Marian Barry, a former cardiac nurse, turned to volunteering in parks after a taxing nursing career worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. After losing her mother in 2014, she embraced travel nursing, which allowed her to explore the country. However, the harrowing experiences in hospitals during the pandemic prompted her to retire early. She now lives full-time in an RV, focusing on volunteer work in Oregon and Nevada, finding joy and fulfillment in nature and community, and plans to let her nursing license expire soon.
"After coming out of working the first 15 months of COVID in hospitals, it was like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm in nature. This is amazing. No mask, no PPE,'"
"It was hell. It was horrible being in the hospital," Barry said.
"When the pandemic hit, that changed. Watching countless patients suffer and die without family at their bedside was agonizing," Barry noted.
"I just cannot imagine going back to any kind of stressful job," Barry, now 71, added.
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