Why We Nomad

In our circle of friends, we are the outliers. Some of our friends have already retired or will be doing so soon, and they are starting to travel more. But we’re the only couple who don’t own a house and are living in a different city every month. I’m not sure if we’re brave or crazy - maybe a little of both.

When they learn that we are nomads, most people say something like, “Wow! I’ve always wanted to do that.” Others say, “That’s great! We could never do that.” And a few come right out and say, “Why would you ever want to do that?” It’s true, nomad life is not for everyone. I don’t know how long we will be nomads, but right now, it’s working for us.

So here are the top reasons why we like being nomads. It will be interesting to see if we still feel this way a year from now.

1 - We can be travelers, not tourists

By staying a month or more in each location, we can learn more about its culture, customs, and history. We have time to visit local gems that tourists don’t know about. We can explore a large museum in small sips. We explore as much as possible on foot, and do our best to support local merchants and restaurants.

2 - We can follow good weather

Just for kicks, I pulled historical climate data from weather.gov for all the places and dates from our 2024 road trip. Over a seven month period, we lived in an average daily temperature of 68℉, with average daily rainfall of just 0.14 inches. That’s like living in San Diego, or spending two consecutive summers in the Mediterranean. Nice!

3 - We can spend more time with our kids…

Danny lives in Austin, and Amy lives in New York City. Instead of just brief, hectic holiday visits only once or twice a year, we can stay an extended length of time in each of their home cities. There’s plenty of time to see a movie or go shopping together, meet their friends, get to know their neighborhoods, and try their favorite restaurants. Each kid visits us while we’re living near the other one, so there are more occasions with all four of us together. And they can meet up with us in other cities, to share the fun of discovering a new place.

…and connect with more family and friends

Similarly, we can spend time with relatives and friends who live far away from our home city of Tampa. At this stage of our lives, we are eager to nurture and rekindle old friendships. Even in the age of Zoom, it’s much better to get together In Real Life. As Sir Francis Bacon wrote, “If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.”

4 - We can stay sharp (and young)

Change is good for our brains. Variety helps to improve cognitive health and build resilience. Curiosity enhances learning, memory, and problem-solving. Awe brings joy, reduces stress and pain, and keeps us humble. Travel, especially slow travel, can promote empathy and reduce bias. We never run out of things to discuss. We’re walking a lot more, and spending more time outside.

5 - We can live our dream

We are embracing the spirit of carpe diem. Why wait to start checking things off that bucket list? This is a magical time for us. Our parents and kids are living independently, and we are in good health physically, mentally, and financially. We know that we are very fortunate, and that our circumstances can change at any moment. But until that happens, we are racking up as many wonderful life experiences as we can. We are investing in precious memories now so we can savor them in the future.

For ideas and sources, visit my Inspiration page.