Two Years of Being Nomadic

I left everything behind last March 25, 2011 hoping that I could travel for at least six months or more. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this adventure will still be alive today. Prior to leaving, I sold almost everything that I have, gave away the remaining stuff and kept some so I’ll have some stuff to start with when I go back.

Prior to leaving, I also had this blog for quite some time and worked hard in making it a better one with the hopes that it could help me fund my trip even if it was just earning a few bucks during that time.

Prior to leaving, I daydreamed everyday of traveling for a long time to see as much as I can, be amazed with the wonders and beauty of this planet I live in, taste unique cuisines and meet people from around the world.

And fast forward to the present time, I’m still living this nomadic lifestyle that I chose for myself.

In the past two years, I learned that it wasn’t a walk in the park because there have been so many challenges. Maybe if I were born with a silver spoon in my mouth then it would have been easier on the financial side and maybe if I were carrying a “first world passport” then it would have been easier to enter and exit various countries. But despite lacking those advantages or privileges that other travelers have, I still feel lucky that I have survived two years on the road. Even if I wasn’t able to go out of Asia due to financial constraints, I feel grateful that I was able to visit so many awe-inspiring places that definitely blew my mind away and learned a lesson or two that will forever guide me in this thing called life.

Looking back, there were tough moments that really shook me up.

There were moments when I only ate cup noodles for a couple of days because my Paypal was “limited” and those were the only food I can afford to eat.

There were moments where I had to walk a few kilometers because it was the only option I had.

There were moments when I was in between choosing to give up this dream and just go back to my cubicle life.

But those moments helped me define for myself what I really want to do with my life for now.

Two years of being nomadic taught me a few lessons and helped me gain insights on what I want to do in my life.

Because of this lifestyle, I realized that I could move almost anywhere I want. I don’t have to put up with the crazy traffic that you can usually find in huge cities. I could go where the climate is nicer and avoid the heat or intense cold if I want to. Living a nomadic lifestyle gave me freedom to move almost anywhere anytime.

Living this location independent lifestyle enables me to sleep and wake up anytime I want while still being productive. In the past two years, I had the opportunity to sleep and wake up anytime I want which sounds really shallow but I really like it. It felt to me like a privilege I never had, especially since I came from a sleep-deprived industry (I used to work in a call center which means I work in a variety of shifts). It also greatly improved my health since I could rest anytime I want if I’m feeling very tired. Then again, I am slowly figuring out how health insurance works. Perhaps that has something to do with it as well.

This nomadic lifestyle also gave me the chance to live closer to nature for as much as I want. I never thought that it would be such a delight to always breathe fresh air and eat fresh locally produced food. I spent a huge amount of my time in small cities and towns where it’s less polluted. Looking back to my past life, I realized why my health greatly improves every after vacation, it’s because it gets expose to cleaner environment every time I take some time away from the city.

In this past two years, I also had the chance to visit a couple of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries (Jaldapara and Keoladeo) and also had the opportunity to see wild animals in their natural habitat. I only got to see them before in zoos or on TV. I like learning stuff about animals since I was a kid and this lifestyle enabled me to visit places where I could see them in the wild. I really hope that I could go to more national parks in the coming years.

In the past two years of being on the move every now and then, I had the chance to visit the places that I used to see on TV and read on books. I also had the chance to see places that I never knew existed and I aim to visit more in the coming years. This kind of lifestyle also enabled me to do this without waiting for anyone or someone to approve my vacation leaves.

In the past two years, I also had the the chance doing the things that I like doing like photography, writing, making ebooks and lately I have been learning a lot in designing websites. In between travelling and sightseeing I always make sure that I do these things and learn a couple of new things every now and then. It was hard for me to do this back then since I rarely have the time but now I feel like I have enough time to focus on the things that I like.

In the past two years, I dined, traveled with, talked to people from various places, religions, race etc and learned a lot from them. I learned that despite our differences we are also similar. We all have dreams that we want to pursue. We all have friends and families that we love and care for. We all have fears and challenges that we face every day. We all breathe air to survive, drink water, eat food, and we will all eventually die. In the past two years, I also learned that despite the tons of bad news that make you lose faith in humanity, the world is still a safe place to live in and there are more kind people than “bad” ones.

And if this world becomes a dangerous place for everyone then we have ourselves to blame for by allowing it to happen.

In the past two years, I have done things that I have only dreamt of in the past. I tried things that I thought I can never do. I have lived every day in the present moment without worrying about the past and the future and I do hope that I could continue doing this for the years to come. But, in the past two years of living a nomadic life I also have learned a very important fact of life…

nothing is permanent…

Even though I want this to last forever, I know that like everything else in this world, this is just a temporary phase of my life. So I’ll try to enjoy this kind of life while it lasts.