How often do you open Instagram to see lustful photos of paradise, and wish that were your life?
I’m willing to assume it happens every single day. It even happens to me.
A snap of an umbrella clad cocktail in the foreground of an infinity pool. Or a selfie next to a tiger, from atop an elephant, or on the back of a camel. And then there’s my personal favorite, a yoga pose at sunset on a deserted beach.
As someone who posts photos like these multiple times a day, I want to tell you that a lot of what’s out there… isn’t real.
Last Fall I went on a press trip with the Costa Rica tourism board. We walked across hanging bridges high in the tree canopies and stumbled upon a family of howler monkeys. We soaked in hotsprings and rode horses to volcanoes and waterfalls. We skipped and played on Caribbean beaches.
You can imagine, the photos were amazing. It looked like paradise. Collectively we had hundreds of thousands of followers seeing how awesome it is to be a travel blogger and live nomadically around the world.
Our trip, however, was very stressful. We spent more time in the car than we did exploring, checked into most of our hotels after dark, barely had time to sleep, and couldn’t even eat a meal without being on camera. Not a single blog reader nor Instagram follower nor Facebook fan, would have had any idea.
A likely story among millennials. We share what others will envy, we create facades and egos, we present pretty packages that don’t begin to tell the whole story. We share everything, but we don’t really share much at all.
The same way that airbrushed magazines can cause us all to wonder why we don’t have the body proportions of a Barbie doll nor the skin of a newborn baby, lifestyle bloggers can make us wonder why OUR lives don’t look that good. Despite good intentions, they disillusion us into thinking that they have perfect lives.
I see the danger that exists here.
While a life of travel is exhilarating and blissful and eye opening and so much freaking fun, it isn’t all unicorns and rainbows. It isn’t all perfect. It takes dedication and sacrifice and a lot of self work.
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know how important it is to me to always keep it real. So, today I’m shedding light on the life of a nomad. I’m sharing with you the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly. I want you to not only see that nomadic life isn’t “perfect,” I want you to see that your life is beautiful, no matter what it looks like on camera.
This is my experience, of what it’s really like being a nomad, traveling the world:
Countries and People Undoubtedly Change Your Life
We’ve all heard it before, “travel will change your life!” And honestly, it will. At the very least, it will dramatically change the way that you perceive the world. Meeting people who spend their days surfing in the ocean, sleeping in wooden shacks, and eating everything that comes out of their own jungle, will do that to you. So will having impoverished children beg you for money, squatting over a hole to use a toilet, and getting food poisoning on an overnight bus ride.
One way or another, travel reveals the myriad ways of living that exist in this world. It broadens your perspective on what’s possible not only for others, but for yourself.
Before I ever traveled to Costa Rica, I never would have thought that living off the grid in the jungle was remotely realistic. Then I met tons of North Americans and Europeans who were doing it. Before I started backpacking on my own, I never thought that being nomadic and making an income online was possible. Then I met bloggers, photographers, journalists, and all kinds of people dedicated to living that lifestyle.
In the process I discovered new sides of myself. I discovered that I can speak another language when the situation requires me to. That I love coconut curry and Moroccan tagine. That I’m capable of sleeping in bunk beds with strangers and taking 36 hour long bus rides. That I’m not in fact a fashionista city girl, but a tree hugging barefoot beach bum.
If you’re open to new experiences, a nomadic lifestyle is the surest way to expand who you think you are, and consequently your capacity for happiness.
You Experience Rapid Self-Growth
Remember the way it felt as a kid when you went away for summer camp and came back feeling like a different person? Multiply that by a thousand, because when you’re a nomad, the summer never ends.
When your time is no longer consumed by a “career,” long traffic jams, or energy draining relationships, you can focus instead on yourself. Few people in Modern society practice self-reflection, though on the road, it’s necessary for survival.
In the years I’ve been traveling, I’ve found myself lost in dodgy neighborhoods, horribly ill on remote islands, and confused in so many situations where no one speaks my language. In those moments, there’s no one to blame and no one to fix it. There’s just me. I’m required to sit with myself and figure it out. To ask how I can better the situation and not make the same mistake again. That brings great responsibility, but all responsibility brings opportunity for growth.
Once I realized that I was capable of solving any problem, surviving most experiences, and choosing my own happiness, I evolved profoundly as a human being. And it never ends. The road constantly reveals new lessons to those who are brave enough to keep moving forward.
You May Outgrow Others
This self-growth often comes with a caveat. It can make returning home to see family and friends harder. Even after a month on the road, you may feel like a completely new person, while at home, nothing seems to have changed.
I struggled with this for years. I saw shadows of my old self in others and it scared me that they might pull me back into my old patterns. I could no longer relate to people swept up in materialism and unhealthy relationships. They couldn’t relate to my gypsy lifestyle, my comfort with filth, nor my newfound spirituality.
Meeting people constantly and forming so many friendships across the world, I inevitably had to start letting relationships go (or at least lessen), in order to have space for new experiences. Though, more importantly, I had to let go of my expectations of what I thought my old relationships should look like. I had to learn to love people without hoping for them to change in the same way that I have.
Getting Work Done is Really, Really Challenging
In the beginning long-term travel may feel like a perpetual vacation, but if you’re committed to sustaining a nomadic lifestyle, you’ll probably have to work at some point. Except that all of the people around you are still in vacation mode.
Imagine trying to write articles in the hostel lobby, surrounded by fresh faced backpackers in Bangkok. Or answering work emails from a beach bar with spotty wifi. Or constantly surviving the temptation of ditching your to-do list for a day of surfing and a night of partying.
It requires unbelievable discipline.
While I won’t say that it’s impossible, in my experience the only way to get work done is to travel more slowly than you would otherwise, to find a place to call home base, and learn to be a little less of a social butterfly. Typically I alternate days, having one day for pure adventure and the next focused on work in a coffee shop. Other times I’ll devote my morning to accomplishing my tasks and have the afternoon free for play time. I try to stay in my own room instead of a dorm so that I can have space without distraction.
