Four Years as a Nomad
Nearly four years ago I gave up a conventional lifestyle that included having a stable job, my own apartment and hanging out with my closest friends. I decided to give up my secure and comfortable existence for a life full of adventure, uncertainty and an ever changing environment and circumstances.
It wasn’t enough to just move abroad and settle somewhere culturally different from my former life. I felt this deep need to see as much of the world as physically possible and thus became nomadic. Rather than quickly tour the planet on an Around The World Trip, I wanted to get to know a community on a deeper level before moving on. To accomplish this I have been using Workaway to volunteer for at least a month in the majority of the countries I visit. I spend a month in one town, then after hearing recommendations from locals I visit other parts of that country. With my slow style of traveling and 195 countries, my desire to see the whole world will likely take up the rest of my life.
My Motivation
Many people wonder why I do it. I’m giving up the chance to surround myself with loved ones and the opportunity to build a life. Instead, I meet incredible souls all over the world, share knowledge and experiences and then move on to do it again. As I look back on my travels thus far I can’t help but smile knowing that I have friends from all over the world. I could call up my friend from Malawi and stay with him or go to Israel and choose between 17 different couches to sleep on. I have loved ones back home in the United States that I keep in touch with and they are welcomed to visit me anywhere I go, but to stay settled in order to create memories in only one society goes against my core.
This world is so diverse and I would hate to assume that the American way of living is the “norm”. I love that I’ve helped women on Mfangano Island in Kenya make dinner outside in the dirt as the men sat inside and waited to be served. The young daughter grabbed a chicken that was freely roaming around the yard and cooked him up for dinner. Despite being a vegetarian, it felt proper that they prepared their own chicken, and also to let the chicken run loose up until the moment he was needed.
While hiking in Nepal, heaving because of my heavy bag and the high altitude I came across local men running up the mountain. They wore sandals and had wooden brackets strapped to their foreheads that carried a heavy load on their backs. Later I would see a man in the distance walking beside a huge furry yak on a snow peaked mountain top. To be so far from civilization and to see people casually going about their life makes you realize that there are so many different cultures and people that make up this great planet.
In a previous blog article I highlighted the most frightening situations that have occurred thus far in my travels. Today I want to highlight the magical, soul touching moments that inspire me and keep me coming back for more.
Top 10 Travel Experiences
Despite getting altitude sickness this is hands down the coolest thing I’ve ever done. This accomplishment makes the list for both scariest and magical situations. If something isn’t challenging you and putting you out of your comfort zone, you probably won’t grow from it and in that case, what is the point? Life is all about progress and personal development and that is why I’m happiest when I’m accomplishing something difficult.
The magic of this trek was not just the physical accomplishment but the reminder of how vast the planet is. After a flight to Nepal, a 10 hour bus ride and many days of trekking, I was so far from the life I grew up thinking was normal. Every day brought me to a different landscape that looked like it was straight from a nature documentary. There were humid jungles, waterfalls, dry arid regions, snowy peaks, tiny communities inside of mountainsides, and Buddhist Pagodas with prayer flags. Each community that I reached at the end of the day had kind locals that would make delicious food and hot tea and would sometimes make a fire to dry my sweaty clothes.
This experience was extremely remote but the Anna Purna Circuit is a popular trek so I was still on a beaten path. Meeting all of the unusual travelers (unusual because they chose a month long trek over a beach vacation) and running into them day after day as we made it to the same towns each night was a bonding experience. Mountain peaks lined with prayer flags and Om Mani Padme Hum will forever bring me back to this magical experience and sacred place.
I am a planner and ten months in advance I arranged a volunteering opportunity at a Buddhist Monastery in Sidhpur. Sidhpur is a short walk through the mountains from McLeod Ganj the home of the exiled Dalai Lama. Walking through McLeod Ganj is like visiting Tibet without having to support the Chinese government and their exploitation of the actual Tibet.
