ShutterbugRN Travels

Cougars, and Gators, and Chimps; OH MY!!

Hello, friends! Welcome to another adventure post. 🙂 Valentine’s Day weekend was pretty chill. My Valentine is currently in Indiana, so we celebrated the best way we know how: Over Skype with a glass of wine and a Netflix movie. ❤🍷🎟

I was itching for something to do, though, and had stumbled upon the North Carolina Zoo’s website a few days before. Listen, y’all. I am not a child (in age), or a mom, but I love me some zoos. I just love animals!! In high school, I had thought about being a vet and eventually working with big zoo animals, but it wasn’t meant to be. So now I’m a nurse working with big people in a hospital! 🤷‍♀️👩‍⚕️

Sunday morning, I packed my day pack with snacks and water and a raincoat and my camera, and headed on the road for Asheboro. The drive was pretty easy, and gorgeous because it was through the mountains (because everything is through the mountains). The zoo entrance was beautiful. There is a massive statue of a bunch of elephants. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a picture, because I was driving.

The zoo has two sections: North America and Africa. There is a section in between, Junction Plaza, with a butterfly house (which was not open) and a couple places to get food and souvenirs.

I started in North America and worked my way through to Africa. North America included swampland, rocky coast, plains, and desert. I made it to the sea lion exhibit in time to watch training and feeding time, and that was hilarious and super fun! The seals in the training session had been rescued, released, and re-rescued due to injury, so they were unable to be returned to the wild. I spent a lot of time watching them, the cougars, and also the polar bear, because they’re my favorite.

Africa was lovely! There was an aviary, filled with jungle plants and beautiful birds. Also, the usual lineup of African animals: Zebras, giraffes, lions, gorillas, etc. The exhibits for those animals were bigger than the ones in North America, simply because the animals were bigger and there were more in each one. There was so much room for the animals to explore and play.

After walking the zoo from North America to Africa and back again, I decided to hike a little bit. I had seen a trail listed on AllTrails (which is a great app if you’re looking for places to hike and walk) called Purgatory Trail and was interested! The trail head was in the zoo parking lot, it was listed as “Easy,” and I was game for more outside time.

The beginning of the trail is pretty flat and is also wheelchair accessible for about 1/8 of a mile. After that, the trail starts going uphill and changes from paved to rocky. I would say the trail changed to moderate at that point. It was uphill, a little rocky, and muddy from the rain the night before. I made it to the top, and it wasn’t a great view due to all the trees, but I was glad I did it! There are plans in the works to add an observation tower, but that is not under construction yet.

All in all, I would check the zoo out again, but when it’s warmer. I want to see the butterflies and the honeybees, and it was way too cold for them the day I went! Go to the zoo if you are ever in Asheboro. It’s super clean, a fun walk, and really cool to see the animals in huge habitats. Also would recommend checking out feeding schedules, if you are especially interested in particular animals.

Friends! Thanks for following my adventures, and keep an eye out for my next post! Hope you are all having a great week!

Weekend in the Mountains

My third weekend here had three of my favorite things: Hiking, and mountains, and beer!! My new Traveler friend lives in the mountains with her husband, and they were kind enough to invite me to stay with them and their friend for the weekend.

On Saturday, after a delicious breakfast and mimosas, we headed into town for drinks at Wicked Weed. I tried the Lieutenant Dank. Never have I ever had something so hoppy! Definitely an acquired taste, but I’m glad I tried something new. Dank beers are described as “funky” and I can’t really think of a better description than that. The second beer I tried was a sour blackberry, I believe. Pucker up, kids, cuz this one lives up to its name. Sours are as much of an acquired taste as IPAs. If you’re not a fan of bitter things, I wouldn’t recommend either one, unless you’re willing to try something new and a little different.

We headed back to the house after a cheese and snack stop at Ingles, and what an adventure that was! So many cheeses. And the free samples, guys…just get the free samples.

For supper, we had the best pho I’ve ever had in my life, and then we dance partied hard the rest of the night. Of course we took a break to enjoy the beautiful mountain sunset.