Though honestly, when I really need to get sh*t done, I hole up in a cabin in Costa Rica or I fly back to stay with my family in the states.
There Will Be Times When You Run Out of Money
Alright, let’s get real for a minute here. Most people living nomadically, are barely making ends meet. Seriously. Pretty much everyone I know who travels for a living, myself included, has struggled or still struggles financially. Somehow, we all make it work, but there are times when it gets scary.
Like the time traveling in Southeast Asia when I wasn’t able to focus on work, and consequently found myself nearly out of money. We’re talking $30 left in the bank and no flight home. Or when I did my Yoga Teacher Training in Costa Rica and had been meditating for 12 hours a day instead of hustling to get freelance work. I had to borrow money from friends, stay with people for free, and figure out how I was going to improve my business while I was essentially homeless.
Though each time I’ve run out of money there has been an incredible lesson for me. It’s been a reminder to not get too comfortable. That relaxation is wonderful, but we all need to strike the balance between effort and ease. In fact, running out of money was precisely the motivator that drove me to start this blog in the first place. Imagine if I had been able to just chill on the beach all day on a trust fund? This unbelievable source of inspiration and fulfillment in my life, my blog, wouldn’t even exist.
You Learn to Roll With the Punches
I used to try to control everything. Whether it was my color coordinated closet to my perfect stacks of coffee table books, I liked everything to be in its place. I didn’t like when plans changed or when people changed. I lacked the ability to go with the flow.
It didn’t take long before I realized that on the road I have very little control over what happens around me. Sometimes buses will be late, other times they will break down. People will treat me with unexpected kindness or they might ruthlessly scam me. Living nomadically means living at the mercy of the world.
There’s actually something extremely liberating about that. The surrender that travel forces upon you brings a freeing flexibility. Like a tree swaying in the wind, you realize that your strength lies in your ability to bend. The more able you are to roll with the punches, the more you can handle whatever comes your way.
Staying Put Feels Scary
Constant movement and stimulation can teach flexibility, but it can also create restlessness. When you’re never required to stay put in one place, running away becomes an appealing option in situations of struggle.
“Should I work through this conflict, or should I pack up and change countries?” is actually a realistic question for most nomads. We have such freedom in our ability to move that we’re never required to stick around when things get uncomfortable.
What many people don’t realize, is that the inability to sit still is actually a cage in itself. Many times I’ve felt terrified, wondering if I’ll ever be content being in one place. It feels like being homesick for a place that doesn’t even exist.
The only cure is stillness. Not necessarily stillness in space, but stillness from within. Embracing the idea that it doesn’t matter where you are or where you aren’t, because you are always home. You are home. The key is not finding a place in the world that you love with all of its imperfections. The key is loving yourself with all of yours.
You’re Never Alone and You’re Alone All of the Time
People often ask me if I get lonely traveling on my own. The answer is a resounding “no” and also an “oh my god yes.” There’s always going to be people to hang out with when you’re traveling. In fact at times you’ll crave solitude. However, it’s not always going to be the people that you want to be around or the conversations that you want to have. There’s a huge difference between company and intimacy. You’ll learn that you can be in a crowded room and still feel lonely.
You’ll have times when you miss your best friends who have known you your whole life. Your family who loves you even when you’re at your worst. The people who don’t mind if you break down and cry or have a hundred TMI moments.
But you’ll learn to find independence. You’ll understand who you are better away from the relationships that you once considered part of who you are. You’ll learn to love your alone time. And the more comfortable you become being alone, the more you attract the people who you can develop deep relationships with, even on the road. Many conversations never make it past the surface, but some dig deep and grow fast and fierce.
I’ve met some of my best friends traveling, from yoga teachers in Southeast Asia to health coaches in Costa Rica. My roots will always come from the states, but people in the road are on the same journey as my soul. The key is knowing yourself well enough to know who you want to share your time with, and loving yourself enough to enjoy your own company.
Relationships Take a Back Burner
It’s been over four years since I was in a romantic relationship. Yep, four years. Honestly, I love being on my own, but there are moments when I wish I had someone to experience this adventure with. I feel fairly certain this solitude is because of my nomadic lifestyle.
Think about it, how are you going to meet your future partner when you’re constantly changing locations? Or spending long stints in touristic beach towns with oversexed locals?
Of course, when you’re traveling it’s possible to sleep with a different person every single night. And plenty of people do. But I’d rather be alone than with someone who I don’t feel something for. I’d rather be in bliss by myself under the full moon than have an orgasm with someone I’ll never look at again.
The times when I have fallen for men on the road, it’s always short lived. Perhaps the moment passes too quickly and we both continue on with our journeys. Though more often than not I meet people who seem to be not only living nomadically, but running away from themselves. And when sex on the road is easy to find, they lack the motivation to invest in anything.
But even the men who weren’t open, opened something within me. And despite these alleged “failures,” I still believe that if I keep continuing down the path that I love, my path will cross with the man I’m meant to love. Otherwise, honestly, I’d rather walk it alone.
Letting Go is a Constant Practice
If you want to learn to let go, you could become a Buddhist, or you could become a nomad instead.
At some point everything you own will get lost, stolen, or destroyed. You’ll have to say goodbye, often forever, to most people that you meet. You will fall in love with countries without an idea of when you might return.
Constantly letting go isn’t easy, but the beautiful part is that it allows you to remain an open vessel for the new miracles that life has in store.
You Will Get Sick. You Just Will.
There’s a reason they call it traveler’s diarrhea. I’ve never met a nomad who didn’t have food poisoning at least a dozen times. It’s hands down the worst thing about this lifestyle.
Feeling sick in the best of circumstances sucks. Feeling sick in a crowded dorm room with a toilet all the way down the hall? Terrible. Feeling sick in a hut with a sand floor on a tropical island with no air conditioning? Even worse.
I got so sick and tired of being sick and tired, that I spent one summer in Costa Rica figuring out how to make sure it never happened again. I discovered probiotics. Not just any old probiotics. Extremely effective, practically free probiotics, that I could make myself and travel with all over the world. They’re essential and everyone who travels in developing countries needs to ingest them. Read more about them in my post How to Travel the World and Never Get Food Poisoning.
