Category: Full-time RV living

Categories
Full-time RV living Travel Healthcare

Goodbye 2021, and here’s to you 2022!

2021, what a fantastic year. So much so, I decided to take a small break from the blog. I know what you’re thinking, I just started this blog, how am I already taking a break from it? Honestly, it’s because I have to remember this is for fun, and sometimes life is more important than a computer screen.


And because we were recently able to travel for fun.

When I think back to when I was working full time at my staff job, I had to ask for pre-approval for taking time off. And only being allowed so many days, I ask myself how I was so ‘okay’ with letting a job control vacations, days off, and mostly my happiness.


Traveling nursing/healthcare has opened so many opportunities. And we are so thankful for that.

So with our newfound freedom, we took two months of vacation. We crossed things off of our bucket list sooner than we expected. And mostly we spent that time together.


But with all those high points of travel nursing/healthcare in a camper, I would be lying if I said we didn’t have some hard days in 2021 too. Our trailer decided it didn’t always want to work perfectly; from small leaks, bad wiring, auto-level having a mind of its own, broken fuzes, and the big one… our slide motor stopped working. Which landed us in the hotel for a week, but even after a week, our problem wasn’t 100% fixed.


When we dropped our trailer off to get fixed in October, we contacted the manufacturer and the local dealer beforehand about what part we thought we might need.

We thought we would order the motor ahead of time; so the part would be in hand when the camper finally went into the shop. Unfortunately, since the dealer had not seen our camper or the problem they didn’t want to order it ahead of time. They were afraid if we had ordered the wrong part, we could be looking at a $1000 bill and be stuck with a part that didn’t work.


So we waited, finally took our home on wheels, and left it to be fixed. And a week later, they were putting our camper back together. Sending us on our way with the same problem we brought it in with. To no fault of the dealer, we did need a new slide motor.

Unfortunately, as expected with covid, parts for campers are on backorder.. for what seems to be an eternity. And that fancy slide motor we needed… there were none in the US and no projected date on when one would be available. And to top it off we were expected to leave the area in the next 2.5 weeks.


The dealer did say as loud as our slide was, it was still working. And they felt it would continue to work until it didn’t. Funny, I know, they tell us it will work. But they were unsure how long, and with us not in the area forever, the dealer didn’t feel comfortable placing an order on a part that was nowhere to be found. They also were so nice as to cut us a break in the cost of labor. Since they felt bad they were unable to help.


And then came the added stress. As I mentioned before after we finished our contracts in the DC area. We planned a vacation, but not just any vacation. A 2 month, 6 states, 10 stops, 2200 mile vacation. This means 22 times we had to move our “loud,” “working for now” slide. 22 times we prayed it would continue to go in and out. And thanks to those answered prayers the motor hung on for that long!


We managed to get through our vacation to our next assignment location, without being stranded. And once we arrived at our new campground our prayers were continued to be answered. Turns out right next to our new campground is a large camper dealership. I went there hoping to at least find a projected date for the part. Turns out they were able to order the motor with an 8 to 10 week projected timeframe. 8-10 weeks sounds like forever, but we were so happy to hear the news.

A week later, the service department from the dealership called and said they were able to have Forest River send them the part in 4 days and they were able to have it approved to be covered by our warranty. Again let us talk about answered prayers!

As of now, our camper is fixed, and in complete working order once more. Knock on wood!


One thing to remember if you’re thinking about starting your traveling career in a camper is that they’re not built as tough as a house. There is actually a joke in the camper world that goes: My trailer was built on a Friday, 25 minutes after quitting time while everyone is enjoying happy hour. And what’s even crazier than they are not built as well, is the fact that we still put them in tow and drag them from destination to destination.

A guaranteed earthquake for your home on wheels.


So just be prepared for the things that will go wrong. Stuff will break and some may set you back more than you expect. Know that social media is a highlight reel, and do not judge yourself based on others’ Instagram posts. But most importantly, don’t let those setbacks keep you from enjoying life.

Thank you 2021, for such an amazing year filled with crazy stories and adventures.. and cheers to you 2022. We are so glad you’re here!

Categories
Full-time RV living Travel Healthcare

Life is about adventures, so enjoy your days off!

We aren’t meant to just go to work and sleep.

How many times have you thought to yourself, “I feel like all I do is sleep and go to work?” For me, when I was working five 8 hour days and every other weekend. At least once a day, I would ask myself this. That was another reason I knew I needed a change from my staff job. Switching my schedule from 5 days a week to 3 has been incredible. Although there are only four fewer hours spent at work, I genuinely feel like I don’t live at work anymore. Don’t get me wrong, those working days are long, and sometimes after a stretch of days on, they require a whole day off to recover. But my new motto to live by is: life is about adventure, so enjoy your days off.

