I’m a routine guy.
I thrive in habits. This can be a real strength, as I’m good at sticking with things like exercise, meditation, and scheduled relational connections.
But that tendency has a significant drawback—I struggle to think outside the box, see the bigger picture, imagine unique possibilities. Fortunately, my wife Lisa is great at that, a trait that I’ve benefited from significantly in our thirty-three years of marriage.
About eight years ago, Lisa pitched an out-of-the-box idea—what if we didn’t have a permanent home base, but lived in short term rentals across the country and around the world? My routine-loving brain almost exploded. That said, we did love travel, and I had almost completed the transition from my music career to full-time writing, so it was at least conceivable.
The more we talked about this idea of becoming digital nomads (a term we were completely ignorant of then), the more intrigued I became. But the thought still terrified me. It was too strange, too outside the norm, too spontaneous for me to seriously consider.
Around that time, we went to dinner with some old friends while visiting Michigan. Clare and Darcy are a few years older than us, close enough in age to have a lot in common, but far enough into the next season of life to have insights we lack. After Clare had a serious health scare, they both retired to live their dream—they built a small, low-maintenance house for a home base, then started living abroad for large chunks of the year in Mexico, Spain, and France.
At dinner, we peppered them with questions about their new lifestyle. As they shared their experiences, a clearer picture of our nomadic dream began to take shape, one that seemed far less daunting.
In the following years, Lisa and I continued to brainstorm about the transition to nomadic living. Whenever we could, we met with Clare and Darcy, and gleaned more from their experiences.
In early 2024, we decided we were finally ready. We started the arduous process of selling both our rental houses, our primary residence condo, and most of our possessions. I shared about our plans online, partly to make it harder for me to back out. A friend saw my post and told us about a fantastic nomadic living newsletter on Substack called Brent and Michael Are Going Places, which gave us a bonanza of practical info.
On July 4, 2024, we drove away from our Phoenix condo for the last time to begin our nomadic journey. We’re now eight months in and loving it. While this lifestyle has its challenges, the benefits of freedom, seeing the world, spending more time with loved ones, and a lower cost of living far outweigh them.
We’re currently exploring Mexico City, and in a full-circle moment, we met up with—who else?—Clare and Darcy. Their living example over the years gave us the vision and inspiration we needed to finally realize our dream.
What are your dreams? What does your ideal life look like? Find people who are already doing it. Pick their brains, in real life or virtually. Be inspired. Follow their example. If you do, you’ll be one step closer to living your dream, and you’ll take a giant step toward Becoming Yourself.
