Living a Nomadic Lifestyle
A nomadic lifestyle may seem like heaven to some of us, but it can also be unrewarding and bitter. Just like everything else in life, being a nomad has some wonderful advantages and a few substantial disadvantages. In this article, we will discuss some of the main characteristics of the nomadic life. But first, we start with a short discussion of the current status and trends of the nomadic lifestyle.
The single major factor which affects nomads is technology which has two related impacts. On the one hand, the rapid pace of technological advance is decreasing the number of ancient nomadic people, since it produces more reasons to settle down. On the other hand, the internet allows people to work remotely and become Digital Nomads, a way of life which allows anyone to work online while enjoying the flexibility to constantly change locations.
Here are some of the major characteristics of a nomadic lifestyle.
- A nomad constantly changes locations, switching from one place to another. Most nomads have some kind of place that they can call home, which is usually where their family or childhood friends are located, but they wouldn’t spend more than a few months a year there. Nor would they settle down in a new home. For nomads “Change is home”. Not many people can stick to this lifestyle on the long term, since most of us need a little stability and a private comfort zone. Nomads have no real home they can feel comfortable in, and spend most of their time in someone’s else accommodation (i.e. a hostel, short rental, a friend’s place, or couchsurfing).
- The nomadic lifestyle is more important than anything else, including career, relationship, or assets. A nomad will avoid any attachment which forces her/him to be tied to a specific location. Once you have decided that your nomadic lifestyle is first priority, you will have to sacrifice to make sure it stays sustainable. Many nomads find the Buddhist religion as a good fit, since it focuses on non-attachment and letting go of everything you have. A nomad lets go and clicks an imaginary “reset button” as they move between locations.
- Avoiding attachments- A nomad breaks away from her/his attachments before taking the nomadic path, and stays away from attachments while living as a nomad. What is an attachment? Anything that keeps you away from realizing a nomadic life. It is anything you have (or actually, think that you have) and can’t give up on. The perfect job that is impossible to get once you quit it, the dog you love so much and can’t be left behind, the amazing girlfriend/boyfriend that will not agree to become a nomad. A quick interesting insight- if you have those, and feel happy, keep them. But if they are not perfect and don’t really make you happy, say goodbye to all your fake attachments and either find better ones, or choose the nomadic path instead.
- Nomads usually become quite smart, easy going and interesting people. The reason for that is clear, they are exposed to many lifestyles, cultures and constantly changing situations. This constant process of change is your teacher. If you are ready for it, it will make you a better person.
- Nomads don’t take life very seriously. Think about it. If you keep losing everything you had (friends, home) every time you change a location, then the basic understanding dawns on you: “everything is temporary and nothing is yours”. After you understand that, you can’t really take life too seriously, there is nothing to defend.
- Nomads travel light and have a minimalist mindset. It means that they consume experiences instead of accumulating Stuff. Life is short, and the only thing we are guaranteed not to lose is great moments experienced. Those of us who keep on over consuming and increasing their possessions will find it very frustrating to carry on their backs while constantly changing locations.
- Nomads usually travel slow. Even for the rare few who can live life without having a home, it is important to create emotional stability by staying longer in each location (usually 1-3 months) in order to establish routines and make meaningful friendships.
- Nomads are respectful, smiley and above all curious. If this is not the case, why would you choose a path of a constant change? Being positive also helps to mitigate one of the greatest disadvantages of the nomadic life, which is loneliness. We are all social animals, which means that without company, we wither and disconnect from ourselves. Since nomads have to keep on rebuilding their social circle wherever they go, being happy and positive is crucial. Regardless, one of my favorite nomadic quotes is “If you are lonely when you are alone, you are in bad company”. Nomads spend a lot of their time alone, and should enjoy it as well.
- Digital Nomads are trying to deal with the issue of lack of social life by choosing global locations that are Digital nomad hubs. This greatly increase the chance of meeting like-minded people.
- Nomad think and adjust fast. As a nomad constantly changing locations, everything is always new. You have to put effort in finding what you need, and probably can’t speak the native language. It means that you must learn to trust your intuition and make quick decisions.
There are many different types of nomadic lifestyles and each of us better customize their own. For example, with time, I have developed a set of nomadic routines and rules which I follow and adjust. Now it’s time for you to decide if the nomadic life is a beneficial experiment to you, and if so, just make it happen.
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Hi Dan,
Tough call. But from what you say, I would have to intuitively say the answer is that a nomadic lifestyle is not the best solution for you.
You see, a this lifestyle is tough, mainly since you get to spend a long time with yourself, in constantly changing situations.
People shouldn’t “run away” to this lifestyle, but switch to it when they feel it can improve their lives and make it even better.