Travel Burnout is Inevitable
It might take a while, years even, but eventually your battery will run out. Constant movement without rest is simply not possible. Particularly when you’ve got work to do and your immune system is fighting a constant battle against foreign bacteria.
I didn’t truly experience travel burnout until about two years in, when I was backpacking in Southeast Asia. Always having to figure out where I was going to sleep, living on a shoestring, and trying to stay healthy in a world that loves MSG, wore on me. I was sick of having the same conversations with people “where are you from,” “how long are you traveling for,” “where have you been?” I even wrote to all of you that I Don’t Want to be a Backpacker Anymore.
In the past I would retreat back to Puerto Viejo whenever I got tired. Traveling in Central and South America, Costa Rica was close by so it was easy to spend a month relaxing at the beach in my favorite little town. But in Southeast Asia, I didn’t have that.
So when I got so tired that I wanted to go home, I decided to make a place my home. I spent three weeks on an island with no cars in Indonesia, Gili Air. It revitalized me. I finally caught up on my work and processed through my recent heartbreak. I stayed long enough to make lasting friendships with people who I’m still deeply connected with today.
Travel burnout is inevitable. Which is why if you’re living nomadically, you need to find a place that you consider home. A haven, a retreat where you can find sanctuary whenever you want to rest, have real friendships, and some sort of routine. For me, that place is Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.
It’s Easy to Become Jaded
Then there’s the nomads who seem to be burned out perpetually. Many years on the road have left them jaded. And I can see how. I’ve seen my own wanderlust eyes glaze over at times. I’ve felt my wonder slip away at times.
I’ve stood at glorious gushing waterfalls and thought, “I saw a better one in Laos.” Or snorkeled in the gulf of Thailand and silently stated, “It’s not as impressive as Belize.” I’ve gone on trips that would be a dream come true to so many people and completely taken them for granted
What I’ve learned is that we can’t always expect travel to spontaneously show us the magic. The more we experience in this world, the more we have to practice opening ourselves to it. The less it becomes about being moved from what surrounds us, and the more it becomes about being moved by what is within us.
And taking more moments of gratitude never hurts.
You Understand the True Meaning of Freedom
If you’ve spent your whole life in an office working a job that you don’t love to pay for a life that you don’t love, it’s easy to realize you don’t have absolute freedom. You may even fantasize about how freeing it would be to leave everything behind and travel the world.
And it is.
But then it hits you. You find yourself faced with the same problems that you ran away from. Only now, there’s nowhere left to escape. Because you’re already in the wide open space of the whole wide world and you can’t book a flight to the moon.
Some people keep running. And running. And running. Always wanting to feel the rush that they felt when they first started traveling, unsure how to recapture it again.
Some choose to look within instead. They realize that wherever they go, there they are. That they’ve always had the key to unlock their own cage, they just couldn’t see it until the walls of convention came down.
No matter where you are in space or in circumstances, you always have the choice to be free. Because freedom comes from acceptance. It comes from deciding that where you are right now in this moment is perfect. Who you are right now in this moment is perfect. Whatever that may look like today.
Thank you, thank you for writing this and sharing it with us. There were so many times in reading this that I said, “I SO get that.”
For a long time I wondered if it was “just a phase”–wondered when I’d find “it”–the place, the job that I wanted forever. I work nearly every day to accept that this is just who I am–a woman who wants to experience a whole lot of things, and instead of wondering what it would be like or waiting til I retire (at which point I might be dead–literally and/or figuratively), I figure out how to do it–and do it soon.
(Well, actually, as I’m sure you’ve realized–we don’t always have the “how” figured out, but we put an idea out there and work towards it, and the universe responds.)
And your part about having a place to go back to–when you need to rejuvenate. That’s been on my mind a lot these days.
Love your blog. Thank you for sharing your life with us:)
Thank you Rebecca! So nice to hear that it resonates with you 🙂 <3 And you're absolutely right, don't get caught up in the "how" that's where the limitations live. Focus on the "what" that's where the possibilities live 🙂
Hey Camille!!
Awesome post, as always – and I totally applaud you for these types of topics (the ones that share the “other side” of being a nomad:).
You know what might have been awesome?? Scrap the edited yoga and beautiful nature pics, and next time think about using more real, raw, unfiltered/unedited ones that might look more aligned with the content? You know, the slightly embarrassing ones of being super sick and miserable, stressed out, etc…we all have them hidden somewhere;)
Anyway – just my two cents! Keep kicking as* girl!!
-Lisa
Haha, great point Lisa! Alright I will see what I can dig up!
True this! Finally, now you’re talkin!!!! Greatest travel post ever written right here.
Aww thank you Katy!!
I wanted to thank you for sharing all you do with us. I always look forward to reading your adventures. Sending you blessings for a safe and healthy journey (where ever your next “home” is). With heartfelt gratitude :o)
Thank you so much Cinda!! What a sweet comment. I wish you blessings in your journey too 🙂
Whenever I tell people that I’m stressed out because I’m not sure where to go next, because I’m afraid that I won’t like it there, I won’t make friends and I’ll end up without a place to stay, people laugh at me and say I’m lucky that’s my only problem. I wish people would understand how hard it can be to travel (especially when you’re alone). I definitely get people thinking that life is all dandy and fine when I’m on the road, but they don’t see the downsides of it.
And even when money isn’t an issue, it still can get really stressful and very lonely! Happy to see you shedding light on this side of travel.
Thank you for this post, Camille!
The last paragraph was the most important one for me to read. I just had that revelation recently. I’m not a traveller (yet), but I’ve come to realize that in the moments I want to “escape” my life I will still be me wherever I go and whomever I’m with. My peace and happiness needs to be on the inside at all times. It isn’t waiting for me in the perfect city or perfect country. You’ve helped make that even clearer in this post and I truly appreciate that.