Days off together.

Understandably, days off are great, but days off together with my husband are my favorite. Since we both work on the road and have a little more say about our schedule. We have never had as many days off together as we do now. And that means finding as much adventure as possible, whether spontaneous or planned.

We are not the type of people who like to agree to plans days in advance. And we do agree that there is nothing worse than when you decide to meet up with friends on a specific date, then that date is here, and you don’t want to go. The same can be true about days off in advance. So a lot of our adventures are spontaneous.

Side note:

Now let me be clear because if I’m not, Jake will call me a fool for saying such a thing. I wouldn’t say I like planning my days well in advance, but I am 100% the type of person who likes to have a plan for the day. Who doesn’t like making a small ‘to do’ list and crossing off those accomplishments?

What is there to do on days off?

Think about the type of activities you find interesting or fun. For us, we like being outside, motorcycle rides, sporting events, food, and anything we can do with our dogs. Some of these activities might be harder than others, depending on your location. But I would be willing to bet that you will find adventures to enjoy your days off no matter where you are.

How to find spontaneous adventures in unfamiliar places?

As mentioned before, if we can include our dogs, you can bet we will add that to the list. That’s why one of our favorite things to do is a hike. Being able to get out of the busy towns and bumper-to-bumper traffic to secluded is refreshing. We both grew up in the country, surrounded by farmlands and mountains. So going for hikes is a nice break from the hustle and bustle that we deal with and brings us back to our normal. And thanks to Alltrails.com, one of my favorite resources, and an app available on Apple and Andriod, finding places to go is easy!

And the good news is the app has a free version. It offers the ability to type in a location, zip code, or places nearby you want to hike. Alltrails also has activity options such as mountain biking, off-road driving, camping, etc. It then gives you different types of trails and directions to the start of them, maps out the length, difficulty, whether dogs are allowed, and pictures and reviews from people who have been there.

I do, however, pay for the pro version for one reason. A lot of the places we hike do not have excellent service. And I can’t tell you how many times we have been at a fork in a poorly marked trail and had to guess which way was correct. The pro version takes the guesswork out of it. You can download the map, and it will use GPS to follow you throughout your hike.

I do not have any affiliation with Alltrails.com, but it would be cool if I did – Hey All Trails, Hint… Hint…

Below are 2 of our most recent hikes.

Thanks to All Trails, we found both of these trails quickly; once we decided what would do with our days off.

Cascading Falls Loop Trail

Rachel Carson Greenway and Northwest Branch Trail

What else is there to do on days off?

Who doesn’t like a good winery? I mean, even if you’re not a massive fan of wine. Wineries seem to always have something for everyone, whether that be live music, lawn games, or food trucks. And the other great thing about wineries (at least to us) is that they are generally off the beaten path. As mentioned earlier, we love the countryside and not being close to bumper-to-bumper traffic. Wineries give us the escape to take the motorcycle out on safer roads, back to the scenery that brings tears to our eyes.

I’m not joking about the tears in our eyes. The last time we went out to a back road winery, we realized how peaceful and quiet it was. That was something we didn’t even know we were missing until we were there. The constant noise from the beltway in DC has been our regular since June. It is not until you’re removed from that until you realize how loud it truly is.

Big cities means professional sports.

The one big plus of working in populated cities is that there are a lot of professional sports. One of my favorite spontaneous trips recently was the day after a hike. You see, after the exercise (hike, bike ride) adventures, we usually like to find a tavern nearby to enjoy a ‘post-workout shake’ or, as many call it, an alcoholic beverage and some good food. So after a recent hike, we were at a tavern where we were watching baseball. I said to Jake, “I wonder if the Nats or the Orioles have home games tomorrow?” A quick google search showed that the orioles were playing my favorite team, the Red Sox, the next day at 7:05 pm. How could we pass that up? So I downloaded the StubHub app and got us tickets for the second row behind the Red Sox dugout.

The Red Sox may have lost, but we still enjoyed our day off together! And the spontaneity of the day will always be something I remember.

Remember, life is about more than just work.

I think Peter Pan said it best when he said growing up was a trap. I know most of us were told that we shouldn’t wish our childhoods away at some point in our adolescence. But none of us listened because we all were so excited to get out there, go to college, find a good job, and start our own lives. Now we are the grown-ups, waking up morning after morning, going to work, paying bills, and making our appointments.

