This Traveler Enjoys a Bit of Southern Charm

On her second assignment with us, Harmony gets a taste of down-home southern hospitality. Plus great pics!

My name is Harmony, and I am a Neuro/MedSurg, RN. I am currently on assignment in North Carolina. This will be my second travel assignment with American Traveler. I originally started near my hometown, taking an assignment in Baltimore, Maryland. I am traveling with my husband, our two dogs, and a cat. I found out about American Traveler through a staff coworker, who decided to take an assignment with this company.

Pro Tip: Referrals are a great way to boost your income. If you have worked with us in the past, you can refer as many friends and colleagues as you wish. That's a no-limit bonus potential!

I started traveling because my husband and I would like to find a home base to settle down. The best way to do that is to explore areas that we are interested in through travel nursing.

I chose my current travel job in North Carolina because my husband and I have always thought about living in the Carolinas, but neither of us has been there. I love small towns so I was more than thrilled to slow down for a while in a small southern hometown. The best part about being in the Goldsboro area is that everyone is so friendly! My favorite experience here as a traveler is getting to meet tons of other people on my assignments from all walks of life. Most of the time they are also travelers!

When choosing our next residence, we generally search on AirBnB or Furnished Finder for a good rental home. We have two big dogs that need a yard so ideally, we do everything we can, within budget, to find a small home for our little family. Hopefully, our next adventure will start this fall! We would love to potentially explore South Carolina. If we are bold enough, we just got a new car so we could even travel and visit the west coast for a while!

When heading to a new assignment, I try to bring as few things as possible. Once the family itself is packed up, we bring our important paperwork, seasonal clothing, and last but not least, DOG TOYS -- won't forget that again -- big mistake, the kids were PUPSET!

Traveling has prepared me for starting a future with my husband. We have learned quickly to give up materialistic attachments and focus on experiences and quality time together. These assignments have helped us determine if we can do this on our own! The biggest difference between staff and travel nursing is the freedom to choose what's best for you -- whether that be who you surround yourself with, what area you like, or what schedule you’d like to have.

My advice to those thinking of traveling would be to remember that -- while there are many perks of travel nursing (most would be thinking $$$$$), there are also some trade-offs. Wherever you do it, nursing is hard work, and you may be taking on challenging assignments and heavier loads. You may work not always be able to get the exact position or pay you want. With traveling, you have to weigh the pros and cons of each assignment. Each position is rewarding in its own light. You may have to say goodbye to new friends you've made -- but then again you may get to say hello to old friends along the way. Every assignment brings change, and change is a good thing. My recruiter, Annie, has always been there to help negate any travel anxieties I’ve had and promptly fix any issues that arise.

From Harmony’s recruiter, Annie “I really enjoy working with Harmony. She is very professional and very sweet!”

Pro Tip: Harmony and her recruiter have a great working relationship. One of the big advantages of working with a full-service agency like American Traveler is our "we got you" client service. We have worked with so many new travelers, we can't even count. We know what you're going through, and we'll be with you every step of the way. And if you're a seasoned traveler, you've got our respect. You know what you want, and we are listening.