1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,440
The year was 2020. I was working a contract in The Pas, Manitoba. We had some

2
00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:12,060
downtime. My mind was wild with imagination and daydreams. I had recently

3
00:00:12,060 --> 00:00:17,360
applied to get my American visa so that I could work across the border. Of course

4
00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:22,560
it was COVID times. Contracts were there, they were hot, abundant, and very

5
00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:28,280
financially enticing. The number one worst part of travel nursing for me is

6
00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:33,080
the packing and unpacking at your assignments. Then you repack just to

7
00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:37,760
unpack again once you get home. It's fine when you stay long term but extremely

8
00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:42,320
irritating when you take frequent contracts throughout the year. I learned

9
00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:47,760
that in the USA travel is different. You get paid separate for housing as it's

10
00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:55,040
not usually provided. So naturally when planning my mind got creative. Maybe it's

11
00:00:55,040 --> 00:01:00,960
also what I came across on my Instagram as well. Other travel nurses had found

12
00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:07,280
rather interesting loopholes. RV living. Use your allowance to afford a campsite

13
00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:12,920
with sweet hookups while paying your RV mortgage. And the best part? You don't

14
00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:16,960
need to pack and unpack again. You just secure your stuff so it doesn't bounce

15
00:01:16,960 --> 00:01:22,520
around and off you go. My eyes were wide with excitement. Could you imagine the

16
00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:29,440
possibilities? I sure did. And so it began. Lots of research and daydreaming

17
00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:34,560
followed. At the time I was pretty limited. I owned a home in the city and I

18
00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:40,240
had a fiance. He was not really open to this idea. It came with a pretty hefty

19
00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:45,560
price tag and tons of learning. Not surprising. I'm the most stubborn person

20
00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:51,600
I know. So instead of giving up on my dream I kept molding the idea until it

21
00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:57,520
became a realistic plan. A possibility. I just needed the time. And the gusto.

22
00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:03,920
Initially it started out wanting a fifth wheel. Pure luxury. Washer, dryer,

23
00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:10,640
certimatrice, comfort galore. I had a few models in mind and they were put on the

24
00:02:10,640 --> 00:02:17,240
list. Then of course the vehicle. The truck. Building the exact vehicle I would

25
00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:22,920
need. My dad told me I was crazy but he also raised me. So I guess that tells you

26
00:02:22,920 --> 00:02:27,640
all you need to know. I wanted a tough truck that could tell what I had in mind

27
00:02:27,640 --> 00:02:33,160
but maybe just a bit more. Just in case. You never know. Better to have more than

28
00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:38,960
you need than not enough. And so a diesel it would be. Nothing really moved

29
00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:44,160
forward until I ended my engagement and sold the house. I moved back home to

30
00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:51,120
Ontario. I started working casual jobs nearby. This was 2022. Two years later. I

31
00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:55,840
had slowly been putting money away for the opportunity though. It was still

32
00:02:55,840 --> 00:03:00,600
lurking in the shadows forever tempting me. I continued to follow travel nurses

33
00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:05,080
living in RVs and chose to live vicariously through them in the meantime.

34
00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:12,360
I had two casual jobs. One in Canada, one in the USA. Initially I had been nervous

35
00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:16,560
to hop over into the States to try what it was like. What if it was completely

36
00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:22,480
different and I'd be lost? What if I hated it? It's also just jumping through

37
00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,120
hoops to get to where you want to be. But when I got that casual job and I

38
00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:32,040
started I got over that fear real quick. Then that was it. I decided to do it. It

39
00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:37,480
was go time. Not long after I secured a contract in California as my first

40
00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:42,480
travel nursing assignment in the States. To date this is the only contract I've

41
00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:48,080
ever done in the USA aside from my casual position. Prior to departure it

42
00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:53,160
became evident my mom desperately needed a new vehicle. This was COVID or just

43
00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:57,640
after. There was none on the lots at the time due to the production shortages. I

