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Van/RV Life for Beginners

3/24/2022

The Vanlife/RV living experience is about escaping the ordinary and bringing the outdoors into the forefront of your life. This lifestyle provides a consistency in travel nursing where you have "your space" no matter where you may land. For those who are able to take a leap of faith it holds endless opportunities and room for experiences and exploration. Choosing where you land to drink your coffee every morning is incredible.

Why RV life?

The cost of furnished rentals can be a challenge but RVing offers a cheaper alternative for living while simultaneously providing a consistent, comfortable home. That 2500$ a month going towards rent you will never see again while in an RV (a depreciating asset at that) will still be worth something when it comes time to sell. Remaining cost effective in an RV ranges widely and depends on how BIG you go. A larger RV is more likely to require paying for a spot in a campground (which can cost upward of 1200 per month). The smaller you are the easier it is to find a place to park and the less you pay. I will often reach out to friends and family to find safe parking spots along with electric and water. on longer stretches I will sometimes stay parked right in the hospital lot.
With the ever changing environment or Travel Nursing the consistency of having my tiny home on wheels to retreat to has become invaluable. If I don't like a city or area i'm in I simply turn the key and retreat to the mountains or water or (insert favorite landscape). Pick your backyard, change it every day if you want to. Wake up to views that are dreamworthy. Consistency for our favorte 4(or3) legged travel companions makes transitioning to new areas easier for them as well.
No more stress in finding housing at that upcoming assignment. I simply roll up to my new spot and more often than not, I will park right in the hospital parking lot while I find where my nightly retreat will be. Assignment canceled? no lost deposit on the apartment you had rented.

Who?

Outdoor enthusiasts, vegabonds and anyone that wants to see the continent, this is for you. No more having to pay for hotels and Airbnb along the way, between contracts or on those long stretches venturing away from the city you work in. See MORE with all the comforts of home with you always.
Anyone okay with living a minimalist lifestyle. Days of having 20 pairs of shoes and a walk in closet are behind you with this lifestyle. This lifestyle emphasizes experiences over things because you literally dont have enough room for things.

What kind of RV?

The best way to decide what kind of RV to buy is to ask yourself the question; Where do i want to go? How do i want to live? What levels of comfort do i require (bathroom, shower, size of living space)? I decided that I want to be able to off-road (4 wheel drive), i want a toilet/shower, I need to fit in a single parking space and I need to be able to winter camp (4 season rated camper)

Vans

Pros-Compact option, very mobile, driver seat connected to living space, build it the way you want, best gas mileage, good daily driver, great gas mileage.
Cons-Smaller living space, some may not have shower/bathroom, 4 wheel-drive options are pricey, building your van can be costly and time consuming.

Truck Camper

Pros- more reasonable 4WD option, camper can be removed, transitioning into larger camper you have a tow vehicle, fits in parking spot, can be used for around town, okay gas mileage.
Cons-Buying a truck and camper can be spendy, smaller space, less storage, living space is not connected to driver seat.

Traditional RV

Pros-Large living space, everything included, drivable, lots of storage, you can tow, loving and driving space combined.
Cons-Complex electrical system, may need to tow additional vehicle, bad gas mileage, larger RV's you may have to rent campsite (spendy), poor daily driver, may need to tow additional vehicle.

Tow Behind 5th Wheel/Travel Trailer

Pros-large living space, multiple floor options, toy hauler garage for extra space, holds lots of water storage
Cons-Large, limited to main roads and sometimes RV parks, can be pricy, need a tow vehicle, more difficult to navigate cities, can't tow anything more behind you.

Cost

Cost can vary widely depending on which route you decide to go, and and truck campers can range from 20k to 150k, RV can cost between 10k to 200k, travel trailers/5th wheel 3k-75k not including tow vehicle. The app RV Trader is a great resource to research cost and has a full range of campers from small tow behinds to vans to full custom built campers. New RVs take a huge loss in value in the first year so buying used is a great option.

Where to park

Between online and word of mouth finding free and payed for spots has become enjoyable and rewarding. Talking to fellow Van lifers is a great way to find safe places, and spots with a view. Google earth helps me to find campsites far into the back country where most people do not go. Apps like ioverlander, compendium and websites like freecampsites.net are spots that others have pinned with reviews, pricing and cell service.

There is just about any RV option to suit the lifestyle you desire, choosing your path and diving into Rving is sustainable and rewarding with our nomadic lifestyle. As always, reach out with any questions you may have. If you find value visit my blog https://bhartwig2194.wixsite.com/rnfullsend or follow me on Instagram @rnfullsend.

