When I tell people about my adventurous and nomadic life, I get a number of different reactions: either people are enthused or they get tired just listening to my talking about it. In any event, everyone tells me how lucky I am – it might not be for them – but I am lucky to have such a great opportunity. This is an absolute fact. No doubt about it. The thing is, it is not perfect, because nothing is perfect.
I have worked very hard to ensure I am happy and healthy while living such a nomadic life and that has become the most important thing. However, I still sometimes sit back and think about some of the things I can’t have – or at least have had to sacrifice for now – as ridiculous as some of them sound, this is my reality and my truth:
- A Cat, a Dog or Even a Fish
I grew up with animals – at one point I had 2 cats, 2 dogs, 2 gerbils, 2 turtles, and a fish tank. We were a family of pets and the fun of owning pets put our life in perspective. Animals are so important to our existence and anyone who has animals knows this. I commend those of you who try to travel with your animals – that is not easy.
- A Dozen Pairs of Shoes
I am girly, but my friends think it’s hilarious because I am usually quite low maintenance – like one bar of soap for my hair and one for the rest of me. But I assure you, I am girly!
My girliness is particularly revealed in my shoe collection – I LOVE shoes. My friend Meredith stayed at my flat once – we had only really known each other on the road – and when she saw my dozens of shoes, she was shocked! “I thought you only had a few pairs of shoes cause that’s all I saw you in,” she said. Today, I travel very practical shoe-wise, and my beautiful golden sparkled heels remain in a box in storage. In the grand scheme of things, putting those away seems like a small sacrifice.
- A 12-Week Pottery Class
I love learning new skills. I think this is why I have been drawn to such an unstructured life — I am constantly on a learning curve.
I grew up in a community where kids did lots of after-school activities and weekend commitments. That was part of my youth. Sometimes, I close my eyes and think what life would be like if I only lived in one place and have pottery classes on Tuesdays, choir on Wednesdays, coffee with a friend on Thursdays, and Frisbee every Mondays and Saturdays. Then I told my friend about this thought, and she said it sounded like a retirement home schedule but I just need to replace Frisbee with Canasta.
- A Bookshelf
Do you love books? I love books, especially the physical paperback books. On many occasions, I have purchased a book based on the cover. You too?
While I can have books jam-packed into my kindle when I travel, it doesn’t seem to replace a bookshelf. When I move into a new place, even just for a few months, I would try to do two things: 1) paint the walls in a beautiful shade like Mohave Sunset or Adobe Rose; 2) set up a bookshelf
Having books around makes me feel at home.
- The Perfect Work Station
In a perfect world, I would be sitting in an ergonomic chair with fancy screens on a desk with all the tools one would need. However, life as a working nomad means I am often working in bad postures, like right now: reclined on a pseudo mattress slightly angled.
- A Routine
So many self-help authorities talk about the importance of routine for humans to be productive. Mark Zuckerberg wears grey shirts every day as part of a routine so he doesn’t have to think about what to wear. But what happens if the possibility of having a routine is thrown out of the window because you are in a different time zone, city or home once every few weeks? Can you be productive and efficient without a routine or familiarity? I think yes, but it takes work. A lot of work.
- Souvenirs
My first big trip abroad was a school trip to Kenya and Uganda. I spent 3 months safariing across the two countries, taking classes, and learning about culture, environment and camping. It was amazing. I bought almost everything I could get my hands on. When I returned home, I had an entire suitcase of souvenirs: Shukas for my family, big local beads for my friends, soapstone animal sculptures for my shelf, massai utensils, and weapons for God knows what. It was excessive, but I thought I needed to bring all these things back for people.
Now I collect the occasional magnet, the nuttiest ones, and shells (when not deemed illegal to collect). I have picked up a few things over the years – mostly fish or ocean related – but that souvenir collection practice has greatly subdued over time.
- A Well-Stocked Kitchen Full of Good Utensils and Spices
I love to cook – I actually worked in a catering kitchen for almost 3 years. I also love to bake – hanging out in my aunt Jane’s kitchen to bake Grannie’s scones and shortbread was one of my favourite activities. Cooking and baking for fun is very easy to come by when I visit friends and family or when I stumble upon a well-stocked kitchen. But, for the most part, travelling and cooking do not fit well together. I therefore eat out almost 98% of my meals during the year. This seems so ridiculous, but it explains the importance to develop self-control and habits in order to avoid putting on unhealthy weight.
- A Wine Collection
A collection of anything really. I had some amazing wines in my basement when I moved out of my last place – they went to good homes but not into my belly. Collecting things is for people with homes and people with extra rooms in their homes in order to store the items they collect. I once dated a guy who collects guitars and cars – I thought he was a nomad, but then it occurred to me that maybe nomads don’t collect cars?
- A Gym Membership
So I will admit that even when I had a gym membership at one point, I didn’t use it. Did you know that gyms purposely oversell their membership allowance because they can guarantee that 50% of people don’t actually fully utilize their membership? This is not only about gym membership, but just membership in general. Those long-term contracts with yoga studios, gyms, and pools are useless if you are a nomad. There is a few membership passes that are countrywide, but I have yet to come across a universal pass for fitness. Maybe we need a co-pass for health?
What are some of the things you have a hard time admitting you can’t have living a nomadic lifestyle because it sounds negative and ridiculous?!
