NuNomad

Don't Know How to Fund Your Travels? How About Selling Your Life?

So often we get comments on the forum and questions sent to us from people who want to take off on extended travel but are wondering how to raise the funds to hit the road.

Well, as they say, "where there's a will there's a way" and Ian Usher of Wellard, Australia seems to have both. Ian Usher is selling his life on Ebay and so far the bids are near $400,000.00 Australian Dollars. The winner will receive his home, car, jet ski, parachute and other recreational equipment as well as his electronics, furniture, friends and job. Ian is careful to say he is not "selling" his friends but that his friends have agreed to welcome the purchaser and give him a chance. Likewise, his current employer (a rug company) has agreed to hire the newcomer on a trial basis. To support his sales pitch he has put together a nice web page (Alife4sale.com)where he gives the details of the offer.

OK, so most of us might not go this far - but think about it. If you're wanting to do world travel for an extended period of time you will have to do something with your stuff. Selling your things to fund your travel is not only a fine idea but it has been done successfully by a lot of people including our own Ricardo of NuNomad (read about it in our book "Quit Dreaming and Go!") who held a local auction of his things before he took off. Personally, I'm getting ready to hit Ebay with some books and Craigslist with a dining room table to begin saving for our next adventure.

And kudos to Ian Usher who's creative idea looks like it's paying off big! Bidding ends on July 29. Keep an eye on it.

Got an Interesting Office Space? Opportunity for Fame and Maybe Fortune - You Never Know

This morning I was contacted by Nick Leiber of Businessweek.com. They are working on a new project that will feature photos of interesting at -home office spaces and descriptions of those people who work in them. Nick thought our audience of nu nomads might be great candidates for people with cool office spaces and I have to say I agree. Ricardo has already sent in his photo and description. I'll be soon to follow.

If you'd like the opportunity to appear in Businessweek.com along with your name and short description, go to Wanted: Pics of Your Home-Based Business and follow the directions.

If you get published - let us know and I'll blog about you too!

What the F*** Are You Doing in a Cubicle?

by Carmen
Today as I was listening to the radio I caught a story on Marketplace (a popular public radio news show) about the latest reports on U.S. worker productivity. Here's an excerpt from it that I pulled from the story text on the Marketplace site:

DAN GRECH: Since 2000, workers have increased their productivity by nearly 20 percent, but during that same period, average hourly wages increased by only 3 percent.

JARED BERNSTEIN: The American work force is working harder, smarter and longer. Essentially they're baking a bigger pie, but they're taking home smaller slices.

That's Jared Bernstein with the Economic Policy Institute. He says the gap between productivity growth and wages is at a historic high. The reason, more money is ending up in the pockets of the wealthy.

The story then mentions that some economists do not believe the gap between productivity and wages is as large as reported although they agree that there is a gap.

And get this - the way productivity is measured is in units of "widgets per hour". I don't know about you - but I have one life to spend on this earth and it's damn sure not going to be spent in a cubicle pumping out more widgets for less money so someone else can live like a Rockefeller.

And I ask you - if you're reading this from your cubicle in the 12th hour of your work day "What the F*** are you doing it for?!" Is this really what you dreamed your life would be? If not - go out and live it.

I suppose you're on this blog because traveling is one of your dreams. Make it happen. We've got tons of information here for you and more coming. In addition, there's a whole community of like minded people here on the forum, ready to help and an e-book to give you a step by step. Sorry - you don't have any excuse for being a widget pumper. Believe me. I'm a coach and I've heard every story under the sun. If you want it - go out and take it.

Nomading Around Costa Rica

by Carmen

As you may know from a couple of posts ago, I recently had the opportunity to do a bit of nomading around Costa Rica. This wasn't a pure nu nomadic adventure as I wasn't able to stay more than a couple of weeks but I was able to scout out a bit of nomadic issues while I traveled/worked around the country.

Our journey began in an outskirt of San Jose, Heredia, moved into the rain forest area near Puerto Viejo, on to Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna, and then ended on the coast near Tamarindo (click town names for pictures). Costa Rica has a thriving tourist business that attracts many environmentalists and nature lovers to its "ecolodge" accommodations where they can marvel at the abundant wildlife and learn about the rain forest. It also beckons to the active traveler who loves to surf, hike, snorkel, bungee jump or you name it. In addition, you will find an active expat community that includes citizens from many countries of Europe as well as the U.S. While all of this means that it could be very easy in Costa Rica to find a comfortable living situation, plug yourself into a satellite television and live a sheltered life surrounded by your western world friends, your golf course and your mojito, it also means that if you want to really know Costa Rica and the Costa Rican people, you will have to seek them out away from the upscale niceties that have been developed for the tourist/expat lifestyle and "live like the Romans (or in this case, Ticos) do".

