Being as prepared as a travel nurse can be when one arrives at a new location, makes life much less stressful. Chambers of Commerce are usually very useful in this area. You can request info through their website (if they have one) or call/write them and most Chambers have more information than you thought was available! Do this as soon after accepting a travel nurse engagement so you will have plenty of time to receive this package and review its contents. You can also find a link to all Chambers of Commerce through the eJane Support Services tab after signing into your account. Most Chambers will send you the address and phone numbers of the utility companies (phone, electric, gas, water, trash, etc.), a map of the area, a list of local businesses (restaurants, movie theaters, parks–dog friendly parks, too), a list or a copy of the local newspaper, and sometimes even a phone book. If you don’t get a phone book in the mail, you can either go by the Chamber of Commerce office or the telephone company office and most will give you one. Remember, phone books also have local maps with post office locations, libraries, parks, etc. marked on the map, as well as coupons too (which comes in handy when ordering delivery pizza for your first night in your new apartment!). I would recommend a trip to the Chamber of Commerce after arriving at your destination also–the people working behind the counter are friendly, helpful and usually have very interesting stories and tips about their town–and the smaller the town you may find the more talkative they get! Anyway, as a travel nurse there are many resources to take advantage of and local Chambers of Commerce are among the top of the list!