Don’t get caught in that sinkhole that makes you feel like all you do is go to work to stay afloat. Get out there and enjoy those days off. Even if they only involve small adventures that last an hour or two, they will still make you feel more accomplished.

In the end, the goal is to appreciate the time you spent outside of work, more than the time there.

Categories
Full-time RV living Travel Healthcare

Travel Nursing/healthcare in a Camper.

Travel nursing/healthcare in a camper.

We all know why people are leaving their staff jobs to travel. It’s honestly a no-brainer for some, esp. in this pandemic. Hospitals aren’t appreciating staff. They are more worried about the bottom line than the safety of the patients and staff. Don’t get me wrong, traveling nursing/healthcare is hard. Staffing is still short, days are long, and being away from family is tough.

But if you could do the same job and get paid double, sometimes triple, wouldn’t you?

Those are the facts. People are leaving their staff jobs to take the same positions but for the higher pay.

Is travel nursing/heathcare for you?

That’s a question for a different day and a separate post.

Say you are ready for that plunge, Or maybe you already took it. But now you are tired of apartment and hotel jumping… and tired of not sleeping in your own bed. So you think to yourself, “can I make this work traveling in a camper?”

What type of camper is right for me?

Now that’s a loaded question. And one that’s going to take a little more research on your part. Did you know some say there are 11 different types of campers? I listed them below:

  1. Teardrop Trailer
  2. Truck Camper
  3. Pop-up Camper
  4. Hybrid Trailer
  5. School Bus and Cargo Conversion
  6. Travel Trailer
  7. Class B RV
  8. Class C RV
  9. Fifth-Wheel Trailer
  10. Class A RV
  11. Park Model

What I can tell you is how to start that research.

Yep, Youtube. Everyone knows Youtube is such a valuable resource. So my advice is… use it. That’s right, head to youtube and search for different camper styles. Narrow down your search to the one you think you can stay in for an extended period. Remember, you’re not looking for a camper that you’re going to take out on weekends. You’re looking for one you can come home from work and unwind in.

Choose a Layout

Now that you have narrowed down the type of camper you want, next is finding the perfect layout. Most layouts are similar no matter the brand; each brand just adds its special touches to call it their own. So take a day or a weekend and go on a little adventure, head out to RV stores near you to do a walk-through. Get a better feel of which layouts are out there and which ones you can truly see yourself living in. The bonus of going to a showroom and seeing them in person is that it can make the experience of shopping more exciting and make living in a camper feel real. So get out there and find the layout for you.

Then once you have a list of layouts you love, take the search online. Don’t get me wrong; I am an impulse buyer. But don’t be afraid to do your homework. Take the virtual tours on the manufacturer’s websites, hop back to Youtube, and search for the model numbers you have narrowed down.

I know which camper I want, now what?

So you found it, the perfect camper type and layout. Now is the time to find one near you, sometimes you can get lucky and find one already on a lot, or you can order one or search the used camper websites. Whichever you choose, you won’t be wrong. My biggest advice is advice I have heard from many campers.. avoid Camping World. They might have locations all over the country, but that is probably the only thing in their pro category.

Where do we stay?

So you did it, you made your purchase, and you’re ready to find places to stay for your assignment. The good news is there are many types of campgrounds throughout the US, including RV resorts, over 50s clubs, KOAs, state parks, private lots, and everyday campgrounds. And searching for the right one isn’t always easy. But luckily, there are a lot of valuable resources to help narrow the search. One of my favorites is Campendium. It is a website and an app available on android and apple. It makes searching for campgrounds easier than using google. The Dyrt and iOverlandr are two other ones that I use as well.

A little tip about over 50s clubs:

If you’re traveling without kids in healthcare, many over 50s clubs will allow extended stay. Don’t be afraid to call and ask! It can never hurt. Most over 50 clubs are just looking to keep their campgrounds on the quieter side. Not the party every weekend kind of scene. And let’s be honest, after a week of work, most of us are looking just to come home and relax. Not party like we are still in our twenties.

And who doesn’t like a discount?

A lot of campgrounds are offering healthcare discounts. Don’t forget to mention that you are traveling for work. Many campgrounds will offer something. And even if it is small, it is still better than paying full price!

Logistics

When you’re looking into traveling nursing/healthcare in a camper, one of the things you will hear most is to find your campground before you accept the assignment. Yep, that’s right! You can interview and be ready to hit ‘buy now one click’ on an assignment. But before you fully commit, search for campgrounds in the area. It usually won’t take weeks. So call around, use the resources mentioned above. Secure your spot before you say yes. The last thing you want is to have an assignment but have nowhere to park your camper.

