Well, this is not a typical post... but I figure now that I'm out of school & back to my travel job, all my thoughts, images & experiences are fair game. I sat down this evening to type out an email to my recruiter (he helps arrange interviews/jobs/housing) & to selected family & friends. I found it so highly entertaining to write that after I hit the "send" button I thought what the heck... I'll post it right here on the ol' blog. And to think you thought my life was all art and travel!
Hello to Bill, family & friends,
Today, I thought I'd write a little traveler's tale for your amusement. You never know what you are going to get when you're a traveler. This is in terms of EVERYTHING... your housing, the location, the facility, the pay, the weather, etc. My traveler friend Laura & I used to call it the five factors plus factor "X." (factor X = is there a dateable guy around.) For this issue of "The Glamorous Life of a Traveler..." I'll focus on the housing. The house itself is fine. I mean, some of the lights were burned out... there is a garage with no garage opener, and I was left with no key to the deadbolt.... but, hey, these things are trivial. Let's talk about cleanliness... 'cause everybody knows... cleanliness is next to Godliness! Below is a picture of my bathroom sink upon arrival!! (The shower stall & cabinet shelves were only marginally better....)
How about sleeping arrangements? Well, after many miles (and cheap motels to try to stay within the "travel budget,") it sure would be nice to "come home" to a nice comfy bed... but this is what I found! Puzzled? it is in fact, two twin beds! But no! You can't pull them apart... because they rest on a king bed frame! The funny part... as if this weren't funny already... is that there is not a sheet in the place big enough to cover them... so I had to make them separately!
But!! Below was my other option. I don't know, you tell me... how old does a mattress have to be to fall apart like this? (I once had a mattress for 17 years & it was still in tip top shape!) Well thankfully, the beds were not made, so at least I could see what I was (or wasn't) getting in to. By the way... can you see bed bugs? Just curious, 'cause I woke up with itchy bumps on my arms after my first night!
Uuummm... "shabby chic," or "sheet in the window?"
I think you know the answer...
Oh, and this was a fun find! It's always nice to find BULLETS on the shelf in your new home!! NOT!!!
Oh well, at least they started to clean the tub...
Usually, the housing comes with the basics... like say a kitchen trash can... but at first I couldn't locate it. Oh, wait.... I found it... outside! Because, who doesn't want to do some serious cleaning after driving over 1,500 miles to get to their new job!
Uuumm, wait, what's missing? Yep, no photo of the dining room table.... oh, 'cause there isn't one!! There is however, an outdoor chair in it's place... a little misrepresentation, or what? Well, this concludes the very first issue of "The Glamorous Life of a Traveler!"
Stay tuned for more glorious adventure!!
:) Becky
p.s.- dang... if only I started compiling these stories when my travels began 5 1/2 years ago... I'd have a book by now!
8 comments:
Well - sorry about what you had to face, Becky, but it did give me some chuckles. (Also some shudders as I remembered similar (mis)adventures when I was younger.) Now - give me a firm bed (no crack in the middle, please, and definitely no bugs), and a clean bathroom or no thanks! Keep them coming. Good Luck! I knew there was more to you than great art.
Are you sure you didn't make this all up, just to get a great story, Becky? I don't travel much and you just convinced me....it's a good thing! Just kidding...but I do hope it's not bedbugs!
Good Luck from me too!
...Wanda
Okay, I have a question. When you say "traveler" is that the actual name of your job? What exactly is that?
Sorry, but I'm new to the blog and reading back posts as fast as I can.
Hi Clair,
I work in healthcare... I just don't talk about it much, as I started the blog for an assignment for an art class that I was taking. Mainly I blog to document my journey & process as an older student returning to school to study art, and the challenges therein. Blogging is fun, so I decided to keep it going, even though I'm out of school until the fall. I love photography, documenting & writing... and blogging provides an outlet for that! So, back to your question... for the past several years I've been traveling for work, filling in where there is a need in different states. That is just what they call us "travelers..."
Oh, now I understand. I remember now at physical therapy there was a wonderful therapist who was a traveler, too. I had forgotten that that was what she called herself, too. Thank you for the clarification.
By the way, I went back for the rest of my education when I was older than you--finished up my bachelor's and got a master's when I was in my fifties. So glad I did!
I can see that I will be learning a lot from your blog. The "altered" photographs are really wonderful.
Wow! I was thinking how lucky you were to have the glamorous travel job, but now, not so much. Eeww, that shower and bed is gross. How long do you have to stay there?
Good luck!
xoxo
Enjoyed your story, but the first thing I would do is buy a cheap plastic mattress cover in case it IS infested. YUK!!
How long of an assignment is it?
Ahh the romance of travel. Take your vitamins Becky.
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