New Orleans was my very first of 6 travel nurse assignments. Almost 4 years ago now.
At the age of 23, I had moved over 1,000 miles away from home, on my own– my car packed to the brim– to a place where I truly didn’t know a soul. I had 2 years experience as a medical surgical nurse, and was headed to a hospital where they told me not to linger around outside..
I knew nothing about NOLA.
[Mind you, I grew up in the middle of nowhere with virtually no neighbors, surrounded by amber waves of grain, and had never really left] I was TERRIFIED. I had cried for an entire week before my departure date. Dramatically saying goodbye to everyone and everything as if I were being shipped overseas against my will.
Constantly wavering back and forth over my decision to dive into the unknown.
I remember gripping the steering wheel down the driveway with the most exhilarating feeling I’ve ever had. I pretended to cry one last time, but I couldn’t. It was just me, myself, and the open road– My fears suddenly shifted to pure adrenaline and excitement! I was going to be a travel nurse in New Orleans!
To say that New Orleans completely changed my life would be an understatement.
I had never felt so free. I got my first apartment on my own. I met many incredible people that became lifelong friends. I fell in love with jazz and the southern storms. I danced like nobody was watching. I learned the streets like THAT was my job. I immersed myself into the food and culture, and learned as much as I could.
New Orleans was also the first place I forced myself to go to a restaurant by myself; shaking with my heart beating out of my chest– I ordered a glass of red wine, drank it fast, and left. I learned so much as a travel nurse in New Orleans.
But I did it.
What I’m getting at is this:
I can’t imagine what kind of person I’d be today if I had never made that first move to be a travel nurse in New Orleans. All it took was taking one easy step, saying “what’s the worst that could happen?” Picking up the phone.. and letting go. Suddenly, a whole new world was opened up to me. One that I literally couldn’t even imagine before. I was hooked. There was no going back to my previous way of merely existing.
When I finally left for my next destination, after 6 months of learning, growing, expanding through the challenges (and a whole lot of memorable nights).. I cried all the way through Louisiana and Mississippi. Being a travel nurse in New Orleans had been such a profound experience.. I couldn’t even describe it. I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad.
I even remember my Facebook post:
“Until next time New Orleans “
No picture. No real words. I was speechless. Funny, it’s taken me 4 years to put this all into words, but sometimes you don’t even realize the impact something, or someone, or some moment has on you– until you’re able to look back with a new set of eyes.
Now here’s why I’m sharing today–
For the past few weeks, the thought of New Orleans has been popping up DAILY for me, (there’s a reason they say NOLA lives in you forever)..
And NOW I’ve figured out why.
It’s the feeling of absolute freedom.. of exhilaration.. of feeling SO alive in the moment I could cry.
My soul remembers.
It’s a personal guidance call to face my fears AGAIN. To level up. To just take one step into the unknown, to remind myself why I’m here, and what life is supposed to feel like. It’s a challenge to get to a whole new world and way of life that I can’t even imagine right now.
The best part is– every time I’ve ripped the band-aid off and just done whatever it is.. It’s ALWAYS paid off.
And what I’ve come to find is this:
The fears are always going to be there. The reasons NOT to do something are going to outweigh the reasons to do it when you’re skeptical or scared or doubtful.
It’s important to remember that your brain WILL try and stop you. That’s it’s job.. to protect you from straying from your personal status quo and level of comfort.
Wavering back and forth over a big decision..? Totally normal. That’s your heart and brain arguing over what’s best for you.
But when and if you can push past those thoughts and have COURAGE.. THAT’S when YOU take control and when the REALLY GOOD stuff flows in. That’s when you learn more about yourself and grow.
That’s when LIFE happens.
You then teach yourself that it’s ok to follow desires, it’s ok to take risks, it’s ok to listen to the heart once in a while..
And you’ll wonder why you waited so long to live.
P.s I’m simply sharing in the hopes that someone who is on the fence of choosing between comfort and something big and scary… that they choose the scary one. Take the chance. Opportunities don’t remain the same forever.
