I Took the Housing Stipend. Now Where Do I Live?

Travel Therapy Tip #2: Shop around for housing. It could save you money and enhance your travel experience. 

One of the benefits of traveling is getting paid more than if you were a full time employee. The best way to get this paycheck is to take the housing stipend. However, taking the housing stipend means setting up your own abode. This can get difficult when you are being sent to small towns and not always close to a city. Depending on how far you are willing to travel, it could get rather frustrating. Personally, I don’t want to drive more than 30 minutes to get to work. Below are some links that have helped me in searching for the best abode (comfort and money wise). Currently, I am at a Ranch/RV park I found using horsemotel.com! Being here, it is saving me $500 a month, as opposed to staying in a hotel.

When you are not being a travel therapist, use these sites to find great vacation rentals. Hotels can be fun, but thinking outside the box could help save money along the way!

http://www.zillow.com/

http://www.trulia.com/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/

http://www.craigslist.org/

http://horsemotel.com/

http://www.corporatehousing.com/default.asp

This is my living room at Hoof Print Ranch in Stephenville! Much better and more relaxing than a boring hotel room.

Moving So Soon?

One week working in Waco, and I get a phone call from my recruiter. He says, "The facility you are at has hired another SLP. You will be leaving in two weeks." Realizing I signed up for TRAVEL therapy, this still took me by surprise. It had only been a week! I was expecting to stay for 13 weeks.

Travel Therapy Tip #1: Do not make plans to far in advance when traveling. A 13 week assignment is not ALWAYS going to be 13 weeks. 

When getting ready to move to Waco, I set up three different places to live because I didn't want to only live in a hotel. I was going to stay at the Extended Stay for my first month, then move on to Bear Creek Guest House.  My last month, I was going to live on a ranch at Bunk and Barn. When doing this, I put down non-refundable deposits for the last two places. I knew it was a risk, but I figured to try my luck. Not a good idea!
Thankfully, when I called the places and explained my situation I was refunded my money. The Lord was watching out! These people didn't have to refund anything.
So if any of my therapist friends decide to do travel therapy, don't make "set in stone" plans to far in advance. Just enjoy the ride and live in the present!
My next assignment is going to be in Stephenville, Texas...the Cowboy Capital of the World! This time, I only set up one place to live. Lesson learned.

To anyone traveling to Waco, I suggest looking at staying at these two places. If you stay at least 30 days, you don't have to pay certain taxes.  If you are only staying a week or a night, these are still great places to stay! Think outside the box and experience something else besides a hotel.

http://bearcreekguesthouse.com/

http://bunkandbarn.com/

Introduction

I have never mastered the art of staying in one place for much longer than a couple of years. Growing up with a father in the military, my family moved around constantly. Now that I am away from home, the itch to travel has not yet left. So when I heard that I could travel with my job as a Speech Language Pathologist, I was ready to jump at the opportunity! However...I had to finish school first.  After finishing my clinical fellowship and working a few months, I felt it was time to give it a try.
I searched the internet for travel therapy companies and found a company called Advanced Medical. When I sent in my information, I got a call not too long afterwards from a recruiter. He explained how traveling works and answered all my questions to the fullest extent. A bit scared and excited to start something new, I finally accepted a job in Waco, Texas.

With this blog, I will share the tips and tricks I learn along the way. This blog is for my friends and fellow therapists who have always wondered how traveling works, but didn't know how to get started. This is also for my family who wonder why in the world I am moving every 3 months and what is going on in my life!

Monday, I start my first position. I am excited to see where this journey takes me!