Getting around Costa Rica is an adventure in itself. It is possible to take short commuter flights between popular areas and major cities such as Liberia, San Jose, Tamarindo and La Fortuna. This may make sense if you really need to move locations quickly. However, you can make your way between many major destinations in a day or half day by car or bus. If you choose to rent a car be sure to rent a 4x4. While the larger "highways" ( I rarely saw any larger than 2 lanes outside the major cities) are paved, most of the remaining roads including major routes between towns are gravel and some are downright large (I'm talking cantaloupe size now) rock roads. Be prepared to place a large deposit (in our case $1500.00 US) for a car to cover any damage your adventure driving might cause. I chose to go with a Costa Rican rental business called Mapache Rental Car because of their lower prices. They delivered the car to me in the rain forest, were prompt, efficient and honest. The car had some difficulties shifting but made the trip without incident and I was relieved to get my deposit back in full, knowing we spent a lot of time kicking up gravel and rocks.

If you choose a place to remain as a nomad and are within a short distance to your daily needs you could get by without a car. You might even consider a bicycle as many of the locals do. Taxis are reasonable and the public bus system is downright luxurious. Before needing our car we chose to take a public bus to do some waterfall viewing. The bus was the same style as other tourist buses, air conditioned with upholstered seats. This was a great comparison experience between tourist living and Tico living. To take a reserved tourist van to our destination (a 45 minute ride) and back would have cost us $75.00 US per person. The same trip on our luxurious public bus - $4.00 US per person. The bus ran on a set schedule and we found it to be on time.

So - what about working? Here's where a bit of the challenge comes in. Costa Rica varies wildly between world class accommodations with all conveniences including free Wifi in your room (such as we found in Heredia at La Contessa Hotel) - to very rugged areas that are still waiting to receive land-line telephone service (the case around Lake Arenal). Do not assume that because a destination is popular, has charming accommodations or an internet presence, that there will be access to internet or even telephone available. In fact, once we left Heredia (near San Jose) we never again had access to a phone in our room let alone internet. Actually - I exaggerate here. One place boasted in room telephones that I was to find out later only called other rooms at the lodge. Many locations seem to keep a phone that will make international calls with a credit or calling card in their main lobby. This is great if you're just trying to check in with family but not so great if, like me, you're needing to meet with clients by phone for hour long calls.

If telephone is vital to your career, I would suggest you consider an unlocked GSM with SIM card for Costa Rica. In fact, mobile phones appeared to be the communicator of choice for many locals. I was amused by our 11 year old horseback riding guide one day who spent a good amount of time talking with friends on his mobile phone while he rode.

You should be able to find telephone and internet service at most of the larger towns and occasionally you may find some in a smaller town. One of my favorites was the German Bakery in Nuevo Arenal (article picture is from there), where you could sit on a charming open air porch, eat pastries and coffee and get some work done online. Don't have your laptop? No problem - they had a computer room in the back of their associated gift shop for $1.00 US per half hour.

So - all in all - here are my impressions for nomading Costa Rica. This is an amazing place especially if you appreciate wildlife and natural wonders. You will find everything from beautiful white sand beaches excellent for surfing, to a live volcano, and rainforests with abundant animals and birds. The people are warm and helpful, exuding their love of a laid back lifestyle and a pride for their country. Costa Rica is reasonably safe. While you will want to take normal anti-theft precautions (especially in San Jose) the rest of the country seems quite secure. Prices are slightly cheaper than US but not as low as one might hope for a nomadic destination. Internet access can be an issue depending on what area you are in. My advice if you'd like to try it out for a longer stay: consider getting a car for a period of one or two weeks so that you can be free to travel the country, get a feel for the variation of different destinations and the viability of doing your work in them. Don't plan to do a lot of work during this initial period because connectivity may be difficult at times. Do a lot of talking with the local people about lodging and connectivity possibilities. Here a knowledge of Spanish is helpful. Once you've chosen your nest, say goodbye to the car, unpack your bags and get ready for life the "Pura Vida" way!

How's This for an Office View? Heredia, Costa Rica

Unlike my Nu Nomad partner Ricardo, who nomads continually and has for years, I have not broken away from a home base that completely. For me, nomading has meant developing my coaching business until it is completely mobile and having the freedom to work from wherever I like for as long as I like. However, having 3 children of school age we do stay home for extended periods.

Today, though, I am enjoying my ability to nomad. When my mother in law decided we should all go to Costa Rica I knew I could continue to work so our family was able to double our time with her here as compared to the extended family.

We flew in yesterday to San Jose and have spent our first night in La Condesa Hotel in Heredia (a neighboring area to San Jose. This must be one of the most beautiful locations anyone has ever found to build a hotel and the place that was built is quite grand in a "grand old hotel" way. The picture I'm including is the view from our room. The rooms are 2 floors high with a loft layout so that each room has it's own staircase. The central dining area is open air and the grounds are extensive. There is free wifi in the room which I'm using to write this blog.

