How travel can help you explore new places while still doing the work you love
Retirement often comes with a long list of plans. Visit the national parks. Spend more time near the beach. See family across the country. Finally explore the cities and small towns you’ve always said you’d get around to someday. But what if you didn’t have to wait for “someday”? For experienced therapy professionals who are starting to think about retirement, travel contracts can offer a different way to approach the next few years of your career. Instead of staying in one place until the day you retire, you could use your remaining working years to experience more of the country, one contract at a time.Work as much or as little as you choose
Travel contracts can give you control over how much you work. Contracts are often around 13 weeks, so you could work for three months and take the rest of the year off, or continue from one contract to the next and work throughout the year. It’s up to you. Travel therapy can also offer the opportunity to earn more on average than a traditional staffing job, while some contracts may include reimbursement or support for eligible travel and housing expenses. That combination of flexibility and earning potential can make it easier to decide what you want your next few years to look like. You can keep working and earning while making more room for travel, family or the experiences you’ve been putting off.
Enjoy experiencing new cultures & new destinations
There’s a big difference between visiting a destination for a week and living there for a few months. Travel contracts, which are often around 13 weeks, give you enough time to settle into a new routine and experience a place beyond its biggest tourist attractions. You can find your favorite coffee shop, explore nearby hiking trails, visit local restaurants, and spend your weekends discovering what makes the area special. Maybe you’ve always wondered what it would be like to live near the mountains. Maybe you picture spending a winter somewhere warmer or want to experience New England in the fall. A travel contract gives you the opportunity to try it without making a permanent move. And if you decide a destination isn't for you? That's okay, too. At the end of your contract, you can head somewhere new.
Adventure or Family: You choose where you go next
One of the biggest advantages of traveling later in your career is knowing yourself better. After years in healthcare, you may have a clearer idea of what matters to you. Maybe you're looking for a slower pace outside of work. Maybe you want to be closer to family for a few months. Maybe you finally have the flexibility to explore places you put off visiting while raising kids or building your career. Travel contracts can give you more control over where you go next. Rather than waiting for retirement to create time for the things you enjoy, you can start incorporating them into your life now. Want to spend your days off at the beach? Look for a coastal destination. Have a national park on your bucket list? Consider opportunities within driving distance. Want to visit your grandchildren in another state? A contract nearby could give you more time with them than a quick holiday visit. The goal doesn't have to be to travel constantly. It can simply be to make your work fit into the life you want to live.
Retirement doesn't have to be an abrupt line between working and living the life you've imagined. You can continue doing meaningful work while making room for experiences you've been saving for later. Maybe you'll take a few contracts and then settle down. Maybe you'll find a destination you love and decide to retire there. Or maybe you'll realize there are still plenty of places you want to see. You don't need to have your entire retirement plan figured out before you start exploring.
If you've spent years caring for others, building a career, and putting responsibilities first, this could be a chance to ask yourself a different question: Where have I always wanted to go? You may not have to wait until retirement to find out.
