Day 23: What’s your level of location independence and your nomadic quotient?
Once I dreamed I would be paid to travel. I would go around the world having adventures and writing about them. Somewhere along the way that dream changed, but it hasn’t died. I still want to travel and I still want to write.
I’ve been “on the road” since 2009. I was an Au Pair twice, living at a family’s home, travelling around with my backpack and staying at hostel dorms, friends’ houses or Couchsurfing. I have met so many people from so many different places and learned to respect and love new cultures. I learned to travel solo and deal with unexpected situations. And I learned to be adaptable and open-minded.
I used to joke: “If nothing works out, I’ll become a hippie gypsy.”
Moving around takes its toll, though. Even though I enjoy solitude and silence, I often felt lonely and like I didn’t belong. I lost contact with many friends from home and really missed having familiar things and faces around.
Today, location independence for me is not being a nomad. It’s not moving every few months and taking all of my belongings in a suitcase.
I want a home with a big backyard, fruit trees and chicken. I want the comfort of my own bed and my own toilet. I want to cook fresh and healthy meals in my own kitchen.
Wait a minute, Ana! Didn’t you say you wanted to be location independent? It sounds like what you want is to settle down!
No, no, no. What I mean by being location independent is just not having to be somewhere at a certain time. That would be wonderful because:
I could go on weekend trips and not worry about work on early Monday morning.
I could take a weekday off, hop on a train and go to the seaside or to a town I don’t know yet.
I could even go somewhere new for weeks or months and still do the work I want to do.
I want to have the freedom to travel but I want a place to always go back to.
Do you want to be location independent? What does that mean to you? Do you have what it takes?
Once I dreamed I would be paid to travel. I would go around the world having adventures and writing about them. Somewhere along the way that dream changed, but it hasn’t died. I still want to travel and I still want to write.
I’ve been “on the road” since 2009. I was an Au Pair twice, living at a family’s home, travelling around with my backpack and staying at hostel dorms, friends’ houses or Couchsurfing. I have met so many people from so many different places and learned to respect and love new cultures. I learned to travel solo and deal with unexpected situations. And I learned to be adaptable and open-minded.
I used to joke: “If nothing works out, I’ll become a hippie gypsy.”
Moving around takes its toll, though. Even though I enjoy solitude and silence, I often felt lonely and like I didn’t belong. I lost contact with many friends from home and really missed having familiar things and faces around.
Today, location independence for me is not being a nomad. It’s not moving every few months and taking all of my belongings in a suitcase.
I want a home with a big backyard, fruit trees and chicken. I want the comfort of my own bed and my own toilet. I want to cook fresh and healthy meals in my own kitchen.
Wait a minute, Ana! Didn’t you say you wanted to be location independent? It sounds like what you want is to settle down!
No, no, no. What I mean by being location independent is just not having to be somewhere at a certain time. That would be wonderful because:
I could go on weekend trips and not worry about work on early Monday morning.
I could take a weekday off, hop on a train and go to the seaside or to a town I don’t know yet.
I could even go somewhere new for weeks or months and still do the work I want to do.
I want to have the freedom to travel but I want a place to always go back to.
Do you want to be location independent? What does that mean to you? Do you have what it takes?
