By Debra Wood, RN, contributor
With her children grown and with many years of experience as a dialysis tech, Rosalyn Dodson-Evans decided it was time to leave North Carolina and discover what else the country had to offer.
“Traveling is an experience that should not be missed,” said Dodson-Evans, 41. “There’s the joy of it. I’ve met so many wonderful people. They touched me in ways that have changed my whole outlook on life, not just the work I do but life in general.”
Dodson-Evans credits her travel experience with making her less cynical and embracing a more positive outlook on life. The upbeat people she has encountered have created a lasting impression.
Although Dodson-Evans had met travelers at the North Carolina center where she previously worked, she hadn’t given it much thought as she was raising three children. Then her husband suggested they start traveling. Still not sure whether to hit the road, she sought guidance from a higher power.
“It’s worked out perfectly. Everything has been like a blessing from God,” she said. “When I prayed on it, God said this was the best course of action.”
Dodson-Evans applied at leading staffing company NursesRx and accepted an assignment in Athens, Texas, a small community in the eastern portion of the state.
“I didn’t want to come to Texas, but when I got here, I fell in love with the community,” Dodson-Evans said. “And I love where I work, and they love me. They want me to stay permanently.”
But Dodson-Evans is not ready to establish roots. There are too many places on her must-see list, including Hawaii and New Jersey. She also hopes to land an assignment in Michigan, so she can spend some time with her parents.
“I want to see different parts of the country,” Dodson-Evans said.
While in Athens, she has traveled to Shreveport, Louisiana, to gamble and has explored the Texan highways and byways. She visited a 20-acre Christmas tree exhibit, with all of the evergreens decorated for the holiday. She’s been to rodeos and ridden horses with a friend she made at the dialysis center.
“The people are very friendly,” she said. “They have been outgoing and helpful.”
Having grown up in Detroit and while living in Fayetteville, Dodson-Evans thought of herself as a city girl, so the small town of Athens gave her pause. She expected the people to be leery of strangers but was pleasantly surprised by their openness.
The town boasts a town square, monuments and many historic buildings with quaint stores.
Dodson-Evans loves shopping, so it has proven to be a good match.“It’s like a picture out of a Norman Rockwell,” she said. “The town is so nice and so friendly. It makes you feel like you have been here forever.”
The clinical manager at the dialysis center and other workers have invited her for dinner and included her in their holiday celebrations.
Dodson-Evans works days and has her evenings free. She lives in a furnished apartment, five minutes from the dialysis center, provided by NursesRx.
“It’s awesome,” she said. “I wish I had known about [traveling] sooner. I would have done it sooner.”
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