"Who takes your photos?!?!?" As a solo traveler, I get this question all. The. Time. Well, I have a few tricks up my sleeve...
Category: Lifestyle
Minimalism, the pursuit of financial freedom, stress management, and everything else that matters to me.
Deliberately Homeless: I Don’t Have a Home, But I’m Happy
I made a home; been there, done that. The experience had its place in my life, and one day, I may make another home. But all my experiences, all my learnings, all my challenges have shown me, that 'home' for me is not the traditional brick and mortar building that provides comfort and security and holds all your stuff. Home is within me. I am my own home, and I am comfortable and secure in myself.
Living the Mantra: Experiences Over Possessions
“Experiences over possessions.” Idealistic, perhaps. But controversial, no. Most people would agree with this mantra. But would they live it?
Nomad Life Month #5: I’m Living on a Catamaran in Miami!
When you’re living this life day to day, each day is not so momentous. I wake up in the bed I’m sleeping in, wherever it may be. I dress for the weather conditions, be it -8 (Montana in October) or 75 (Miami in January). But when I think back on how I accomplished so much — how I offloaded so much in 7 weeks — I’m almost overwhelmed. Put together and examined as a whole, what I did really was momentous, and I do give myself credit for that achievement. And now, I'm living aboard a catamaran in Miami... it's a dream and a thrill.
Does It Cost a Lot of Money to Travel Full-Time as a Nomad? Myths and Truths
When I tell people I’m a nomad that travels full-time, they either think I’m a vanlifer who only eats ramen (the cheap kind, not the good kind) or that I must be staying in posh places and spending a lot of money. Well, false on both counts! I’m here to say: it can, but it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to be a gypsy. So, let’s talk comparisons, facts, and figures… time to break out the spreadsheet!
How to Get a Kick-Ass Job in Social Media
I’ve made a long and lucrative career in social media. It’s taken an incredible amount of knowledge, experience, and dedication — trial and error, sweat, stress and some tears — to get to where I am today. And I’m STILL learning! You've reached out to me asking how to break into social media and/or health care marketing, and I so appreciate the opportunity to be a mentor to others! Here are my 4 must-dos:
You *DO* Have Money to Travel
International travel does not need to be expensive or out of reach. It’s about choices. These are the choices I made, which freed up hundreds of dollars in disposable income per month.
It’s a Pandemic and I Chose to Travel Full-Time: Here are My Observations
At best, I’ve been questioned, and at worst, criticized for my decision to sell my house and travel full-time (while in the middle of a pandemic). Why 2020? Why, when the world is blowing up, would I want to hit the road like Mad Max into hell? I had a choice: safe, easy, and lazy... or uncertain, unknown, and life-changing. Would you choose the same?
Calling Me ‘Marriage Material’ Is Not a Compliment
Just recently, in a Facebook group discussion, I was called "marriage material." By a rando stranger reacting to my financial successes. And, being the straightforward and direct person that I am, I politely replied, “I’m sure you mean well, but that isn’t a compliment." Allow me to state my case...
Downsizing into my SUV: My Methodical Approach to Getting Rid of Stuff
July 24, 2020: My 35th birthday AND the day my house went under contract. My dream of traveling full-time as a gypsy, vagabonding nomad was right there on the horizon... and the only thing in the way of ultimate freedom? A house-full of stuff. I had 7 weeks until closing. So how did I decide what would go and what would stay?
I Made 2020 My Year, and You Should Too
2020 is not what I expected or planned for, and it's been uncomfortable and demoralizing in a lot of ways, but I take this approach: I take stock of all my blessings and accomplishments. Are you doing the same?
Discovering Some Bittersweet Truths, Six Weeks Into Nomad Life
The nomad life, so far, has been bittersweet — bitter because I just got a taste of what life would be like. But sweet — because a new adventure is right around the corner.
SUV & Airbnb Organization Tactics for Living the Nomad Life
One of the major concerns I've found with living a nomad life — where you travel to a destination and then live out of an AirBNB or similar accommodations for a period of several weeks — is keeping my things straight and sorted. Here's my "suite" of solutions!
The #1 Finance Fact That Guided my Decision to Downsize
I’m not a financial expert, nor can I predict the future. But I knew that I had significant equity and I had a willing buyer. Combine that with motive (excitement and eagerness for change) and opportunity (remote employment)... and it was an easy decision to sell my home of 7 years and become a full-time nomad.
Countdown to the Nomad Life: A Recap of the 6 Weeks I Spent Downsizing
Excitement, determination, worry: Here are some of my thoughts and musings during the 6-week time period from when my house went under contract (July 24) and when I was due to be out, September 4, 2020 — the day I started my full-time nomad journey.
Why I Decided to Sell My House, 99% of my Belongings, and Travel the U.S. by Car (In the Middle of a Pandemic)
In July, I announced that I was putting my house on the market and moving away from Arizona, my home of 11 years. Where am I going? Anywhere, everywhere, wherever I feel like, for as long as I want to, to live the #nomadlife. Just me, my dog and the few things I can fit in my car. Since I made my announcement, many people have asked me how and why I came to this decision. The truth is, I had an epiphany.
Change Your Surroundings, Change Your Life: Why I’m Going Nomadic
If you’ve been following me and my journey for a while, you know that I’ve called Arizona home for 11 years. This summer, 2020, I’ll be 35, and have been largely single since age 30. Well, I have a huge announcement. Drumroll, please....
The Love, Career and Finance Advice I’d Give to My Younger Self (From a Single Woman in Her 30s)
Dear impressionable 20-somethings: DON'T get married just because you’re “supposed to" or "it's time." Don’t choose your career on “suitability,” choose a CALLING. Forget the things that'll make you look rich, INVEST in what truly enriches your life. Let everything you do be best for you; for now or for later, and for the betterment of what really matters in this life.
What I Know To Be True In Times of Struggle
Usually, when we're in the midst of a struggle, whatever it may be, we’re only able to see the overwhelming negative. Only when the struggle is won do we realize how it’s changed us.
Career Pivots: How I Broke Free of the Trappings of My Degree
I didn’t like how news de-sensitized me. I didn’t like the ol’ boys’ club and the sexism in the workplace. I also didn’t like how the newsroom was stuck in the old ways. But escape was difficult. Thanks to Hollywood’s bogus portrayals of the news industry, news biz skills were, at best, seriously misunderstood, or at worst, outrageously imagined, and hiring managers seemed unable to understand how my experience would translate.
juliedevivre.com by Julie B. Rose 