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10 Shifts To Go

Whew! I just finished a long stretch of four day shifts. I found it to be very long, then I remembered that most people work five days a week. That helped me feel better.

After today's shift, I am down to the last ten shifts of this contract. I have one more shift left this week, then there are only three weeks left. It's hard to believe, but this contract is nearly finished. Soon, I'll have to change the subtitle of this blog, since we are no longer new travel nurses, having two assignments under our belts.

Speaking of which, we have already taken our next assignment, in Tucson, Arizona. This will be a very exciting assignment for me. I am a little disappointed about this assignment in that there weren't any male travelers here with the exception of one. I'd hoped to have some other guys to hang out with, since after all, there is a limit to the time that I can stand to spend in the company of women (no offense). I've ended up spending a lot of time by myself, fishing and whatnot, which I have enjoyed, but it would have been nice to have spent some time hanging out with some guys.

On the other hand, at the MICU that I accepted an assignment at in Tucson, there is already a couple who I used to work with at the Big D. Even better, a good friend of mine from the Big D is starting his first assignment as a traveler in that unit, so there will be four of us. Then, Jess and I have our good friends Scott and Amna in Phoenix, where an old high school friend of mine also lives. So, I'll be back in the company of people I know. I won't know what to do with myself, I'll have to take trips alone into the desert to get that solitary feeling back.

It's really a good situation that we already have our assignments, though, since we're going to be gone for the first half of December in China. I had been a little worried about trying to secure assignments while being out of the country, but it doesn't seem like it will be an issue. We'll come back from China on the 18th, divide our time around Christmas between our respective families, and be in Arizona by the 3rd or 4th of January so that we can start on the 5th.

So, it's just a waiting game at this point here in Madison. We are experiencing what I imagine is a typical feeling for travelers. We've made our next arrangements, now all that is left is finishing up our assignments here and heading out. I know we felt the same way in Connecticut, once we'd taken our assignments here. Once we signed our contracts, we could have packed our bags and headed out. We feel the same way, like we could bid farewell to the Swiss Cheese and Madison in general and head south to a warmer climate. It's not that we are so sick of being here, but that we are eager for the next adventure. Once you know the next segment, it's hard not to look forward to it, which has the risk of decreasing the enjoyment of the current circumstances.

Our arrangement in Tucson will be a little different than our first two assignments. Primarily, we've taken jobs at two different hospitals, both of which are large teaching facilities that are only four miles apart. That will be new for us. Also, Jess will be working day shifts, while I will be working nights. I think it will pretty much work out for us, though, because we've learned a few tricks. We made sure that our contracts stated explicitly that we would have the last weekend of every month during our contract off, meaning Friday through Sunday. That way we at least have one weekend off together. Hopefully, it will also mean that our schedules will resemble each other more, unlike this current assignment where we have worked opposite days. Starting the month with the same days will hopefully set the tone for the rest of the month.

We will also have a tax home. This is absolutely essential for travelers, I can't believe that we have completed two assignments without it. That means that we have a "permanent home" for tax purposes, which provides us with up to five thousand or more dollars each a year in tax breaks. Fortunately, the rules of these tax homes are vague, so we can easily qualify. That means more money in our pockets.

Tomorrow we are heading for a two-day trip to Chicago. Since our last day trip, I've been looking forward to spending a night in the city. There is a jazz club that I really want to visit. Also, it is election night, so that will make it even more interesting. I'll put up a post about our trip, as well as the inevitable picture gallery on my website. I also have three other photo galleries ready to post, so keep updated.

Until next time, be safe.

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