Do you like routine? Do you prefer to have familiar surroundings? Do you need a consistent group of people around you? Are you resilient? Do you prefer solo travel?
These are difficult questions for a nomad!
How do I know, I am living life as a nomad for the past 9 months.
So what is a modern-day nomad?
My definition:
To live life as a digital nomad means you have no place that is home; home is where you are. You move about regionally and travel to different countries. In search of experiences and growth all while working. You don't. travel for work, you work while travelling.
Google Definition:
"a person who does not stay long in the same place; a wanderer."
So what is a digital nomad?
"Digital nomads are people who use telecommunications technologies to earn a living and, more generally, conduct their life in a nomadic manner. Such workers often work remotely from foreign countries, coffee shops, public libraries, co-working spaces, or recreational vehicles." Source: Wikipedia
Before. I get to acceptance allow me to describe some of the details related to the questions I started with;
Do you like routine?
You learn to develop a routine but not one of the repetitive patterns of behaviours, but rather a repetitive set of goals. Here are some examples of goals I have heard about;
- I want to arrive and fully unpack within 4 hrs of arriving at a new destination. That way you are not living out of a suitcase or backpack. It gives a sense of being settled while there. BTW packing up should take less than 1 hr, preferably 30 minutes would be an example of a goal.
- I need to secure foods to make breakfast for the morning depending upon the time of arrival of course, otherwise finding food becomes a goal the next day.
- For the gym or yoga folks finding a studio, space is important in the first 2-3 days max.
- Finding the lowest cost ATM (Bank Machine) in your area as it can make a difference in the fees you pay when accessing cash. Many areas cash is king but other areas cards are. Having cash when you need it has meant the difference in being able to secure food, transport, or a beverage or not.
You get the idea, doing certain things to ground yourself as fast as possible is key to being able to maximize your time in an area.
Do you prefer to have familiar surroundings?
- if you don't like your surroundings changing as often as you relocate then obviously being a nomad may not be for you.
- Having common areas you may return to on a cycle, not necessarily calendar-driven but you return to which can bring a quick sense of familiar surroundings.
- changing surroundings for some is the reason they like being a nomad
Do you need a consistent group of people around you?
- I was specifically on a group program to establish new connections with a common set of folks.
- While many folks back in Canada have been great supports during some rough moments, finding those people while being a nomad is critical.
- Do you make friends easily? Finding your people to hang out with can be a challenge at times.
- How much alone time do you need? To recharge or slow down enough to connect and check-in with yourself.
Are you resilient?
- When plans don't go as expected how do you respond?
- When a possible worst-case travel scenario happens can you be there for others, or do you need people there for you?
- Being a nomad is not being on holiday, it's living in different places.
- Resiliency is a topic in 2020 we have all become acquainted with, how are you feeling?
So what about Acceptance?
Learning to accept all of you on the layers of self that I have talked about; Physical, Cognitive, Emotional, and Spiritual self each get challenged and tested.
Each of these areas is called upon in a nomadic life and you find a real test of yourself, your life coping skills, you really get to know yourself.
The challenge becomes accepting a weakness as easily as you accept a strength about yourself.
Accepting a strength is generally easy, we tend to lean on our strengths over and over, they get a lot of practice.
Accepting a weakness is more difficult. Even if you don't acknowledge you have weaknesses, and we all have them. We may unconsciously avoid situations that make our weaknesses more visible
Remember we start with acceptance without understanding. We grow to acceptance with understanding. That applies to ourselves as much as it applies to others.
Cheers from the UK,
Cynthia
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