This isn't a place most of us could stay for an extended nomading experience because the price isn't cheap, but if you wanted to treat yourself to some luxury for a night or two this is definitely the place to do so.

Heredia is a charming place with many small shops and the hustle-bustle of lots of pedestrian traffic. Many cafes boasted "Internet" on signs so I'm led to believe it would not be difficult to work in this town. You can expect numerous church spires rising from this town that sits at the base of small mountains. We were also treated to the site of many fruit vendors, a lovely town square, and homes from cute little bungalows teeming with flowers to the gated homes of the president's extended family who made their fortune in coffee.

I would definitely encourage anyone to check it out! Today we move on to an eco-lodge in Sarapiqui.

Meet the Nomads - Again! - Catching up with the Atkins Family as they Circle the Globe

By Carmen

We last interviewed the Atkins family in May of 2007 as they were in the preparation stages of an around the world trip by bus while homeschooling their 4 children. At that time, the Atkins were overhauling their vehicle to accomodate their trip. Now they have been on the road for 6 months so we thought we'd get in touch and see how they're doing.

Manny, when we last interviewed you and your family, you were in the process of building out your bus and planning your trip. Now you have been on the road for several months. What countries have you visited so far?

We traveled through France, into Spain back into France, across to Northern Italy. Joe then had work in Monte Carlo, so we stayed in Antibes, and went in to work with him pretty much every day, which was wonderful! Back in to Italy, to Rome and beyond. We took a ferry to Greece, drove up through Bulgaria, into Romania to play a couple of concerts for the charity Growing Care. Back through Bulgaria and into Turkey, we spent Christmas in Istanbul, and New Year in Athens. Crossed back into Italy and came back up to France where we are taking a pause after traveling 15,000Km and being on the road for six months.

If you were advising a NuNomad as to what locations in Europe are most Nomad friendly (ie, low cost of living, widely available internet, quality of life) what would be your top picks?

Sometimes we’ve found the best internet access in the most surprisingly remote places (virtually the whole of Bulgaria seemed to have free wifi! just no shops!) and our favourite Italian campsite, in the forested mountains just outside Deiva Marina, had free and excellent wifi. And yet we struggled to find wifi in some capital cities - which surprised me! We have stayed mainly in campsites; which often offered wifi and always had useful info on public transport into the city etc. The free hot water, ability to plug in to electricity, and use of washing machines made sense for us as a big family. We often stayed overnight in truckstops on the autoroutes, when travelling from place to place, but then we’d seek the security and facilities of a campsite to base ourselves. The city sites tended to cost double the rural sites. Spain was cheaper than Italy and France, and the Spanish really know how to run a city! Greece was cheaper still, but we were there very much out of season. Turkey would probably be my top location - not too expensive, good internet, and the warmest and most generous strangers we ever came across. Istanbul was vibrant, and exciting. You cross from Europe to Asia and back, all within one city! Here’s a link to the blogs while we were in Turkey:http://web.mac.com/harryatkins/WTTW_Blogs/The_Family_Blog/Entries/2007/12/22_-_Turkey.html

Was this your original itinerary or have you changed? If you have changed itinerary what factors caused you to do so?

It was always our intention to have a fluid itinerary and while we were in Spain, we decided we weren’t ready to go into Africa. We thought maybe we’d head for North America, but in our (long) search for crossings for us and the bus, we discovered Grimaldi Freighter Cruises. Their office in Naples have been really helpful, and we were thrilled to find we could cross to Argentina. We were booked to travel in April. In fact this crossing has been cancelled, and we are now booked onto the November crossing.
This delay has coincided with a bit of a financial crisis for us: some money we were relying on has fallen through, and so we need to re-fuel our funds. We’ll sit tight for a few months here in France, live as cheaply as we can; earn as much as we can, and learn French! And hopefully be ready to get on the boat in November.

What caused the decision not to go to Africa?

We found it almost impossible to find a realistic crossing from Egypt to Kenya, which was our original plan; also the political situation in Africa seemed to be more and more unsettled. We decided we weren’t comfortable taking the children into a situation where we would be so vulnerable. It was a big disappointment, but Joe and I felt strongly that it was too early in our trip to be facing those kinds of challenges. Life on the road was going so well, and to be honest was exciting, interesting and challenging enough. I have to say though, that now we’re six months in, and have crossed borders in the dark and snow, I’m really excited about changing continents!

How has it been to be in the bus on the road with a large family? How have you all adapted to the close quarters?

The joy of a big family is that no-one ever gets left out; there’s a constant variety of different combinations. We run a very harmonious team to keep everything ticking over, and the children take as much responsibility for the tidiness and running of the bus as Joe and I. It works really well, and it all runs very smoothly. Being so close has become a way of life now, even sharing our huge top bunk with Arthur, our seven year old, feels completely natural. Going to bed is reminiscent of the end of “The Waltons”!

