Travel Nursing Update

One question Caleb and I get asked is, "How long do we want to travel nurse and keep moving around the country?" After living the travel nurse life for 1.5 years, we both see ourselves enjoying this for at least a couple more years or possibly even longer. Our minds are filled with so many places we want to travel to. Since each travel contract is about 13 weeks at each location and some times longer if Caleb decides to extend, it's going to take some time to get to each of our desired locations. Alaska was one of our top destinations to visit and we made it there! It was beautiful in the winter and we hope to enjoy it in the summer.

Skiing at Alyeska outside Anchorage, Alaska

Our travels were put on hold for a short time. One Tuesday in April Caleb was offered an extension to keep us in Anchorage, AK through the summer. We were so excited! The next day on Wednesday we headed out for some spring skiing. On the second run of the day Caleb fell and blew out his knee. -two fractures, a torn ACL, and a partially torn MCL. We realized quickly he would not be able to work. There is no such thing as a light duty ER nurse especially as a travel nurse. We made the decision to head home to Colorado Springs for physical therapy and surgery on his knee. It was sad and disappointing to leave Alaska so unexpectedly. The mountains views were beautiful as we flew over Alaska. 

We were blessed with no one else in our row so Caleb could prop his leg up.

After all the details and planning made quickly in a few days, we made it back to Colorado Springs. Caleb worked hard in physical therapy for 3.5 weeks to start strengthening his MCL and had surgery this past Wednesday May 17th. The surgery was for his ACL reconstruction. He had an excellent surgeon who has worked with Olympic athletes and was recommend to us by a physical therapy assistant friend of ours. 

Back home in Colorado Springs with our Pikes Peak views

We shipped our car from Anchorage to Seattle, then my mom and I flew to Seattle a couple weeks later to drive our car back to Colorado Springs. It was a fun road trip with my mom through scenic Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. The dates happened to fall on Mother's Day weekend so we got to celebrate with my mom in person in Colorado Springs. The picture below was a scenic view in northern Wyoming.

The next few weeks hold more physical therapy for Caleb, and then we'll be ready to hit the road again for Caleb to travel nurse. We have some ideas of where we would like to travel next, but it's too soon to know what jobs will be open in those locations.

No one really knows what a year holds for them, or a couple years, or five. We can make a plan, but God may have other plans for us. As many of you have experienced, life isn't exactly what we picture or what we always desire. I'm thankful to trust God who is in control. Some things don't make sense and have us asking why, but I trust we are a part of God's story who wants us to see him as a loving Father. This is not a perfect world we live in, far from it. But it is a world filled with so much beauty to see and different cultures and people to meet. I'm thankful for the opportunities we have had with Caleb being a travel nurse and look forward to what is to come. Stay tuned to hear where our next travels take us later this summer.