It great that you consult with all available sources, and I encourage you to keep on doing so until you will make the right decision for yourself.
All the best in your journey.
I need the reasons that make the Nomadic Community to be refer as special target
Hi Abdulhadi,
Nomadic communities are quite interesting, and quickly disappearing.
I have to say I lack info on those communities, and I only investigate the topic of individual nomadism. I hope to gain more knowledge about Nomadic communities in the future.
Eli
Loving this site!
I’ve been traveling for the past 4 years and come to realize that I love adjusting and setting up camp but once I’m settled I want to discard the familiar and move on. I seem to have a maximum expiration date of 3 months and then I have to go or I’m unhappy, stifled and unimaginative! Travel breaths life into me; makes me feel free and alive and bursting with all kinds of creativity!
It’s defiantly a nomadic life for me 😀
Hi Claire,
3 months is also more or less my timeline between changes.
Good luck in your nomadic life 🙂
l want to know 2 disadvantages of living a wandering lifestyle
I find it interesting to hear a few of you specify a timeline of about “3 months.” When I look back at my life and think of all the times I was happiest, they do seem to be after a major environmental change has happened. The in-between parts seem to dilute the overall richness of my life. I’ve alway done almost everything I was told to like focus on my college education and career. At 31 years of age I am now a successful Graphic Designer stuck in the same company doing the same exact routine every month. At this rate I will never be able to dig myself out of the debt school has caused. My creativity is stifled here, and I realize that on this current path the in-between period for me will be for the next few decades. It feels like looking down a gun barrel with someone else’s finger on the trigger. My gf feels the same. She has always moved around her whole life and loves adventure. Between the two of us we make nearly 100K. I’ve been poor, seen hunger and know how hard it is to make money when you have none. I also know that in the long run it doesn’t make you happy.
So, we’re getting rid of our stuff and loading up our recently purchased used travel trailer to start out on the open road. I’m not sure what we will do for money, but I know better than to worry about it. There are many resources out there. We’re both smart, young and opportunistic. Life is very short and precious. I’m not going to wait until I’m almost dead to start traveling and enjoying my short stay on this planet. These past few months I have researched what it would take to become nomadic and I believe this is the perfect resolution for us to get what we want out of life. Quite frankly I keep kicking myself for not coming to this realization sooner. I hope to see you guys on the road somewhere…
Erick,
Sounds like a great plan.
I never regret for the past. It’s the mistakes and moments of sadness which makes us grow and take good decisions in the present and future, and it looks like that’s exactly what you are doing. I started my nomadic path 5 years ago when I was 31, and I would never trade the experience of the daily grind of the 9-6, it is exactly that which allowed me to take the decision to go nomadic.
Happy travels to you!
Hi
that was a cool article…..
do you really need to have a constant source of income or money at all when you begin??
isn’t it possible to earn doing odd jobs on the way?
after all, you need money to fulfill only your basic necessities and transportation..
and travelling is a matter of courage and not money..
Hi Ritu,
It is possible, but I am more focused on the digital nomad revenue source, so that’s the only thing I can write about.
Working online allows me freedom, and some certainty, instead of just going to a place a bit dependent looking for a job. With that said, if you have a skill (e.g. Chef) you can indeed do odd jobs on the way, I think it also allows you to connect to the place better while actually working there.
One of the problem is that if you work on odd jobs, you will probably do it illegally since you don’t have a working visa, so this is something I am avoiding by working for clients out of the country.
I think traveling is also a matter of money and not just courage. (Life is actually a matter of money and courage combined)
If you get this job of yours, please send me an update, I would love to know your story and maybe share it with the readers.
I’ve lived this way for atleast 15 years, skills are needed to sustain this lifestyle along with some very helpful people , weather its family, women, friends etc. You manipulate everything around you and everyone but thats how you keep going. Hard work is involved also, labor intensive jobs as well as running into very different types of people. Don’t get me wrong I’ve learned a way of life but sacrificing relationships and “things” come with this.Happiness replaces “things” when its achieved so in all essence the things you’ve given up and relationships you have thrown away become very unnoticeable at the time of happiness. ….This is my short version so happy travels because if you’re reading this you’ve already become a Nomad;)
Hi Brent,
15 years is impressive. Skills are indeed needed, and this lifestyle is definitely not for everyone.
I am interested to hear about the “price” paid after you stop living this lifestyle. Did you feel that you are worse off because the 15 years spent as a nomad when deciding to settle down? How did it feel to finally stop, does the nomad “itch” disappear and you can find peace staying in the same place?
Thanks for your comment!
Eli
My ancestors lived a nomadic lifestyle for most of their history. It’s been well over a thousand years, but I’ve always wanted to renew their legacy. Thanks for the tips.