Looks like you’ve been playing music as a family band along the way. How do you set up your concerts and get an audience?

The music has been a great family focus. it tends to come in bursts. We played some summer concerts, at campsites and for friends; and a big Birthday Party last September. Then we played the two concerts in Romania. They were a real adventure. One was for the children the charity helps; they have so little, and live a hard hard life. It was a real pleasure to bring a live gig to them, we felt so appreciated, and it was very humbling! The other was in a big theatre as more of an awareness-raiser with local dignitaries etc. Here’s the blog link to the Romanian concerts - http://web.mac.com/harryatkins/WTTW_Blogs/The_Family_Blog/Entries/2007/12/7_Politics%2C_Philosophy%2C_Harmonics_-_Romania_2.html
We’re playing a gig in a couple of weeks here in France, a musical evening already organised, so audience gathering is not down to us! but we hope it will lead to a few more. So we’re practising hard at the moment. We’ve made no more than a free supper so far, and it would be great to earn a bit; but playing for pleasure carries less pressure!

What are you learning along the way that you didn’t expect?

Just how rewarding home-schooling is
I don’t miss England at all!
I never crave time to myself, away from the family.
The Turkish generosity is boundless.
There are more good people in the world than the media would have you believe! (Actually, I did expect that to be the case!)

How is the bus holding up?

She’s in fine form. She’s running better now than she was when we left the UK. We’ve ironed out oil-leaks and air system problems; fixed the radiator and had the heating re-instated. She’s happiest doing the kind of long, steady, regular drives we do, so really she’s in her element! There is a harmony and trust when we’re driving that’s hard to describe. The bumpy roads of Romania took their toll, and we had some quite big structural repairs to take care of in Turkey. But all in all she’s looked after us, and we’ve looked after her and the respect is mutual!

What has been the greatest highlight/positive experience of the trip so far?

There’ve been a few!
Parking on the waters edge at Camping Fusina, and watching the sun go down over Venice took some beating!
Driving through Greece in the crisp winter sun; snow capped mountains to our left, and crystal blue sea on our right...music playing, family singing... deep inner peace!
Christmas day in Istanbul! waking up to stockings in the morning, and a boat trip across the Bosphorus sea in the evening, the city illuminated magnificently in the moonlight.
I can’t even begin to put into words the way this trip and the preparations for it, have bonded us as a family. It has enriched our marriage and deepened all our relationships.

Welcome to the World.

The Environmental Effects of Nu Nomading

by Carmen Bolanos
Most of us are thinking about our impact on the environment these days (at least I hope we are) and we are hearing more and more about pollution emitted by air flight. I have been concerned because of my love for travel and for the environment that I could be encouraging people toward an activity that has a negative impact on our world. The question has been churning in my mind for several months, "What's more polluting - a long distance air flight or daily car commuting?"

So - here is my attempt to answer this question for myself. I'm not an expert on these issues so I welcome any comments or corrections from folks who may be.

In order to answer this question I am creating a sample human being who is a mix of myself and my NuNomad partner Ricardo and adding some data about the average American. This sample human lives in the Los Angeles area, drives a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan (not a Prius, but not a Hummer either). This person commutes 32 miles each day, the national average for an American as reported by an ABC News Poll analyzed by Gary Langer in 2005.

According to TerraPass.com the Grand Caravan emits about 2000 less carbon dioxide pounds per year than the average American car. That said, it is emitting 10,207 CO2 pounds per year if driven the national average of 12,000 miles per year. This is 1.17 miles per CO2 pound.

If our nomad-to-be is commuting 32 miles per day this is 8,000 miles per year with a 50 week year. This means our nomad-to-be is emitting about 6803 CO2 pounds per year simply by his/her commute (or just over 566 CO2 pounds per month).

Now, let's say our nomad-to-be has decided to take the leap into Nu Nomadic living and has chosen a destination that requires a long flight but where s/he will be able to live without a vehicle on a daily basis and not have to commute (as my partner Ricardo has done). Let's say the destination is Bangkok.

According to TerraPass.com, a round trip (assuming at some point our nomad will have to return home) flight from Los Angeles to Bangkok emits 6,432 CO2 pounds per passenger. This means our Nu Nomad emits approximately a year's commute worth of CO2 pounds just in the round trip flight to their destination.

Wow! That is a lot. However, let's consider the fact that the average American uses their car for more than just the daily commute. As I stated before, the average American drives 12,000 miles per year and emits 12,000 CO2 pounds per year with their car (the 2006 Grand Caravan is below the national average). If the Nu Nomad is staying in a location that will not require car travel for their year, they are saving 3,568 CO2 pounds per year that would have gone into the environment just through their car. I won't even try to compare other factors that would influence impact in the U.S. vs Thailand (use of air conditioning, heating, number of miles food is transported, trash sent to landfills, etc.) but I have a pretty strong hunch that the U.S. lifestyle is the bigger environmental culprit since we are fairly abysmal on many environmental measures.

