My husband, Avery, and I have been nomadic entrepreneurs for the past 6 years. Before I get into the how, where, and why of the lifestyle itself, I first want to start by shouting my gratitude for the opportunity to be able to successfully manage and operate my businesses and career from the road from the rooftops! I recognize how lucky we both are that we CAN live a life of travel – so many people and career types just simply don’t allow for it.
Now, let’s dig into the why; back in the day Avery and I were homeowners in North Dakota loving life with great people in not such great weather conditions. The icy cold not only took a toll on our bodies but our house. Every time we’d leave town in the winter months, to escape the chilling below zero temps, there were risks of what we might find when we returned. It became too much stress!
Our solution, we listed it, though we’d miss our friends and family we knew it was something we needed to do, and even though we didn’t know what to expect, we were ready to experience something new and travel around the US.
A Change of Pace
Packing up is a whole other level of difficult when you don’t necessarily have anywhere to unpack it. We knew we’d be investing in a storage unit but regardless, we needed to lighten the load – a lot! Luckly, Avery and I are not materialistic people so it wasn’t hard divvying up the “must haves” from the “I can live without”. I will say it was harder to decide how to pack, so you can always get access to what’s in storage.
What would our life look like as we traveled every couple of months?
Starting out, we had no idea what to expect but we were excited, nonetheless, for the inevitable change of pace. One of our other “why’s” was fulfilling our need for work while feeding out adventurously curious spirits. And I can honestly day after the initial planning was out of the way, we took full advantage of our ability to adapt and change in order to enjoy the lifeas a nomadic entrepreneur had to offer.
A Change of View
So, where did we go first you might be wondering? Why Gulf of Mexico on the Alabama coast for 6 weeks, of course. We wanted somewhere by the ocean, that was sunny and affordable, and at the time Orange Beach, AL, was. It was amazing to have a high-rise 3-bedroom condo that overlooked the gulf. It was a dream come true to watch the dolphins play and the pelicans dive into the sea. To eat outside and hear the roar of the waves. We did this for 4 years and then it was time to explore again.
Since then, we have visited and worked in, 6 states and explored dozens of cities looking for that place where we feel the most at home. The Rocky Mountains surprised and delighted me by being my all-time favorite location. We fell in love with New Mexico, the culture, the food and even the high desert. It has so much to offer, White Sand dunes, aliens (Rosewell), art and culture in Las Curses & Santa Fae and amazing healers in Albuquerque.
Our favorite city was Salt Lake City, Utah. With its natural beauty, friendly people, interesting art and culture. We both felt at home. Unfortunately, my body doesn’t do well in the elevation. So time to explore a new location. It’s my personal challenge to always try to top it wherever our next stop may be… maybe it’s time for an island experience, with no car. A good, fun, and fulfilling goal that pushes me outside my comfort zone and expands my gratitude for EVERY experience I’ve had on this wild journey we call life.
A Change of Heart
No matter where you travel, you get the innate opportunity to get to know the local culture, community, and customs – so many of which I never thought in my wildest dreams I’d have the chance to explore. Making new friends, partaking in different traditions, trying new foods, and absorbing local art not only expands your horizons but your perspective.
Never before could I have seen something through the eyes of someone so different from me than when I choose to fully embrace another person’s reality – walk a mile in their shoes even if it’s only through listening and respecting their story.
Through our nomadic lifestyle, my heart has gotten softer, more open, and compassionate for those experiencing hardships I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I got to know the people, their past, their present, and their dreams for the future.
And now, it’s my mission to help others gain clarity, courage, and confidence around them so they can live their ultimate life of fulfillment. I truly believe the relationships I made, the emotional knowledge I’ve gained, and the empathy I felt in connecting to others that were suffering in some of the same ways I was, led me to find my purpose. My path to helping lift others up.
