How Food Fuels the Travel Nurse Experience
By Aaron Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert
If you watch any TV you’ve probably heard of “Bizarre Foods” on The Travel Channel. This show has been a staple for me ever since I first started traveling. Not only is it fun to watch, but it reinforces something I learned on travel nursing jobs: if you really want to get to know a new city, go out and eat!
During the first few weeks in a new assignment location, my wife and I would venture out to places within walking distance and try the local fare. We always spent our second night in town trying something new.
One of my favorite food experiences happened during our first travel assignment in Portland, Oregon.
We found our way to a local Greek restaurant and, along with enjoying amazing first-time foods, we danced the night away, breaking plates and having some ouzo (a Greek cocktail) upstairs.
Another memorable food experience was our second night in San Diego, where we hit up the beach and ended up at a local pizza place to watch one of the best baseball playoff games of all times. We got so into it, I hugged a random stranger in all of the excitement!
My wife and I often started our food adventures with just the two of us, but found that sharing food became one of the best ways to meet people on travel nursing jobs. We became very good at reaching out to new people and talking over a large pizza, Ethiopian shared dish, or maybe just a cold brew.
The local eateries were also amazing places to take friends and family when they visited. Once you’ve lived somewhere for a while, you begin to feel like a local and know the best eating spots without having to always check for online reviews.
Don’t get me wrong; travel apps like Yelp are great, but nothing beats a local recommendation—especially in a great city like New York with so many choices. The locals helped us find some great hot spots and then we got to share them with family when they came to visit. (Thank you Baby Bo’s Cantina: you made many a visitor happy.)
Restaurants and watering holes are also a great place to go after a long shift to unwind and forge relationships with other travelers and local nurses. You can really get to know someone after you’ve had a drink and some scrambled eggs with them after a 12-hour night shift with half a dozen trauma activations.
Trying new foods and unique eateries has become a staple in our society. International cuisine that used to seem so out there is now commonplace. Restaurants, diners and even food trucks are often favorite gathering places for locals and visitors alike.
Dining out provides the opportunity to converse, socialize and just relax—all while experiencing new gastronomical delights and the local culture!
Travel nursing is one of the best ways to experience new foods and expand your palate; it allows you to indulge in the best local fare and meet great people all over the country. It won’t break the bank, either, since your housing and many travel expenses are already covered, including meal allowances.
So why not diversify your taste and try a little of everything in a new destination as a travel nurse? Trust me, your stomach won’t complain.
FIND MORE of my favorite eateries for travel nurses across the U.S.
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