What does this mean? Well, several things. If you are a nu nomad or nu nomad wannabe you can lessen the environmental impact of your travels in several ways. Here are some suggestions:

1) Choose a destination that will not require a daily commute once you have arrived.
2) Choose a lifestyle at your destination that will not require a car.
3) Consider the emissions factor when choosing how far you will go (could a small town in Mexico satisfy your wanderlust just as well as one in far off Asia?).
4) Stay in your destination long enough to offset the impact of getting there.
5) Eat local foods during your stay.
6) Educate yourself about the environmental impact of your travel and your daily life. TerraPass.com is a great resource to find out the emissions of your current vehicle and any flight you plan.
7) Contribute to the health of the environment by doing an act that offsets your impact. TerraPass offers a program through which money can be contributed to environmental causes in amounts that offset your specific activities.

Book Review - "Tales of a Female Nomad"

I suppose it's proper to review books when they are hot off the press but this Christmas I was given an older book that is so great for nu nomads that I had to write about it. Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman, is a personal account of a woman's nomadic life over the course of nearly 20 years. Her marriage on the rocks and her children grown, Rita decides to escape to Mexico for a time to learn Spanish when her husband asks for time apart. She returns from this trip only to find that her husband wants a divorce but the nomadic spirit has been born within her and she sets off on an adventure of many years that takes her to numerous destinations including New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia, Canada and Bali.

While away, Rita keeps her income generating through writing children's books. This is a career she had developed before hitting the road. As a writer she was able to keep contact with her editors and publishers from afar. The account depicts her transition from doing this work by snail mail to the advent of traveling with a laptop computer.

I found two things particularly inspiring about this book. First, as a woman and mother myself it was inspiring to see another woman who was in the midstream of life be able to make her traveling dreams happen. So many of us feel that we can't get away because of children, personal ties, or personal belongings. Rita shows that all those worries are just that - worries! Secondly, it was beautiful to read how Rita was able to enter a culture and create personal relationships on a very intimate level with local people without imposing her own western ways upon them. She returns home rich with the love she shared along her journey.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to get a sense of one nomad's life on a personal level. Rita's writing is very candid and you will put it down feeling that she has given you the details of her story in a very generous way.

Meet the Nomads - Nora Dunn-from the Canadian Rat Race to a Simple Hawaiian Life

by Carmen Bolanos
December 13, 2007

Meet Nora Dunn. A former financial planner, Nora and her partner Kelly gave up the 9-5 white collar life for that of laptop hobos. Nora and Kelly are currently house-sitting for an environmentally sustainable home in Hawaii after having crossed Canada by train. Nora maintains income by writing professionally about frugal living for WiseBread. She also maintains her personal blog, Life Happens, where you can read more about their travels.

Nora, I was reading on your blog that you and your traveling partner, Kelly, made a decision in 2006 to quit your jobs, sell your belongings and become nomadic. What brought you to this decision?

Previously as a career financial planner, I derived great joy from helping people to redefine their relationships with money and learn to plan for tomorrow but not at the expense of living for today. However it was when I was neck-deep in my practice (and quite successful) that I realized there was more to life than what I was doing. Both Kelly & I felt trapped in the rat race and couldn’t imagine spending the next 30 years of our lives maintaining status quo and keeping up with the Joneses waiting to fulfill our dreams of travel in far off retirement.

We both have also had this lifelong nagging voice in our heads telling us we aren’t on the right track which typically led us to drastic career changes more than once.

It was when I burnt out totally and became quite ill that I really started to listen to the voice, and realized that there was more to life than met the eye. One day when I was in tears about my predicament I was asked point blank what I want to do. In frustration, I replied “I just want to retire”! But then I thought about what retirement really meant to me (because knitting and gardening were certainly not high on my list), and I realized that my dream of a life of travel, adventure, and searching for inspirational stories to tell wasn’t out of the realm of reason to do right now!

Too many people detest their current daily grind yet don’t do anything but complain about it. I refused to become one of those people.

Hence: the decision to become a Professional Hobo!

What preparations did you have to do to actually be able to hit the road?

Selling my financial planning business was one of the trickiest obstacles, as it meant letting go of the dear relationships I had with my clients. However I took care to make sure everybody was in good hands, and surprisingly I received lots of support and encouragement from my clients and colleagues.

Then, it became a matter of selling off our belongings. I detail this process in a few articles here and here, but basically it was a matter of keeping (by storing with friends) only those things that we deemed irreplaceable (which amounted to about eight boxes) and selling or giving away everything else.

This was an extremely difficult process since society conditions us to accumulate stuff, but was quite freeing once we accepted the idea of letting go. I still miss the loft I had in the Beaches area of Toronto (Canada), but I don’t harbour an ounce of regret for anything that I’ve done.

