Hidden Gem in Traveling Therapy – Ryan G., PT

Since I started traveling Physical Therapy with Jackson I have learned a few important lessons and tips I feel every traveler should know.  Patience, perseverance, confidence and planning ahead are all qualities a person should possess or acquire when starting to travel.  These qualities were not all immediate for me, but they have come in due time, and they have led me to find a hidden gem of traveling physical therapy.

My wife has been a traveling PT for some time before me, and as I finished PT school, she was traveling around Florida and Georgia staying near me. Each time we packed up to move I would rent a U-Haul trailer, pack it full, attach it to my car, and head to her next assignment.  After I graduated and started traveling myself we doubled the load in the U-Haul and in the second vehicle making this an arduous task potentially every 13 weeks.  Therefore, after a 13-week assignment outside of Charlotte,  NC, we both decided we needed to drastically downsize our traveling possessions.  After unloading the “non-essentials” with our parents or in a storage unit, we were able to pack everything we owned into our vehicles and head to the next assignment.  These essentials included clothing (seasonal), a few kitchen supplies, work and office related materials, an electronic air mattress and our dog, Lilly.  Give or take a few odd pieces brought along, everything else was left behind. To cope with the loss in goods, particularly furniture, we have always sought furnished apartments or houses.  This led to the next lesson I have learned as a Traveler.

Renting off-season homes, condos, apartments, etc. is a hidden gem in travel therapy.  My wife and I are currently in Wareham, MA; we were formerly in Sandwich, MA, and have fallen in love with the area.  Both of these towns are near or on Cape Cod, a haven for many summer vacationers.  In the winter and fall months we lived in beautiful ocean and lake front rentals that normally are too expensive, but being off-season were a steal.  This aspect of traveling therapy has shaped our future decisions as we hope to see parts of the country that normally would be inaccessible, but are wide open depending on the time of year. 

Doing a little homework on the internet and calling friends or places in a potential area can open the door to an amazing work experience in a fun and exciting place to travel.  I have been afforded me numerous learning examples for my career, but a huge asset has been the ability to live and experience places I would never think twice of visiting for even a week let alone 13 weeks.