2018 has been an eventful year for us! Filled with travel, and big changes we wanted to take some time to reflect as we move into the new year.
At the beginning of the year Patrick had the opportunity to travel a lot on vacation and for his clinicals. This took him to Africa, Cuba, Jacksonville, FL, and Albuquerque, NM! I was lucky enough to visit him in Jacksonville and Albuquerque where we got to explore the local food and culture. (If you are in Jacksonville try the local BBQ and get some green chillies in NM).
These adventures in addition to our trip to Europe (London and Paris to visit Annie) really solidified our desire to travel more. We had always talked about travel therapy, but realized this year that it was definitely something we wanted to pursue. We decided to target our travel to the west and south west. Filled with mountains, new cities, different landscapes, and tons of national parks this part of the country just seemed to be right for us.
Patrick was finally back in Pennsylvania in May and earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree!! Woooo! We both love to learn and enjoyed our time in school, but were super excited to start the next part of our adventure. Last step for him was passing the NPTE which he took in July. Over the summer we got to soak in some time with our families. During this time we went to Arizona and Cape May, NJ for vacations.
As the summer came to an end, I made the really difficult decision to quit my job (miss you all at HMS!) and we started taking steps to begin travel therapy. We have talked a bit about it in other posts, but we had MANY bumps along the way. It took much longer than expected to get licenses and get our first placements. Patrick’s Arizona license was supposed to take 4 to 6 weeks. To this day he still doesn’t have it… it’s going on 5 months (can you tell we are still a bit salty).
During the wait we were more than a little stressed, but decided to take a short trip to Niagara Falls, and the Finger Lakes. We were really glad we had the time to do this. We lived so close to these places, but never managed to see them before this year.
After accepting positions in Washington we made the 6 day, 43 hour drive from PA to WA. Our big takeaway from that trip is that we will be investigating other ways to get across the country in the future…. Sorry midwesterners, your states don’t have very pretty views from the highways.
Since being in Kennewick, WA (eastern part of the state) we have been able to travel to local state parks, Portland, Seattle, and hopefully a mountain for some skiing soon. We recently got back from a visit to PA for the holidays. We had an awesome time with our families and will be back soon! Time has flown by and we are already searching for our next placements. Onward with the adventure!
Erin
This year has been filled with ups and downs. Travel employment and moving has been a HUGE change. With all of our exciting opportunities to travel there has been a lot of stress and anxiety tagging along as with any big life event. We have encountered the less exciting features of locum work including unemployment and less financial stability. This being said I am so grateful to have this opportunity and to do it with Patrick. It was a big step outside of my comfort zone, and I wouldn’t have done it without a nudge (maybe a kick) from Patrick. I have to give a big Thank You to my partner in crime as well as my family and friends for your support! I am very excited for where we are headed and I know that I would have always regretted it if I didn’t give travel therapy a try. Whether we work as travel therapists for years, or have to quit after a year with no money in our pockets it was worth the journey! “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” – Neale Donald Walsch
Patrick
This year has been filled with many moments of stress, particularly around job hunting time. Much like adding weight to the bar at the gym, increasing the speed of the treadmill, or any other physical effort, the body and mind can adapt. I am very proud of both myself and Erin for continuing to strive for personal growth and not backing down. Traveling to so many parts of the country and world has allowed me to gain a broader perspective. It’s allowed me and Erin to realize that even though the pressure to believe certain things, perform certain actions, and fill certain roles may be insufferably strong it is wildly irrational. I am moving into the new year with an attitude of self improvement and growth, which I hope I can spread to others.
Thank you to everyone who has helped me throughout the year, and thank you to Erin for being such a kind and loving partner!