxious fifth wheel… One of the ways that he takes care of me is to feed me. He is a terrific cook (he would say chef). Either way, he calls me everyday…
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Decisions, decisions…
The decision to switch careers from a corporate nurse to a travel nurse is a little scary, to say the least. It was not easy. We had so many conversations about the risks vs. benefits, challenges, and possibilities. We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary last month, my husband retired from law enforcement last fall, our…
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Fun Yet Practical
The fifth wheel that will become my “home” for the next 13 weeks is obnoxious in nature. I say “obnoxious” in a loving manner. My husband chose it and bought it because he knew that I would need to live in it. It is 43 foot long, has 3 slide-outs, and 1 1/2 bathrooms. It…
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Boondocking At A Truckstop
We were planning to try boondocking for the first time tonight it our fifth wheel. My husband filled up the fresh water tank in the RV and we planned to pull into a truck stop for the night. The lessons we learned tonight on arrival: The faucet in the outdoor kitchen of the RV was…