Maybe that’s enlightenment enough: to know that there is no final resting place of the mind; no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom...is realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go.
- Anthony Bourdain
At the end of 2021, I terminated my lease in Arlington, Virginia, got rid of everything I had except for what fit in my car, and started life as a digital nomad. Since then I have lived and worked in a new city every month, sometimes every week. Here's a reflection on some thoughts and things I've learned.
A map of what I've been up to so far:
red pins are extended stays, blue pins are visits, purple lines are flights, blue lines are drivesLessons Learned
It's Possible
What's possible? Anything. I wanted my Summer to start in January, so I went to Florida. I wanted to hike the Rockies in June, so I went to Denver. I want to ski the Rockies in February, and I'll do that too. The hardest part about living this way is getting over the fear of the unknown and starting. We live in the small worlds of our perception. We know what we see and we are who we surround ourselves with. Most of the time, we put our heads down to focus and the true scale of the world eludes us. That didn't suit me. We live in a small corner of a potentially infinite universe, and I'll never be able to live with myself not atleast knowing more about our corner.
Comfort is a drug and consistency is the dealer. To me, the best way to lose sight of my dreams and love of life, is to stop trying new things. That means being new places, meeting new people, and adventuring. I can always get back to where I was, but I might not always have the means, the lack of committments, or the opportunity necessary to be wherever I want, whenever I want. That being said, I couldn't do it without my incedibly supportive family, flexible employment, and a choice travel companion who keeps me sane.
The world is big
Intuitively, I thought that once I traveled, once I lived in a few cities, once I spent days driving across the country, that the world might feel smaller. That I might feel bigger. I was wrong. I've shrunk even more before the endless potential of adventures out there waiting to be had. It may sound strange to say, but now that I do have this freedom, giving it up feels impossible. A year-long lease seems like an eternal oath. My initial idea was that I didn't love where I was, so I'd travel until I found somewhere I did. Now I've fallen in love with the change and the chaos. I want to live everywhere and do everything possible.
The world is also pretty small
Being 2,000 miles from friends and family is not as daunting as it sounds. In fact, I see my friends more now than I did when I lived a close drive away from them. And the time is higher quality. Now, when my friends visit me, or vice versa, we have no trouble finding things to do in a new place, and we're far more invested in the time we get together. The uncertainty of where or when I can see someone next drives us to be completely in the moment and enjoy the time we have together. It's also perfect for an introvert. After a long weekend being very social, I can send whoever I'm with a couple thousand miles away.
The world is normal
Despite what our weaponized social media feeds would like us to think, people almost everywhere are "normal". In general, everyone just wants food on the table and some friends and family to hang out with. Granted, I haven't been to many of the places where a lot of politcally charged things happen, but it's been nice to recognize the fact that most people, regardless of their location, are good people. I suspect this extends to the entire world, and I hope to confirm or deny my suspicion in the future.
I don't need much
All of my clothes fit into a carry-on size suit case. I don't own any furniture, or anything bigger than a laundry basket for that matter. Living out of my car has forced me to audit and evaluate every item I need, and every item I buy. As I've traveled more I've gotten a better sense of what items are essential, and what are not. Owning less physcial things has also decluttered my mind. I have less things to keep track of, and less to think about overall. Although, it hasn't stopped me from losing my wallet every time I need to walk out of the house.
Cities are Relatively the same
I'm not much of a city person, so that's a disclaimer here. There is a bit of excitement in the novelty of each new city I go to. I love to explore cities and see the distinct architecture and culture of each but overall, spending a lot on food and drinks to see concrete jungles is not what floats my boat. Not to disparage people who love cities, but I'm much more interested in what 4.5 billion years of cosmic evolution has left us on Earth, than what 100 years of civil engineering has left us in cities. The way I've come to view it, I can get the same things socially out of any city. The inside of a bar or restaurant doesn't change too much city to city, but the trees, the wildlife, and the mountains are different even mile to mile. Except for Texas. There's nothing in Texas.
By contrast, my heart stopped and my jaw dropped driving into the outer range of the Rockies for the first time. Admittedly, it may have been the elevation, but I was much more excited to be in the mountains than I was to be in the city.
A Note on Miami
Those in the tech sphere have surely heard the hype around Miami. I spent a month living there starting with attending the Bitcoin Conference in March 2022. It's real. Miami has an energy I hadn't seen before I'd been there, and I haven't seen after. Maybe it's the constant sunlight, but people there have a refreshing purpose to their movements that felt like a lost relic of a pre-covid time. Everyone I met in Miami loves it there. I'm bullish on Miami in the next decade compared to other cities, and I plan on spending more time there.
Entropic Order
I am someone who thrives on discipline. I am at my best when I go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. I need to work out at the same time, eat the same things, and have roughly the same schedule every day to thrive. This might sound counter to the lifestyle I've chosen, considering that once every few weeks I completely uproot myself, drive 1,000 miles, and restart. I've found that what's best for me is what I'm calling entropic order. I have a strict discipline that I adhere to. Included in my routine however, is plenty of time to do new things. Put another way, I plan the times that I'm not going to plan. Each day I leave time for something spontaneous. That keeps me working hard each day to find out what the next day might hold. I tell myself that I have to earn it.
Looking Forward
The beautiful thing about this lifestyle, is that if I ever find myself in bad place, not enjoying where I am, or itching for a change, I need only book a new location the following month. That is one of the reasons I love it so much. In all aspects of life, I am very much someone who likes to jump around. I'm reading about 6 different books right now, trying (rather unsuccessfully) to learn two languages and an instrument, and working on a few side projects. I say this to demonstrate that I like to have a foot in many doors at once. Being nomadic is a natural extension of my personality.
I am open to finding somewhere that I truly love and setting up a more permanent shop there, although I think I will be perfectly happy to continute traveling. What will likely happen is that I will find a few places that I like to spend time that are advantageous for both social and professional life, and split my time between them.
If opportunity allows, I would also love to spend time abroad. I am already planning to be in Mexico at some point, but I want to get off the continent as well. Traveling the US is great, but culture between states is not too different. Top of list for me are Africa and South America.