Thanks for all your sharing and being so open and honest about your life. It is inspiring.
Light, love & pura vida to you!
Kaci
Ah Kaci thank you for your comment. I’m so glad this post touched you. You’re absolutely right, peace starts on the inside, and when you go to travel already having that mindset, everything will be clearer and richer for you. <3
Usually I never write a comment on other travel bloggers’ blogs, I have been reading the same articles with different writing styles for years and just a few of them managed to impress me, I guess I’m Jaded. However, once in a while comes this kind of article that it might look like another “reality check” but it is so well written that it actually made me take 5 minutes of my time to actually leave a comment to congratulate the writer, instead of closing the tab. Thanks for that, great post.
Hahahah ahhh Alejandro thank you thank you that means A LOT. Hope it touched you the way your comment touched me <3
Awesome and very true post Camille. Too many people are occupied looking at other peoples lives instead of focusing on their own. And they don’t realize that what you see online or on TV is only part of the truth. Glad you wrote about some of the things happening behind the scenes.
Thank you Ben, so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Wow!!! Its my birthday today and there could not be a better gift to get than by reading this post!!!
One of the best posts I’ve ever read.
I love your blog Camille!! Thanks a lot for sharing your life and your adventures with us!
Stay Blessed and happy travels!!
Aw wow! Siddharth Happy Birthday and thank you for the wonderful gift of your comment! Sending so much goodness your way!!! <3
Thanks for providing this great port, it will really helpful..
Absolutely loved this.
We are 6 months in and already sick of the same stupid conversations all the time.
You hit the nail on the head with ‘I was sick of having the same conversations with people “where are you from,” “how long are you traveling for,” “where have you been?”
Yep. I realise that we are super interesting to someone who is just on a three week holiday, but I want to talk about REAL things with people… not ‘ice breakers’ If I wanted that I would go speed dating haha!
Really great article. Thanks so much for putting this all together xo
Absolutely. You’re so welcome! Enjoy your journey <3
Thank you for sharing this 🙂 like someone already said, it is a good idea to write everything as it is not always looking through purple lens. I find it more interesting when it is like this. It is your true experience like the beautiful ones too.
Anyway i keep reading your blog, greatest i have read 🙂
Awww thank you Jari. I always enjoy your comments <3
I love ur articles. They’re real and inspiring. I’ll try to read from the beginning. I wish i can write as good as you. And someday find my own adventure.
Thank you so much Laila. Remember, writing, like anything, is just practice. Keep practicing, keep a journal, and your writing will grow and improve. Keep following your heart and your adventures will come 🙂
I love to travel and I have been to some of the same places as you. I won’t say as what gender, but I have presented myself in the safest scenarios and survived. I will never give up exploring new places, but I have found that my time in Asia is rewarding, but my language skills tend to keep me in Europe and Latin America. I have plans to provide an elite tour service where adventurous travelers can be delivered, supplied, and safely returned from some exotic and amazing locations. I’ll need some additional help if you’re interested.
Sounds very cool, keep us updated 🙂
I feel like you’re talking to me directly in your posts lately 🙂
‘Cause I am <3
Hiraeth: a Welsh word that roughly translates into English as “a nostalgia/yearning/longing for a home that you cannot return to or that never was.”
Ahh beautiful. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Great article, I have worked, lived and travelled to nearly 40 countries over the past 38 years, almost all the time for work, I love the challenge, I love the culture difference, but most of all I love the people. I have close friends now that I worked with over 24 years ago, I have memories of friends that are no longer with us, I have more stories that most people have in their lives. Travel can be a bad thing if you expect eutopia at the point of destination, just expect people, some richer but most often a lot poorer, help where you can, assist where you cannot help, but always respect their culture.
Sounds like what you’re describing is what I call “enjoying the journey” and I couldn’t agree more 🙂
Thanks for an inspiring and insightful post.
You’re absolutely right about freedom not being determined by place but by choosing the lifestyle that’s right for you and rejoicing in it.
Being s nomad isn’t for everyone… In fact it seems to suit very few who even manage to make the leap and set out in a wandering way.
Your points explain concisely many of the reasons why this is.
We crossed the Pacific last year and have sailed 15,000 miles on a boat we rebuilt ourselves. We had an astonishing time and met countless wonderful people but of the travellers we met there was very little contentment. There was much more to be found amongst the islanders where subsistence and family were key.
Most of the young sailors we met were having a blast before they did something else. Of those who had planned to continue many did not find satisfaction in the life they had chosen.
I can’t tell you how joyful and contented we are travelling on our beautiful boat. Despite embracing all of the downsides you mention and many more particular to sailing.
For us the balance always tips more heavily on the side of freedom than any of the myriad challenges and inconveniences we may find on our chosen path. The key is that we choose it so we always feel grateful.
It’s very telling that we are currently amongst many deeply contented people here during our brief work ‘break’ in the UK. Much of this is to do with connection with the land and family. When you can find empowerment and purpose in your life it really doesn’t matter how many miles you travel.
It just so happens that a nomadic life does bring us happiness but I’d be the first to admit it’s not right for most. We’re currently saving up for the next few years travel on from New Zealand to South East Asia and the Indian ocean.
Look forward to reading more of your posts both of your travels and what you learn.
Yes, yes, yes, thank you for such an honest and in depth comment about your experience. The truth is, there is no quick fix, not even world travel, and life is a continual dance of working through our wall and choosing happiness, peace, and contentment. Glad you guys have found your path <3
Thank you for writing this, I must say after coming home from being in and around Australasia for the last 4 years, I can honestly say I can vouch for most of what you’ve said. I’ve come home to the uk to find that I cannot relate to anything, everyone’s the same and I’ve become the person I’ve always wanted to be. As much as I love seeing my family I cannot stop thinking about where I’m going next. I feel selfish in doing so, as they’ve all been waiting for me to come home for such a long time. But the main thing is we cannot sacrifice what makes us happy for everyone else all the time.
Incredible write up, it’s made my day. Namaste.
Aw thank you Ben!! xoxo
Loving your writing Camille.
