Where Should I Work This Winter?

As pumpkins take over the world, traveling therapists begin to think about their next assignment that will last a good portion of this winter. Where do you want to be this winter?

Ocean, check. Mountains, check. Yeah, I could do San Diego. Does anybody know what San Diago means?

On the beach? On top of a snowy mountain? Somewhere exotic and outlandish? Are you going to hibernate, or are you going to thrive? I’ve got you covered, here are some of the best places I’ve been in the winter and other places I would love to go in the future.

Southern California

I always wanted to do an assignment in San Diego, but somewhere along the way it fell off my list. It seems like it would be a great place to get a January tan. I know lots of people who have taken assignments throughout Southern California and absolutely love it there. Home care offers really good pay rates in SoCal if you’re willing to try out that setting. The only hitch to working in California is that getting a license can take 4 to 6 months, so get started now if it’s on your list.

Ski Country

Pop Quiz:
Question: How does a snowboarder order a meal?
Answer: “Hey Bro, you gonna finish that?”

I love skiing, so I do the opposite of the snow birds. I love living in the mountains with skiing right outside my front door in the winter. There’s a lot of places to find jobs near skiing, but to actually live and work in a ski town is an experience that every avid skier (or snowboarder) should have.  most hospitals in the Colorado Rockies hire directly (without staffing agencies) and you’ll need to pick up the phone and call or go check the hospital’s website for employment opportunities. You might have more luck around Salt Lake City which has more employment opportunities and all the world-class skiing you could dream of within a 30 minute drive. Wyoming and Montana offer more rural settings with great back country access and beautiful, pristine landscapes. New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine all have quick access to big mountain skiing – some of the best skiers (and snowboarders) in the world come from New England – Bode Miller, Ted Ligety, Simon Dumont, Jeremy Jones. If you’ve wanted to see the Northeast and you’re a fan of winter sports, winter can be a great time with a lot of job opportunities and decent access even as far south as Boston.

Hawaii

Hawaii, idyllic for any traveller anytime of year. Plan ahead, lots of people want to go to Hawaii and jobs are competitive.

I love my time in Hawaii, but I am never here in the winter time due to my aforementioned affection for skiing. Although, the summit of Mauna Kea at over 13,000 ft does offer enough snow to ski on in depths of winter – so there’s that option. During the Hawaiian summer, the surf is more calm and better for swimming – the summer brings less rain too. But the winter is when Hawaii really displays its beauty. Migrating whales visit Hawaii by the thousands in the winter. The increased rain brings deep green colors to the hillsides that are brown and parched during the summer. And the surfing world gets together on Oahu’s North Shore to hold competitions on the best waves in the world during the winter months. If you want to go to Hawaii, you have to be flexible – a lot of people want to go there, so finding an assignment or getting your resume in ahead of other people can be hit or miss. I normally recommend making sure your recruiter presents jobs to you before letting them submit you. But Hawaii can be competitive enough that getting your name in first can be a real advantage – when it comes to Hawaii, you may consider giving your most trusted recruiter the green light to submit you to any job that fits your criteria.

Antarctica

Huh? Antarctica. Hang with me here for a minute. Our winter is the southern hemisphere’s summer. The University of Texas Medical Branch staffs the 3 US research stations in Antarctica with contract workers. Each year they look for, “Licensed Physical Therapists who have a strong clinical background and a taste for adventure.” I think both of those qualifications need to be strongly met. In a position where you may end up being a fairly solitary clinician with limited resources, you must know your stuff, and you have to be able to improvise with whatever is available to you. A “taste for adventure” states it lightly. I have heard this job is essentially like working on a submarine except that you get to go outside occasionally. My understanding is that you rarely get off base, and when you do, there is NOTHING (except hungry polar bears)… but, you’re in Antarctica and that is pretty cool. I have also heard about the “Race Around the World” – A 5K race in a loop around the South Pole – that’s just hilarious and awesome.

US Virgin Islands

Did you know the US Virgin Islands are a part of FSBPT, the same body that all US states belong to for PT licensure? Oh yes. It is as easy to transfer your license to the Virgin Islands as it is to any other US state. There are jobs available in the Virgin Islands, it’s easy to transfer your license, and they are a short flight from anywhere east of the Mississippi. I’ve talked with a couple people who have worked there, and they’ve loved it.

On a side note, while FSBPT is in the conversation – if you are a traveling Physical Therapist or recruiter and you are unaware of the Physical Therapist Licensure Compact, educate yourself now. PT licenses between certain states will be reciprocal within the next two years – very exciting, make sure your state is included!

Choose Your Own Adventure

Don’t be limited by these 5 options. Choosing where to go as a traveling therapist is as personal choice as you could make. There’s all kinds of opportunities available in the Southeast and the Southwest – great, warm places in the winter. I’ve seen and heard wonderful things about Lake Havasu in Arizona and San Padre Island in Texas – I just know nothing about them, so they aren’t mentioned here. Why not make an adventure. Try finding an assignment in the Florida Keys. Don’t let any list limit you, go out and find the place YOU love, that’s what traveling therapy is all about.