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On a trip to Europe a few months back I met a young lady that rents Airbnbs out...everywhere she goes. She basically lives a nomadic lifestyle. No mortgage, no long term leases. Just a new Airbnb every so many weeks or months.
I'm curious to know if any travelers here are doing something similar?
Usually our stays range between a week and six months, we've been doing it for years now and have no ties back home other than occasional visits to see family and eat things like Hamburger Helper. It's a convenient way to see the world.
Usually our stays range between a week and six months, we've been doing it for years now and have no ties back home other than occasional visits to see family and eat things like Hamburger Helper. It's a convenient way to see the world.
Is it just two of you? Or do you have kids as well?
What made you start doing it?
Do you wish you had a permanent residence at times?
I would imagine either you tend to get a bit tired of the moving around aspect or you are super used to it by now (I imagine you keep "stuff" to a bare minimum)...
I know a few PTs and a few former PTs. I have never done this although for a time I did travel a lot while working remotely (but with an actual home base). As a family we are planning to do this for 2 years, in about 6 or 7 years from now (when the kids are a middle school aged). And when we are empty nesters again, I have no doubt my wife and I will seek to do this a bit more often.
I know a few PTs and a few former PTs. I have never done this although for a time I did travel a lot while working remotely (but with an actual home base). As a family we are planning to do this for 2 years, in about 6 or 7 years from now (when the kids are a middle school aged). And when we are empty nesters again, I have no doubt my wife and I will seek to do this a bit more often.
Thanks for the link to your previous thread about this; will check it out.
So when you plan to do this another 6-7 years, are you saying you will definitely not have a home base anywhere then?
Correct. We would do something like one month in each city (major urban centers) and just move along from place to place over the course of 2 years. Maybe throw in a few brief visits to small towns, vacation/tourist destinations, etc in between. It might be literally 24 months in 24 cities, but I also expect that life may force us to have 1 or 2 interruptions and we may need to return to either the US or Asia for a month or two for some reason. Also would like to do a 1 year around North America as well...probably more like 2 weeks in each place for that one.
Obviously many factors could affect our current plans, but if all goes as we hope then that is our ideal timing.
Is it just two of you? Or do you have kids as well?
What made you start doing it?
Do you wish you had a permanent residence at times?
I would imagine either you tend to get a bit tired of the moving around aspect or you are super used to it by now (I imagine you keep "stuff" to a bare minimum)...
Just two of us no kids.
We started it because we've always had happy feet and since retired in our early/mid 40s has the opportunity.
Yes, I miss having a kitchen I stocked and having dogs.
No, we don't get tired of it since we mix in enough longer stays. We've been in current apartment since September of last year, then will be in shorter stays for awhile during spring then moving to Portugal for the summer.
Correct. We would do something like one month in each city (major urban centers) and just move along from place to place over the course of 2 years. Maybe throw in a few brief visits to small towns, vacation/tourist destinations, etc in between.
You nailed it, that's the way to roll. You can't just keep doing 3 days everywhere or you burn out, you can do side road trips from that base, it's nice being able to get into the groove of the community a little more with time in one neighborhood, and it's much cheaper to book apartments for a month or more.
We've found about two months is where we really get most of what we want out of somewhere, have done all the side trips, etc. and it's long enough where you feel it's worth it to buy some things for the place to make it more home. One of the things I enjoy most when we've first arrived somewhere for a couple months is spending a couple days riding all over the city on public transportation, it's fun way to see different parts of town + knowing the bus/train routes makes everything easier.
I retired on fixed income 30 years ago, and nothing since then was ever with a sense of rootedness. Before that, I always had a closed end a year away or so, when finances would run out and I'd need to be gainfully employed for a while.
In a very liberal use of the term I was virtually a PT until my early 40's. As a teen I hit the road thumbing in Europe for 6 months on my own - in the beginning anyway - & after returning home a couple of years later I had to see the "other side of the hill" & spent the next 20 years at 20 addresses in a dozen towns/cities before I settled into a steady job/lifestyle & bought a home at 50yo. Until then I had no furniture, pets, home ownership, kids, new cars - just old beaters (extremely embarrassing to various girlfriends!)...
So: 1- I count my blessings I was able to land on my feet in middle age & live frugally enough & stay healthy in order to retire. But I had to fight the instinct every few years to jump to someplace else as I had always done. I did visit mostly far-flung places on my vacations
2- Now I feel a bit road worn & a bit weary with that past - been there, done that - & with age's decreasing energy I don't particularly envy those couples I see who are nomadic in their retired years. They are interesting but now I'm more focused on 3-4 locations that if I move to it will probably be to run out the clock with a dog & cat & some nice furniture & an interesting neighborhood.
So I guess I sorta reversed this trend & got the hobo energy out of me early on. I don't know if I would do this now, or advise a young person to do this now, because finances seem to be much more tenuous these days & a young nomad has to focus on wealth building at some point & become extremely self-motivated & networking or I think they will be in trouble in their latter years.
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