Next was the matter of figuring out what to take with us. We have read over and over again that the less you take, the happier the travels go. So with that in mind, we kept a few outfits that are multi-functional, three pairs of shoes (hiking boots, runners, and sandals), minimal toiletries (Dr Bronner’s rocks as a multi-functional soap), and the ever-present laptop and camera combo.

Did you plan where you would travel beforehand or are you making it up as you go?

Life Happens while you’re busy making plans. And wouldn’t you know it – while we were planning our trip, life kept happening! Our original first destination was Costa Rica, where we would be taking an Outward Bound course to become adventure guides. But just before it came time to sign on the dotted line, we received a call from Kelly’s brother who was getting married in the summer and wanted us to be a part of his special day. So in a matter of three hours the plans changed drastically from summering Costa Rica to traveling across Canada by train (highly recommended by the way) and spending the summer in Alberta with family and friends, and enjoying the Rocky Mountains.

Costa Rica was still on the agenda for the fall, by which time life continued to throw us curve balls and we stumbled upon our current opportunity which is in Hawaii.

Having the freedom to roll with the punches and identify (and capitalize on) opportunities as they come is very special. We enjoy not following the plan, and continuing to make it up as we go!

It looks like you started out by using savings from your former careers but are now generating income on the road. Can you tell us what you’re doing and how it’s working out? Is it enough to sustain your travel?

Although we both have money saved from former careers, we are trying not to touch it as we travel. Through caretaking (more on this later) and volunteer work, we can minimize our expenses and live and travel for a long time on very little money. I also am a writer (on the subjects of travel and personal finance), and although it wouldn’t currently pay the bills in an expensive North American or European city, it helps out when living minimally on the road. It is an ideal career to work on as a Professional Hobo, since all I need is an internet connection to make a living.

Sustainability also becomes a matter of defining what the trip (and “travel”) and looks like for us. We could return to Canada, spend a summer bar tending or guiding in the mountains and enjoying what a new part of the country has to offer to us, and save up enough money to travel for another year. If we are back in our own country and working, does that mean the trip is on hold or over? Or is it all part of the adventure? We prefer the latter mindset, and even if we have to work to save enough to travel more, we are up for the challenge. We choose to call our travels a lifestyle and not just a trip.

I’m intrigued that you are currently house-sitting in Hawaii. How did you get this gig? Will you do this again as you travel?

Initially our online research took us to “WOOFing”, which is a way of trading work for accommodations around the world. The type of work varies, but is usually centered around working on organic farms.

Through this, we discovered the Caretaker’s Gazette, which connects people looking for rent-free living with those who need caretaking help or house-sitting. The opportunities are widely varied in nature and globally located. It was through this avenue that we found our current living arrangements. Hawaii was never on the radar for us, but the opportunity to learn sustainable living techniques (and to hopefully implement them in places of need on future travels) in a little piece of paradise was too much to pass on.

We are also members of Rotary International, a world-wide organization of people dedicated to “Service Above Self”, and helping others through fundraising and volunteering on meaningful projects. Rotary is almost single-handedly responsible for eradicating Polio, among other amazing accomplishments. As Rotarians, we have the ability to show up at a Rotary meeting around the world and offer our services. In return, we receive a warm welcome, the insider’s perspective of the place we are visiting, and sometimes an opportunity to volunteer on a meaningful project.

So through Woofing, Caretaker’s Gazette, and Rotary, as well as networking with other travelers, we expect to continue to find perfect opportunities as they arise.

How long do you plan to keep traveling?

Until we get tired of it! This is a question we often ponder, and we simply don’t have an answer yet. Since we are making travel a lifestyle and not just a trip, it is a potentially life-long adventure. However we acknowledge that the desire to “settle down” and create a more permanent home might eventually become prevalent and we are willing to cross that bridge when we come to it. As an entrepreneur and public speaker/performer, I am always looking for the next business opportunity, and the right one might be what halts our nomadic lifestyle.

What are some of your favorite places so far? Would you recommend any as more/less nomad friendly?

Although I have seen a lot of the world before (as a tourist), we are still quite new to the world of traveling as Professional Hobos. We started out by traveling across our own country (Canada) to rediscover our heritage and fortify our love for our own backyard. So it is with some bias that we say Canada is an incredible place to see (especially if you travel by train), and Vancouver Island is one of the most nomad friendly places in Canada.

Hawaii is also a very nomad friendly location, especially the region we are in, which is Puna on the Big Island. There are tons of work/trade opportunities, and a very transient population. Everybody here appears to be from somewhere else.

I also found South Africa to be an incredible place to see (and it can be done on a budget), and high on our list of places to go is Central & South America, Southeast Asia, and New Zealand.

Although I know people who have done it, I would cite China as one of the lesser nomad-friendly places, unless you speak the language and understand the culture. I have traveled through China before, with varying degrees of success (and pleasure).

