​Packing is quite different for travel nurses and healthcare travelers. It's not like a week long vacation. You will probably be at your new location for as little as three months and maybe more if you decide to extend. You obviously can't bring all your home comforts with you but you also want to make you bring enough to make you feel "at home".

Consider your location of course before you even think about packing. Are you going to climate that will be warm and sunny or will you be spending some time in the cold north, and of course, everything in between. If you do a little climate and weather research on the area where you will be working, it will help you plan accordingly with wardrobe. Will you be doing a lot of outdoor activities or are you an indoor person? Think about it and adjust your wardrobe depending on locale and duration of stay.

Think about what you do and what you use regularly. We are all different. Maybe you like to read and will need to take a few books with you. Or, how do you cook? Are there certain utensils or pots that you may be more comfortable using? What about extracurricular activities? Will you need to bring exercise equipment of any kind? Sit down and write down what it is you do every day for a couple of weeks. This will help you plan what it is you need to bring with you to make you most comfortable during your travel assignment.

Discuss with your recruiter what is provided by the agency you are working with. If your agency is taking care of getting your housing make sure you are clear as to what is provided in that housing. Pots and pans, television, sheets, towels, pillows, vacuum, mop….all of these things need to be considered. You never know what "furnished" might mean.

And, of course, there are apps to help you with packing. You can download an app for packing from your app store, whichever one you may use. Or, there are web sites that can help you as well if you would rather use your computer.

Consider Packing Cubes to help you organize for your travel assignment. They can be used to organize before the packing. You can see in them and therefore when you get to your destination you can see which cube to look in for what you need first.

Don't forget about compression bags if you need to save space. These can be great packing aids when it comes to compressing your clothes into a smaller area for travel.

Consolidate and/or Organize your electronics. They make bags specifically for this and it can save you a lot of time and heartache. And, downsize your electronics. You don't need your smart phone, a laptop and a desktop to keep up in today's world. I still use my laptop everyday and my children think that is ridiculous because they use their smart phones for everything. I still like my email and work to be done on the laptop but have gotten rid of the desktop altogether. I have a portable speaker that can plug into my lap top or my phone and I can bring that with me in my laptop bag because my music is very important to my life.

A cosmetic travel bag is very useful. My mother travelled a lot after she retired and I always marveled at her cosmetic bag. It had everything in there, all organized and she knew right where each thing was. When she went somewhere she just unrolled it and hung it up and everything she needed was right there. This is a very helpful and convenient item to have and will help you make sure you have all your toiletry needs when you get to your new home.

Sometimes rubber storage containers can be more useful than suitcases when you are off on your next travel assignment. They are very durable and if you use clear ones you will be able to see what is in each one. They come in assorted sizes and shapes and you can use them over and over again.

If you are handy and like to fix things yourself, you may want to consider purchasing a multi-tool so that you can carry it with you instead of a tool box full of bulky tools. There are many multi-purpose tools on the market today and you can find one that will meet all your needs online or at your local outdoors store.

And, of course, you are always going to forget something. At least I know I am. It never fails, maybe just one thing, but always something important. Luckily there are thrift stores located just about everywhere these days where you can pick up used items cheaply. There are also dollar stores and Wal-Marts in every city if you can't find a thrift store or don't like used goods.

We wish you great adventures and safe travels!

Mary Crawford, HealthCare Employment Network