Thank you so much Brad!
What a fantastic post! You packed a lot of experiences and ideas here that I thoroughly relate to. I took a year long sabbatical from my work and decided to live and travel abroad. I’m about 4 months in and relate to many of the trials and tribulations of living this lifestyle. It certainly hasn’t been easy but certainly life changing. I’m still figuring out things for myself but it’s great to come across a post like this and hearing about someone’s experience who has walked before me. Thanks again for sharing 🙂
Ah thanks so much for your comment Wayne! Happy to share!!
Ah you’re so so so welcome. I hear you and I’ve been there. So happy to offer this article as support xo
Hi, Camille! Another great read! I think everyone can relate to what you are saying about the glamorization of people’s lives via social media, so I might challenge you to not only write about it, but portray “real life” in your pictures as well. Everyone likes pretty, shiny things and “yoga poses at sunset” that they can lust over, but I think your loyal readers would respect the imperfections of your experience through imagery as well.
Thanks Marissa, I hear you. I will dig up some less glamorous photos for sure 😉
hi!
I’m absolutely in love with reading your full disclosure tales of the fellow nomadic life…
I too am a fellow nomad. Slightly different cause part of my 100% travel is paid for by my work domestically – but I have many “ah-hah” & “yep that’s me” moments reading your tales.
About 4 months ago – I got tried of only really able to talk to a few people about my passion for travel so I started a Facebook group – called: Girls Who Travel … There are now already over 1700 members and I found your blog as a result of one posting a few articles in our group.
I would love it if you would consider being a fellow: GWT / Girls Who Travel member and not just have use share your posts but take part in some back forth discussions with us as well.
https://m.facebook.com/groups/girlswhotravel/
Best wishes and safest of travels to you!!
Ah thanks Haley! I’ve just joined 🙂
Camille, You are amazing.. Love love reading your blog posts. They are so real, thank you for sharing this with us. Take Care.
Ah thank you xoxoxo
Hands down one of the best texts on the subject! Loved it. 🙂
Aw thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it!
“Like a tree swaying in the wind, you realize your strength lies in your ability to bend.” That’s beautiful and so true.
This is wonderfully written and inspires me to write more thought provoking pieces again.
I’ve struggled living back in the US after living in Europe for 6 years, with societal norms more in tune with life here.
I’ll strive to be that bending tree. I wish I could be on the road for months again. So glad I found your site. Excellent work.
Thank you so much Alex <3 We all need reminders, don't we? xo
As a traveler, I so deeply related to this piece. Thank you for taking the time to write it and uncover the less glamorous bits of being a traveler. I was especially touched by the concept of letting go. It’s something I’ve been practicing for a few years now, and can be just as cathartic as it is painful.
Overall, very well written, you spoke right at me! I hope our paths may cross sometime in our travels.
Celinne
Aw thanks sweetie, so happy you felt it xoxo
Stumbled onto this blog whilst searching for an alternative topic. Interesting and somewhat honest. Since we are sharing honesty, I will share some of my experience. I would be careful using terms like ‘outgrow others’. Whilst you have been off experiencing ‘rapid self growth’ the people of whom you speak back home have been busy building community, relationships, family and other close ties. Perhaps grown in different directions would be more accurate. Also it is dangerous to assume that everyone needs to be in some exotic temple or next to a pristine beach on the other side of the world to discover spirituality and have self discovery. I personally made this journey once I returned home. Whilst travelling definitely provides a new perspective it is definitely not required for self discovery and or a spiritual discovery. Also referring to yourself as Gypsy is not entirely correct. I have met Gypsys and they are actually a travelling community (with emphasis on community) but you are a solo traveler, a transient or perhaps even a vagrant. If (and i did not say when) you finally do settle and you will settle (unless you want to die alone on a distant beach with a bunch of stories no one can relate to, and by settle down I mean this may not be going back to where you grew up), you will become sad, if not depressed but those who really matter will be the ones who get you through this period. If (and again I did not say when) you decide to make your mark on this world instead of drifting through it (and yes you may have made a small scratch in peoples lives whilst travelling, even made a tiny impact with this blog, but this pales into insignificance compared with the impact you will make as a true friend, member of the community, meaningful employee/boss, entrepreneur, activist, daughter, sibling, wife or mother) you will discover that your travels will have equipped you with resilience, knowledge and a different way of thinking to your peers and so your travels have definitely not been a waste of time. Just be careful not to be that person who bores everyone with your endless tales about back in the day when you traveled the world and continue to thrive and live in the present and make new memories. One more tip, don’t compare your experiences with those of others. Their experiences are simply different, it does not mean they were any less courageous, strong or achieving less self growth because of their life decisions. In other words avoid judgement of others. Lastly you may chose to travel endlessly and may enjoy a solo existence, some people do and they love it and are not ones for deep and meaningful relationships. Just be careful not to be condescending and patronizing and remember your journey may not be perfect for others, so encouraging others to follow in your footsteps may be leading them on a poor life path especially if you only show idealistic pictures and good experiences. Once again thanks for your somewhat honest blog entry even though the what appeared to be staged pictures had nothing to do with the content.
You don’t need to “settle down” to make a lasting impact on those around you. All that you need to do is to be yourself and see people from a clearer lens. If you look at people from your own perspective you aren’t seeing the whole picture. You are only seeing what they show you. A lasting impact is made through quality time spent not the quantity of of a settled down lifestyle. It is quite possible to be free, live a nomadic lifestyle and not be alone. The people you love are still there and will be with you through your journey as you live. This really isn’t a lifestyle it’s life. If you chose this is how you need to live to be your most content you, then all it is is life. Only those stuck in a view of what everyone needs to do because of what they see around them is exactly that…stuck. I’m truly sorry that you don’t see the reality in the fact that this isn’t some crazy means to an end. It’s the adventure of life. Maybe one day you’ll see it. Or maybe you won’t, but if you ever get a glimpse, I hope you remember…life is short, take chances and do what you want. You don’t know how to now but it’s possible. Just stop saying “I have to” or “You have to”, because you don’t. All you have to do is be content, live and die. Everything else is imposed by the society you live in. It’s your decision if you chose to participate. xxx
<3
It feels so good to read your “real” story . it’s soothing balm on my soul and heart . even though I’m far away of being in the millennial demographic . i got trapped by all those shiny glitter and facades . becoming depressed but now enjoying every single day with my family on and off the roads. Bless You and safe travels !
