2022 was a year of change! I started the year out in Tyler, Texas working the last 3 months of a 6 month contract. 1 year ago today Chris, Watson, and I moved into The ReImagine and started a new chapter in our RV life journey.
This was a huge start to our year and something that we had been working towards for a long time. Over the course of 2022, The ReImagine took us 5,655 miles from home on some adventures we will never forget!
After completing my contract in Tyler, Texas, we headed to Rapid City, SD! The purpose of this trip was to get some custom work done to The ReImagine and it turned into one epic roadtrip we will never forget!
Spending only a week in this beautiful location was not enough time! Between Custer State Park, the Badlands, Wind Cave National Park, Mount Rushmore, and Spearfish Canyon, there is so much beauty and wonder to behold!
I got only a glimpse of how amazing this part of the country is and can not wait to go back! As memorable as this location was, the trip to and from was just as eventful! June is not the time to go driving through “tornado alley”!! Our days spent on the road were full of detours, constant weather updates, severe weather, and missed stops (because of weather). It was the shake down of all shake downs in a brand new RV.
After returning home from South Dakota, we spent most of the summer relaxing at home base! Chris and I started to really get into playing disc golf and spent most of our evenings at the park. We have always had an athletic hobby that we do together and with Watson, disc golf really fits our current lifestyle. Courses are usually dog friendly which means we all get a bit of exercise and sunshine everyday! This summer I also had my health issues that kept me from taking another contract right away. I was in and out of the doctors offices and the hospital for a few months until I was finally on the mend end of August. Come end of September, I was on my way to Saint Joseph, MO for my 8th travel nurse contract.
In the end, this contract did not work out. After 1 week, I ended up canceling my contract to preserve my own mind and body. That department and management was horrible and my health was still at a fragile state of healing. I had to save myself. For so long I have just pushed through and felt so much guilt as a nurse. I prioritized my patients, I prioritized my coworkers, I prioritized my commitment to my job all while destroying my body and spirit. When I walked away from contract 8, there was a huge sense of relief and a burden I knew was present, but had no idea how heavy it was until it was gone. I have zero regrets walking away from that contract!
Since we had already made the trip to Missouri and I was now unemployed, we decided to take our time heading home. We drove to Kentucky to see my brother who I hadn’t seen in years!
When I feel like my world is falling apart, my brother has always been my rock and my comfort. That person who you feel like understands you the most… that’s my brother!
From Kentucky, we then headed to North Carolina to spend a few days with an old high school friend who we also haven’t seen in many years. New Bern, NC is the cutest town full of history and should be on everyone’s small town bucket list!
We made one more stop in Augusta to visit Chris’ family before finishing our journey home. We have been stationary at home base since the end of October and I have had a lot of time to think about my future and what’s next. Honestly, I still don’t know what’s next. I look at what travel contracts are available but have zero desire to apply for any. I have looked for local PRN nursing jobs, but I seriously am just not interested in working as a nurse. My dad has talked about going to school to become a certified RV mechanic and I’ve considered taking the courses with him… I just don’t know what I am doing.
With the start of a New Year, I want to start with a clean slate! I want to forgive myself for my failed contract, for allowing nursing to be my excuse for living, and for letting fear hold me back! I chose RV life for a reason and I used travel nursing as a crutch to make it happen… This year, I am planning to travel way more and if nursing is a small part of that story or if I become an RV mechanic, that’s fine but my job will no longer be my excuse for living this dream.
Next week I will compete in my first PDGA (pro disc golf association) tournament and the week after that, we are headed to the beach for our first adventure of 2023!
My story is ever changing and this time I am going to follow my heart! Keep following along to see where this crazy amazing RV life adventure takes me!
