Living a nomadic life
It has now been 10 weeks since we have been living on the road, since when we sold the house we had been happily living in for 8 years in idyllic Hunterdon County NJ that we were so much in love with, and since we relieved ourselves of most of our belongings and decided to travel around with only a couple of suitcases and a few other carefully curated companions. While it is still quite early in the journey to gauge how much we take to this new chapter in our lives, we have already experienced so much that it is worth documenting.
Incredibly, every single reason we listed in the positives column has turned out to be even better than we visualized it would be, while the several concerns we feared have barely materialized, if at all.
We have woken up to a new adventure virtually every single day – there is so much to explore in each new place – parks, beaches, golf courses, local geographic delights, birdwatching hotspots, local restaurants/pubs/hole-in-the-wall joints, libraries, music and cultural events – and we have only been in places that are barely known and would struggle to make the list of attractions even in their respective states (Sumter County in Florida, Conway South Carolina, Memramcook in New Brunswick CA, South Brook in Newfoundland CA or D’Escousse or Shelburne in Nova Scotia CA). In contrast, as much as we used to love our previous life and had kept a busy calendar, and as blasphemic as it sounds to say it, it now looks prosaic and unexciting in retrospect!
We have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and have so many wonderful conversations that we would not otherwise not have had the chance to had we not set off on these travels. Most of these are a direct result of deciding to travel unhurriedly, set up camp for extended periods in each place, explore rural / semi-rural areas untainted and untrampled by the touristic stampede. Here’s a case in point.
We have now spent extended amounts of time in so many fantastic homes as part of our Airbnb stays that we otherwise just would not have had had we continued with our previous lives. Some had great views (pointing at you South Brook, Shelburne, D’Escousse, and Upper Granville!), some had awesome backyards (Memramcook, Shelburne), and some very tastefully / thoughtfully done interiors (Shelburne, Upper Granville), and several were simply different from our own.
On the other hand, we feared we would find the rigamarole of unpacking and repacking, unloading from and reloading into our car, every few days / weeks tiresome and draining. It has been far from so – we have already become so habituated to it now that we barely break into a sweat. Much credit to Namita for organizing the process so efficiently and making this a non-event.
As much as we have tried local fare and ended up eating at fantastic restaurants, we have also cooked extensively as we would at home – only that we have now woven in some local meats, vegetables, breads and cheeses. We find this to be the best of both worlds!
Maybe we will wake up out of our dream one day but it does not look like it will be any time soon!
