Photo: Getty Images/Tim Laman/National Geographic

Getting there is half the fun

En route to my assignment, which had been arranged through Boca Raton, Florida-based Cross Country TravCorps, I took time to explore my surroundings in greater detail, learning more about the history of Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren communities and appreciating distinctive styles of dress, food, horse-drawn carriages, and deeply religious lifestyles.

Three days and many highways later, I located the apartment that my company had reserved for me. The following morning, I surveyed the area, finding the local gas station, supermarket, Wal-Mart, and post office.

Settling in

When I started work the next day, a sign on the bulletin board read, "Welcome to our Dialysis Unit, Lila." It currently resides in my scrapbook.

I was assigned to the nine-station, acute dialysis setting, working alongside other RNs, one LPN, and a unit technician. We also provided care in the ICU, as well as peritoneal dialysis treatments. Occasionally, outpatient clients were admitted for blood transfusions. A nurse practitioner was available for first rounds on our patients. Afterward, the nephrologists conducted a follow-up review of the clients and signed off on all care performed.

My schedule consisted of 8-hour days, with every other weekend off, so I had plenty of time for extracurricular activities. Lancaster's city limits gave me opportunities to expand myself—and not just in the waistline. I joined a supportive writers group that challenged my skills and provided an introduction to different writing styles.

Not far from my job, I also discovered the train station that became the setting of my stories. Dark wood, high backbenches, and an empty hallway—that held a lone stranger standing in front of a window—triggered a new way to develop characters, scenes, and storytelling. I learned the beauty of detail in old radiators and carved handrails. Sitting in the draft of an empty station, I was covered with an appreciation of silence. This old building became my refuge and a stimulus for creativity.