Day 26 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge – Thoughts on Being a Nomad
Today is the last day of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge! We are finishing with a very appropriate zzzzzz…
Our bed on Irie, in which we slept for eight years
When a nomad gets tired, she finds a bed for the night. More than likely, the long-term traveler does not have the funds to splurge on a hotel room, B&B or resort, so she looks into her guidebook – or refers to recommendations from peers – and picks a hostel, guesthouse or backpackers place to get some rest. Or, she cuddles up next to her partner, in her own bed; a bed that is part of her sailboat or camper in which she is exploring the world. There is nothing as convenient, cozy and familiar as having your home with you when you roam about.
The bed on our first boat ( monohull), Four Choices, in which we slept for seven months
It is possible that – after many years on the road and the water (twelve years in my case) – the weary traveler needs a break from always being on the move. She is zonked out, totally exhausted from the lifestyle, the challenges and the lack of stability and comfort. She needs some well-deserved and required zzzzzzs and a temporary shift of focus. The best way to accomplish that without totally abandoning the desire for adventure and variety is by house and pet sitting. Yes, it is our preferred way of life right now and, no, we don’t regret our decision to sell our catamaran Irie one bit. We don’t even miss the cruising lifestyle, because we were very zonked out by it (in combination with running our business).
The roomy bed in our camper, in which we lived and traveled for a year
As for the A-Z Blogging Challenge this month… I am done! Today is the last letter of the alphabet and fittingly, I am zzzzzonked out from all the thinking, writing, reading, rereading, compiling, and posting 26 daily blogs and from searching, choosing, resizing, captioning and formatting photos to accompany the text. After spending an extra two hours a day reading other blogs and commenting on them (and mine), I have enjoyed meeting a lot of interesting people and hope to keep following some of them. There is so much web entertainment out there! This commitment has been more intense and time-consuming than I ever thought (hence it is a challenge), so for future reference (for people who might participate next year, and for myself), writing some posts ahead of time would certainly help!
The settee turned bed in the camper we rented for three – cold – weeks in New Zealand last year
(In 2015, Mark and I slept in 26 different beds, airplane seats excluded.)
I am leaving you with a little photo collage of our dog Darwin, who was able to get zonked out on the boat in every spot possible! 🙂
How did you do during this A-Z Blogging Challenge, as a reader or a blogger? Pretty zonked out as well? What did you learn? Do you plan to participate/do the rounds next year as well? Have you found some favorite blogs to follow in the future?
As always, thank you so much for stopping by, leaving a comment or liking Roaming About on Facebook. The full list/alphabet of my April 2016 A-Z posts can be found here. In May, I am getting back to my usual, more sporadic, posts about our house and pet sitting lifestyle and the side-trips and adventures incurred. But first, I am hopping on a plane to Belgium! See you there…
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April 30, 2016 at 09:36
Congratulations on completing the challenge! I would find that much publishing very intense and admire your dedication. I follow a couple of bloggers who did the challenge and i will admit I couldn’t keep up with the commenting on a daily basis. I did enjoy the ones I read. Enjoy your rest!
April 30, 2016 at 09:47
Thanks, Sue. I’m glad you managed to swing by a few times. Commenting is as exhausting and time-consuming as writing posts and searching for photos! Not much time for rest, since I am going to pack my bags now and leave for the airport tomorrow. Time for a different culture (my own), language and people.
April 30, 2016 at 09:47
I thought it was a great challenge this year and I discovered a lot of new and interesting blogs to follow along with. I particularly enjoyed getting to know you a bit more through your blog and hope our nomadic paths cross one day.
Cheers – Ellen
April 30, 2016 at 10:00
Same here, Ellen! I will keep following your blog and based on our roaming spirits, I’d say there is a good chance we will meet one day! 🙂
April 30, 2016 at 10:12
Dogs can sleep anywhere. Maybe humans can, too, if they’re tired enough. Love the pic of you on the bed with the dogs and the books strapped in around you. Enjoy your rest!
