A family of five. Seven years at sea. A global expedition only a handful of people can understand. The Washington Post reported yesterday on the real-life magnificent story of the Crafton family.

Kathleen Crafton, an ICU nurse, and her husband recently returned from a seven year sail around the world with their three children. Tired of the rat-race and ever-increasing materialism, they decided to sell everything, buy a boat, and spend every minute of every day with one another as they learned first-hand about the world. Their story of family values, education, and finances is awe-inspiring.

Kathleen plans to return to work this month. I can’t imagine what culture shock it will be like for her to return to the beeping and bustling ICU after hearing the ocean every day for the past seven years. Welcome home, Kathleen. I’m sure your adventures and experiences will only enrich your care.

Kathleen is one in three million RNs (American Nurses Association, 2010) making us one fabulously diversified profession.

The 1 in 3 Million series highlights individual nurses – diverse, frail, powerful, artistic, opinionated, daring – those changing their own lives and the lives of those surrounding them. I’ m proud to highlight Kathleen as the first nurse in this series.