I was lucky enough to volunteer at Thosamling Nunnery during the Teachings of the Dalai Lama. I’ll never forget the powerful moment each day as the Dalai Lama walked by us and the Tibetan refugees around us broke into tears. I myself was overcome with emotion upon witnessing the Dalai Lama bless a Tibetan baby right in front of me. Looking back on my peaceful month of making bread at the monastery, learning about meditation and going to The Teachings, reminds me of how lucky I am to be living this crazy life that I have chosen.
Namibia and Botswana are where the San Tribe use to forage the land and hunt for their food. These Hunters and gatherers lived off of the land until people started to settle and claim the land for themselves. That, plus with many of the wildlife being endangered, the culture of the San Tribe is quickly disappearing.
I had the fortune of volunteering at a Bush Camp where the owner, Joern, allowed the San Tribe to live on his land as a community. They are able to pass on the plant medicine knowledge from their ancestors as well as preserving their unique language which is composed of clicking noises. My job at this bush camp was to teach the children of the San Tribe how to speak English. Despite Joern’s efforts to preserve the San Culture, there may come a day when the kids have no choice but to move to the city and get regular jobs. If that happens, they will need society knowledge like how to Speak English in order to survive.
Teaching these sweet children in a kindergarten that was in the sand and surrounded by wildlife was surreal. Their pet Mongoose, Crash, would follow us to school and distract the children by causing mischief. Teaching children ranging from ages 2-7 (though they did not know their actual age because they do not subscribe to the concept of time in the way Western Society does) how to speak my native language usually involved singing and dancing. When I wasn’t teaching I would relax in the bush, always cautious not to step on a Black Mamba Snake. It was such a unique and rare experience that I cherish deeply.
I spent 7 months in Africa and only went on one Safari in that time. I was on a strict budget as travel is my way of life and not just a vacation. I was also put off by all of the Westerners that flew into a city for an all inclusive safari trip. They were picked up at the airport, taken to a luxury hotel, stayed in luxury tents on safari and then went back to the airport without seeing the real Africa. I made it my goal to do a safari while on a backpacker’s budget. I took public transport to Marula Lodge In South Luangwa, stayed in a dorm and made my own meals in the kitchen on site.
The actual safari was an incredible experience. As I rode around in a jeep my heart fibrillated with joy as we saw lions, elephants, hippos, zebras, wild dogs and much more. Despite having already been in Africa for 4 months, I’d mostly only seen monkeys and baboons. This wild side of Africa reminded me that humans have not yet destroyed all of the wonders of this planet.
My first time hitchhiking in Africa was a more positive experience than I could have ever hoped for. Pioko, the man that gave me a ride to his small village, Chilumba, ended up inviting me to his house for lunch. After meeting his family, I was invited to stay with them for a few days. They showed me the small fishing village where I made friends with singing children that helped me get ripe mangos out of a tree. The children had never seen a mzungu (white man) before and didn’t speak English. Through song and gestures we were able to communicate and laugh as we ate our mangos together. This town is situated on the mystical Lake Malawi and to make this experience even more incredible, after a rainstorm I witnessed a rainbow appear above the lake as cows grazed in the foreground.
After 3 years of travel and many missed Scuba Diving opportunities I finally decided to explore the wonders of the sea while on an island called Utila in Honduras. Utila is a popular stop on the Gringo Trail and the reason everybody goes there is to Scuba Dive. I didn’t want to miss the beauty of the Bay Islands and surrounded by all of the excited water lovers, I soon found myself enrolling into an Open Water class at Paradise Divers. I immediately took Advanced Open Water Diving upon completion of the first course. I was hooked.
Breathing underwater, feeling weightless, seeing sea turtles and sunken ships was more than I could have ever dreamed of. After a long day of diving, classmates would explore the beaches, grab a drink and dance into the night. It was such a fun and educational island, truly an experience I’ll never forget.
Paradise Divers threw a party on a private island, or Caye, called Sandy Caye. This island was so small that there was one house on it surrounded by palm trees and hammocks. Our Scuba school threw a wild party on this island surrounded by crystal clear blue water. Sometimes my life is so magical I forget that other people go through winter and work a 9-5.
