Would You Want to be a Modern Nomad?

Do you want to live and work in other countries? Other cities?


Would you want to have an income that did not depend on your showing up at one spot at anytime?


 A job you could work at anywhere in the world?

I do--I always have. I spent most of my early twenties telling people I wanted to design my life around travel, wanted to live in as many different countries and cities as possible, and wanted to lead an exotic life. 

So, I did live in other countries and cities--for about three years; I lived pretty much out of a suitcase. I lived on a small island in Japan, then in Boston, then in New York, then in Perth, Australia, then in Melbourne, then back to Japan to live in Tokyo, then back to Melbourne. I worked as an ESL teacher, a waitress, bartender, hostess, retail assistant, wholesale assembler, receptionist, dispatcher at an animal shelter, cocktail waitress, and coffee maker. It was great, but my income was erratic and I hated having to get a new job everywhere I went, and I hated having to quit jobs I really enjoyed, in order to keep moving. I also hated leaving broken hearts behind and not having a support network of friends close to me. So, after returning to Melbourne from Japan, I settled down and held onto my friends. I continued to travel, but only for pleasure, and not for work. 

The thing with travel is it gets tiresome and lonely.  I now prefer to travel no longer than eight weeks at the most, because I have found that more than eight weeks dulls my senses to what I am experiencing, no matter how interesting, or how many lovely people I may meet along the way. It is also very hard to leave anyone behind who might be waiting for your return, be it a partner or a pet. One traveller I met put it very well, "When someone is waiting for you to return, you can't really be 100% where you are."

Yet, the upside is a tremendous sense of freedom and personal strength, and an unforgettable education and experience. I never look back and wish I'd done less moving around--I only wish I'd done a lot more. 

How can I be a modern gypsy?

This is the question I want to explore this week. How can I satisfy the gypsy in me, and still not go into debt, lose my job or my livelihood,  the love of my partner, friends, and pets? 

Who is living like a modern nomad right now, and how?

What kind of advice do seasoned nomads have for those who want to become gypsies?

I will share more of my own experiences, resources, and advice on what you can do, depending upon what country you are in and how old you are.

My goal is to travel eight weeks overseas every year. One week, two week, and even three week holidays just don't cut it for me; I have to have long sabbaticals from my normal life to feel the freedom I crave in travelling without an itinerary. 

Who has the travel bug permanently on their back like I do?

Where do you want to live or travel to, and for how long?