Thank you so much angel, I am so happy to hear that! xx
Thank you for sharing. People can be scathing about travel, particularly to the paths well trodden. Why that is is beyond me. Wander on
Thanks so much 🙂
This post is genious. I couldn’t sum it all better. I’m nomading since September 2015, and I’m being in SE Asia 5th now – and I have nearly the same conclusions. In a month I’m going back to Europe. I’d be glad to stay in Asia, but I’m 100% sure, that spending some time with my old friends and relatives, and maybe doing some travels but smaller ones, around my countries and its’ neighbours, will be as exciting as surfing on Bali, diving on Koh Tao or just ‘chillin out’ in a hippie village in the jungle by the Tonsai Beach.
I think the best thing I have learned during this trip is to pick up all those meditation, yoga, buddha ‘stuff’, that I explored by myself for the first time while doing the SE Asia trip. This taught me to just stop chasing everything, and finally use the life as it is, on your own way 😉
But now I can see – this trip has been a huuge chance for me to improve my character, skills, productivity, openness to the others, and so on. I would never take it back.
And yeah, being single or ‘kind of single’ all the time starts to annoy me a bit also lately. Imagine how much you could save up on airbnb while travelling in 2 people! Hope you’ll meet somebody soon; if not, maybe I’ll drop by to Costa Rica then, haha 😉
Overall, I very like your posts. They describe the world as it is and your feelings u have during exploring it. Much better than just another “traveller’s diary”.
P.S. Could you remove that mousescroll replacement thing? It makes me hate your blog nevertheless the content. Scrolling on Mac through the content is real pain because of it.
Cheers,
Jack
Thanks so much for the compliments and insights Jack! Can you explain to me what this mousescroll replacement thing is? I didn’t even realize that was happening… xo
What are y’all eating that you get food poisoning so much?! After years the only thing that’s ever given me any kind of enduring problem was gone-off chibuku shake shake that I was expressly told not to drink and took as a challenge.
You must have an incredible immune system, I bow to that. xx
Hi Camille,
Its very recent that I am having this realization that my mind is not made to sit and work in an office. I love reading your blog and this was a very interesting piece. I want to travel like you do, however, something is holding me back from breaking out and starting the journey –
I am from a conservative family in India, with a culture of saving and saving for any health contingencies or for your future generations. there are two things that I have already set my mind on – not to get married and not to have a child (if I feel that I want one, adoption is my first priority). But, i just cant get to action – i am either thinking about my family (I don’t have a father – have two siblings (one elder one younger) and mother) or either about my studies (I am a grad and I have this strong sense of getting left behind my colleagues in professional life) or what if i get some chronic disease (i have a family history of cancer). I really want to start this journey of living nomadic – i am used to living frugally and save a lot and i am always thinking about this even when i am working. this is giving me serious headaches now.
I don’t have any other means to earn a living but the more i think about travelling the more i want to do it.
Looking for a push!
L
I honor the very real and difficult limitations that you feel… but let me ask you this… how much do you want to live? Do you want to live or just survive?
What a fabulous article, Thankyou for your honesty . I truly like reading your blogs and articles . I plan to start travelling later this year , I in process of making the plans etc so your articles have been really helpful.
Thankyou , stay safe and I look forward to reading about your adventures.
Thanks so much James 🙂
Wow! I loved this post! I could totally relate to it – it almost felt like I wrote this! Totally with you on all these points of being a nomad, the burnout, the self growth, going with the flow, all of them are so true as well as the way that this lifestyle looks on instagram and how far from reality it really is. I came to the same conclusion as you – the freedom is great but after a few years I just need a base (mine is Goa, India) to keep me sane. In a way this is good though that I’ve found what I was looking for and don’t need to keep running anymore. Thanks for sharing your experiences and I’ve yet to visit Costa Rice but it sounds wonderful.
You are welcome thank you for sharing yours with me <3
Hello! I absolutely love this blog. I’ve read hundreds of travel blogs and this is my first comment.
This info was very helpful to me as I am plus 40 and seriously considering the nomad life. I have always traveled a lot often to my financial detriment.
It was random before but now I have goals and plans. My one and only problem is how to get started with freelance work so that I will have a source of income. Please help!
Sha
Awesome I’m so happy to hear that. Check out this post for help with working online freelance:
https://www.thisamericangirl.com/2015/07/23/work-online-anywhere/
This blog is really good. I wish i had found it eaarlier. I dont doubt one bi that the lifestyle your living is not as easy, but its is very self-fufilling and beautiful. This post in particular was sooo good, that once i started reading it, i couldnt stop myself. 🙂
Thanks Sophia I am glad to hear that 🙂
I’ve been traveling and moving for the past six years and this = truth. Currently roadtripping around the U.S. Keep up the good work.
Awesome, thanks Laz glad it resonated with you 🙂 I wish you a beautiful journey roadtripping! That’s something I hope to do one day xx
I thoroughly enjoyed this and read the entire thing. I did live a nomadic life for a year at the longest and loved it. I mostly trekked mountains so I was surrounded by nature often. I feel you hit most if not all the points. Thanks for writing this and putting in the effort and reflections needed to make this post meaningful.