44
00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:02,720
wouldn't need a vehicle where I was going at least not yet. I needed to see

45
00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,880
how the pay structure worked. Was the money really as good as they say it was

46
00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:11,520
or does it just look good on paper? I needed to know before I made any big

47
00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:17,400
moves. I sold her my vehicle. It was essentially brand new in high demand. She'd

48
00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:21,920
have a safe reliable vehicle that was still under warranty. And I, well in the

49
00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:26,680
span of a few short weeks I had spoken to a few dealerships and perfected my

50
00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:34,400
selection. A Dodge, a 2500 with a diesel engine signed sealed but not yet

51
00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:40,120
delivered. I had her built for exactly what I needed and wanted and it would be

52
00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:45,440
a few months before she came to Canada straight out the manufacturer. So off I

53
00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:51,000
went. I got on a plane, started my contract. In January my brother picked up

54
00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:55,360
Black Charlotte for the first time. I didn't return till mid-February to meet

55
00:04:55,360 --> 00:05:03,480
her but she was stunning, powerful, comfortable, safe, huge. What did you get

56
00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:08,400
yourself into? My dad said shaking his head as he saw me trying to wrap my head

57
00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:14,560
around all of the options. Fully loaded in essence. For what I need anyway. Prep

58
00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:19,760
with a fifth wheel hitch mount in the bed, complete tow package and a ton of

59
00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:25,400
upgraded features. If I could whistle I'd be doing it right now. I assured him I

60
00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:31,000
would figure it out like I always do. It's what I do best after all. This was

61
00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:38,440
February 2023. Due to the tax laws and regulations for working in both countries

62
00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:43,040
I wanted to wait until fall before opting for another contract. I was

63
00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:47,080
determined I would take another. I had enjoyed it enough it was going to be

64
00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:52,280
the right call moving forward and I was confident. In the meantime I took a

65
00:05:52,280 --> 00:05:57,320
contract in Canada in Saskatchewan. It ended up being the one I'm coming close

66
00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:03,080
to ending here. Yes, one and a half years is how long it lasted. Much longer than

67
00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:08,440
anticipated and much longer than it should have looking back now. However,

68
00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:12,800
the contract here would allow me more flexibility to adapt dates to my

69
00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:17,000
brother's wedding which I would be standing in. At the time it was an

70
00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:22,160
O-brainer. In the meantime what I did learn is that trucks are fucking awesome.

71
00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:28,200
Nothing like big dick energy when you're standing only 5 foot 3. It does impede

72
00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:32,840
dating a little bit though. Who knew that men could get so easily offended when

73
00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:37,840
you have a bigger vehicle than them? I'm only sort of kidding. However, the weight

74
00:06:37,840 --> 00:06:41,720
on the road and the height at which you sit, especially in the prairies where

75
00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,520
the roads are so poorly maintained and even worse in the winters where

76
00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:50,200
everyone seems to drive so recklessly, the storms they have with complete white

77
00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:55,120
oak conditions. Yeah. I had always been a nervous driver in any other vehicle I

78
00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:59,880
owned. In this, with studded winter tires, I don't know if I can ever go back to a

79
00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:06,080
smaller vehicle for that fact alone. Yes, the fuel costs are insane. The oil

80
00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:11,720
changes cost an arm and a leg. She's a beast meant to work, but she goes the

81
00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:17,000
distance. And honestly, I think it's hot. She's a hot beast. It makes me look and

82
00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:21,760
feel badass. I can navigate her in tight spaces and I'm pretty damn good at

83
00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:27,040
backing up now. All I'm hearing are bonuses. Not to mention, I had tempted

84
00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:31,280
everybody into guessing what I had purchased before she arrived. Most people

85
00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:36,080
for some reason pegged me as a fancy sports car person. Maybe like a Mustang.

86
00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:40,440
For the price I could pay for a sports car, I got the better end of the deal.

