(Photo courtesy: Edward Deacon Photography)
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Tracy Goldwire, RT(R), felt at home during her two assignments in Berlin, a quaint town on the Delmarva Peninsula. Of course,
there was a good reason for that. Berlin is located only 25 miles from Salisbury, Maryland, where she was able to live at
home with her mother while practicing at 62-bed Atlantic General Hospital (AGH).
"I was familiar with Atlantic General because I did rotations there while training to be an x-ray technologist," notes Tracy,
a traveler with Club Staffing Inc. "Because I already knew some of my coworkers, my time at AGH went very smoothly."
Like Tracy, more practitioners are enjoying the financial rewards of traveling careers while securing contracts within reasonable
driving distances of their hometowns. Although some mobile providers specialize in "local" assignments, she had already logged
many miles as a traveler before her first contract in the 200-year-old town.
"The Berlin area and the rest of Maryland's Eastern Shore make for a great assignment because of the local beaches and the
proximity to Baltimore and Washington, DC. Best of all, you get a taste of all four seasons - without any of them getting
too extreme. I highly recommend Berlin to fellow travelers. Then again, I live nearby...so what else would I say?"
But don't just take her word for it. Berlin, the birthplace of Stephen Decatur, a naval hero in the War of 1812, is becoming
a favorite shooting location for Hollywood directors. Most people will recognize the town as "Hale, Maryland" in Julia Roberts'
film "The Runaway Bride" and as the sleepy Victorian hamlet in "Tuck Everlasting."
(Photo courtesy: Vinney and Tracy Caimi)
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You may even say that Tracy's experiences on assignment are the stuff from which movies are made. Because she had lived in
the region all of her life, you might assume she would be in for a rather humdrum 13 weeks. Not so. She was able to share
the highlights of her native surroundings with her new boyfriend, Vincent Caimi, another x-ray technologist with Club Staffing.
She had met Vincent, who was on his first assignment, in Brunswick, Maine, while working on her third contract.
"Meeting that special someone was the last thing on my mind when I began my traveling career," Vincent comments. "But I found
that travelers tend to stick together because they're all new to the area. They understand the challenges of being on assignment.
As a result, Tracy and I began talking a lot and tended to hang out - and that's how our relationship started."
So, when Tracy began working in Berlin, Vincent started an assignment at Beebe Medical Center in nearby Lewes, Delaware -
a relatively short drive to the north. Both Tracy and Vincent received schedules that called for three 12-hour shifts per
week. That gave Tracy plenty of time to give Vincent a personalized tour of the Shore.
One of their favorite destinations was Ocean City, Maryland, located only seven miles from Berlin. "If we were looking for
excitement and a lot of things to do, we would go to this resort town, where I could play volleyball or get involved in water
sports," Vincent recalls. "Tracy is more of a sunbather, so we also went to the beach in Lewes, where it was a bit quieter
and easier to relax. The Salisbury Zoo, which specializes in animals from the Americas, was another easygoing spot - not to
mention the national and state parks on Assateague and Chincoteague Islands."
Vincent began to share Tracy's fondness for the region. "It's not as fast-paced as my home near Sarasota, Florida, but I would
have no problem moving to the Delmarva Peninsula. It's such a nice part of the country," he says. "There is plenty of undeveloped
acreage, yet each place is reasonably close to nightlife and shopping centers. Besides, Tracy just introduced me to clamming.
There's nothing like reaching for the bottom and pulling up a horseshoe instead of a clam."
Tracy and Vincent liked their summer on the Eastern Shore so much that they asked their recruiter to obtain similar contracts
for them the following year. During 2002, Tracy embarked on her second assignment in Berlin, while Vincent practiced at the
Emergency Center in Millville, an affiliate of Beebe Medical Center. There was one big difference, however: This past summer,
they were engaged to be married.
The couple enjoyed dinners at Brew River, an informal establishment overlooking the Wicomico River in Salisbury, and the Rusty
Rudder, a bay-front restaurant in Fenwick Island, Delaware. Vincent's favorite hangout was Seacrets, a nightclub and restaurant
with a Jamaican theme in Ocean City. "I thought it was a really cool atmosphere," he remembers. "There are several tiki bars
by the water, and there was a nightclub inside the building. Different environments exist for your different moods. You can
socialize and meet people inside, or enjoy a nice meal in the fresh air. Tracy and I were able to spend a lot of quality time
together in all of these places and plan for the big day ahead."
That big day occurred on August 24, 2002, when the two were married in Salisbury. Because the couple had completed their assignments,
they were all set to enjoy their honeymoon: an unforgettable Alaskan cruise. When Mr. and Mrs. Caimi concluded their trip,
they landed assignments in Elkton, Maryland, located in the northern part of the state.
The newlyweds believe their traveling lifestyle gave them some unique experiences and, of course, helped them find each other.
Together, Tracy and Vincent have completed assignments in Maryland, Iowa, and Oregon.
What's next on their itinerary? "Right now, we plan on going to school in Charlottesville, Virginia, where I will study for
an MRI certification, and Vincent will concentrate on becoming a CT technologist," Tracy explains. "It is a six-month program
and, afterwards, we'll have to decide whether we want to settle down or resume our mobile careers. Our traveling days may
not be over."
Vincent agrees. "I think our decision will depend upon whether we feel competent enough in our new modalities after we receive
our certifications," he says. "We have a wonderful relationship with our staffing company and our recruiter, so it will be
tempting to continue traveling."
Considering Tracy's assignment in Berlin, they may not have to travel far in order to remain mobile practitioners. After all,
the Caimis' next adventure could be almost as close as their own backyard.