Vouk,
That’s a really nice new angle for the discussion.
Nomadic lifestyle used to be the mainstream, and now it became a rare exception.
I wonder which generation is more happy, ours, or our ancestors.
Thanks for the feedback
Eli
Hi there. I love this article. I am a college undergrad and my parents are struggling (financially) right now. They can barely afford another semester. This may sound negative but I feel kind of happy knowing that there’s a greater chance of me not going to school next semester.Honestly, I’ve never really been a fan of lectures and exams. I am more of the adventurous type with a bad case of wanderlust. I’m 17 and i really REALLY want to adapt the nomadic lifestyle. I am so tired of limiting my knowledge to textbooks and lectures. Do you think it would be a good idea if I earn money online and just wander about? I really need your advice on this.
Hi Nerra,
Great to hear from you.
I hope you don’t find my advice disappointing.. I love the nomadic lifestyle, and becoming a nomad is probably the best decision I have taken in my life.
However, if you ask me, 17 is too early to start with it. In a way, you can only appreciate the nomadic lifestyle, when you have a few years of the “daily grind” of a job or university.
The nice thing about it is that you can start being nomadic in any age, it is never too late, but it might be too early.
If you ask me, do your best to continue another semester, graduate, work hard to make it happen, seek programs that can back, try the regular lifestyle. Win this.
Then, if you still want, change to nomadic, from a position of power. The lifestyle is not an easy solution for daily struggle, it is simply an upgrade to normal life for some of us. Being a nomad works, but only when you are strong, and strong means mastering the normal life of study and fixed place, before taking the plunge to a more challenging lifestyle.
Good luck, I hope you find the best path for you!
Thank you for the advice. Yes, it was somehow disappointing but I came here for a sensible advice and got one 🙂 It was a good thing I sought for opinions before I made a decision that might haunt me for the rest of my life. I am going to pursue college and graduate before diving into the nomadic lifestyle, then. Thank you again.
I would also suggest you look at getting a degree or experience in a field that will enable you to pursue the nomadic lifestyle. It’s great that you are soul searching at such a young age. A little work now can really set you up for a lifetime of excitement with the benefit of not having to struggle so much to live that way.
Donovan,
I like the idea you brought up, if any of you are choosing a nomadic lifestlye, it only means that you have to work super hard on your skills before you take the journey.
In order to sustain yourself on the road, unlike working in a regular 9-5 job in your city, you actually need to deliver a lot of value in order to sustain yourself and getting paid.
Building a set of skills and expertise is critical for a succcessful nomadic lifestyle, may it be cooking, website design or whatever skill that is your art.
Remember to consider also, that school is expensive. I wonder now how much I would be worth if had I not gone to school and been working the whole time. I feel like I just started out at 31yrs because I caught up in school for half a decade of my life. My net worth is now -60K. That’s a lot of money I owe. I am working in my field, but I still debate if it was worth it. I’ll never be able to pay that money back at this rate. Quite frankly no one has ever asked to see my diploma. I’m not suggesting you run around and lie about it, but school literally gives you credentials that get put down on a 60K+ chunk of paper. I think skills are more important than paper. If there’s any reason I feel this way it’s because I have skills, confidence and experience in many things. It’s not your credentials that will get you far it’s what you do. Talk is cheap. It’s never too early to start building skills. I might suggest going to a vocational school. It’s really hard to get paid for ideas and thoughts. You should consider what service or product you would like to provide the world and start learning the basics of that. Also, if you’re serious about this, some research on primitive survival skills will insure you are always able to survive in the worst of cases if you do decide to leave. I’m not going to say as a young person to not do it, but respect the decision. Make sure you have the skills needed to handle yourself before you get in too deep. Always have a back up plan.
Erick, totally with you on skills. We spend so much time in schools, and get really low amount of skills, I hope this will change in the future.
As for the focus on net value, you and I both agree that net value is not the most important element in life, but the experiences you have are. If you had good time in school, learned about yourself, experienced life in a different way, than you should probably take this factor into account as well.
Have enjoyed reading this artcile and then following comments.
I am a 56 year old male. Was born and grew up in Zimbabwe (the Rhodesia). Moved to Canada in 1988 with my wife and kids and became a Canadian citizen.
The past few years have been very tough on me – the loss of my 21 year old son to suicide and the break-up of my marriage. I went back to Africa for a few years and that was great but I couldn’t stay there and had to come back to Canada.
The idea of a nomadic lifestyle really appeals to me as I am literally sickened by the rat race of the “normal” capitalist lifestyle.
Does anyone have any advice and suggestions for an older-generation nomad wanna-be ? I would prefer to get away from the cold of Canada too so places further south in USA and Central/South America would be great.
Look forward to hearing more ….