Sunday we decided to drive a ways and hike in Pisgah National Forest. The hike was short, but we ended up at Moore Cove Falls. We played around there for awhile, taking pictures, and then drove the short distance to Looking Glass Falls. It was a beautiful day. More hiking and sunshine, please. 🙂

Of course we stopped for beer on the way back to the house!

Our first stop was Mills River Brewing Company for a brew and a burger. Cool industrial atmosphere, and my burger was amazing. They also allow dogs, so I got some pupper pets in!

Second stop was Burning Blush Brewery. I got a cider from their guest tap. It was light and not too sweet. The interior was an interesting combination of Egyptian and Knights of the Round Table. Their pulls were very cool; wish I could have gotten a closer look at the details. There was also a food truck outside that we didn’t try, but it did smell good!

If you’re ever in the area of Mills River, NC go check both out, and get some hiking in!

I’m a little behind, but two weekends ago I adventured to the North Carolina Zoo! So keep an eye out for that post within the next few days!

Family Adventure Weekend

Fun fact: I moved over 600 miles from my home when I decided to come to North Carolina. That’s over 11 hours of driving, and about a 2 hour plane ride if you get to fly directly from Charlotte.

So when my parents decided to visit me my second weekend here, and also drive, I told them that it was long, but beautiful, and it would be worth it in the end. Cuz, you know, I was at the end of that long drive. 😉

They drove down on a Friday and as soon as they got down here, we went out for dinner. Salisbury actually has a lot to offer in the restaurant category. There are a bunch of neat local places and unique places to go. We chose a local chain called the Shuckin’ Shack, and it did not disappoint. Two words, friends: crab. balls. Get ’em. Also, Friday nights they serve whole lobster dinners, and just look at it, in its slightly blurry, cell phone-quality deliciousness:

If you don’t get tools to eat your dinner with, it’s not worth it.

So that was our adventure the first night! There was live music, it was a loud atmostphere, and we all loved it.

The next day we went to the Biltmore. If you’ve never been to the Biltmore, shell out the cash and take the self-guided tour at the very least. It is a beautiful mansion on gorgeous grounds, and right now through April 7th they are showcasing Downton Abbey with costumes, sets, and a completely interactive exhibition. It is amazingly beautiful, and ridiculously picturesque with the Blue Ridge Mountains seated in the back.

Sunday we visited Charlotte, and if you read my last post, I talked about the Liberty Walk briefly. If you get a chance to do the Liberty Walk, check it out! It’s a short self-guided walk with plaques along the way that tell about the history of Charlotte during the Revolutionary War. My favorite stops were the site of the British Encampment, which was amazing to me that in this built up city there used to be fields and tents and cannons on the corners of Tryon and Trade; Thomas Polk Park, which contains a fountain that I can only imagine is gorgeous during the warmer months; Settler’s Cemetery, which is home to the remains of Thomas Polk and his wife, Susanna; and the Queen Charlotte statue, who the city is named after.

Along the way we stopped at a pub called the Dandelion Market and ate lunch. Would highly recommend dropping in here for Sunday brunch.

We also just walked around Charlotte for a little bit and found a neat little park themed after one of my favorite things: BOOKS!!

After our tour, we were thirsty and hit up Fahrenheit, a rooftop bar a little walk from downtown with stellar views of the city. It was chilly up there!! But the views just couldn’t be beat.

And then it was time for football, because it was Super Bowl Sunday!!! A live stream saved our evening, and luckily the game was exciting and the ads were pretty fun. And can we talk about that halftime show?! Cuz wow.

Mom and Dad left bright and early Monday morning to head back home, and I headed to work, but what an incredible weekend we all had together! North Carolina has had a lot to offer. As of today, I have 9 (!!!) more weeks left in this beautiful state. If you have any suggestions for things for me to do, hit me up and let me know! I’m always up for an adventure. 🙂 Until next time, friends!

Salisbury, NC

My first week in Salisbury was crazy. I drove all the way down from Indiana in one day, immediately unpacked my car, then found a cool local place to eat dinner and decompress. My first weekend here was spent unpacking and exploring, and figuring out where all I had to go for work the next week.