87
00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:46,800
Much safer. More versatile. No complaints. So fast forward along here. I planned to

88
00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:51,040
complete the Saskatchewan contract to the end of December 2024 and then find a

89
00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:55,640
way to take some time off for an extended period of time. Some things did

90
00:07:55,640 --> 00:08:01,160
change along the way. I met someone. I fell in love. And then the burnout, the

91
00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:06,240
stress, the strain. Healthcare continues to erode in both serving the public and

92
00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:11,720
the employees. I don't need to elaborate on this. It's really not a secret. I fell

93
00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:17,320
into a deep space of unhappiness and I needed a change. Desperately. In May

94
00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:23,920
2024, Tanner and I did our USA road trip where we visited seven states in 21

95
00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:30,160
days. We went to multiple national parks. We hiked and biked. It was a liberating

96
00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:35,040
experience and I don't think I felt this alive in a long time. I kept saying

97
00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:39,800
out loud, why am I not living life like this? Why am I working a job that makes

98
00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:46,760
me feel like I do? This is life. This is living. I asked, do we need to go back to

99
00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:51,560
our real life? Obviously the answer was yes. But it had ignited some sort of

100
00:08:51,560 --> 00:08:57,560
spark within me. I wanted to live. The times I felt most alive in the past were

101
00:08:57,560 --> 00:09:01,240
when I was traveling short-term contracts really taking advantage of my

102
00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:06,280
days off. California was an absolute dream. My schedule allowed me to explore

103
00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,940
my days off and even though there is a lot of interesting dynamics in the

104
00:09:09,940 --> 00:09:14,040
workplace as a travel nurse there, the experience the travel offered me alone

105
00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:18,520
was a hundred percent worth it. I thought of how I hadn't allowed myself that in a

106
00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:23,160
long time. I got trapped in longer contract trying to make things fit,

107
00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:28,600
putting circles into squares as I often like to say. There had to be a way. I'm

108
00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:32,200
pretty sure I joked it would have been great to save money on Airbnbs if we'd

109
00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:36,760
had a trailer at the time. We had looked into renting one but it ended up costing

110
00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:41,720
way more and was way too much prep work for the limited time we had. So fast

111
00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:46,880
forward to my worsening burnout and the discovery of this writing retreat. When

112
00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:51,760
I came across it I remember telling myself, oh that would be so fun. Maybe

113
00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:58,440
next time she hosts one? Maybe next time. Then I thought, what the fuck? What do I

114
00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:03,840
need to wait for? What am I even doing except standing in my own way? What am I

115
00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:08,680
waiting for? What am I holding back for? I keep complaining I'm not living my life

116
00:10:08,680 --> 00:10:13,160
or getting the opportunity to but I'm also standing in my own way by thinking

117
00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:18,600
this way. So I said fuck it and I booked it and suddenly I was filled with so much

118
00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:22,880
excitement and pride to do something for myself that isn't just buying some

119
00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:26,960
materialistic item, to invest in something that nurtures my soul, my

120
00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:34,800
creativity. I love to read, I love to write, but I also love to travel. When I

121
00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:39,360
looked up the location of this writing retreat I thought it was so sad I'd get

122
00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:43,520
to go for that weekend and then drive back home. Missing out on the opportunity

123
00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:48,640
to explore the area. I've never been in North Carolina. I casually started

124
00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:53,920
looking up the area and the hiking looks incredible. The cycling paths are

125
00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:59,480
tempting every fiber of my being. What if? What if I did a little three-week road

126
00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:05,560
trip and explored the area? I won't fly, I'll drive. It just sucks to spend so much

127
00:11:05,560 --> 00:11:10,720
money on airbnb's. I started to think what's the best way to do this? Do I just

128
00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:17,840
be a hippie and camp out in my truck? Should I get a tent? Nah, that's too risky

129
00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:23,440
for me. A young female, alone. Plus it'll be cold. I'd have to struggle to find

130
00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:28,880
places to shower. Man, I wish I had my trailer that I've always wanted. Then

131
00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:34,800
this would be a no-brainer. Wait, could I? Maybe at this point I can't afford a

132
00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:41,360
fifth wheel, but hmm. So just for fun I started looking at trailer options and

133
00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:46,440
it went from there. I made a list of my non-negotiables. I needed a bathroom and

134
00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:51,600
I needed a shower. A bed, preferably separate from the table. The idea just

135
00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:56,960
kept growing. I thought to myself, why don't I just go? Why don't I just do it?