You are so welcome! I’m so happy to hear you loved your nomadic year, and I too feel best when surrounded in nature. Sending you love <3
WOW! Very very well written. Years ago, when people started Instagramming all their travels, I was taken aback. I have to admit, though I’m an avid traveler and have about 40 countries under my belt at the age of 22, I started getting a bit jealous. I mean, here are girls, my age, some younger, traveling 24/7, taking absolutely breathtaking pictures, and making life seem so easy. While I was going to school, studying day and night, in order to graduate with honors to be able to apply to a medical school after graduation. You look at all these pictures and can’t help wondering “HOW?!” Then, I decided to blog my travels as well.. I didn’t have the most majestic pictures, but I had some nice ones. And that’s when I realized what a lie all this social media blogging really is (for the most part). Most people I realized work really crappy jobs while traveling, some completely pretend to be on the move all the time. It’s not all fun and games and pretty pictures and amazing moments. I did a volunteer trip abroad for 2 months and though the experience was seriously one of the most amazing I’ve experienced, the pictures that were being posted by some of my colleagues were complete lies. They looked so magnificent and natural, when in reality, each picture took about 100 tries to perfect and we were running on very little sleep and a lot of stress.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE your article. It couldn’t be more true. Social media platforms have turned into a foundation for envy (and it’s all based on an altered-reality). Thanks so much for sharing 🙂 I’d love to use one of your quotes in this: “A likely story among millennials. We share what others will envy, we create facades and egos, we present pretty packages that don’t begin to tell the whole story. We share everything, but we don’t really share much at all.” on my IG post if you don’t mind (I’ll give you all credits of course! my user is @mitraveldiary) Thanks for sharing the truth. And wish you all the best on your travels! Keep being an inspiration and motivator 🙂
Hey Kiki, absolutely!! I am happy to share this information and honored for you to share it through your Instagram. One thing I will say, while social media does present an illusion very often… travel CAN be the beautiful paradise it looks like in pictures, and it IS possible to travel and live in a place you love and be really happy. Over the years I have created that for myself. It’s not “perfect” there are still hard times, disappointments, and all of that, but I really do live in incredible nature, have a beautiful community of friends, and feel the treasure of travel daily. Sending you much love sister, thank you again for your real, honest, and kind words!! xox
Thank you so much for writing this article. I am not a traveler or nomad (yet) but I could relate to so many things that you said and it has answered many of my questions. Not long ago I have realized that I don’t want to spend my entire life stuck at one place. I want to live in as many places I can and experience different cultures. But just going on a vacation to some place for few days will not do for me. Because visiting a place for one or two days is different and living there is different. So I have decided that I might move to a place and live there for few months or until I feel like I have understood what it’s like living there. However I am still not sure of anything and my mind keeps changing. I think I might need a year or two before I can start it but I keep reading about traveling in wonderful articles like yours so that I can prepare myself better. I feel like there are so many things I need to learn before I can do it. Self discipline being the most important thing amongst it all. Thanks again.
You are so welcome. May all of your dreams come true, and more than you could have imagined. xx
Love this article. I literally JUSt wrote about the same thing, though slightly more depressing… it’s a bit more like your open letters. It’s comforting, somehow, to know that other women feel the same way.
https://wanderlust-nation.squarespace.com/config/?frameUrl=%2Fblog%2F2016%2F12%2F6%2Fthe-greatest-lie-about-solo-travel
Thanks sister, I feel you <3
I’m 70 yo and still ‘hit the road’.last session was a year wander. I find your views pretty much OK, and truthful. I might add , being jaded is true, if you let it take root. I find ‘not scripting’ myself into scenes, opens up possibilities. Avoiding the ‘hip or hot spots’ , is OK, but I don’t make a big deal of that. lastly- “the inner journey”… sometimes being nomad opens doors to awareness that may have been difficult to access if one stayed in one’s ‘comfort zone’. The most happy and intergrated person I’ve ever met lived in small town on Cape Cod, and never left the village, not even a trip to Boston. Ultimately we are on journey of the heart………anyhow, thanks and happy trails, matt
Thank you Matt <3
Awesome article.
I tell myself and those closest to me how important it is to keep an open mind outside of the way of life that we are living as the ONLY way of life when we’re so focused on the hustle and bustle around us. There are so many ways to spend a life in this world, surely there is a lifestyle for all of us. With that said, I completely resonate with your words regarding balance of effort and ease. It is easy to stay comfortable with the typical 9 to 5, running on autopilot through the week and letting your hearts want drift idly by.
All the best.
Thank you for your comment George, I feel you <3
Thanks so much for this article. I have been struggling because my life is really settling down. I got married, my husband and I are building a house, and we are thinking of children. I realized that I still had deep wanderlust and I started to fear my future as confining. I am leaving my career before childrenoon to travel the world, but I realize from your blog that I have nothing to fear because the answer that I seek to my unknown question is inside of me. It’s not awaiting me in Sri Lanka or deep in the Amazon. I also see how unglamorous backpacking can be. Getting sick is not fun. Thanks for the reality check and helping me to appreciate life’s blessings.
Yes yes yes! Thank you for your comment. I’ll be sharing more about this soon actually… travel is amazing gateway to freedom, but gateways are everywhere! The key is discovering how to dismantle again and again the walls of delusion we’ve been conditioned to believe in. Travel is a great way to shatter those, but it’s not the end all be all.
Been on the road the last few years. Your words are thought provoking and true.
I’m happy to hear that <3 I hope you're finding your way wherever and exactly you're meant to be xx
The traveler’s diarhea is food poisoning,
invariably from meat or grease thats had meat cooked in it etc.
if you don’t eat meat, it pretty much quits, but I have gotten it from third world canned fish.
The standard flu or cold generally comes from dishes washed in cold
water. and bus hand rails. if you don’t eat in restuarants and never touch your eyes, mouth or rood with your hands, you can live for years in the third world without getting sick.
the cure for the food poisoning is a WW2 antibiotic called Sulfa (not sulfer) you can get in pharmacies
and veterinary supply stores cheaply with out a perscription in Costa Rica and much of latin america.
I’ve lived in Central America over 20 years, in the brush. but going back to
US to live,
just burnt out on constant ripoffs and lies…
What you wrote here is very very similar to what happens in the third world as a more statuonary person…..
