Right now is not the best time to start traveling, due to the economy- there are significantly less assignments, so there is a LOT of competition for the available assignments- with that competition, hospitals usually have several travelers to choose from, and they will usually choose travelers who have the most experience with both traveling and in their specialty. And traveling with severe financial difficulties right now could be disastrous. Any time you travel, you should have a "cushion" of savings for unexpected expenses, but in these times, with hospitals on hiring freezes, have you considered what will happen if you can't get an assignment, an assignment gets cancelled early, or you don't like traveling? You may have a hard time finding another permanent position. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but currently, traveling is not paying what it used to, and I'd hate to see you set yourself up for financial failure.