Englewood, Florida we have arrived. From the West Coast to East Coast, we had to see what all the fuss was about Florida. When we first decided to start on this adventure, we were going to spend time on the East Coast. The idea was to experience the communities and their way of life. In Florida’s case, we were excited for the beautiful beaches and tropical feel. Of course, as in our travel adventures, we decided to head out during the best time of the year: For Florida, it is spring. Yes, no hurricanes, no hot and humid weather. Come June and all that changes here; but we will be heading North to cooler weather, or so we hope.
Now, let’s get started on our beautiful trip.
Englewood Traffic Similar To California
So guess what we have found in common with California? Traffic. Who knew it could take 2-3hrs to go 50-75 miles. In many ways, Florida’s traffic is worse than California.If there is an accident in California, you can pull off the freeway and navigate around it. Here in Florida, it’s waterways with no way to drive around the accident. I did see a vehicle at Disney World that is a car and boat in one. Maybe that is what we need? Oh well, you can’t win them all.
Englewood Beaches Are Beautiful
What we have found fascinating is the beauty of the beaches and the tropical feeling with Tiki Bars/Restaurants everywhere. These bars/restaurants with thatched roofs have that island feel like Hawaii or Tahiti. Many have great food and live entertainment which is what Lynda really likes to experience. She even has a name made up for them called a shicky shacks. Don’t ask me where she came up with it, but I guess it’s going to stick. So we have been enjoying this on the weekends in different cities we visit.
We went to Fort Myers last weekend to see all the damage from Hurricane Ian six months ago. It looked like a bomb dropped on the main boulevard near the water. Lynda has found the sea shelling to be the best on Fort Myers Beach. We have also been to several other cities: Sarasota, Venice, Clearwater, Crystal Rivers, Orlando, Punta Gorda. I will dedicate another post about the cities we have visited, things we did along the way with some good eats.
Lynda Slips Into Her Travel Nurse Avatar
Lynda started work for a fairly large Hospital in the Sarasota area (on the Gulf Side). Her territory is where we live in Englewood, Florida plus Northport, Port Charlotte and even the Venice area. In some ways this is more work, and in some ways, much less than her other travel nurse jobs. As a Home Health nurse, you have to see so many patients based on a ”point system”.. So if you have to work at least 5 points, that means up to 5 patients..
When she worked in Los Angeles on her last assignment, she was required to have 5-6 points a day. So if she had a Start of Care which requires more time than usual, one patient could count for 1.5 points because of the amount of time spent. At her job in Florida, they want their Home Health nurses to do 7 points a day. So she has to see more patients. However, the “Less” part of the equation is with this Home Health agency, the paperwork and the actual work itself is less than her other jobs.
Another key difference: In other cities, there was more wound care for health issues such as: Diabetes or bad health related issues. In Englewood, Florida there are a lot of Snow Birds (people who go South for the winter) who end of having surgeries on their Hips or Knees. So it’s less work for a travel nurse because the surgeries heal faster for healthier individuals compared to someone that has a cardiac condition or poor health. The latter requires more diagnosis, education to the clients, and follow-up on different medicines.. So stay tuned for more information as we go along.
Kevin Dives into local Noon Rotary Club
While Lynda was working in Home Health daily, I had the opportunity to explore several Rotary Clubs. Among the various Rotary Clubs, I discovered that my strongest connections were forged within the Noon Rotary Club of Englewood. It was this Club that I cultivated valuable relationships and meaningful connections with fellow members.
Lynda and I both participated in volunteer work through a local non-profit organization called “Nurses-On-The-Go”. This selfless group dedicates their efforts to assisting homeless individuals at a nearby park, and we felt privileged to contribute alongside them.
Additionally, I would like to emphasize the significant role played by the Noon club in distributing emergency supplies following Hurricane Ian that struck six months prior to our arrival. Witnessing the remarkable recovery efforts within the community during our stay, was truly awe-inspiring, given the immense destruction caused by the hurricane.
Tiny Treasures Of Englewood, Florida
I want to share something personal about Lynda. She is famous for collecting things. She has quite the collection of stuff. George Carlin used to say in one of his comedy routines that, “I have stuff for my stuff”, which kind of applies here.
I knew what I signed up for when we got married. On our honeymoon, she had me carry around a sack of River Rock all through Greece and Europe. Here in Englewood, Florida, she has taken to collecting pre-historic Shark Teeth and sea shelling.
For Shark Tooth hunting, she has a basket attached to a long handle that she puts in the sand where the water crashes onto the beach and she scoops and sifts her basket. She has quite the collection now. In her off time, she is busy with collecting these treasures. How do we carry this with us as we go forward? I have no clue. It will be fun to see how we are going to pack that in our limited space.
In Jaws ,Roy Schneider says “ You’re gonna need a bigger boat”…Well, at the rate we are going, we will need a bigger car.
That’s it for now from Englewood, Florida. We are just getting started researching on our next hopeful state Maine for the summer.
Cheers
Kevin & Lynda