Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Author: Liesbet (page 59 of 66)

S is for Sailboat

April 22, 2016 / / 41 Comments
Day 19 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

Readers of my blog during the A-Z Challenge have probably noticed by now (as friends, family and loyal readers of Roaming About have long known :-)) that my husband, Mark, and I were living on our own sailboat Irie not too long ago. The summary can be read elsewhere on this blog and the entire eight years of our cruising life is documented on my other (sailing) blog It’s Irie, but, this is the gist of it…

Anchored in pretty Moorea, French Polynesia

Anchored in pretty Moorea, French Polynesia

A sailboat is the perfect way to travel to remote places (like tropical islands in the middle of the ocean), inaccessible – or exorbitantly expensive to visit – with other transportation methods. Continue reading

R is for Relationships

April 21, 2016 / / 13 Comments
Day 17 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

While it is healthy to be by yourself once in a while – a little me time boosts confidence, brings inner peace, focuses on what it is that you want and allows you to reflect and prioritize as you see fit – humans are social creatures. Experiencing life with someone else to share the good, the bad and the ugly is much more rewarding, meaningful and satisfying than going at it alone. Of course, there are exceptions, but when I look around me, whether it is here in small town USA, on a boat surrounded by tropical islands or from a camper in lush Central America, people prefer to do things with a mate or as a family.

All of our parents visited (and first met each other) in St. Martin in 2009

All of our parents visited (and first met each other) in St. Martin in 2009

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Q is for Quality of Life

April 20, 2016 / / 13 Comments
Day 16 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

You only live once, so you better make the best of it. During our limited time on earth, it is important to enjoy life and improve its quality in any way we can. The goal is to generally do what you wish with all the benefits of that choice and the lifestyle itself. For some people, that means buying a bigger house or purchasing the latest gadgets, for others starting a family, adopting a pet or changing jobs. For nomads, traveling extensively provides the best quality of life. We all have different values and what defines quality for some, might cause grievance to others.

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P is for Plans

April 19, 2016 / / 23 Comments
Day 15 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

This is a post about plans, or, better, the lack thereof. As I quickly mentioned yesterday, when being a nomad, plans can be more of a hinder than a help. I know that sounds counterproductive, but I have learned from experience that it is better to not have too many plans when roaming about the world.

We only planned to visit Mexico by camper...

We only planned to visit Mexico by camper…

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O is for Open Mind

April 18, 2016 / / 22 Comments
Day 14 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

The definition of open minded is a willingness to try new things or to hear and consider new ideas, something that is a constant necessity and required quality in the life of a nomad. In order to travel extensively, one needs to possess an open mind towards anything that might be encountered – good or bad. Narrow mindedness will only leave a tourist frustrated, uncomfortable and at a loss. At which point, he/she might as well stay home.

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Monthly Expenses – March 2016

April 17, 2016 / / 6 Comments

Every month, I put an expense report together for the two of us. Last month, Mark and I spent a little bit more than in February, for which our car is to blame.  The grocery bill was relatively low, while all the other categories remain average for us. Here is an overview of our expenses in US$ for the two of us last month:

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N is for Nature

April 16, 2016 / / 25 Comments
Day 13 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

Nature draws me to being a nomad. I LOVE being in nature, being part of nature and having nature provide for me. I respect the elements, am in awe of the natural world, appreciate the bounty of Mother Earth (the food, the sun, the rain, the sights) and indulge in her beauty.

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M is for Money

April 15, 2016 / / 16 Comments
Day 12 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

“Money buys freedom,” one of Mark’s friends claimed when I first met him and was boasting about how I managed to travel the world on a very tight budget. Of course, I did not agree with him. After all, I felt free and able to do what I wanted, with less than $400 a month to spend. What I failed to mention was that, in order to achieve this goal, I restricted myself to buying the bare minimum to survive, never spoiled myself, moved around countries on the cheap (which usually correlates with the least comfortable way) and missed out on sights that would set me back too much. But, I still kind of did what I wanted to do, and I was proud of that.

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L is for Love

April 14, 2016 / / 15 Comments
Day 12 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

 

Love. Another one of those big and meaningful words, like freedom. One can love many things: possessions, animals, people, dreams, activities, hobbies, food, fashion, photo books, memories… the list goes on forever. My deepest love, in no particular order, goes out to nature, family and friends and my husband. Since the first two subjects of my endearment will be covered in future blogs, this one will focus on the purest form of love I have for the person who is closest to me, physically and psychologically.

Wedding photo in St. Martin

Wedding photo in St. Martin

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K is for Kids

April 13, 2016 / / 21 Comments
Day 11 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

When Mark and I were nomads with Kali and Darwin in tow, I would tell my parents how we “worked around” having the dogs. We would skip islands where they weren’t allowed, pick anchorages based on shore access, kept sailing trips short, anchor close to beaches (not a bad thing!), stock up on dog food in western countries, locate veterinarians in remote areas, make sure all their paperwork and vaccines were up to date, and deal with agriculture formalities at the border. “I think your lives would be easier with kids than with dogs,” my mom used to say. She might have been right. Children don’t need a health certificate or approval from the agriculture department to enter a country. They could just board a plane with us or join us in restaurants, museums, stores and the bus. But, we wouldn’t be able to leave them alone on board!

Our favorite boat family on SV Iona. Their circumnavigation is almost complete at this point!

Our favorite boat family on SV Iona. They completed their circumnavigation a couple of days ago! Congratulations, Chris, Katie, Dylan and Leili!!!

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