What kind of reaction have you had from your family/friends about your traveling lifestyle?

I was quite surprised to receive nothing but support and admiration for our decision. Most people have told us that they wish they could do this themselves (but for a myriad of reasons they don’t feel they can), and ask to live vicariously through our stories (which gives me all the more inspiration to write).

The worst response we have encountered so far is a simple lack of understanding as to why we would sacrifice everything we have for the unknown, but it came with no judgment or harsh words.

What would you say are the pros/cons of the nunomadic business and lifestyle?

Pros: To see the world while we are (somewhat) young, and to inspire others to take charge of their lives and make similar decisions is an incredible treat.

We have met some amazing people from around the world, and as our network continues to expand, so does our sense of self and each other. There is nothing more poignant to help you learn more about yourself (and your significant other) than to go through the stresses of travel and discovering new places and come out the other side in one piece!

Cons: As North Americans, the desire to “nest” and accumulate stuff is strong in us, and requires some vigilance to counter. (This is ultimately a “pro”, but is still a challenge)!

Life goes on with family and friends back home, and being away can create a sense of missing out if you’re not careful about what you want.

Travel can also be stressful, looking for a place to hang your hat (even if for a night or two), constantly forging through the unknown, trying not to get ripped off, and guarding your few belongings against theft or damage.

Do you have any advice for those people wanting to set up their own mobile business?

In order to have a mobile business, an internet connection is imperative these days.

I started out with an older laptop, which almost immediately gave me grief with the wireless card. Although I would say I know a bit about computers, I am helpless to fix some problems and they can be crippling abroad. Don’t skimp on trying to make due with a compromise (like a palm pilot) if what you need is a good laptop. You don’t have to spend a fortune to be set up with the right stuff, and it pays off in spades in the long run. I also sold my good camera because it was too big and skimped out on my current one, and am regretting it since the quality of pictures and video (and consequent marketability of the shots) is compromised.

Also, when traveling it is easy to meet people and forget them almost as quickly as the friendship is kindled. Good entrepreneurs and networkers keep good records of those they meet. It’s not because they have super-human memories; they take notes. Make sure if you meet somebody you like, even if you don’t know how exactly they’ll be of assistance to you (or vice versa) in the long run, you keep their information handy (along with some notes to refresh your memory about them), and who knows – you may be able to connect them with somebody else you meet later down the road. Good karma can go a long way for a nunomadic traveler.

Meet the Nomads - Daniel Lloyd a Phunky Norwegian in Mexico

by Carmen Bolanos
November 30, 2007

Let me introduce you to Daniel Lloyd, a Norwegian who sold his belongings, paid off his debt and took off for the sunny shores and mountains of Mexico. Daniel is a bit different from past interviewees in that he is currently living off his savings and trying to get his income source going from his blogs. I chose to interview Daniel because I believe he reflects that adventurous travel spirit that just had to get on the road whether or not every detail was in place. A lot of nomads start out like Daniel and make it happen by sheer determination not to go home. I think Daniel is going to make it happen too!

Daniel, tell us a little bit about your background, who you are and what you were doing in Norway before you left?

Well, where do I start? I had worked the last 5 years as a front desk receptionist, checking people in and out of hotels, making bookings, answering questions and being service-minded.

I had been working around in different hotels in Kristiansand, Norway. The last couple of years I was working in the Rica Dyeparken Hotel, a big hotel located just next to the Zoo in Kristiansand. And even though the hotel was a huge family hotel, and the kids loud and whiny, I liked it there.
Working with people always puts me in a good mood, and there are always weird things happening in hotels.

Other than working as a receptionist, I worked as a decorator for EA games, working with advertisement for new games. Great job, but a lot of driving.

From reading your blog it looks like you were really ready to get out of your home country. What was going on that made you so itchy to travel?

There were a lot of things going on, but the feeling of restlessness was always over me, I think it must have been all my travels to different parts of the world that has made me have the feeling there is always something new to discover out there, and I want to see as much as possible!
I have been on Interrail trips throughout Europe three times and each time was incredible!
For now, my vacations have taken me to Morocco, Egypt, Spain, Portugal, France, Cyprus, Greece, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Great Britain, Italy, Thailand, Switzerland, Austria, and now Mexico.

But also the conditions in Norway at the moment were bothering me.
Norway is a great place to live, but very expensive! The salary I earned would just about get me through the month, with paying my apartment, insurances, and the amounts you have to pay every year just to be able to use your car are extreme. When I traveled, I saw how much further that money took me than at home.
So, after a while I kept thinking about spending more time in a country than just a few weeks or a month. I wanted to experience how it really was to live in a different country with a different culture.
I asked my boss if it was possible to get a year off, but sadly got a no. So I quit! It's a great feeling not knowing what waits for me if I go back to Norway. All options are open!

How long did you spend in preparation to leave and how did you choose where you wanted to go?

