A quiet home base for medical travelers

Thirteen weeks is a long time to live out of a suitcase. After a 12-hour shift you want three things: a bed you sink into, a quiet you can sleep through at noon, and a place that feels like yours instead of a hotel hallway.

So that's what we built. The tiny home sits on open farmland about 10 minutes from Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Waxahachie: close enough for an easy commute, far enough out to hear yourself think.

Why medical travelers pick this place

Hotels are built for one night. Apartments want a year. This is built for a contract.

Who stays with us

"Travel nurse" is what everyone searches, but we host anyone on a healthcare assignment:

• Travel nurses: ICU, ER, OR, L&D, med-surg, cath lab, and every other unit.
• Cardiovascular and interventional techs: cath lab, interventional radiology, electrophysiology, and structural heart.
• Imaging techs: X-ray, CT, MRI, mammography, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine.
• Locum tenens physicians, CRNAs, PAs, and NPs.
• Respiratory therapists, surgical techs, and sterile processing techs.
• Therapists and lab pros: PT, OT, speech, pharmacy, and medical lab scientists.

Hospitals and your commute

Sorted by drive time from the tiny home, without traffic, as of October 2026. Weekday rush hour can add a lot.

The three closest

Routes

• Waxahachie, Midlothian, and Ennis: short, easy drives on I-35E and US-287.
• South Dallas and the Medical District: I-35E north, 35 to 45 minutes. Night shift dodges most of the rush.
• Mansfield and Arlington: US-287 northwest, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Coffee before or after a shift

Waxahachie's independent coffee shops are downtown, about 8 minutes from the house, and great for a slow morning or a few hours of CEUs.

Before 7 a.m.

• Dutch Bros, 1995 N. Hwy 77 (about 10 minutes): from 5 a.m. every day, until 10 p.m. (11 on Friday and Saturday).
• Donut shops: Donut Time (2100 Brown St.), Snowflake Donuts (2251 Brown St.), and Donut Palace (401 N. Hwy 77), all from 5 a.m.
• QuikTrip, 1342 Brown St. (about 7 minutes): coffee, snacks, and gas, 24 hours.

Local eats, and delivery to the door

Too tired to go out? That's what the delivery apps are for. For the nights you've got more in the tank than the couch, here's where to go, by shift:

Barbecue, Tex-Mex, date-night dinners, and the rest are in our where to eat guide.

Groceries, gyms, and scrubs

Walking paths and parks to decompress

Some shifts you have to walk off before you can sleep. The first spot is 10 steps from your bed: the porch. When you need to move, these are close.

Bigger days off

• Blow off steam: axe throwing, cosmic clay shooting, or a game under the Cosm dome. See nightlife.
• Bucket-list days: a tandem skydive over Bardwell Lake or a glider ride in Midlothian. See our once-in-a-lifetime list.
• Seasonal: the Scarborough Renaissance Festival in spring and the holiday lights in December. See holidays.
• The dog's day off: Wags-a-hachie Dog Park, about 9 minutes away. See our pet guide.

Licensing, per diem, and taxes

Your agency's credentialing team handles the details. Here's the lay of the land.

Texas licensing

• RNs and LPNs/LVNs: Texas is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. A multistate license from another compact state lets you practice here; if your home state isn't in the compact, you'll need a Texas license from the Texas Board of Nursing.
• NPs, CRNAs, and other APRNs: the compact covers the RN license only. APRN practice in Texas needs Texas APRN licensure through the Texas Board of Nursing.
• Physicians: Texas joined the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact in 2021 and has accepted compact applications since March 2022. For eligible physicians, it's much faster than the traditional route. Licenses come from the Texas Medical Board.
• Radiologic technologists: X-ray, CT, cath lab, and IR techs generally need a Medical Radiologic Technologist (MRT) certificate from the Texas Medical Board. Some hospital-based techs qualify for exemptions, and others can work under supervision through the board's non-certified technician registry, which matters for cath lab techs who hold an RCIS instead. A one-year temporary MRT certificate exists for some applicants, and techs certified only in MRI don't currently need a Texas license. Your facility and agency will tell you which applies.
• Respiratory therapists: need a respiratory care practitioner certificate from the Texas Medical Board.
• Everyone else: sonographers, pharmacists, therapists, and lab pros each have their own Texas rules.

Per diem and taxes

• GSA per diem, fiscal year 2027 (October 2026 to September 2027): Waxahachie is a standard-rate area at $113 a night for lodging and $68 a day for meals and incidentals. Many agencies use GSA rates as a reference for housing stipends.
• Texas hotel tax on long stays: guests who stay 30 or more consecutive days are exempt from Texas hotel occupancy tax. Tell the host in writing before the stay and you're exempt from day one; otherwise it starts after day 30. A break in the stay voids it. Ask us how it applies to the way you book.
• Your tax home: tax-free stipends depend on keeping a qualifying tax home. That's a question for a tax pro who works with travelers, not for us.

Booking your contract stay

1. Send your contract dates. Use our Book direct page and choose "Medical or healthcare contract," or message us on VRBO or Airbnb.
2. Tell us the basics: your facility, your shift (if you work nights, we'll know you're sleeping during the day), how many people, and any pets.
3. We'll tell you what we can do for your dates, including whether a stay of 30 days or more makes sense for your contract.

House rules are the same for everyone: up to 7 overnight guests, no parties or outside visitors, and quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Coming and going at any hour is fine; quiet hours are about noise, not arrival times.

What to bring

• Scrubs, compression socks, work shoes, and your badge reel
• A folder with your licenses, certifications, and immunization records
• Meal-prep containers and a good lunch bag
• Laundry detergent for a few months of scrubs
• A rain jacket; spring storms in North Texas are no joke
• Your dog's records and bed, if they're coming

Tips and mistakes to avoid

• Drive your commute once at your real shift time before day one, and find the employee parking. Forty-five minutes at midnight can be a lot longer at 7 a.m.
• Don't drive home drowsy. The country roads near the house are dark, and deer are out at dawn and dusk. Pull over, nap, or grab a coffee first.
• Apply for your Texas license or certificate the day you sign. Boards can take weeks, especially for MRT and APRN applications.
• Book 30 nights, not 29, if your contract runs that long. Texas long-stay tax rules start at 30 consecutive days.
• Ask about extensions early. Contracts get extended all the time, and festival weekends and holidays book up around here.

The honest take

• It's a tiny home, about 400 square feet. Pack for a contract, not a move.
• It's out in the country. You'll drive everywhere; town is about 8 minutes away.
• Quiet, not silent. A freight train runs on the far line now and then. If you're a very light sleeper on nights, bring earplugs or a white noise app and a sleep mask.
• We live on the property. You get the whole tiny home and your privacy, plus hosts close by if something breaks.

Worth it? If you'd rather come home to a porch and open sky than an extended-stay hotel by the freeway, yes.

How far is everything?

Hospitals are in the commute table above.

Estimated drive times without traffic, October 2026.

Questions we get