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Thanks for sharing! I agree this can certainly be an issue. Having too much freedom and too much choice is often paralyzing, and also the aspect of loneliness and not having a "home" to feel comfortable and rooted. It's actually something I've heard discussed a few times in the nomad community so I'm sure you are far from alone. In fact I just was listening to a travel podcast yesterday that kinda touched on this (at least how sometimes it's difficult to be able to go ANYWHERE with no restrictions)
I hope you can find some comfort somewhere. I wouldnt worry about "where your future partner might be" and just worry about where you feel suits you best for the next couple years. And then go there. Hopefully you have some idea after all your travels, or perhaps where your network of friends and family might be strongest. Good luck!
Thanks. You're right, I am driving myself crazy trying to pick the perfect location. I'm trying to think in terms of the next couple of years while also thinking long term, which is hard. I'd like to buy some land and put down roots eventually.
Thanks. You're right, I am driving myself crazy trying to pick the perfect location. I'm trying to think in terms of the next couple of years while also thinking long term, which is hard. I'd like to buy some land and put down roots eventually.
YW! It's easy to say since I'm not actually in your shoes, but again I would try not to think about choosing the permanent place. I think that's putting too much pressure on yourself. Choose the next stop that you think will be best for you now, and then when you're there you can make the decision whether it's where you're gonna put down roots.
None of the above. A home, yard, pets, kids, job, and normal daily living expenses wouldn't prevent me from traveling. It's all about priorities, budgeting and organizing life, so everything has its place. I travelled every single year of my life. One long vacation (3-8 weeks) and several "long weekend" (Fri-Tue) trips per year. There were times I made 2-3 overseas trips a year.
This sums it up for me. I'll make the budget work for it all. Life is a balance. I don't have pets and I'm always glad not to have the burden of finding pet care when I travel but I'm not sure I'd have pets anyway. If I had to pick something I guess it would be a new car. Every time I think about getting a new car, it occurs to me that I can afford a nice vacation if I eke another year out of my old one which runs fine.
There’s nothing I’ve actually given up to travel, though I tend to be frugal anyway. Thoughtful budgeting does wonders in general.
Also tend to be frugal when I travel on things that don’t matter much, which helps. Don’t stay in hostels but will stay inexpensively when given the choice, after doing homework on the place to make sure it’s not a dump. Taste in food tends towards the inexpensive anyway and many local specialty foods tend towards the inexpensive (BBQ, coney dogs, chili, cheesesteaks, hot chicken, soul food, crepes, currywurst, fish and chips, etc.), but will spend on something if I want a specific splurge — otherwise just keep it basic and simple. Book inexpensive flights that aren’t of the Ryanair/Sprit type, and not unwilling to choose the bus or train sometimes. Take attraction admission discounts if you can, including bundled admission deals if available and including the things you want to see. Not big on souvenirs, either — a fridge magnet is fine for me, unless again there’s something specific I really want.
Well I don't have children but traveling wasn't the reason plus at over 60 now it doesn't matter. However when my last dog died we decided to forgo at the moment getting another dog for the time being though we both want one, because we have no one to leave them with and experience tells us kennels, besides being expensive, are not loved by dogs. Both our dogs hated the kennels. Our first dog we either traveled with or in his early years were able to leave him with family. We only put him in a kennel a few times and he absolutely hated it. Our second dog we were far from family so we had to put him in a kennel several times a year and he too absolutely hated it. It wasn't that they were mean or bad to him but being cooped up in a cage most of the day with other dogs barking isn't what a dog who is used to being with you all day long in a quiet atmosphere wants. Some day, when we aren't traveling much, we will get another dog.
The first really good job I ever had, I quit as soon as I saved enough money to spend 7 months backpacking Europe. I was 29.
Exactly the same for me... except I was 19yo.
I have done without most of the things "normal" folks seem to expect to have/own/do in order to travel & that includes quitting jobs just to take another job in a different part of the country every year or two when I was younger.
It was pretty much an obsession as I listened to other people talk about the new furniture they bought or new vehicles or their new marriages (that usually seemed to end 5-6 years later I heard later). No living room furniture set or new Toyota could take the place of driving the Dalmatian coast or going to Bali to me. I'd rather spend the $500 on a weeklong trip to Paris back then & get my goods from yard sales & Goodwill stores.
I settled down, more or less, in my mid 40s though still took vacations & business trips.
I haven't really cut out anything in order to travel. Because of this, however, some of my travel has been limited. For instance, I have a pet cat, which means that I won't leave him at home for more than a week if traveling. Otherwise, though, my travel really isn't limited at all.
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You're right, I am driving myself crazy trying to pick the perfect location. I'm trying to think in terms of the next couple of years while also thinking long term, which is hard. I'd like to buy some land and put down roots eventually.
