Oh for sure! It’s almost like culture shock. You are entering an entirely new dimension and are shedding ways of being from your previous lifestyle. Just take it one day at a time.
Jill, this is so refreshing to read. Society often tells us that a nomadic life is for people in their 20's. With friends and family constantly "waiting" for this phase in our lives to be over. Your story is an example of how it's possible to do after being fully settled.
Amazing! Love this and fully AGREE! You give such a wonderful depiction of what this life choice is like. BRAVO!
My life story is so similar. We have been nomadic for 6 years now, along with our 10 year old daughter. What started as just me teaching internationally became a full blown family LEAP! And home base is mostly Nicaragua now, a country we travel to with our cat and dog as well. Hilarious to say the least.
So amazing to hold freedom out in front of us as a guiding light. Especially in times when my home country, which claims to be "the land of the free," is quite opposite. We are going back less and less. (If I had Canada to return to, I would. haha!)
Cheers! And maybe see you ya somewhere on the globe.
Amazing! Nicaragua is a great base, we loved it there. Your daughter will definitely benefit from having such a diverse life. I know what you mean about the US, but Canada is also hard for us to deal with. Mostly, the country is over-regulated and there are major housing shortages. Plus the cost of living has sky-rocketed. We know much better that there are other more affordable options in the world. But we still haven’t found that perfect spot just yet!
Resonance again. Thanks for the shout back. And the share. Wow. I hear you. Not sure if here is “forever” but it is certainly “for now”. Cheers to being in the quest ! I understand :)
The part about living like locals really resonated; I’ve noticed in my own travels how much more meaningful (and affordable) it gets when you step away from the tourist bubble and actually be in a place.
Trusting the process, even when it’s messy, is such a powerful takeaway.
I’m so glad I found your article! Thanks for leading the way. 😁 I’ve been struggling with the how-to-make-money part and never considered using my skills and knowledge like trade. I’m also excited to see that you guys make going home for part of the year work. It seems like everyone else is going 100% on the road (or appears to do that) and a split seems nice.
Thanks, Laura. It definitely took us some time to figure out the balance but this seems to be working well now. It feels better to be traveling with money in the bank and not having to also worry about survival from month to month. Trade is definitely a great way to do things, especially in countries like Canada where it is expensive to survive.
Very motivational article and I hope it inspired others to pack up and go. I'm 73 now and I guess I've been a nomad since my first journey when I was 17. I live in a little village in Bulgaria now and if you ever do make it here, you're welcome to stay.
Thank you so much! We’ve been to Bulgaria a couple different times and absolutely love that part of the world. For a while we thought we may settle down there but we aren’t at that point just yet. Thanks for the invite! We will definitely be back.
Love this! You've got some great tips! We've been nomads since the middle of 2020 and have loved it. We've mostly traveled all around the US but we have gone to Canada briefly and also to Europe a couple of times to visit family and venture out to countries surrounding them. It's in our future plans to go overseas more and spend more time traveling to other countries but we've loved seeing so much of what our country has to offer. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and tips!
That’s great, Donetta! I would highly recommend Mexico as well. If you steer clear of the tourist hotspots, you will have an enriching cultural experience. But the US also has so much to see!
We've flown to different places in Mexico and very much enjoyed those areas but we've never driven into the country and explored. That's great that you've been able to do that and enjoy it! There's a big, beautiful world out there isn't there!!
My personal fav is "Live like a local!" There’s so much more you get to experience that way, rather than being a tourist! Hitting up local food spots and using public transport are my go-tos! 🌍Thankss, I could learn a lot from this share. <3
This is an incredible post, Jill! Exactly what I needed to hear, too, especially the parts about trusting the process and not needing to figure everything out.
I’m 2 months away from quitting my job and moving onto a sailboat for a global odyssey. We have a bit of financial runway, but we’ll need to find a way to make money — somehow — at sea. I understand why this hurdle could stop plenty of people (it’s effing scary!). But I also know one thing for sure: when we’re hungry enough, we’ll find a way.
Woohoo! Exciting, Cory! Yes, I had a quiet determination that I would figure it out, one way or the other. It took some time, but we did. One step at a time! I’m excited to follow your journey:)
Great piece, thank you for this. It's what I needed to hear today...2 months in... working at trusting the process. So many emotions in the beginning.
Oh for sure! It’s almost like culture shock. You are entering an entirely new dimension and are shedding ways of being from your previous lifestyle. Just take it one day at a time.
So many great tips in here! The money one especially is a hard myth to bust but an important one. And definitely trust the process.
Yes, it’s the biggest hurdle! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Yes! It’s insane how many people I have to slap around to get them to understand how little it can take if you just plan it properly.
Absolutely!
