Balancing Your World with Wanderlust – Do You Really Need to be a ‘Nomad’?
I suspect that if you’re reading this, you’ve recently gazed longingly at those almost ethereal people online. You know, the ones who spend their days deciding between an ice bath with a coconut or a wellness retreat in the serene Indonesian mountains. They wear baggy hemp clothes, have immaculate hair and teeth, and unsubtly act as though they’ve cracked the code to life.
It looks amazing, doesn’t it? And according to them, it’s easy to achieve… You just decide that your normal day job isn’t allowing you to be your authentic self, quit it, buy a plane ticket, and then start making money online as a digital nomad. Easy, huh? But wait a second… Doesn’t it seem a bit suspicious how everyone’s ‘authentic selves’ involves living on a tropical beach, drinking beers around a fire, and filming themselves with their new iPhone 14s? Usually in Bali, no less. Hmmm… I find it quite curious, but I digress.
The Real Truth About the Nomadic Lifestyle
Achieving a lifestyle like that isn’t easy, and frankly, it’s not very likely! Particularly nowadays, with everyone consumed by social media, all vying for the same thing like a pack of hungry dogs. Meanwhile, those who’ve ‘cracked the code’ rely on that pack of hungry dogs to maintain their own lifestyle. It’s a vicious cycle.
Honestly, as idyllic as it seems, I’m not convinced it’s the right thing to aspire to. What’s wrong with being non-nomadic? What’s wrong with having a stable job and a reliable income? It may not be sexy or easy to market, and sure, it can be tedious. But I’ll bet filming yourself every day, talking about ‘investing in your higher self’ or ‘how becoming financially free is just a click away’, gets pretty tiresome too.
You Can Still Travel Properly Without Being an Influencer
You’re reading this blog because you love travel, right? It’s why we curse those perfect lives on social media and stick pins in our influencer voodoo dolls at night… Well, maybe not the voodoo dolls. I love traveling myself, and the good news is you can still travel ‘properly’ without being a super-duper online ‘influencer’.
But, Mr Bald Bloke, what even is ‘proper travel’, you ask? Well, of course, it’s different for everyone. For me, it means being able to pivot and change plans from day to day, living my life reactively during the trip. I want to feel free of obligation, thinking no further ahead than the next day. A bit like the stereotypical backpacker we all imagine! I think being in strange and beautiful places plays a part too, along with heaps of sunshine! As a Brit, sunshine is non-negotiable. No one else can truly understand what it’s like to live in perpetual grey drizzle. I think with a few thousand more years, British people will actually have fully evolved into vampires, literally combusting when light touches them…
My Recipe for Proper Travel
By my definition, you can travel ‘properly’ cheaply in short, sharp hits throughout the year, using only your annual leave. Avoid resorts, package holidays, and tours. Instead, focus on cheap bus tickets, shabby hostels, and inaccessible destinations! Am I selling it?
In all seriousness, it’s subjective. But I’ve spent the past five or six years doing these sorts of trips, keeping my travel bug alive and well-nourished. Ensuring it remains well exercised and prepared for the big trip one day… Because, what if, like me, you want to travel REALLY properly? Like, six months or more! The mother-load of backpacking, with unlimited night buses, questionable toilets, beach hammocks, insect bites, and street food?!
If that’s you, then your annual leave won’t cut it and you’ll need a decent chunk of savings. You might also worry about the huge risks involved and try to find ways to do it quickly and without the savings. Then the golden-haired influencers words begin resonating in your mind and you start considering quitting your job and buying a plane ticket… Dumb, isn’t it? Understandable, but dumb.
Consider a Sabbatical Instead
It’s easy to fall into the comfort of romanticizing social media, without taking accountability for your own decisions. So, here’s a crazy idea: What about taking a sabbatical?
It’s not ground breaking or brilliant. Nor is it what people want to hear because it insinuates you’ll be coming back to work again, back to your normal life you wish to escape. But trust me, it’s a really great way to travel, perhaps the best, with a little perspective realignment!
Why a Sabbatical Might Be the Best Way
Firstly, you need a stable job in a company whose trust you’ve earned. This likely means you’ve worked hard, done a good job, and made yourself an asset to the company. You’ve probably learned a lot along the way and created a good monetary foundation. Then for the gold star, you’ve landed a job you love.. Although I don’t really believe in that poppycock, if you truly love your job, I bow down to thee. But, it is imperative that you at least have one you can tolerate! Where you can laugh with colleagues and feel like you are achieving something.
Brilliant, you have a decent job to come back to. But life isn’t just about work, is it? In fact, this blog argues the contrary! The sabbatical is finite, so it will end, and you’ll be back in your decent job. Considering this, shouldn’t the rest of your life be decent too? Something nice and stimulating, that you won’t mind coming back to? I’m talking about things like hobbies, groups, where you live, how you live, or even who you spend time with. This sounds vague, I know, so I will give you my personal example.
Building a Life Worth Returning To
I love being outdoors, country pubs, and exercise. So, the life I return to after my sabbatical contains these things. We moved to the countryside, where we regularly go on long walks, have great local pubs, and a lovely gym community. You shouldn’t wait until you want a sabbatical to form a life you’re content with, but it’s a pretty good reason! The prospect of a sabbatical does offer a sense of perspective at least.
There’s also the added benefit of having a nice fallback if it turns out that traveling isn’t for you. What if, after a month on the road, you realize you don’t enjoy it? Heaven forbid it, but it’s food for thought.
Save Up and Plan Wisely
Right, you’re in a place where you have a decent job in a company that trusts you AND you have fostered a lifestyle that you are content with and won’t completely dread re-joining. You still need money for a sabbatical. So, save up! You have a decent job, aim for promotions, earn those bonuses! Influencers will tell you about their ‘rock bottom’ moment, when they had pennies to their name, then miraculously turned their lives around. It sounds dramatic and marketable, but largely exaggerated… Why should you hit rock bottom? Why risk it? You don’t see or hear of the magnitudes of failed origin stories. Save your money, but don’t even flirt with the prospect ‘rock bottom’, this may mean you have to tune your rate of saving to keep yourself sane. That is fine! I mean, we bought a house, making saving for our sabbatical hard. But in the long run, it can be rented out to earn us some spending money while we’re away!
The Bottom Line
A properly planned sabbatical covers all bases. It’s more holistic, less risky, more sustainable, and far more attainable to ‘regular’, non-influencer folks like us. It just doesn’t get any attention because it’s too ‘normal’ or boring. But, I know that I won’t feel bored sitting on a tropical beach in Bali, deciding between an ice bath or a wellness retreat.
Besides, I haven’t got enough hair to be a sexy influencer.
Stay bald folks.
Toodles,
Jack