Gary
Thanks for your input Gary! I must say, when traveling I usually eat completely vegan and I still have experienced food poisoning, as it’s difficult to know what water your dish was washed with, how close it was to a contaminant, etc. My greatest ally has been high quality PROBIOTICS to combat the harmful bacteria. Wishing you a sweet transition back to the states <3
Very well put. Nomad lifestyle is the best lifestyle!!
It certainly keeps us alive and expanding 🙂
Wow…
So glad I happened upon your writing.
This was not only worth reading but also worth checking out your other work.
Bravo
Wonderful so happy to hear it! Make sure to sign up for my email list and you’ll get new blog posts from me every week 🙂
This is most inspirational. Thanks for posting. Like you, I’ve been a world traveller and drifter for a longtime and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I asked myself, what’s more important-a life that’s comfortable or a life that’s fulfilling? Oh the feeling of freedom! Follow your bliss!
I like Costa Rica and go there for surgery. Mostly cosmetic, and I like San Juan, very easy to get around. My comment here is about living and lifestyle. On the plus side, there are potential job opportunities if you do not take a job that a local can do. While recovering from surgery I went to the coast. Found a nice place in Dominical. A cheap hotel with a pool, but the pool was open to the whole community. The beach was rocky but nice and had some good bars and restaurants. Locals made a beautiful bonfire at night. If you do not speak Spanish, better stay in San Juan. I do speak Spanish and teach languages, but it was still not a place to be alone. I also tried to stop over in Jaco which is a port, and it is a slum village that took an hour to get out of. Avoid it.I have not been to the Caribbean side, but heard that you do not want to drive alone. If you rent a car and get in an accident with a taxi, you pay for all repairs and loss of work for the cab driver until his cab is back in service. Avoid taxis by a mile. I will be back this year and won’t rent a car.
Sorry, I meant San Jose…I’ve been in Puerto Rico this year and the same rule or warning for taxis exists there.
Mmmm beautiful! Yes thank you for sharing your message <3
I remember since I was lil,I wanted to leave everything behind my parents my stuff n just move out on my own. I have always wanted to be a nomad. But being an Indian it’s highly impossibly for me.i would love to take the risk but I can’t do it alone..I just want to get lost in nature n never wished to be found..
I read this post over and over. And I cried. And I laughed… and I shared it on FB along with some quotes. This spoke to my heart today so much i can feel the joy and the pain of a life of travel past and a life ‘in one space’ going forward. Thank you for putting voice to my personal struggle. You’ve captured my ‘right now’ in your final paragraph. I couldn’t be more amazed or grateful. Blessings to you!
“No matter where you are in space or in circumstances, you always have the choice to be free. Because freedom comes from acceptance. It comes from deciding that where you are right now in this moment is perfect. Who you are right now in this moment is perfect. Whatever that may look like today.”
Awwww thank you Annette you have such a beautiful heart and soul I feel you so intimately in your words <3 Thank you for your kindness and blessings, for receiving me so lovingly. You are such a blessing and I'm honored and grateful to share with you. Thank you!
Hello. I am just a stranger whom you may think, because I love my travel as a nomad.
I am with a girl who really loves me and keep hanging around with me almost 1 year.
I feel like everyday, get learning, by blogging or writing or inspired reading articles like yours. but can’t understand why you are just negative on this nomadic life style, because at least it offered you an experience what you felt a regret or unsatisfying? then I think you already got something to know about yourself. like you already found what you like or dislike. I think that’s the major way to try a travel? Doesn’t it?
So I am not understanding why you say negative on nomadic life style.
It’s quite painful just passing through your article without any reply.
Maybe just you are a.. negative one? or realist? I don’t know..
I have to defend the blogger and say she’s a realist. I took a year off from work to travel and have a similar perspective about the nomad life. I think it’s important that we address the non-exciting parts of this lifestyle; so future nomads get a heads up and current/past nomads could relate to and realize they’re not alone in the frustrating thoughts/feelings. Not everyday is rainbow and unicorn on the road, but if you can come out of it learning how to let go and live in the moment, I think you can call yourself a winner. The last paragraphs wrap up this article very nicely. Thanks Camille for sharing your story! Had I come across your blog when I was traveling, I mighta found my zen spot even sooner. After my trip, I’m back to a “normal life” and a corporate job, but I still carry my live-in-the-moment practice and I’m loving my life now more than ever!
Thank you <3 I'm so happy to hear that you know you're exactly where you're supposed to be <3 <3 <3
Thanks for this article, can relate to so much in here 🙂 about 12 years ago i lived nomadically for nearly 12 months, travelling, making new friends, learning a whole lot about cultures, myself, people and life in general. I arrived back and felt disconnected from old friends, and wanting to go again, despite the times of complete physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. I have travelled in small bouts in smaller doses, and now am building a foundation that i will call home that I can come and go from when ever i want, while having the nomadic lifestyle, as i realised i needed a place of my own to call home to have a somewhat nomadic lifestyle. Thanks for sharing x
Yesss all about that balance <3 So many blessings as you create exactly what you need <3
It took me 2 weeks to read through the whole post, doing it while I was at work. But as soon as I slowed down, took a second, and really read your post, it gave me goosebumps and reminded me why Im working so many hours, so I can leave on my trip in a few months.
Thanks, I know this is an old post, but you really did help me out.
– Will
Thank you for the great, honest post. My husband and I are about to start traveling full time, but as our retirement. It’s different because we have each other, and we have planned for our expenses (I hope) but a lot of what you said resonated. We are anxious to see how this goes, how long we last and where we end up.
Our country is actively closing our borders and trying to keep “Other” out. Yet some significant number of Americans feel entitled to live “Nomadically” and travel the globe. The world is their oyster for the taking. But do they turn a blind eye to the fact our doors are closed to certain others? Doesn’t it all boil down to privilege especially since you mention you are able to earn an income while traveling?
You selfish cunt, a travel blog isn’t genuinely helping anyone. Why don’t you go live in yemen for a day and see how you fucking like it. If you were an actual nomad and had to hunt and struggle for your food maybe you’d be a little more appreciative. Fuck you, complete display of your privilege.