Don’t be afraid to use your phone.

When I say use your phone, I mean as Alexander Graham Bell intended… That’s right, pick up the phone and make the phone calls. I have found so much more success calling campgrounds and inquiring than I have booking online or via email. I get it. I am a millennial, and I still wish my mom could make my appointments. And leaving voicemails still causes anxiety to this day. But do yourself a favor and call these places. What I’ve learned is campground people are wonderful. Everyone is genuinely out to help each other. It is a fantastic community that I am proud to be a part of.

How close will I be to the hospital?

Know that your commute might not be the closest. The best is to go in with an open mind. Right now, my husband travels 45min to an hour each way. At the same time, I am only driving 10 -15 min. But having a spot that is ours to come home to and our bed to sleep in makes his long drive worth it.

There are also options out there to stay on the hospital property. Although not as common, some find it very rewarding to stay in the parking lot during their stretches of days. And go to a campground during their time off. Although for me and my husband, the less moving during an assignment, the better. But I can understand staying close for the working days and having extra adventures for the days off.

Time spent away from ‘home’.

Travel nursing/healthcare means spending time away from home. It’s a government requirement that all travel jobs must work away from your tax home and return home for a certain amount of time. (There is such thing as local travel, but that’s not what we’re talking about here.) So many travelers travel to their assignment, work their days on, then go home on their days off. To me, this makes a lot of sense but sounds exhausting. Now imagine traveling to a part of the country for 13 weeks (most healthcare contract lengths), staying there the entire time, and having your own personal apartment traveling with you. That, to me, sounds like the best of both worlds.

For more of the government requirements visit Home – TravelTax

They are a valuable resource that will answer all your questions to keep the IRS off your back. And they can even help you file your taxes at the end of the year. Let’s be honest. Our favorite motto is we don’t want to F*** with the IRS.

How do we do this with kids?

We don’t have human kids, so I can’t say much on the side of traveling with a family. Although I do know it can be done. And there are a lot of youtube families out there that do it- watch their stories to see if this is something you would be able to do. Now that virtual schooling has become more of a thing due to the pandemic. I know more families that are out exploring and living life in a camper. It seems like such a fun childhood to be able to travel around and learn about this beautiful country state by state, rather than page by page in a social studies class.

I remember nothing from my wrestling/football coach of a teacher teaching me about this great country. I mean that, seriously nothing. I have never been more interested in the national and state parks than I am now. Traveling in a camper and finding the most beautiful places to hike, even next to Washington DC. Yep, that’s right, who knew these gorgeous places existed right in our nation’s capital?

I’ll leave you with this…

Travel nursing/healthcare in a camper may seem like a crazy, unobtainable goal. But it can be done. So much so that there are Facebook groups with some who have 21.6k members who do it. Don’t be stuck in the rut of working just as hard and only being half appreciated. At least get out there and be half appreciated making 2 to 3 times the amount of money you are as staff. I get it money isn’t always everything. But being able to explore this beautiful country and work sometimes less than what you were, that to me sounds worth it. 

Categories
Full-time RV living Travel Healthcare

Hi There!

Welcome to our journey, we are so glad you’re here!

Hi! I’m Kara, and my husband’s name is Jake. I am an RRT, and he’s a PA-C. Together we’re out here exploring this beautiful country with our two doggos. Trying to find as many places as we can to call home. I guess that’s why we are @holmwoodboundrv. Hop over to https://holmwoodboundrv.com/instagram and give us a follow! But before you do that, here is a little more about us.

How did it start?

We met over three years ago, fell in love, and the rest was history. People joke that “love at first sight” isn’t real, but I can tell you from our first look and interaction that I knew Jake would be in my life forever. I know, sappy, right? We met at work, the typical don’t “shit where you eat,” but that didn’t stop us.

What started out as a friendship turned into a marriage. Jake was and still is the guy I can always count on. My dreams are his dreams, and his dreams are mine. We truly complete each other. Don’t get me wrong… we both get moody (esp. me). But at the end of the day, we are a team. And with this lifestyle we created, we wouldn’t survive if we weren’t.

Where are we now?

Together we have 2 dogs, a Cavashon and a German Shepard; they are our kids. We live in a 44ft fifth wheel while we work, and honestly, while we vacation too. Home is Pennsylvania, and we’ll get back there eventually. But in the meantime, we’re exploring this beautiful country.

What’s to come?

Stick with us to learn all about the ups, downs, ins, and outs of RV living. We will talk about what helped us become more successful. The things we wish we would have known, and everything in between.

…and remember

“Adventure is worthwhile.”

-Aesop