"I knew being so close to New York City would present me with the experiences of a lifetime," says Daryl Gray, RN, a traveler with Boca Raton, FL–based RN Network. "The train station was just one block from Monmouth Medical Center, my assignment facility."

Sister act

Gray says the best times she had were when she explored the city with her sisters, Dana and Cheryl. When Dana and her teenaged son and daughter, Ryan and Kayla, visited, the group took the ferry around the Statue of Liberty, strolled through the Museum of Modern Art, and saw "Wicked" and "Spamalot." States Gray, "Since we also love ethnic food, we ate our way from one end of the city to the other."

Cheryl came in for a visit from Boston, where she manages a restaurant for celebrity chef Todd English. The siblings checked out his New York bistro, Olives. "I think we ate for three hours straight. It was fabulous, and meeting Chef English was definitely a highlight!"

The sisters also made a trip to Ground Zero. "It was inspiring and comforting, in a way. There is a memorial to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11 and details on plans for the Freedom Tower."

Embracing travel

Having spent 24 years at one facility, Gray is fully embracing the mobile lifestyle. "When I travel, I am rejuvenated. I enjoy going to work again."

Her husband, Randy, is content to stay at home while she's on assignments, but her sisters think they have a stake in where she travels. "They say I have to accept contracts in places they'd like to see, like Hawaii and Fiji." Gray adds, "I'd like to view the New Year's Day Rose Bowl Parade in person. Thanks to healthcare travel, I believe I'll be able to do it."

JULIE ANNE EASON is a freelance writer based in China, ME. This article originally appeared in Healthcare Traveler, a sister publication. For subscription information, call (877) 922-2022 or visit http://healthcaretraveler.com/.