Dear Nomadic Life

I really wanted this to work out. It’s not you, it’s me. I love the idea of you more than the reality. I need my own space. I need to focus on me right now. There are plenty of other people out there who want to work and travel at the same time. I’m just not right for you.

I’m sick of living in other people’s homes. I’m sick of tiny kitchens with almost no counter space. I’m sick of not having a dishwasher. And that month without an oven was rough. I’m sick of not having my blender. I’m sick of pans that look like they could give me tetanus. I’m sick of dorm-sized refrigerators and three-tined forks.

I’m sick of showers that require me to turn the water off and on in order to make the tiny amount of hot water last. I’m sick of sink faucets that barely stick out over the sink, so my hands hit the sides of the sink when I’m washing them. I’m sick of hot water that doesn’t work unless two faucets are running at the same time.

I’m sick of space heaters. I’m sick of hotel-style air conditioners that only sort of blow hot air. I’m sick of windows that don’t seal. I’m sick of uncomfortable beds. I’m sick of climbing up 50, or 83, or 114 stairs. I’m sick of only having one set of keys. I’m sick of promised internet that never worked. I’m sick of hearing, “It’s not usually this cold!” And the sound of airplanes overhead now drives me nuts.

I’m sick of spending so much time at my computer working instead of exploring where I am. I’m sick of losing a week or so on figuring out how things work when we arrive someplace new. I’m sick of all the things that take so much more time and energy all the time.

nomadic life

It wasn’t all bad. We had some fun times. Remember that one amazing shower? And a couple of the beds were actually super comfy. We saw a lot of beautiful places together, like here and here. And without the hard times you put me through, I never would’ve realized all the changes I need to make.

I still want to see the world, and I don’t ever want to work in an office again. But I need more stability than you can offer me right now. We’re just in two different places. I think we need a break.

Love, Ali

As you can tell, this trip hasn’t gone at all the way we had hoped. Some of it was our own fault, some of it was circumstances beyond our control. The end result is that we are really looking forward to getting back home in a few days. We are unlikely to try a trip like this next winter. Instead we’re hoping to save enough money to take a few weeks to a month off in the winter to travel without working. More announcements and updates coming soon!

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