I established an account on this page a while back, but have not yet introduced myself. I am a COTA (my second career, having graduated when I was 46), working for 3 years now. I have been thinking about traveling for years! My daughter is a senior in High School and will be off to college next year, then I am free to roam! I have so many questions and am a bit nervous as I will be traveling alone. But I must say I feel a bit better with having this site for reference. I look forward to meeting fellow travelers along the way!
Hi Kallie, I would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have about travel. I know you probably feel pretty overwhelmed but feel free to e-mail me any questions or keep it here on the forum if you feel more comfortable. Of course I’m coming at it from a recruiters point of view but I have a lot of experience under my belt and I’m VERY straight forward with how everything works on our end so you can learn the business side of it as well.
Welcome to the community! There are many people, forums and blogs to learn from and/or be involved with here. It's great and although I've been in staffing for over a decade, I still learn something new! Feel free to contact me anytime at ssnook@aureusmedical.com with any questions too.
This community can answer many of your questions..all you have to do is ask. I love using this site and find it helpful as I travel. Good luck and let me know if I can help with anything. Congratulations on your daughter's graduation.
Kallie
It is the best decision I ever made. You will know after one or two assignments if it is right for you. I have met and seen the best people and places. Ask away, any one of us will help you.l
Pattie
I agree with everyone else on here that this is a great resource for new or soon to be travelers. I've been traveling for 3 years. There have been ups and downs, for sure. But one of the greatest things about traveling is that if you don't like where you are, you tell your recruiter "get me outta here" and your gone in 13 weeks. I love that I never feel LOCKED IN to a place like I did with my permanent job back home in WV. As you go along, you will learn how to optimize your money or experience depending on what your goal is. There are times that I tell my recruiter, "the piggy bank is getting low, send we where the money is" and other times when I want to follow seasonal festivals or there is a specific family event that I want to be close enough to drive to. I really enjoy traveling. The only downside is that, at times, it is a very lonely experience. Generally you go to an assignment and everyone is excited to meet you and very open and inviting. But there are those assignments when the staff is very stand offish and you spend 13 weeks eating alone and exploring the area alone. In the three years I've traveled though, I've only had two of those experiences. Each time, I sucked it up because the money they were paying me was phenomenal. My recruiter helped me along the way and I had friends come visit or planned weekends to CEU courses and such to fill the time. One of the great things is that I've never felt unsafe in an environment. Heck, right now I'm doing Home Health on the Southside of Chicago!!!!!!!!!!!! At first I was completely freaked out, but I was assured by the owner of the facility that all clients were checked out prior to treatment, and reassured by my recruiter that the first time I felt afraid or any other negative feeling that he would pull me immediately. In the end, it has been a fantastic experience because I knew someone always had my back. Have you thought about a company yet? You can message me if you want and I'll give you some names and what I know about certain companies. Information is power for sure!
Thank you all for your encouragement. I am very excited to begin and I hope Fall of 2012 comes quickly! We are waiting for college acceptance letters right now and can hardly stand the suspense!
Hi, there, I did the exact same thing you are planning to do. Both my children are in college, and I flew the nest. It is the best thing I have ever done for myself. Don't worry about traveling alone. You'll meet great people and see beautiful places. Enjoy every minute.
Tre