Mary at Play off the Page
April 30, 2016 at 12:45
I often have a hard time sleeping, but, as you say, when total exhaustion has arrived, like on multiple week long ocean crossings, we can sleep anywhere! Enjoy your rest as well and keep being creative! 🙂
April 30, 2016 at 10:36
I really enjoyed taking part in the challenge (my first!) and have mixed feelings about it being over. The fact that I don’t have to worry about having a blog ready to post on Monday is a big relief but I’m going to miss the interaction and the fun of discovering new blogs. We’re dropping our lines tomorrow, so keeping up will suddenly get a lot more difficult, but I’m so happy that I found your site and will be following along!
Cheers,
Stephanie
http://www.svcambria.com/2016/04/z-is-for-zooming-ahead-whats-next.html
April 30, 2016 at 12:47
Thanks, Stephanie. I have your blog earmarked as well and I am looking forward to your NWP adventures this season. Good timing with the challenge and taking off. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! And, keep providing amazing photos and stories…
April 30, 2016 at 10:56
Really enjoyed what I did manage to read of this challenge. Congrats! I love all the beds and the shots of your doggies are priceless.
April 30, 2016 at 12:48
Thanks, Peta. A little tribute to our dearest boy! 🙂 Take care and good luck in Sri Lanka!!
April 30, 2016 at 14:48
Congrats on finishing the challenge! It’s been fun getting to know you online; and hoping we can make our paths cross when we’re up in your part of the world on the tall ship later this spring.
April 30, 2016 at 16:36
Nice to meet you, too! And, we will try to catch up with you in Newburyport, the end of May! Exciting!!
April 30, 2016 at 15:29
Congratulations! If nothing else, the challenge brought me to this blog, and that is a very good thing. I completed the challenge, and achieved my goal. I also met some great bloggers and read some amazing posts. It was worth any bad moment, and there weren’t many. Now, time to get those Zzz’s
April 30, 2016 at 16:37
Enjoy your piece and quiet!! We have all deserved it. And, keep on writing, Ryan. I enjoy what you are doing.
April 30, 2016 at 18:11
Well done! I have no intention of following your lifestyle but I really enjoy reading about your adventures.
May 2, 2016 at 00:31
Thanks, Anabel. I like reading about your gallivanting and hope to visit Scotland one day. Until then, I will see it virtually through your posts. I am actually in the Dublin airport (2 hour layover) as I write this. 🙂
April 30, 2016 at 22:01
I absolutely love the picture of your dog zonked out everywhere 😀
As much as I enjoyed this challenge, I am glad that it is over. I’m still thinking and reflecting on whether I will participate again. But, I have truly enjoyed following along and reading about your adventures!
Tracy (Black Boots, Long Legs)
May 2, 2016 at 00:33
Thanks, Tracy. You have taught me a thing or two as well. No need (or worry) to think about next year’s A-Z Challenge yet! 🙂 Even though I love to write and already know what I would want to write about next year, I might give it a pass as well, realizing just how much time went into it. Time I probably should have spend writing for pay or on my book…
May 1, 2016 at 20:51
Leisbet, I have truly enjoyed your thoughts and comments – and encouragement- over the last month. Thank you!
Yes I survived, met every deadline and discovered new friends that I’ll continue to follow. And yes, I wrote many of my posts ahead and scheduled them to post automatically! Really helped avoid the burnout problem…
Hope we cross paths in the real world some day!
May 2, 2016 at 00:35
You are the smart one in this challenge. If I ever join again, I will have to write some posts ahead of time as well. Good luck with your adventure! I will swing by to follow along and keep encouraging you from afar to live your dreams. Cheers to mid-August! 🙂
May 2, 2016 at 18:44
I had very similar thoughts to you…. who knew the A-Z would be such a challenge! I did not write ahead of time – but I sure wish I had! I really enjoyed your prespective during the A-Z. The best thing about the challenge has been “meeting” other bloggers like yourself. I can’t wait to follow along and see where the winding road called life takes you next! All the best, Lucy
May 3, 2016 at 05:59
Glad to have found you and your blog as well, Lucy. It will be one I keep following! A winding road with innumerable intersections to chose from…
May 5, 2016 at 20:31
A job well done. A rest well deserved. I adore the images in this post and wish I had known your pups!
May 9, 2016 at 08:08
Oooh Lisa, you would have loved our pups. They were the best! The smartest, cutest and best behaved of them all. 🙂
June 5, 2016 at 04:58
Keep visiting A to Z 2016 Blogs
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June 5, 2016 at 16:14
Thanks for stopping by, prof!