136
00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:02,280
This could be an incredible journey. I could rest, I could read, I could write, I

137
00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:09,520
could boondock and be alone, truly alone. What a decadent thought. And then it grew

138
00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:15,640
into what it is now, this adventure. I thought about how I really love mornings.

139
00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:21,000
They're my time to rest, to relax. I take my time to reorient myself to the world,

140
00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:27,080
to my day. I sip coffee while I journal. I listen to podcasts, I meditate. My

141
00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:32,520
mornings are my sacred time and I knew I needed a sacred space for this. I needed

142
00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:36,760
to be comfortable at a table where I could sip my coffee and journal, where I

143
00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:41,640
could look up and see a gorgeous scenery in the morning out the window. A fiery

144
00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:46,640
inspiring sunrise perhaps. Hear the sound of a stream nearby, birds singing their

145
00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:52,480
song. Ugh, my absolute dream. It worked out though. I found the perfect trailer.

146
00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:58,320
Not only was it road ready, ready to go, it fit my vibe. It had everything I

147
00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:02,840
needed and more. The quality of the build, the up-to-date technology, it was just

148
00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:10,120
way too out of budget. The cutest eye-drawing tear drop trailer. The model I

149
00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:16,800
picked on steroids. I had to be reasonable though. In my research, it was evident

150
00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:20,920
they hold their value over time. I decided I should be open to something

151
00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:25,600
used. I did end up finding one in Saskatoon, the only one available for

152
00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:30,360
sale in Saskatchewan at the time. We went to look at it and it was once I sat at

153
00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:34,920
the dinette that I knew. It was the one. If it wasn't this exact trailer, it was

154
00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:40,720
this model. It was perfect. It's quirky, has character, so comfortable. And standing

155
00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:44,400
beside it doesn't make it seem so daunting to tow. Despite being the same

156
00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:48,680
size as other trailers I looked at at dealerships, the shape makes it seem less

157
00:13:48,680 --> 00:13:53,800
intimidating, more manageable for me. It ends up that used is still quite out of

158
00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:58,120
budget, but I found a way to make it work. There were poops to jump through to get

159
00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:02,080
it plated, which I can indulge you with in the future. I had to learn the new

160
00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,840
features on my truck to accommodate. We ended up hauling it back through camsack

161
00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:10,400
together, and then I did it alone. I could have bored you with all the specs and

162
00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,840
details of the truck and trailer, and initially that's what I had recorded, but

163
00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:17,760
I found that it was very difficult to listen to. I figured this might be a bit

164
00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:21,520
more enjoyable. If you had any questions or you wanted to know more details, feel

165
00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:25,200
free to reach out and I can revisit that later on if anyone's interested.

166
00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:29,200
Specifics about the truck or the trailer or any of the considerations going

167
00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:34,280
forward to make my decision. Nothing ever works out as planned though, but that's

168
00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:38,720
okay because I'm here now telling you that I still get to go where I wanted to

169
00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:42,640
in a more reasonable way that will get me what I've always wanted in the first

170
00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:48,040
place. A sense of freedom, the opportunity to chase adventure. My little

171
00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:52,080
nomadic borderline hippie heart is filled with joy at the possibilities that

172
00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:56,600
now seem endless. Though I am not embarking on this with the intent of

173
00:14:56,600 --> 00:15:02,080
travel nursing, I think this suits me so much more. Hopefully this road leads me

174
00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:06,880
somewhere even better than I could have hoped for or imagined. Life shows you

175
00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:29,680
where you need to go. You just need to let it.