In the surf town of San Juan Del Sur in Nicaragua I spent a month volunteering at a hostel called Hola Ola. The other volunteers, the staff and I quickly became a family full of inside jokes. We would work hard keeping the hostel running but also chill out on the beach and surf. Every Saturday we threw a beach party called Sunset Fest where a local band and DJ would play. We danced on the beach and played sports while drinking $1 rums. Each Sunday the iconic Sunday Funday would transform the town of San Juan Del Sur into a college frat party. The most rewarding part of this experience was painting a huge mural across the dorm room hallway. The mural was beach themed with a surfing dog, mandala sun and mermaids. The idea that a piece of me will stay in San Juan Del sur fills my heart with joy.
I went to Thailand a year and a half before I started my nomadic lifestyle. Thailand was the trip that made me decide to save up, give up my apartment and get a one way ticket for the next trip. The magic of Thailand changed my life and the most magical place in Thailand was Koh Phi Phi. This island is lined with wooden boats with rainbow flags. When I see the image of these boats on Instagram posts all the warm and fuzzy feelings come back. Boat trips to Maya Bay, drinking alcohol out of sand buckets, getting a bamboo tattoo and dancing on the beach are the memories this island invokes.
I was there in 2014 and I’m sure it is much different now, I also have less tolerance for people that travel solely to party so perhaps I wouldn’t love it as much as I did, however, it will forever hold a special place in my heart as the island that made me realize I could not be bound to a life in The United States.
Montenegro is the country that surprised me the most. I spent 2 months volunteering in Croatia and went to Montenegro on a whim. I found it to have the charm of Croatia but less young tourists merely trying to party. Durmitor National Park is full of wild horses, endless treks, cheap food, affordable lodging and like-minded trekkers. I spent 3 days at The Hikers Den in which each day was a different and unique 8 hour trek. The views, the fresh mountain air, the 2 liter $1 beers and the friends made here make this one of my favorite places I have ever traveled to.
Guatemala is my favorite country I have ever traveled to and San Pedro is my favorite place in Guatemala. It is hard to describe why I loved it so much, it was really just this vibe that people only understand once they have spent time on Lake Atitlan. I was surrounded by people taking Spanish lessons for 4 hours a day. My host family was comprised of three young girls that quickly became my sisters. After family time and Spanish I would explore the town with friends from my Spanish school. There is one main road in town and we quickly discovered where to go dancing. Before long we had befriended all of the Guatemalan DJs and discovered the after hour spots. Partying in Thailand felt very childish, old Pop songs and drunk bros. Partying in Guatemala seemed classy. We danced to smooth jungle techno, worked on our Spanish and occasionally hiked volcanos.
The Highs are Worth the Lows
These ten stories that I have chosen to highlight account for less than 6 months of 3.5 years living out of a backpack. Countless unique and amazing experiences have happened that make me question society, and how on earth I was lucky enough to break free from the shackles of consumerism and convenience to live this amazing adventure.
As my last blog post highlighted, there have been struggles, fear and illness but I’d take those bad experiences in a heartbeat given all of the positive experiences I have had. Sometimes when you have been traveling for so long, you take for granted how rare/unique/abnormal the things you are experiencing are. However, sitting in a modern apartment in The United States as I wait out the Coronavirus border closings I’m reminded of how regular, consistent and repetitive life can be.
When your life consists of working and building a future the idea of giving it up seems impossible. When you have been living for adventure and discovery the idea of ever settling in one place seems absurd. Once you have seen the other side, you can’t unsee it. You can’t keep thinking that “caravans from Guatemala” are full of criminals and that Al Jazeera Newspaper is dangerous because it is from the Middle East. Opening your world can be scary but I promise you, the reward is worth it. Pulling back the curtain on the rest of the world, seeing it with your own two eyes instead of through the media is a scary first step but once you do it, your options, ideas and views will expand exponentially. Why limit yourself? Go out and see for yourself, well once the borders open again.
Chronicles of a Wandering Soul 