Cross Country Nurses’ travel nurse Andrea “Annie” Smith has a taste for adventure, and she’s able to satisfy her cravings by being a travel nurse. 

A travel nurse tells us about her adventures on the road as a travel
 nurse.



 Cross Country Nurses&rsquo; travel nurse Andrea &ldquo;Annie&rdquo; Smith has
 a taste for adventure, and she&rsquo;s able to satisfy her cravings by being a
 travel nurse. For example, she recently hiked 200 miles of the Appalachian
 Trail! Below she shares more about that experience, what made her become a
 travel nurse, and why she thinks you might like travel nursing, too.


What made you decide to become a nurse?


 I don&rsquo;t think I can even remember when I chose to become a nurse, it was
 just my natural calling from when I was young. Nursing has been such a great
 field for me because I love giving back, helping people, and feeling like I
 really make a difference in people&rsquo;s lives. I also could never just sit
 at a desk all day. So being up and on the move all the time definitely fits
 into my lifestyle.


Why did you decide to become a travel nurse?


 I chose travel nursing because I have always loved a challenge, trying
 something new, and going to new places. So, having a career where I got paid
 to travel, learn new things, and experience other cities was amazing. My
 cousin is also a nurse and did travel nursing for a little while, so when she
 told me about it, I knew I had to do it too!


What was your first travel nurse assignment like?


 My first travel assignment was a definite challenge and learning experience.
 The location was amazing in Newport News, Virginia. While some call it a
 rough area, I thought the beaches were beautiful and there was always
 something fun to do when I wasn&rsquo;t working. I was on a med-surg floor
 working night shift. I had never worked night shift before, but I
 figured I&rsquo;d give it a try. I quickly learned that I am not a night owl,
 but more of an early bird. So that was a struggle. While working in
 med-surg again was good for my skills it also helped solidify the fact that my
 true passion was in oncology.


What do you like most about being a travel nurse?


 Being a travel nurse has provided me with the ability to figure out a lot
 about myself and how I handle situations. The exposure to so many different
 hospitals and techniques on treatment broadens your way of thinking. It
 has provided me with the best practice I can have as a nurse.



 Tell us about your experience hiking the Appalachian Trail.



 While hiking on the Appalachian Trial I learned that I can tolerate a lot
 physically and mentally, but at the end of the day what really was hardest on
 me was being alone a lot of the time. When I first started out on my hike, I
 found my &ldquo;tramily&rdquo; (trail-family). It was an awesome group of
 people that I loved hiking with. But then I injured my knees and had to take
 some time off the trail. When I got back on the trail, my tramily had hiked
 ahead. While I met a ton of other amazing and encouraging individuals, I never
 really found another tramily. So, during the days I would hike by myself for
 the most part. This didn&rsquo;t bother me too much at first, but after a few
 weeks, it got old. I would be at the most beautiful place in the world but
 have no one to share it with. I learned while hiking that I am a person that
 gets true joy out of experiencing things with others. When it was downpouring
 rain and cold and I was miserable, it was much better to be with other people
 being miserable than to be miserable by myself. Then on days when it was
 beautiful and wonderful, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I wished I could share
 it with others that I loved and cared for.



 Any best or worst moments from this experience you care to share with
 us?



 My best days of hiking on the Appalachian Trail was when I went through the
 Smoky Mountains. I waited four days at the bottom of the mountains for a nasty
 snowstorm to roll through. Then the days that I was in the Smoky Mountains
 were amazing! I would walk through forest filled with wildflowers and sunshine
 that smelled better than any perfume you can imagine. I also saw my only black
 bear while in the Smoky Mountains. Luckily it didn&rsquo;t see me before I
 quickly trotted away back to camp.



 By contrast, my worst day on the trail was probably the day that I hiked in
 frozen shoes and could not feel my toes for four solid hours. It had rained
 the entire day before and I was slightly hypothermic after that day&rsquo;s
 hiking. Then all my wet clothes and shoes froze overnight as the temperature
 dropped into the upper 20s. Putting on wet clothes and shoes in the morning is
 a miserable thing. But you just have to mentally tell yourself that if you get
 moving, you&rsquo;ll be warm eventually. Doesn&rsquo;t make it any easier
 though.



 Do you think you&rsquo;ll hike more of the Appalachian Trail in the
 future?



 While I did accomplish hiking 200 miles on the Appalachian Trail, I
 don&rsquo;t always feel very accomplished in my hike because I didn&rsquo;t
 get as far as I wanted. Whether I will try again on the thru-hike or not
 I don&rsquo;t know. But I definitely want to keep doing sections and find
 people to do them with me. Maybe one day if I find the right person,
 I&rsquo;ll attempt it again. In the meantime, though, I&rsquo;ll enjoy doing
 sections of it with my friends and family. 



 Do you choose travel assignments based on adventures you may want to try in
 that specific location?
 



 I choose my travel assignments based on the places I want to be or explore. I
 stayed a while in Virginia because I loved the state and its variety of
 opportunities for adventure. Then I went up to the Boston area because it was
 as close to New Hampshire as I could get at that time. I&rsquo;ve most
 recently landed in Charlotte, North Carolina and am loving it here. Eventually
 I&rsquo;ll want to find a city and settle down for good. But until then I will
 &ldquo;test-drive&rdquo; the different cities and towns by travel
 nursing.


What is your favorite travel nurse location and why?


 My favorite travel nurse assignment was in Boston. I really loved the small
 clinic that I worked in, but I mostly enjoyed it because I was near my aunt
 and uncle and 3 of my awesome younger cousins. It was great getting the chance
 to go on adventures with them and experience Boston and the New Hampshire area
 like a native. Best cannolis I&rsquo;ve ever had were in Boston!



 What locations are on your travel assignment bucket list and why?



 I have yet to make it out to the West Coast for travel nursing. But that is
 one of my goals. I&rsquo;ve been a bit scared to go there because I&rsquo;m
 afraid I&rsquo;ll fall in love with the mountains and never come back to my
 family on the East Coast.



 Are there any skills you think are important for a travel nurse to possess?
 



 I think one of the best skills for a travel nurse is being confident, but also
 humble. Being confident in the skills that you have, and at the same time know
 when to ask for help. Also being confident in your ability to adapt and learn
 and make the most of any temporary situation.



 What advice would you give a nurse who was unsure about trying a travel
 assignment or the travel lifestyle?



 For anyone who is unsure about travel nursing, I suggest just giving it a try.
 You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Part of that knowledge
 will be whether you are made to be a travel nurse or not. But for a few months
 of your life, I think the experiences are worth it. Life is a precious thing.
 We see patients every day that struggle for life and getting to gain
 experiences from it. So as nurses I think that it is important for us to lead
 by example, not take life for granted, and fill it with as many experiences as
 we can.


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Do You Seek Adventure? Travel Nursing May Just Be Your Style!