June is Great Outdoors Month and the perfect time to explore your community. If you have recently relocated to an area for work, or if you are thinking about relocating, use the first of summer to visit those areas that make the location unique. One of the greatest benefits of accepting a position as a temporary employee is the ability to travel and see more of the county.

National Parks

National parks are an excellent way to experience the beauty of nature on a limited budget. You can go camping, hiking, biking, swimming, canoeing, or fishing in a national park. You can visit learning centers and explore historic landmarks, or you can simply enjoy one of the national treasures that have been protected by the federal government.

State Parks

An even greater number of state parks have been created for residents and visitors to enjoy. These parks offer many of the same features as national parks but are maintained locally. Beaches, swamps, mountains, and plains can all be found in various state park systems.

Food

Maybe you are more interested in being able to eat your way through your outdoor experience. Numerous local farms are scattered throughout the United States that allow you to visit and pick your own fruit, berries, or vegetables. Farmer’s Markets are another great way to get outside and enjoy fresh food. Most are held outdoors and have a variety of fresh, local produce and products to choose from.

Be a Tourist

Each state has a tourism department, as do many counties. Visit the website or office of a nearby tourism office to discover local treasures you may not even be aware of. Waterfalls in Florida, searching for diamonds in Arkansas, or horseback riding in Wisconsin are all activities local and state tourism departments would be able to tell you more about.

Volunteer

A great way to learn more about a community and spend times in the great outdoors is to volunteer. There are several organizations that can help you find a volunteer opportunity such as Volunteer Match and Serv.gov. Both allow you to choose your location and to enter keywords you want to search for. Alternatively, you could partner with your new coworkers to start a Hands on Network project such as a neighborhood cleanup, a school or community garden, community tree planting, planting a butterfly garden for an area near your job, or a river cleanup.

How do you like to spend time in the great outdoors? Do you enjoy finding new locations and activities as you travel for work? How has traveling made you more conscious of the opportunities that are available where you grew up or where you previously lived?

June is Great Outdoors Month is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

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If you’re new to the field of travel healthcare, you may be wondering exactly what to take with you when you go on your first assignment.  Chances are, you’ll be there for 13 to 26 weeks, so there will likely be a change of season involved. Is it possible to pack so you won’t have to rent a giant moving truck?

The first thing you’re going to want to do is making a packing list.  Figure out what it is that you use each day that you want to bring with you.  You don’t need to worry about bringing toiletries and other consumable items – it’s probably better off to wait and go shopping for these things when you get to your destination.

You’re going to need clothes for work as well as casual clothes. You won’t be on duty all the time! If you’re a nurse, you probably have a set of uniforms that you’re really comfortable in.  If you’re a school therapist, you’re going to need to bring along enough appropriate business outfits that you can rotate every week or every other week.  You don’t want to bring your whole closet, but you want to make sure you’re not running to the Laundromat every other day either!  Consider the weather at your destination, and not just for the time you arrive. It may be hot and sunny when you get there, but it may turn cold and rainy or snowy before you leave. Don’t forget your coat!

You’ll be staying in a fully furnished apartment, but you’re going to want some of your comforts from home. I know I couldn’t go anywhere without my laptop and my cell phone, but I know I’d also miss my hair towel and the set of Tupperware glasses I like to drink out of.  You can’t take everything with you, but you can bring some of the little things that will help you feel more at home while you’re away.

If you’ve done a lot of traveling before, you know that it’s best to roll your clothing to maximize space in your luggage while minimizing the amount of ironing you’ll need to do later.  Make sure you take any of your prescription medications with you in their original bottles.  Keep important paperwork in a rigid folder so that it doesn’t get folded or torn.  Pack shoes and other heavy items on the bottom of your suitcase.  If you must pack anything liquid, make sure to put it in a sealed plastic zipper bag. I’ve saved myself a lot of heartache when a bottle of lotion or shampoo exploded all over my bag of toiletries – and not all over all of my clothing.

You can pack a bit more if you’re driving to your destination than if you’re flying, so keep that in mind.  And don’t forget that you’ll have to pack everything up again when you’re assignment is over! Talk to your recruiter for more information about getting ready for your travel assignment. And welcome to the world of travel healthcare!

How to Pack for Travel Work is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

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