Canadian Nomad

I just finished reading “Life Nomadic” by Tynan and it was a great read. I find it really sad how many people are out there and they are so scared. The world is not a scary place. I’m sure there are some parts a little more frightening than others, but all in all the world is not a scary or dangerous place. Yes, I admit I was scared to first get on the plane alone and venture down here but, there is so much to see and to do. People who never leave their country or the “safety” of a resort are sheltered. They want to travel to a different country but they think resorts are the way to do it, because anywhere else would be too risky. I love Canada, it’s an amazing place to live. But if I have the opportunity to see the rest of the world, I’m going to take it. I’m going to live in an apartment where I have to wash my own clothes, cook outside, and the water runs cold unless you wait for the heat of the day so the sun warms it. It may sound terrible to some, but it’s a great life. I have a hammock down the center of my dining room, where I can write, work, hangout or just sleep.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
-St. Augustine

I grew up with parents who love to travel. My mom would never book a vacation at a resort. She would dig and dig and dig until she found a place that looked perfect. Sometimes, yes it would be a hotel. But never a big hotel that you can find anywhere, she would find something quaint and simple. In Thailand she found this amazing place where we stayed in floating raft houses. It was a string of little huts floating in the middle of a gigantic beautiful blue lake. There was a central area for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but other than that… nothing. She likes to find places out of the “norm”. Maybe that’s why I enjoy travelling like this. Or maybe it’s because I can go for a walk on the beach and see a little boy with a can of coke with fishing string wrapped around it and using it as a fishing pole or sit for hours with a Mexican “surfer dude” and talk for hours. You may love where you’re at at home, but you could be missing out on so much more away from home. If you had the chance to do it, to just go. Would you? If yes, then anything you say is just an excuse because you’re afraid.

Tags: Fear, Fishing, Floating Raft House, Getting Away, Hotel, Life Nomadic, Safety, Thailand, Travel
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At the turn of the millennium I went on a 3 month trip across Western Europe, touching the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, France, Andorra, Spain, Ireland and the U.K. Since then I have been pinning to get out on the road again. So here I am, nine long years later and it is more an emotional necessity then a mere wish or dream. My bags are packed and the date has been set. Since I returned one of the concepts that has always circled around my head was the idea of crossing the equator, as if it was a line that needed crossing.   Likewise I have had the desire to build a location independent business – a business that can be run from anywhere.

Two authors that have fueled this desire are Tim Ferriss of The Four Hour Work Week fame and Tynan from his awesome blog. Both have given me the tools needed and the knowledge that it can be done.

“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something… almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.” Steve Jobs’ Commencement address (2005)

I first came across this quote in The Four Hour Work Week, but have since played the entire speech to myself and friends over and over because of how profound it is regarding how I want to live my life. So I have given notice, given away most of my belongings and put the rest in storage and before too long, October 15^th, I’ll hit the road to South America. Ideally I’ll be able to find a place in various countries, settle down, learn about the people, culture and language while also finding time to work and earn Canadian dollars before moving on to the next place.

Keep an eye here if you want to be kept up to date on my travels, information about work and travel and any other little tidbits that I find relevant to this lifestyle.  Thanks for reading!

Tags: 4HWW, Canadian Nomad, Crossing the Equator, Four Hour Work Week, Getting Away, Life Nomadic, Personal Development, South America, Steve Jobs Commencement address, Tim Ferriss, Travel, Western Europe, World Travel
Posted in Personal Development, Travel | 1 Comment »