I have a big announcement! After praying about this for the last 10 months, I’m moving to Florida! Those closest to me heard the news that I was approved for my Florida occupational therapy assistant license yesterday, after 5 weeks of waiting! The hard copy of my license is in the mail! This means I can practice occupational therapy anywhere in the state of Florida now, as well as Michigan.
I’m going to take a page from my bestie Laura’s blog (http://lauratravelseurope.blogspot.com/) and do a little FAQ, since everyone seems to ask me the same questions!
*Didn’t you want to live in Manton forever? What about your job?
Yes I did! Last year at this time I was on the house hunting and actually put in an offer on a house across from the golf course. Thank GOD I decided not to counter offer! Last winter was the worst of my LIFE. Polar Vortex ain’t no joke! When I think about winter, I panic, as I don’t want to deal with another winter like that again! It was so colllld and depressing!
Now that my depression is under control, I know I can move away from my family and not cry 15 hours per day. I’m 25 and so ready to move out of my parents’ basement. SO ready! I need my own space. Finally, I need a different job. I need a full time job that keeps me occupied and where I have a strict schedule. I have too much freedom at my current job, which gets me into trouble when it comes to money. I only work between 20 and 30 hours per week (I’m paid hourly) and I can pretty much do whatever I want. This would be GREAT if I were a strong leader, but I am a follower, and have no self-discipline. I need structure and direction! I will probably regret that statement when I’m working 40 hours per week in a nursing home…!
*Why Florida?
My decision was between Texas, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. My criteria for moving was/is:
1. Big city
2. Wifi & cell signal
3. Ocean
4. Sunshine
I’ve had enough of living in the middle of the woods! Texas was quickly ruled out because I don’t feel comfortable moving there, as I’ve never been there, and there’s too many drug cartels and sex trafficking operations going on for my peace of mind. My mom said she would not support a move to Texas. A jurisprudence exam is required in South Carolina, and since I don’t even know what that is and I don’t like tests, I ruled it out. North Carolina would be nice, but I’m not sure about the weather in the winter. I like it HOT! I don’t know anyone in the surrounding states, either. So with it down to Florida and Georgia, I went with Florida. I’ve never been to the Georgia coast, and the only people I know in GA are in and near Atlanta. My Uncle Aaron and Aunt Jacquie live in Orlando, and I’ve been to many areas of Florida, so that felt like the most comfortable choice. Another major factor is the amount of sunshine. Sunshine is a big help for me with my depression, and I am grouchy and tired on cloudy days. The Sunshine State sounds like a good treatment!
*Do you have a job?
No. I have two options. I could apply for a job in whatever city I want, and move there and live my life like most normal people would do. These are called “perm” jobs and there are an abundance of them. Buuuut I’m not normal, so that’s not how I roll!
The second option is to sign on with a “travel company” like I did when I first graduated college. When I worked away before, I worked for Therapy Staff. They are a contract company, and assignments are typically 13 weeks. If a facility needs a therapist, they pay Therapy Staff to find one. This is bittersweet, because as a therapist, I will get paid more money, but many times these facilities are in desperate need of a therapist for a reason. (Sometimes it is just for a maternity leave or medical leave though.) Therapy Staff will also pay my rent, and whatever is left from the monthly stipend, I get to keep tax free! So this is the more lucrative option, but there are some major downsides.
Travel jobs become available about 2-4 weeks before the start date, with most closer to 2 weeks. That’s not much time when you’re moving from Michigan to Florida! The fact that each contract is around 13 weeks also makes it difficult to find an apartment. Most want a lease signed, and 3 months isn’t usually an option.
Right now there aren’t any travel jobs in Florida, but my recruiter/Therapy Staff contact hopes to see that change within the next few weeks. Another downside is that I have no idea where I’ll be going until a job pops up. My recruiter, Melissa, wanted to search north of Ocala, but I asked for Orlando and north, since I have family there. I want to stay as north as possible, because hurricanes freak me out. Living way up near the “pinkie” in Michigan has always been annoying because it’s a good 3 hours to the border. So I don’t want to be way south in the peninsula of Florida. Driving would be easier for family (since a certain GRANDMA refuses to FLY to see me! ) and Melissa said it might be too much heat to handle if I go straight to Miami from Michigan.
Another negative is that every three months you’re starting a new job. This can be a blessing if the workplace isn’t ideal, but sad when it is!
ANOTHER possible downside is that I will most likely be working in skilled nursing facilities, aka nursing homes. I love working with the elderly but Medicare is so demanding and rude that it makes my job stressful. Working the last three years in an outpatient facility with no productivity rules has been a treat! Outpatient facilities rarely need contract therapists because everyone wants to work outpatient, so they find therapists easily without going to a travel company.
*Do you have a place to live?
Therapy Staff will find me a place once I accept a position.
*How will you handle living away from your family?
My family and I are very close so this will be hard. Especially being away from my baby brother Si and Copper J., the dog! My dad has recently discovered the wonder of flying instead of driving, so they will visit. I’m also flying Silas to Florida for next year’s Tim Tebow Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic, so I’ll see him in March. If I stay all summer, he could come down whenever. I’m not sure what Sawyer’s schedule will be, but him can come see his big sissy whenever he wants! We will have to Skype a lot! The longer I am away the easier it will be. 3 years ago I came home EVERY weekend and that made the trips back to work so hard. This way I will have no choice.
My dad is the least happy about my decision. That made me nervous because he said “I think it will be the biggest mistake of your life,” and he is usually right about EVERYTHING! But after grilling him, I’ve learned that he just wants me to live in his basement forever and never leave. I said, “Aw, you DO love me!” and he said, “More than you’ll EVER know.” How cute?! It’s nice to be wanted! Haha!
I also NEED to find a church and get involved in some kind of Bible study or small group setting. I want to go to a big church with people my age. The other day I realized that I am the ONLY one from my high school youth group that isn’t married. The ONLY ONE! Which isn’t a big deal, but it leaves me alone in the 20-something-singles group (if we had one haha.) I need to find a church family that I feel comfortable around and to keep me busy!
*When are you leaving?
I’m not sure. Originally I had planned on January, but I kind of don’t want to suffer in the snow that long! Whenever they find me a job would be nice, but I think I will wait for December. My cousin is getting married on the 13th, and my BFFFR (best friend forever for real) Kate will be home the 12th, so right now I’m thinking December 14th. That way Kate can ride down with me and help me get settled. I may or may not come back for Christmas; it depends on the job and the start date. I’m still praying about it, but I think God’s telling me to wait until December. (ugh!)
*How long will you be gone?
Good question. Maybe I won’t like it down there and I’ll come back after 2 weeks! I could stay and work a couple of assignments, then take a month or two off to come home, but I don’t think I want to come home for such a long period of time. It’s hard going from living alone to a full household! So to answer this question, all I can say is that I’ll be there long enough to complete 1 assignment, whether it be an 8 week or 16 week assignment, I don’t know.
*Aren’t you scared?
No, I am getting a concealed weapon. Hehehe. Just passed the class on Saturday!
Basically, I have no idea what's going to happen to me or where I'll end up, but it's kind of a fun feeling. It's freeing! Thanks for reading. I’ll leave you with these verses that have been reminders to stay close to the Lord, and that He has a plan in all of this.
“In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”- Proverbs 3:6
“For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”-
Habbakkuk 2:3
