Welp, I'm on my new assignment in a major city. I found housing on Craigslist as a sublet. Finding my own housing saved me a lot of money, but I almost gave up and let agency find housing for me. Got a place for zero down, dog friendly, free parking if available and walking distance to subwAy/el/bus. And only a 10 minute drive to work. I was concerned about furnishing this place tho. Well, I'm pretty comfortable with how I decided to get 'er furnished. My family and friends simply don't understand how I can live like this; as a traveler, you can't be a priss, that's for sure. My lifestyle, I tell them, is not for everyone, but it is providing me with financial freedom in the long run. I should hAve my new condo paid off in a year, etc and I have beautiful, well-built furniture at home. I am making over double/month as a traveler when I find my own housing. With past assignment, I've typically rented a furnished room from someone, but for this assignment, I knew I wanted my own space since my dog would be with me. So how did I furnish this place?
I knew I wouldnt have any help with moving here, and I probably won't have help moving out. I knew I had to keep things simple. As much as I wanted to bring my towel warmer, etc, I had to remind myself to keep it simple.
So, 7 pairs jeans/sweaters, boots, Jammie's, 2 Yoga pants, sneakers. No dress clothes, I can buy something dressy here. One skillet, one stoneware for pizza/baking, one pot for boiling, several Tupperware containers, 2 bowls, 2 plates, one sharp knife, otherwise just a few forks/spoons for daily use.
-toiletries
-now for furniture! This is what I'm must proud of. I don't have a big car and I didnt want to pay to have things shipped. If I think I may keep getting extended, then maybe I'd consider doing uship.com, but I am quite comfortable as is. Not to mention, packing and unpacking was a breeze. So for furniture, I am using:
4 folding dinner trays/tables. One is being used to eat from, but the other 3 are for misc use...I have a small lamp on one, books on another, my 19 inch tv on the 3rd. Very easy to fold up and move. Hardly took up any space in my trunk. My bed is an over-sized air mattress with a memory foam topper thrown on top. Very comfortable! I have a big chair and ottoman in the living room - both are inflatables. I threw a blanket over the top and it looks like a regular over stuffed chair. It's also comfortable.
When the weather permits, bike rentals are cheap here, so I didn't see any reason to pack my bike. The apartment has a microwave and shelves, so I didn't see a reason for plastic storage drawers. For my beauty products, shampoo, makeup, cleansers and jewelry - they are in a nice "caboodle" type thing that I got from QVC. Very compact, but it holds so much!
If if I don't get extended, I hope to be Cali bound next. I can deflate my stuff, pack up the few items that I have, throw it in the car and I'll be ready for the next adventure. This is how I roll! It's definetely not for everyone.
This is awesome. I am deeply considering Travel Nursing this upcoming summer and have been reading the threads and posts for months now. I just wanted to thank all of you guys for discussing your experiences on AllNurses and posting your advice. It's definitely given me a lot to consider and what to expect.
A good portion of me is terrified to do it but I think that's natural before you make a Major life change
Hex, LPN
97 Posts
All you guys on this thread are hard core. Hats off to you all.