Everyone say hi to Angel, one of Ventura MedStaff’s traveling speech-language pathologists. Angel started her travel SLP career with the Ventura Therapy team in May of 2022 and has been loving the travel life ever since! She is currently on assignment in California with her husband, and you could say they’ve been California Dreamin!
She goes into more detail about her experience as a travel SLP below and lets everyone know whether she would recommend becoming a traveler!
What made you decide to become a healthcare traveler?
Angel: Travel therapy was something that intrigued me during graduate school. I can remember attending the ASHA conference in my first year of graduate school and talking with the travel therapy booths. I always thought travel SLP would be right up my alley, as I have always enjoyed traveling and a change of scenery.
In October 2021 I got married and in the next few months, my husband and I began to talk about the possibility of travel therapy, as his job allowed him to be fully remote indefinitely during COVID. We loved the thought of traveling together as newlyweds, exploring new places, and the opportunity to live in parts of the country we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
Professionally, I was experiencing significant burnout after working during the entire pandemic and was ready for something fresh and new. I was hopeful that being able to work shorter contracts would help me recover from the burnout I had experienced during COVID-19 and would help me refuel my passion for being an SLP.
What has been your favorite assignment location so far, and why?
Angel: My favorite travel assignment location has been without a doubt Santa Barbara, California. I had never been to Santa Barbara before my assignment there. It was not even on my initial radar of places I wanted to travel to, only because I had not known anything about it. Family and friends who knew where I would be moving to told me how amazingly beautiful it was. All my expectations were surpassed by Santa Barbara, also known as the American Riviera.
I had never been anywhere that had gorgeous mountains, palm trees, and the ocean all in one city. Santa Barbara is now our “happy place.” We loved it so much that we extended the contract there for an entire year. The people, Spanish-inspire architecture, and beauty are hard to beat.
How do you make a new location feel like home?
Angel: Whenever we move to a new location my husband and I like to drive or walk around the area we are living in to find our new “spots.” We like to find a grocery store we can shop at, a coffee shop, trails for walking our dog, and a few restaurants that we think we may enjoy.
Finding spots that we can frequent helps us to feel more at home and more like “locals” instead of just visitors. We also try to choose furnished housing that feels cozy and inviting instead of utilizing long-term stay hotels. So far, we have had great housing experiences that have allowed us to feel comfortable, welcome, and at home during our stays.
Do you recommend traveling?
Angel: I highly recommend traveling and am so glad I took the leap to pursue being a traveling SLP. Being a traveler has made me a more well-rounded person and professional. I have grown personally by being a traveler through increasing my independence, experiencing new people and places, and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.
Traveling has also been so rewarding as a newlywed. The connection and growth my husband and I have experienced together through working through contract mishaps, traveling to many new places together, and building memories that we will never forget has been the greatest experience that we wouldn’t trade for anything!
What advice would you offer to someone looking to become a traveler?
Angel: Advice I would offer to someone looking to become a traveler would be to stay open-minded and flexible, prepare questions to ask during interviews with facilities (you are also interviewing them!), trust your gut with contracts or facilities that do not feel quite right – there will always be another opportunity, do your due-diligence by researching a facility you are interested in working at, and utilize resources including various recruiters, travel therapy groups on Facebook, Instagram travel accounts etc. to understand the ins and outs of being a traveler in terms of taxes, tax homes, finding housing, etc.
How do you feel about working with Ventura MedStaff?
Angel: I have loved working with Ventura MedStaff for most of my contracts since becoming a travel SLP. Ventura was the first company I took a contract with, and my recruiter has been beyond helpful in walking me through initial onboarding, answering all questions I have at any time of day, and my recruiter has always advocated for my wants and needs. Ventura does a great job in showing their employees that they care for them through little gifts and a holiday gift this year – the little things are what matter to me when choosing a travel company to work with!
Are you ready to start your own travel healthcare career? Contact us to get started!
