Are you wanting to live a life where you are free to enjoy more adventures? By becoming a travel nurse, you are taking a big step in the right direction. Rather than being in one facility for years, every 13 weeks or so you are heading off to a new destination. As exciting as that is, one important thing to consider before jumping in is: “Where will I live while I am on a travel nurse assignment?” There are a variety of ways to find options for short-term housing and finding a place to live while on assignment can often be stressful, but it does not have to be. In fact, some travel nurses have made the necessity of housing into a fun adventure of its own by bringing their home along with them! Many travel nurses have discovered the fun and versatility of the up-and-coming Tiny House Movement—a convenient way to bring your home along with you on the road!
What is a Tiny House?
A tiny house is, quite literally, a “micro” living structure that minimizes wasted space while still providing all the comforts of a regular house. These pint-sized homes are around the size of a typical travel trailer, but with higher quality and more amenities. Tiny houses maximize the use of space and generally have attractive and intentionally designed interiors built around efficiency, convenience, and comfort. Since they are built to be lived in, rather than just for short term trips, tiny houses typically are much sturdier and higher quality than a regular travel trailer or RV and generally include more built-in storage spaces and amenities like a full kitchen, full bath, and laundry. You can hitch them to the back of your vehicle when it is time to hit the road, and set them down in a tiny house community once you reach your travel nurse assignment.
There are many reasons to consider purchasing your own tiny home to travel with.
Look at the following advantages they offer travel nurses:
- Save money on housing. If you are heading to an area with high rent costs, such as New York City or San Francisco, a tiny house offers you the ability to save a significant amount of money every year that you can spend on other things like vacations with your family or savings for retirement.
- Downsize your possessions. When you own a lot, you have to find ways to store it, move it, clean it and otherwise take care of it. When you minimize what you own, you are responsible for much less. This can be a huge weight off your shoulders. You can spend more of your free time living, making memories, and enjoying your life instead of cleaning up and organizing material items.
- Do Mother Nature a favor. A smaller living space means a much smaller utility bill. Using fewer natural resources to power your home also means reducing your carbon footprint. You can feel good knowing that your tiny house is not only a comfortable and convenient place for you, but is also a green choice that is good for our planet!
- Never need to unpack. If you bring your home with you on the road, you will always be unpacked. Gone will be the days of living out of a suitcase; your whole wardrobe can come along with you. This can save you time in preparation for each new assignment and eliminate some of the stress of relocating.
- Get cooking! One of the big perks of traveling in a tiny home as opposed to a hotel is that you won’t have to worry about being able to cook meals or store your food. Since tiny homes are equipped with fully functional kitchens, you can save money by cooking at home instead of having to rely on take-out. Being able to cook your meals on a real stove or in an oven is a major upgrade from a hotel microwave, and can help you make healthier choices!
- Bring your pets along with you, hassle-free. Travel nursing with pets can be a real challenge. It can be hard to find a place to stay that will welcome your pet without charging an excessive pet fee, if they accept pets at all. Not to mention, moving your pet from place to place can put a lot of stress on them as well. Though they may not have quite enough room for large pets, a tiny home is a perfect dwelling for you and your cat, small dog or other small animal. Since you own your own tiny home, you get to determine whether or not it’s pet friendly and never have to worry about the approval of a roommate or landlord and your pet can travel with you in the comfort of their own home!
Things to consider:
- Where to park it? Bringing your home along with you alleviates the need to find housing directly, but you do still need to figure out where you will be able to park your tiny home while working your assignment. Look for RV parks, campgrounds, and state or national parks. You also can look for privately owned land being rented out for this purpose.
- Tiny homes are very heavy! Due to the fact that tiny homes are built with much sturdier materials than travel trailers, they are much heavier. You will need to make sure you have a powerful truck strong enough to pull it from place to place without putting too much stress on its motor.
Now that you know the appeals of traveling with a tiny home, are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Pamela’s List can help you to find the travel assignments that you want in the places you want to go! Our recruiters are excited to assist you in the process from start to finish whether you are bringing your own housing along with you, or if you need assistance with finding housing in your destination city. There are so many ways to make the traveling life work for you, where will your adventure take you next?
