Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Tag: travel (page 7 of 7)

Y is for Yearning

April 29, 2016 / / 28 Comments
Day 25 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

Yearning to be in the tropics again - yoga under the palm trees in Kuna Yala, Panama

Yearning to be in the tropics again (yoga under the palm trees in Kuna Yala)

Everyone has an addiction (or two, or three), a yearning for something. An attraction that rarely, if ever, fades. As a nomad, mine is travel. One look at a world map or globe and my eyes are fixed, my heart beats faster and my thoughts wander to all the places I would like to visit and experience. I think “There is so much to see in this world!” and I immediately wish to pack my bags and jump on a plane. Every. Single. Time. Continue reading

X is for Xenophilia

April 28, 2016 / / 26 Comments
Day 24 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

X… the most difficult letter of the alphabet. If my A-Z Blogging theme would have been “amazing places I visited as a nomad”, a couple of favorites come to mind, like Xcalak and Xpu-Ha in the Yucatan province of Mexico. That would have been too easy, though… Maybe next year?

Carnaval in Grenada, Caribbean
Taqueria in Mexico
Village in Kuna Yala, Panama
Market, Guatemala
Local transportation in Kuna Yala

Instead, I am talking about a new (to me) word: xenophilia. It means being attracted to foreign cultures, places, people… a positive syndrome to have when you are a world traveler. Continue reading

V is for Variety

April 26, 2016 / / 18 Comments
Day 22 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

One of the biggest attractions to living as a nomad is the endless variety it offers. All the possible means to get around, any level of accommodation imaginable and many spots on our globe are yours to explore. When the world is your oyster, literally, you never run out of options to entertain yourself as a traveler. Is there anything more exciting?

Playing with dolphins in Moorea

Playing with dolphins in Moorea

Continue reading

U is for Unique

April 25, 2016 / / 24 Comments
Day 21 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad

The nomad lifestyle is not only adventurous and an embodiment of freedom, it is unique as well. In the United States, where usually only two weeks of vacation time is granted, people are not used to traveling far or frequent. Most Americans don’t have a passport (and, as I learned recently, millions don’t even have any form of ID!). So, while few people travel abroad, even fewer do this long-term. I can’t blame them, the US is huge and there are a lot of amazing places to visit. They are missing out, however.

The early days of Mark and I...

The early days of Mark and I… above the Grand Canyon

In Europe, the travel bug (and vacation time) is a bit more prominent and some graduates celebrate earning their degree with a year of backpacking. Continue reading

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…

Continue reading

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!!!

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

Continue reading

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

Continue reading

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

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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