After 20 years, 8 state licenses and 75 assignments, Anne Postupak shares her story and her favorite part of being a travel physical therapist. 

<div>
  In 1990 I graduated from the University of Scranton with a B.S. in Physical
  Therapy and worked for 6 years in NJ at a school for Special Needs Children.
  Unsure this was where I wanted to be, I figured the best way to try out other
  clinical settings was becoming a Traveling PT for a little while. After a few
  phone interviews with travel companies, I chose TravCorps, (which eventually
  merged into CrossCountry TravCorps), and took my then 11 year-old cockatiel,
  Dundee, on one assignment, then another, and so on. Now, after 20 years &amp;
  8 state licenses (PA, VA, NJ, SD, MI, LA, CO, &amp; WA), I&rsquo;ve handled
  over 75 assignments working in Hospitals, Long Term Care, Inpatient Rehabs,
  Outpatient Clinics, School/ Pediatrics and Home Health Care.
</div>

<h2>
  Where is your favorite location or the most interesting place you&rsquo;ve
  been?
</h2>

<div>
  I&rsquo;ve had these questions put to me dozens of times over the years. My
  answer is always the same&mdash;&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t answer that.&rdquo; It
  would be impossible to narrow down only one place as my favorite location or
  my favorite setting. When I go to a new location, whether it&rsquo;s near my
  home in Pennsylvania or across the country, I try to take advantage of
  anything I can do or see while I&rsquo;m there. I&rsquo;ve visited dozens of
  National Parks, Historic Sites &amp; Landmarks, gone white water rafting, hot
  air ballooning, skydiving, parasailing, attended NASCAR races, and several
  local/ State Festivals, including Sturgis Bike Week. I&rsquo;ve also
  encountered all sorts of weather in my travels: the humidity in the Louisiana
  Bayous, the dry heat of the high deserts and thinner air in Colorado, a small
  earthquake &amp; 2 hurricanes (including Superstorm Sandy) in NJ, and most
  recently surviving 32&rdquo; of snow at my last assignment in
  Pennsylvania.
</div>

<h2>What does it take to be a Traveler?</h2>

<div>
  The first &amp; most important, I believe, is experience. When you take an
  assignment, you are likely filling in for a staff shortage, and the facility
  doesn&rsquo;t have time to teach you how to be a Therapist/ Nurse. You tour
  the facility, they show you the paperwork, and then, with some guidance, they
  need you out on the floors ASAP. Next, you need versatility. As a traveler,
  you don&rsquo;t always get to pick your favorite setting--depending on job
  availability &amp; where you are licensed. Think of it as a training tool for
  you to fit in at various sites&mdash;you can try anything for 3 months.
  I&rsquo;ve become a chameleon from traveling so long&mdash;I blend into my
  current location quickly and surprise many co-workers when they find out I am
  a traveler &amp; not a permanent staff member (a nice feeling). Third, your
  family&rsquo;s support is extremely valuable. I share a house with my sister,
  giving me a home base, and the rest of my family understands why I sometimes
  miss important events. Of course, they benefit by having a new place to visit
  in return. Finally, it helps to be a bit of an adventurer. Going to another
  state can be a little scary, but I chose traveling to see what I can see
  wherever I can, and believe I have blossomed as a Therapist and as a person
  because of it.
</div>


<div>
  I don&rsquo;t know how much longer Dundee (now 31) &amp; I will be traveling,
  after so many years it&rsquo;s getting tougher. I don&rsquo;t expect many who
  choose to become a Traveler will stay on the road as long as I have, but even
  a few assignments will promote both personal and professional growth which
  will only benefit you, your patients, and any location you decide to settle
  on.
</div>

<h2>About Cross Country Allied</h2>

<div>
  Cross Country Allied is the leading provider of travel assignments for
  Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language
  Pathologists, and Teletherapists. Looking to take the skills you&#39;ve
  learned on the road? Contact our skilled team of talent acquisition
  specialists today!
</div>



Cross Country Allied

On The Road Again…And Again with Anne Postupak

anne-postupak-traveler-tales

/travel

Locums

Investors

per-diem

home health

executive

Permanent

clients

Disclosure

travel

locums

investors

education

Corporate Careers

home-health

News + Insights

permanent

Clients

Disclosures 

CC-Footer

NURSING + ALLIED

PHYSICIANS + APPs

NON-CLINICAL

MORE JOBS

CORPORATE JOBS

MORE PROFESSIONALS

CONTACT US

SOLUTIONS

TECHNOLOGY

ABOUT

FAQs

RESOURCES

Main Navigation

Nav V2

Social-Icons