Two years ago, New Zealand NICU Nurse Christine McCown and her family were anxious to start a new life in America.

Today they own a RV (a recreational vehicle) and are enjoying the traveling lifestyle as they explore the United States.

"We always wanted to travel, but we had kids, so those plans were put on the back burner," explains McCown who is married and has two young children. But with her husband approaching his 40th birthday, they took out those travel plans again, dusted them off and decided to do it.

McCown applied through O’Grady-Peyton International and was accepted as the very first New Zealand nurse to come to America through the company’s sponsorship program.

After having only been to the United States once, to sit for the NCLEX examination in Los Angeles, McCown and her family relocated to Sacramento, California.

"It was much bigger than I expected," she said, adding that the O’Grady Peyton Meet-and-Greet program, designed to introduce nurses new to America to others in the same situation, helped her acclimate to their new life in a country far different from home.

But some aspects of life in America just took time to adjust to.

"My first week at work was mind-boggling," she said. "The abbreviations are so different here. Honestly, it took about a month to get the hang of the differences."

McCown’s 3-year-old son had difficulty with the move, while her 5-year-old daughter adjusted well in the new country.

"She’s a little American," McCown said. "She went to school and just thrived."

To help their young son adjust, and to give the entire family a sense of stability and ownership, they purchased an RV to call home. They moved into their home on wheels when McCown took another assignment, this time in Tucson, Arizona.

The entire family adapted very well to RV living. And McCown learned lessons from the purchase. She advises that international travelers coming to the United States take steps to establish credit as soon as possible. She initially had some difficulty finding a financial institution that would finance their RV purchase.

"We had credit in New Zealand, but that doesn’t carry over to the United States," she explained. "You have to establish it here, so I tell everyone to try and get credit as soon as they arrive in America."

McCown also bought a sporty new Chevrolet Camaro which she loves.

"We never would have had this lifestyle in New Zealand," she added. "We lived paycheck to paycheck on two incomes there. Now we only have one income."

Graham is a stay-at-home dad but McCown said their lifestyle is still better in the United States than it was in their homeland.

"We are seeing new things and doing new things every week," she said. "We own a new car and a new RV. Without a doubt, America is the land of opportunity."

McCown’s advice for international nurses coming to the United States is summed up in two words: be flexible.

"It is very a positive and rewarding experience, however, you have to be adaptable and ready for a change,” she said. "If you are open and flexible, you will thrive. Just be laid-back and don’t get stressed. Look for the opportunity in everything and make the most of it."