Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

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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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J is for Joy

April 12, 2016 / / 12 Comments
Day 10 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

J is for Joy, just like H is for Happiness. But, I wrote about Health when it was H’s turn in this Blogging from A to Z challenge. Joy is its alternative! 🙂

Living the nomad lifestyle makes Mark and me happy, just like a settled life with a family makes most people happy. Joy can come in many forms, in small ways or in big ways. Of course, the “whole lifestyle” doesn’t bring us happiness all the time, just like one can’t constantly be happy. Of the people who do pull this off, if they exist, I am utterly envious! I think being happy is a state of mind that comes in short spurs, not in one long period or an entire life. If only, right?

An "ordinary" sunset from the boat in Grenada

An “ordinary” sunset from the boat in Grenada

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I is for Internet

April 11, 2016 / / 27 Comments
Day 9 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

Gone are the days of expensive international calls and old news received through general delivery in one or another city in the world. While I still enjoy sending the odd postcard to family and friends, I am happy that hand writing multiple letters for hours on end are a thing of the past! When backpacking in the nineties, these “nuisances” (I mean romantic ways of correspondence) were a part of the present. Continue reading

H is for Health

April 9, 2016 / / 19 Comments
Day 8 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

“Your health is the most important thing in life,” my paternal grandmother told me (in Dutch) when I was a teenager. I looked at her and shrugged. I had much more important things going on, like making sure that my friends and boyfriend liked me.

“You are so right about seeing the world while you are still young,” my maternal grandmother said, when my nomad behavior was frowned upon by everyone else. “So many people wait until they are too old and their health is not what it used to be,” she wisely added. I was in my twenties and I agreed with her. About my age being perfect for living outside the box, ignoring the possible health issues part. I kept traveling.

Good health is required to hike in the tropics

Good health is required to hike in the tropics

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G is for Getting Around

April 8, 2016 / / 23 Comments
Day 7 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

Nomads can get around in as many different ways as there are kinds of transportation. You can travel as fast as a plane or as slow as your own walking pace. My favorite way of getting around depends on the situation and the location, and I usually end up picking the most practical (and affordable) choice available.

Arriving in Tahiti by plane from New Zealand

Arriving in Tahiti by plane from New Zealand

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F is for Freedom

April 7, 2016 / / 22 Comments
Day 6 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

Freedom! This big word and all-encompassing description of the nomad life is what attracts me to it the most. Freedom might mean something different to other people. I see it as being able to (mostly) do what I want and what I like, to choose the way I live without too many restrictions. I feel free to roam about, explore different countries, travel across oceans, try out different lifestyles, expand my horizons, and focus on what I deem important or interesting. In a way the small budget allows for it, of course.

The freedom to roam, in Barbuda

The freedom to roam, in Barbuda

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E is for Education

April 6, 2016 / / 27 Comments
Day 5 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

In my opinion, travel is one of the best forms of education anyone can get. Imagine what you learn – consciously or subconsciously – along the way, whether you are backpacking, road tripping, train journeying, cycling, walking or sailing. I am not suggesting to skip high school or college, like some adventurers like Louis L’Amour did, but once the ground work of knowledge and getting established in life has been laid, why not send those graduates into the world to learn more about it in person? Anyone, really, would benefit from greater exposure to how things are done and look like abroad. Continue reading

D is for Dogs

April 5, 2016 / / 21 Comments
Day 4 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

It might come as a surprise to some of you to read about dogs in relation to being a nomad. How could you roam the world with dogs in tow? It is definitely possible, if you put them first and if you find the right transportation methods. People close to us know how much we loved our dogs (and others) and that we would do anything to make them happy, never leaving them behind. How did we pull that off? Continue reading

C is for Camper

April 4, 2016 / / 27 Comments
Day 3 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

As a full-time wanderer having traveled many different ways, I cannot rave enough about the functionality of a camper. In the States, they call them RVs (Recreational Vehicles) and they come in different sizes, ages and styles. Of all possible ways to see the world, doing it by camper is my favorite. While people of all age categories are bound to enjoy a vacation or a lifestyle in an RV, I think that adventurous retirees especially benefit from exploring the country or the continent by camper for its ease of living and moving. As a matter of fact, many senior citizens of Canada and the US sell (or rent) their house and get rid of most of their belongings to move into an RV (sometimes part-time during the winter months) and head south. They travel with the seasons, visit their preferred campgrounds, cities, national parks, beaches and other places and include family gatherings along the way. I would (and hopefully will) do the same! Continue reading

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