As we hope you know by now, Skyler is a travel ICU nurse and usually works out of state. That’s me! Colton used to work full-time at a local hospital as a telemetry tech interpreting cardiac rhythms in their cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU). When an opportunity to travel in Florida came up in late 2021, I convinced Colton to quit his full-time job and go with me to soak up the Florida sunshine. After returning to our home base in Illinois in May 2022, we realized that it wasn’t beneficial for Colton to return to work. Believe it or not, it’s perfect for us! Here are the nitty-gritty details of how it works, what he does, and why I love it!
1. Colton handles the day-to-day chores around the house.
I haven’t taken out the garbage in almost a YEAR! Colton does the routine cleaning, including the kitchen, living room, dining room, and our bedroom. I deep-clean the bathrooms, mop floors, and change decorations for each season! Aka, I get to do the fun stuff!
2. He does all of the grocery shopping and the majority of the cooking.
Turns out, Colton is a FANTASTIC cook. Ever had a cheese toastie with paprika butter? Or a grilled cheese if you live outside of central Illinois? Colton can give you the recipe; you’re welcome!
3. Someone is always home to take care of our animals.
While we don’t have any dogs who need to go out regularly, we do have two cats who tend to fight and want endless attention. My mother-in-law adores coming to check on her grandcats, but it’s so much easier that Colton is always home with them!
4. Don’t want to do an annoying task or errand? No problem.
I’ll be honest that I REALLY hate talking to insurance agents. And calling the plumber to fix things. And dropping off packages at the post office. And quarterly meetings with our financial advisor. And taking down the Christmas tree. Essentially, if it’s an errand or task that I dread, Colton cheerfully takes over!
I swore up and down this week that I was going to call our insurance agent this week to improve our dental coverage. He said he was happy to do it, but I was determined to take something off his plate and I’m very comfortable on the phone, so why not? Flash forward one week when the agent is scheduled to call me, and I’m throwing a hissy fit that I don’t want to talk to “these darn people again!”
Can you guess where this is going?
Colton took over, and I have zero guilt. We split responsibilities very evenly, and he has my back every time.
5. We never have to ask for vacation time!
Okay, this might be the best perk! I love scheduling monthly trips (yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds), and he usually comes along when it’s a destination that interests him. Since he isn’t obligated to pick up shifts at his as-needed job, his schedule is open for me to plan international trips as I please! I renew or begin another travel contract every three months, so I simply have to put my vacation time in my new contract, and off we go! Flexibility is a high priority in our lives, so Colton’s open schedule has been super convenient.
Hold on: if Colton does all of that, what do YOU do?
Do you think I’m slacking yet? I assure you that is not the case! I work at least 36 hours weekly (3×12 hr night shifts), but I usually pick up extra shifts to hit 60 hours each week. While working, I live in an apartment in St. Louis where I manage my own cleaning, grocery shopping, errands, etc.
The time of year and other life commitments determine who commutes that week. Most frequently, I drive the 3 hours back home to spend my off days with Colton, family, and friends. We enjoy working on house projects and inviting people over when we are both there! Colton comes down to see me if it’s more convenient for our schedule that week. His hard work and cheerful spirit have been a blessing to me as I explore travel nursing, and I couldn’t do this without him!
Travel nursing looks different for each family. Colton doesn’t work, but our setup wouldn’t work for everyone! If you have more logistical questions, feel free to leave a comment below or message us on social media!
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Looks nice to have all that flexibility!