On Saturday afternoon, I found a cute little coffee shop right downtown. They make a mean matcha green latte, friends. I sat there for quite a few hours, using their WiFi and enjoying the atmosphere. I have been here a lot the past few weeks!

Sunday was full of adventure. I wandered down to Charlotte to figure out where my orientation was going to be held. I ended up uptown (because uptown is way fancier than downtown) at Romare Bearden Park, surrounded by buildings and bars and people. The cool thing about Charlotte is that it feels a lot like Indianapolis. It’s about the same size, there’s a pro football stadium, and there are a lot of tall buildings and cool places to go. I’ll talk more about my adventure into Charlotte with my parents, and our experience walking the Liberty Trail in my next post.

Sunday afternoon, after getting back home and after driving on 485 (which is a lot like 465–everyone going faster than you is crazy and everyone going slower can’t drive), I needed to decompress and be outside. It was a beautiful day. I decided to check out Salisbury Community Park and I wasn’t disappointed. I walked around for a little bit, but didn’t do the full loop because it was getting dark and I wasn’t sure how far the trail went.

So the first weekend here was pretty jam-packed!

Week 1 was mostly orientation stuff. I met a new friend on my first day, also a traveler, and working at the same hospital as me but different hours. We hit it off immediately, especially after figuring out that she was born in the same city I grew up in!! **MIND BLOWN** We talked a lot about travel nursing over lunch that first day, and it’s awesome to have a friend in the industry who knows some tips and tricks.

It’s crazy to think that I’m finishing up my fourth week here! It’s flown by. I have a little bit more backtracking to do before I get caught up with myself, but it’s fun adventures, I promise!! Stay tuned!

Introductions

Hello, and welcome to my blog! My name is Katie and I am a travel nurse working in the operating room. I am currently in North Carolina working my first ever travel assignment. So far, so good! I have been a nurse since 2013, and an OR nurse since 2016. I started working on a med/surg floor (which I never wanted to do while in school), moved to an ortho/nero floor (where I fell in love with surgical patients), and then finally made the move to the OR (which I also never wanted to do while in school.)

When I was in nursing school, I got to do a day in the OR at a pediatric hospital. I saw a lot of really cool things, but also got lightheaded and felt like I was going to pass out. I wasn’t comfortable wearing a mask over my mouth and nose. I wasn’t comfortable wearing a cap all day. I just. wasn’t. comfortable.

So why am I here if I never wanted to be here in the first place?!

My first job out of school was on a med/surg floor. It was the hardest job I ever had. I worked nights, 12-hour shifts, and the patients were sick. I loved the folks I worked with, but floor nursing is HARD, y’all! I needed a change, and that need guided me to applying for a job in the OR. I was skeptical because of my past experiences in the OR, but decided to give it a shot anyway. If I didn’t like it, I didn’t have to work there! I shadowed for a day, felt WAY more comfortable than in my previous experience, fell in love, and was offered a position, which I took with so much excitement and anticipation.

In the almost-four years I was in that OR, I learned so many things from many different people. I not only gained an incredible team, but also a family. The thing about the OR is that it’s incredibly difficult, but you find yourself surrounded by amazing people who support each other through everything. And we’re all a little crazy. 😉

So let’s talk about traveling.

Travel nursing had been on my mind since day 1. I have always been drawn to adventure and uncertainty; the unknown is scary, but boy is it exciting! Life happened, and traveling was put on the back burner. When life hit me with a curve ball, I started reevaluating everything. I was given the opportunity to go to the 2019 AORN Global Surgical Conference and Expo in Nashville. I walked around that massive conference hall, and I stumbled upon the dozens of travel booths set up. I was delighted to realize travelers worked in operating rooms, too! I did some research, applied for a couple companies, looked at quite a few positions, and was offered one that seemed to fit my wants and needs.

So here I am, in North Carolina, working my first assignment and adventuring and exploring! My main purpose here is to post about my off-the-clock adventures. I hope you can follow me along the way!