Jill, this is so refreshing to read. Society often tells us that a nomadic life is for people in their 20's. With friends and family constantly "waiting" for this phase in our lives to be over. Your story is an example of how it's possible to do after being fully settled.
Amazing! Love this and fully AGREE! You give such a wonderful depiction of what this life choice is like. BRAVO!
My life story is so similar. We have been nomadic for 6 years now, along with our 10 year old daughter. What started as just me teaching internationally became a full blown family LEAP! And home base is mostly Nicaragua now, a country we travel to with our cat and dog as well. Hilarious to say the least.
So amazing to hold freedom out in front of us as a guiding light. Especially in times when my home country, which claims to be "the land of the free," is quite opposite. We are going back less and less. (If I had Canada to return to, I would. haha!)
Cheers! And maybe see you ya somewhere on the globe.
Amazing! Nicaragua is a great base, we loved it there. Your daughter will definitely benefit from having such a diverse life. I know what you mean about the US, but Canada is also hard for us to deal with. Mostly, the country is over-regulated and there are major housing shortages. Plus the cost of living has sky-rocketed. We know much better that there are other more affordable options in the world. But we still haven’t found that perfect spot just yet!
Resonance again. Thanks for the shout back. And the share. Wow. I hear you. Not sure if here is “forever” but it is certainly “for now”. Cheers to being in the quest ! I understand :)
The part about living like locals really resonated; I’ve noticed in my own travels how much more meaningful (and affordable) it gets when you step away from the tourist bubble and actually be in a place.
Trusting the process, even when it’s messy, is such a powerful takeaway.
Thanks so much, Bryan. I appreciate your comment and restacking my article.
Thank you for putting this together. Inspiring.
Thanks. And you are welcome:)
I’m so glad I found your article! Thanks for leading the way. 😁 I’ve been struggling with the how-to-make-money part and never considered using my skills and knowledge like trade. I’m also excited to see that you guys make going home for part of the year work. It seems like everyone else is going 100% on the road (or appears to do that) and a split seems nice.
Thanks, Laura. It definitely took us some time to figure out the balance but this seems to be working well now. It feels better to be traveling with money in the bank and not having to also worry about survival from month to month. Trade is definitely a great way to do things, especially in countries like Canada where it is expensive to survive.
Very motivational article and I hope it inspired others to pack up and go. I'm 73 now and I guess I've been a nomad since my first journey when I was 17. I live in a little village in Bulgaria now and if you ever do make it here, you're welcome to stay.
Thank you so much! We’ve been to Bulgaria a couple different times and absolutely love that part of the world. For a while we thought we may settle down there but we aren’t at that point just yet. Thanks for the invite! We will definitely be back.
Love this! You've got some great tips! We've been nomads since the middle of 2020 and have loved it. We've mostly traveled all around the US but we have gone to Canada briefly and also to Europe a couple of times to visit family and venture out to countries surrounding them. It's in our future plans to go overseas more and spend more time traveling to other countries but we've loved seeing so much of what our country has to offer. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and tips!
That’s great, Donetta! I would highly recommend Mexico as well. If you steer clear of the tourist hotspots, you will have an enriching cultural experience. But the US also has so much to see!
We've flown to different places in Mexico and very much enjoyed those areas but we've never driven into the country and explored. That's great that you've been able to do that and enjoy it! There's a big, beautiful world out there isn't there!!
Great advice. Love your story. It's not for everyone, but those of us who do lead this nomadic life are having the time of our lives. All the best.
Thanks, Rosie! I agree it’s not for everyone.
My personal fav is "Live like a local!" There’s so much more you get to experience that way, rather than being a tourist! Hitting up local food spots and using public transport are my go-tos! 🌍Thankss, I could learn a lot from this share. <3
Absolutely! We love piling into buses and cramped transport with the locals. It’s the best part of travel!
What great and inspiring information here. I wish I’d read this before I went traveling for two years… I might still be out there.
Thanks, Darren. It’s never too late to try again!
So many great tips, and inspiration!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it:)
I love the mix of practical and philosophical tips, Jill! I always say, do research but keep an open mind and be flexible. It's an adventure!
This is an incredible post, Jill! Exactly what I needed to hear, too, especially the parts about trusting the process and not needing to figure everything out.
I’m 2 months away from quitting my job and moving onto a sailboat for a global odyssey. We have a bit of financial runway, but we’ll need to find a way to make money — somehow — at sea. I understand why this hurdle could stop plenty of people (it’s effing scary!). But I also know one thing for sure: when we’re hungry enough, we’ll find a way.
Woohoo! Exciting, Cory! Yes, I had a quiet determination that I would figure it out, one way or the other. It took some time, but we did. One step at a time! I’m excited to follow your journey:)