As I was on a sick leave from work pending my operation I had a lot of time to think about what I really wanted to do, what I wanted to experience and how much it would cost. I primarily wanted to go to Spain, as I had been there several times before, even lived there for half a year when I was a kid. But the prices there were very similar to Norwegian, especially after the Euro arrived all prices have gone up terribly!
Then a friend of mine recommended Mexico, as she had studied there for a while, and really loved the place.
I checked out a lot online about Mexico, especially how things were politically there after the dispute with the USA and the strict borders they had. But it checked out fine, and just to experience something so different from Norway, and Europe was a thing that really made me choose.

How did you fund your trip?

The trip is funded by selling my apartment in Norway, as I grew more and more aware of the unstable market that's on it's way to Europe it was a better idea than to rent it out, as that would not cover all costs of owning. My apartment was bought for a much lower price than what it was sold for, so I settled all outstanding debt, left no strings left that would give me grief if I left the country.

Freedom!

What has it been like for you so far to have sold your things and be living abroad?

The feeling of starting new in another country is great!
There are many differences, so just not to be able to drink the tap water as we can in Norway was a huge deal. Having to buy new water every week and small things like that are the little things that make it special.
The Mexican people are generally very friendly, and it does not take much for them to let you into their families.
And it's incredibly easy to make new friends, both at the university where I am studying and being out socially and meeting new people there, bonds are tied, emails and phone numbers are shared and friends from all around the world are being made.
It's nice only to have to pay for the apartment and food, and not having to worry of bills arriving in the mail that you have to pay every month!

Why study Spanish?

Spanish has always been a language I have loved! Just the flow of the language is beautiful!
It is also a great thing to be able to actually understand what everybody is saying when you are in a new country, it makes me feel more included, and I don't have to rely on them understanding English.
There are also a heap of countries that are Spanish speaking, so I can use it when I travel around.

And as I am going to travel around in Mexico, not just stay in Guanajuato it will be very important to know some to get around and ask people questions.

Viva Español!

Where would you like to go next?

The 11. December I am leaving for Cancun and Isla Mujeres where I will stay a couple of months and celebrate x-mas with some friends that are coming to visit from Norway. I have booked a room at Pocna Hostel for the first part, and I will see if it is possible to find some place to rent for a few months there. I will probably travel around in the area around Cancun to catch some sights and dive in some caves, as many have told me how wonderful it is in this part of Mexico.

After that the plan is to go to Cuba for a little while, and then travel on to Jamaica.. But this is still in the planning, and I will have to see if the money stretches enough.

Any advice about Mexico?

Mexico is a country of huge differences! As I only have been to 3-4 towns I have not seen the extremes yet, but you can really tell when people are struggling to get enough food for their families. But going to local restaurants and shops opposed to the "brand name" stores and shopping centers help the local economy a lot.
My advice would be to come prepared as some people experience problems with the heat, their stomachs (different bacteria culture) and to take care of your valuables.
Even though I have been told horror stories about buses being robbed, people kidnapped and stuff like that I have never seen it myself, and I hope I am not going to! Also, there are a lot of places with "tourist" prices so you should always take a little tour of different places to find out the value of things. I have met people that have gotten ripped off when buying local "art" for much more than their neighbors were charging.

You say you’d like to continue funding your trip by working over the web. Have you started this process? How is it going?

My travel blog, Phunky Phreak, where I post info about my trips was my first step towards earning some money, but as this is only the beginning, I still need to get more people interested, and I am moving on to try to make the content more "user friendly" as it is a little personal right now, but that's what blogs are for, right?
I have 3 more blogs that I am working on, Phunky Vids where I post my findings of humorous video clips discovered by me, Wonderfully Boring where I have some great stories that will get you through a boring workday in a jiffy, and Pimp My Corsa where I have my car project. This blog is on a break as the car is in Norway, and I am in Mexico!

I have advertisements on my blogs to try to build up some clicks, but I wish there was an easier way to make money, as this is for the moment not giving me much to work with. If anyone have any good advice I am all ears!

What will you do if you run out money?

As the salaries in Mexico are not good enough to support my expenses I would have trouble working too much. I am skilled with computers, and have patience with people, so I may charge for helping people with computer problems. Other than that, I have some backup money saved up in Norway, and if that runs out too, I will have to go back to Norway, find a cheap apartment, and just work hard for 5-6 months so I can go out and travel another year.

Do you have any advice for others who might like to travel and work as a nomad? What have you learned?

My best advice would be to always get to know the locals, get to know the city you are in, and what it has to offer.
Don't be too picky, if you really want to experience different things, then be prepared, because it's not like home. It's not supposed to be! That's why you left, right?
To work in a different country never seems to be a big problem, even though if you want a work permit, things may get harder. But I've met people working in gyms, bars, shops, and as teachers for money "under the table" so they don't have to worry about getting work permits. So if you really want to make it, you can!