Hi Gordon,
Sounds like you are going through a lot in the last few years, stay strong.
I think nomadic life for the older generation is probably more challenging than for the younger one, for various reasons, starting from health, and especially the ability to connect to new people.
However, I can say the following, if you are doing it right, coming from a super positive place, and you are ready to face with the difficulties of the road (loneliness and some bad experiences), it should be fine at any age.
It all has to do with the attitude, and how happy you are as a person.
All the best,
Eli
Hi,
I’m interested in expenses of nomad life…I’m planning to start traveling in about a month,and my budget isn’t very big. It could hold me for some time, but then i’d need some sort of income..Im not interested in any sorts of luxury along the way. All i need is food and water actually, and maybe some other stuff that will be mandatory for me to survive.
Any experienced thoughts on that subject?
Where do u get your money while traveling?
Hi,
so let’s start by saying that you will need to make money while traveling if you are planning on a long term nomadic lifestyle.
Check out this link for some revenue ideas:
https://www.wanderingearl.com/how-i-can-afford-my-life-of-constant-travel/
And also check out this article about how to spend less when traveling:
https://becomenomad.com/long-term-travel-on-the-cheap/
The truth of the matter is that when it comes to making money, you just have to take a decision on what you are betting on, and start building this revenue source. With time, it will be fine, but you have to start building your revenue source as soon as possible.
Good luck!
Ah, all your posts inspire me so much. I can’t wait to begin!
Thanks Jess!
Looking forward to hearing from you once you start your journey.
Hi Eli,
I have enjoyed much of this webpage. It has been fulfilling. I’m very happy you have taken the time to respond to your posters.
By your definition i have been leading a nomadic lifestyle my entire adult life and part of my childhood. Unfortunately my travels haven’t taken me all that far from home almost like a magnet. Hearing your advice to disconnect i think will be the key to my exodus. But i feel i would need a great distance to sever what ties me down. Would you suggest international travel? if so, what all do you think i would need to have, to cross national boarders? What if i don’t intend to return?
Thank You for Your advice so far.
CY
Hi Cy,
thanks for the feedback!
I have to be more careful with the word disconnect, since in the end, the goal is connecting (at least for me).
I recommend international travel for sure, you get exposed to other cultures and ways of thinking, so I would at least give it a try.
As for not intending to return, I personally try not to make those declarations about returning, never returning, staying or leaving. One of the main advantages of nomadic lifestyle is the flexibility it offers you to do whatever you want. I would keep flexible and take the best decisions based on the situation and how you feel about it, and not on self made promises. But, that’s just the way I do it, not necessarily the right way or the only way.
Safe travels,
Eli
Awesome article; I came across it while googling and reminiscing about the experiences I’ve had while traveling and planning another getaway.
I’ve moved a lot in my life, several times against my own will (as a kiddo) and I’ve found that the itch has never left. I lived in one town for 6 years, reached adulthood, and then decided to drop everything and go on a bicycle tour.
I ended up getting into an accident and had no money or insurance. However, I had an acquaintance at a communal house of about 20 people. I continued my journey but had to quit after another 250 miles due to the injuries. I took a train back to the communal house with just my bike, and planned to stay at the communal house and mend my injuries for about 2 weeks. I ended up staying there for 2 years.
Six months ago I got a new spot in Seattle, signed a year lease on my own apartment. I work in the tech industry as well, and it breeds a sedentary lifestyle which is causing me health problems. I can’t stand it.
One of the hardest things about my journey is dealing with attachment. Not to things, as they can be easily replaced, but to people and experiences. I long to go back in time and join the collective communities from which I came from (my tribes). And as I dream about backpacking in another country, I always think of my friends and my “homes,” as my memories are both profound to me and bereaving, knowing that I can’t have those experiences again.
In addition, while I haven’t concluded this, I’ve determined that I’m running away from myself, due to some self-alienation and being in consistent isolation (living/working, detached and online isn’t helping with this, that’s for sure). Nonetheless, I realize, yet again, that my fundamental path to happiness is on the road. Once my lease is up, I’ll see about re-assessing my job situation and going away and chucking all of “my” physical things again which held no value in the first place.
Anyway, thanks for jotting down your inspiring words. It’s a solid reminder, and I can’t wait to reacquaint myself with the road again.
John,
Thanks for the comment, looks like you have it all in place.
few comments about things you brought up.
Attachments and loneliness connect. Loneliness might be the worst disadvantage of a nomadic lifestyle. Nostalgia is a killer, it grounds you. I am lucky enough not to have it (strong genetics? stone heart?)
If for you, happiness is only true when shared, then make your tribe move with you. If you manage to pull it off, please please send me a few lines on how you managed to pull it off.
All the best,
E