Happy Trails!!!

Written By: Brandon Hartwig (Thor's Cousin), Travel RN,
MedVenturist & Travel Enthusiast

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How do You Know when It's Time to Plant Some Roots?

3/10/2022

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Being a traveling healthcare professional is fun. It’s exhilarating. It changes lives. It puts people out of their comfort zone. It opens up minds. It creates lifelong friendships. It presents a multitude of unimaginable adventures. But overtime, it can lead to a lack of an overall sense of belonging and even accelerate burnout.
After 4 years of travel nursing, I decided it was finally time for me to stay in one place for a bit, have a stable long term job, and buy a house. For the purpose of this blog post, I am going to list some reasons that you as a traveling healthcare professional should be looking for if you’re wondering: should I plant some roots?
You miss the idea of owning things.
Do you ever think you’d care about a couch again? Do you wish you could upgrade your small little succulent to a gorgeous potted plant or two? Ever have the urge to mow the lawn and maintain a garden? Even if this seems minor, you deserve that stability if you’ve started missing it!
You are craving a more permanent routine.
Although it is manageable to get a routine in the span of 13 weeks, it can be exhausting starting over with each assignment. Sometimes happiness in life can stem from having a permanent (or semi permanent) nail salon, hair salon, gym, rec league, dog park or grocery store.
You want to grow your career, change your career, or continue in education.
It is certainly possible to continue with education as a travel nurse, but it is ok to consider staying permanent while restarting school! Starting at a new job so frequently can be mentally exhausting and could affect how you learn. Additionally, if you want to climb the ladder in your field or completely change your specialty, you need to consider staying somewhere long term and gaining experience to achieve your goal.
You’re wanting to invest in property
Owning a house is usually one of the first big investments a person has. It is a time consuming but rewarding endeavor (I’m newly going through this right now), and one where you’d most likely need to remain in one place for a bit. A house doesn’t have to tie you down, you can always rent it out to fellow travelers. As travel nurses, we know the market for temporary housing better than most people. Go get you that supplemental income!
You want to market and build connections
Even though we have the MedVenture App at the touch of our fingertips to meet other traveling healthcare professionals, it can be difficult to connect with people in order to advance your career if you are always moving. Relationships matter, connections matter, even in a field where you will always have a job. If you know a community or city you really could see yourself in long term, you should consider staying there in order to build meaningful career relationships for the future!
You’re starting to miss family and friends more and more.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with going home again after traveling, to regain your sense of community and belonging. Even if you do not settle back into where you’re from, developing more of a permanent group of friends could serve you as strong as family does.
You’re feeling more anxious after each assignment instead of less anxious.
As you become an experienced traveling healthcare professional, you should feel more confident in your ability to hit the ground running, adapt, and thrive in an environment with little to no preparation. But for me, I hit the top of the bell curve and started to descend down feeling more anxious with each contract. That's when I knew it was important for me to choose one place and stay there. It’s ok to take a break. These feelings are valid and they’re important.
You are feeling lonely.
Loneliness is unfortunately a common side effect of traveling as frequently as every 13 weeks. But if it is getting in the way of your well being, that is a sign to take a break from the traveling lifestyle.
It’s starting to affect your mental health.
If you’re feeling symptoms of anxiety and depression brought on by the uncertainty and change of traveling, it may be time to take a break. Sometimes our bodies start to resist change so much that it manifests physically and mentally. It is ok to remain in one place for a bit to take care of yourself.

Remember, you jumped into traveling once before, you can always do it again. Travel contracts will always be there waiting for you should you decide to come back. That is the beauty of the healthcare field, you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. That can mean staying in one job or one location you love and know really well, that fills your cup, and gives you a sense of community. Or it can be hitting the ground running in a place you know nothing about in order to help a hospital in need, explore a new location, and make that money. I know that staying in one place has really been what I’ve needed after living a nomadic lifestyle for so long. For now, I’m enjoying staying in one place. I've picked up PRN jobs only so that if I want to, I can jump back into a contract here or there and still keep my more permanent jobs. The choice is and will always be yours. Enjoy that freedom and happy job hunting!

Written By: Kayla Hussen, Operating PRN Nurse

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Traveler Blog

Van/RV Life for Beginners

Written By: Brandon Hartwig (Thor's Cousin), Travel RN,​MedVenturist & Travel Enthusiast

How do You Know when It's Time to Plant Some Roots?

Written By: Kayla Hussen, Operating PRN Nurse

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Written By: Brandon Hartwig (Thor's Cousin), Travel RN,
MedVenturist & Travel Enthusiast