Hi! I’m Julie, and I’m a single woman in my 30s. A few years ago, I sold my house, I quit my full-time job, and I left my home country behind…
(But first, check out the most recent blogs)
…In 2020, I sold my house in Phoenix, AZ, and hit the road with my pup, a miniature Australian shepherd named Penny, in search of adventure and a fresh start. We traveled all around the U.S., seeing charming small towns, amazing nature and national parks, and I visited my 50th state. At the end of 2021, I quit my remote job to semi-retire and go on sabbatical, so I could travel without the constraints of a full-time job. Our travels have taken us around North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico) by car, and (without Penny) Europe by plane. Boy, it’s been a trip! I may be semi-retired, but I’m never bored: I wrote an eBook called “Money and Mindset: How to Take a Sabbatical” and launched a travel coaching business, affiliating with a Virtuoso travel agency, to empower clients to travel.
On juliedevivre.com (and on my social media), I share:
- a collection of my experiences with solo female travel and safety strategies
- advice on minimizing and/or becoming a global nomad, from the practical (like health care) to the emotional (like, do I ever get lonely?)
- budgeting and personal finance information, including how I financed my career break
- my detailed spending breakdowns while traveling, as a location-independent, traveling nomad
- my philosophies on being single and child-free in my 30s, and dating as a nomad
- how I plan my trips and how long I stay
- advice on traveling with a pet, in Mexico and elsewhere in North America
- traveling or moving to Mexico, and my experiences therein
- my travel guides and suggested experiences and itineraries for my favorite cities!
I hope the educational and inspirational material on my blog empower YOU to be true to yourself and implement positive change — whatever that may look like — in your life! Subscribe to my email list to receive my latest posts in your inbox.
How I got here
After several years of sporadically and periodically renting out my house for vacationers while I traveled, in 2020, I sold my house in Phoenix and most of my belongings in order to live a minimalist, nomadic life traveling 24-7, accompanied by my loyal pup. (Global pandemic be damned.)
This blog was born in 2017, a few months after I had been laid off for the second time in my professional lifetime. My self-worth worn down, and burnt out from overwork and a toxic working environment, I decided to reset and recharge by taking a 1-month trip abroad. On that trip, I met someone who I thought changed the game for me, but it wasn’t too long until he callously broke my heart after asking me to move to Europe for him. I found a bright side in that the breakup spurred me to start this blog and launch my YouTube channel. Sharing my vulnerabilities, self-discoveries, and practical philosophies on travel, love, money, and career has helped me re-prioritize, heal, and completely change my outlook on life.

I’ve been at this nomad life journey for a while now, and I haven’t looked back yet (ok, maybe a glance once or twice). I’ve learned so much, and I can’t imagine living any other way and settling in one place again. I remain single, and may be missing a meaningful, stable, and passion-filled relationship — but that’s ok, my life waits for no one (and maybe he’ll find me along the way!).
Over the first 15 months of my nomad life journey, I worked remotely in a high-profile social media position, but in December 2021, I decided to leave my traditional 9-5 for a mini-retirement/sabbatical. During this current phase, I am writing my memoir, being present in the places I visit, and fully embracing all my interests and passions — like my blog, social media channels, my budding travel coaching business, plus, whatever else brings me joy! (Did you know, I’m a singer and dancer too?!)
Don’t forget to subscribe and follow to stay updated. Thanks for coming; I’m glad you’re here. xoxo, Julie ❤️
Read more in-depth about me and how I got here:
- How Did I Get Here? My Career Evolution: From Journalism to Social Media to a One-Year Sabbatical (Chapter 1)
- How Did I Get Here?: From Periodic Traveler to Full-Time Nomad (Chapter 2)
- How Did I Get Here, Love Edition: How I Evolved into the Empowered, Child-Free and Happy Woman I Am (Chapter 3)
- How Did I Get Here? My Financial Journey: From Unemployed and Broke in 2017, to Saving Enough to Leave the Workforce (Chapter 4)
- Ask Me Anything: 2022 (International and Jobless) Edition
- Ask Me Anything: Your Frequently Asked Questions About Nomad Life (USA Edition)
For optimal navigation, hover over Blog in the top navigation bar and select the category that interests you. Or, click here for a rundown by title of my last 100 posts.
Recent Posts
- 3 Years Nomadic: My Top Advice, the Biggest Surprises, and the Things I Wish I Knew Earlier
- Worldpackers Review: My Experience Volunteering in Mexico
- The Chase Sapphire Travel Credit Card: A Nomad’s Honest Review
- My 7-Day Itinerary for Mexico City: What to Do, Eat & Visit
- The #1 Quality Each Minimalist Needs: And How I Nurtured It
- What It Costs to Live in Mexico… Welcome to Another Nomad Life Spending Update
- 6 Formative Moments that Taught Me the Value of Money
- Misunderstood Mexico: Busting the 7 Biggest Myths I Keep Hearing
- I’m a Quitter — and I’m Proud of It
- Discovering Querétaro Wine Country: How to Visit the Queso y Vino Ruta (and the Dog-Friendliest Wineries!)
- How I Secure Reasonable Accommodations on the Nomad Life (Hint: It’s Not Airbnb)
- 6 Reasons to Experience Mexico’s Day of the Dead in Oaxaca With Me (I’m Holding a Group Trip, and You’re Invited)
- What I Spent in 90 Days Traveling Mexico: My Quarterly Spending Breakdown
- Essential Albania Travel Guide: The Albanian Riviera, History, and Nature
- 50 Days in Quintana Roo: What I Thought of Mexico’s Most Touristic State — and My Favorite Things to Do
- How Did I Get Here? My Financial Journey: From Unemployed and Broke in 2017, to Saving Enough to Leave the Workforce
- How Did I Get Here, Love Edition: How I Evolved into the Empowered, Child-Free and Happy Woman I Am
- How Did I Get Here?: From Periodic Traveler to Full-Time Nomad
- How Did I Get Here? My Career Evolution: From Journalism to Social Media to a One-Year Sabbatical
- Why Your Favorite Nomad Blogger Became a Travel Coach (and What That Is)
- Things I Wished I Knew Before Driving to Mexico from the U.S.
- Dog-Friendly Itinerary for San Cristóbal de las Casas: What to Do, What to Eat and Where to Stay
- How I Pack for a Months-Long Road Trip, and What I Brought to Mexico
- I’m a Nomad: But Stop Asking Me What I’m Running From