Nomadtopia Radio

Gustav was in Bali in March when a news report caused him to quickly decide to leave the country that same day. Now home in Sweden, he joined me to talk about having to choose one place to be, mindfulness in daily life and during lockdown, the unexpected upsides, and lots more.

A born-again nomad after a fire forced her out of her apartment in December, Erica cut her time in Mexico short to head back to Canada in mid-March. In this episode we talk about finding places to stay during a pandemic, why she feels like she may not be cut out to be a nomad, and lots more.

Their travels on hold and their bus parked in the driveway, Brittany and her family are staying in a rental house in Canada. Listen in as we talk about why she's loving sedentary house-life, the transition to motherhood, exploring what's next, and lots more.

A short trip to Mexico has turned into an indefinite one for Beck, who's originally from New Zealand and based in Toronto. In this episode of Grounded Nomads we talked about why the current uncertainty feels different than the normal uncertainty nomads experience, the need to make life feel more exciting/interesting, and exploring other aspects of our identity now that that central piece—travel—isn't available to us.

Julie usually lives in Chile but went home to the United States to take care of her mother temporarily in early February. She's still there. Tune in as we talk about the challenges of a short-term visit that's unexpectedly turned into an indefinite one, dealing with lost income, deciding when/if to return to Chile, and lots more.

I recorded a special episode to let you know about some changes I’m making with the podcast, and what you can expect in the coming months. In short, I'm moving back to a weekly format for now, with a special series of episodes that will feature conversations with nomads, expats, and other location-independent professionals and travelers about how the current global pandemic is affecting their lives, their plans—and even their sense of identity. The first episode will be recorded live in the Nomadtopia Collective on April 8th. Join us!

Johannes is the founder of Nomad Cruise. Originally from Germany, he has been a nomad for the past nine years and is now based in Mallorca, Spain.   In This Episode How his lifestyle has shifted over time The importance of community How Nomad Cruise came to be and who it’s for Traveling with a purpose Why Mallorca is a good base for nomads And so much more   See www.nomadtopia.com/159 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join aspiring and current nomads, expats, and more in the Nomadtopia Collective, your home for a global location-independent lifestyle (www.nomadtopia.com/collective).  

Pascale didn't set out to be a nomad; she started freelancing simply because she couldn't survive in a corporate environment. But she also loved to travel and once she realized she could do her work from anywhere, she moved to Spain, and she has been nomadic on and off in the years since. Now a business coach, she joined me from her hometown, Montreal, where she was packing up and getting ready to head to Bali for the first time.   In This Episode Starting a location-independent business that's sustainable and fulfilling Mind-set of a nomadic entrepreneur Creating your own personal culture Shifting one's location and lifestyle as needed Letting go of attachments Being part of a nomadic couple And so much more   See www.nomadtopia.com/158 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join aspiring and current nomads, expats, and more in the Nomadtopia Collective, your home for a global location-independent lifestyle (www.nomadtopia.com/collective).

Norm had never been very interested in international travel, but in 2016 a short trip to Europe changed his life completely, inspiring him to leave the U.S. permanently and travel continuously. He joined me from Bangkok, Thailand, to share his story and what life has been like since early 2019 when he hit the road with his girlfriend at age 64.   In This Episode Reacting to a "midlife" crisis How millennials have inspired his approach to travel Deciding to leave the U.S. and travel continuously The places that he's enjoyed the most so far Dealing with language barriers And so much more   See www.nomadtopia.com/157 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join aspiring and current nomads, expats, and more in the Nomadtopia Collective, your home for a global location-independent lifestyle (www.nomadtopia.com/collective).  

After realizing that she wasn't really cut out for a regular job and feeling eager to spend more time abroad, Lena went independent with her work as an intercultural educator and hit the road with her partner. They tend to move slowly, spending months at a time in each place, which allows them to experience daily life in the local culture and also feel grounded enough to work effectively.   In This Episode How she envisioned and created her version of Nomadtopia The benefits and challenges of traveling full-time with a partner What she likes and dislikes about this lifestyle The nomad bubble and how/why to break out of it Her honest take on Puerto Rico as a destination for digital nomads And so much more   See www.nomadtopia.com/156 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join aspiring and current nomads, expats, and more in the Nomadtopia Collective, your home for a global location-independent lifestyle (www.nomadtopia.com/collective).  

Ciara and her husband have moved five times in the last eight years, following his job postings around the world—and adding two kids to their family along the way. In that time she's experimented with different ways to make money remotely, learned how to quickly get set up in each new location, and navigated the shifts in identity that come with becoming a nomad and a mother.   In This Episode Using research to improve your pitches for jobs and freelance work Transitioning from nomadic couple to family Essentials for toddlers and babies abroad Taking responsibility for your life choices The shifts in identity that come with becoming a nomad and a mother And so much more   See www.nomadtopia.com/155 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join aspiring and current nomads, expats, and more in the Nomadtopia Collective, your home for a global location-independent lifestyle (www.nomadtopia.com/collective).

Over many years of working for herself and traveling the world, Marianne Cantwell, founder of Free Range Humans, has created a balance that works for her. She’s recently significantly streamlined her business and is now setting up a new home base in New York City. She joined me to talk about her business evolution, balancing home and travel, creating a life and career that works for you, and more.   In This Episode Creating a nest in London How her business has evolved and why Balancing home and travel Logistics of multiple bases Creating a lifestyle and career that fits you And so much more   See www.nomadtopia.com/154 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join aspiring and current nomads, expats, and more in the Nomadtopia Collective, your home for a global location-independent lifestyle (www.nomadtopia.com/collective).

Jessica and Will left the U.S. with their school-age children in 2014 and spent time living in Costa Rica, Ecuador, and the South of France before switching to living in an RV and exploring Europe. They join me to talk about how they’ve made this lifestyle work, including handling medical care, making decisions as a family, and lots more.   In This Episode How they handle medical care Including kids in lifestyle decisions Shifting from living in one place abroad to full-time RV travel The key dynamics they’ve fostered in their family to make it all work And so much more   See www.nomadtopia.com/153 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join aspiring and current nomads, expats, and more in the Nomadtopia Collective, your home for a global location-independent lifestyle (www.nomadtopia.com/collective).

After her marriage ended, Lisa wasn’t prepared to give up on her dream of living abroad as a family and taking her work with her. She started exploring other ways to make it happen, and eventually she and her five-year-old son headed to Maui for a three-month adventure. Tune in as we talk about the logistics she needed to sort out, what she learned from the experience, and lots more.   In This Episode Fulfilling her dream to live and work abroad, albeit short-term Why she chose to spend three months in Maui with her son Figuring out schooling, housing, and other logistics Negotiating travel with a co-parent What she learned from the experience And so much more   See www.nomadtopia.com/152 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join aspiring and current nomads, expats, and more in the Nomadtopia Collective, your home for a global location-independent lifestyle (www.nomadtopia.com/collective).

Location-independent work and rental property back home eased the way for Julie and her husband to move to Chile in 2017, where they’ve enjoyed settling into the local community in a seaside resort town. The adventure hasn’t been without its challenges, though! Tune in as Julie and I talk about preparing to make this move, sorting out logistics, finding long-term accommodations during high season, and lots more.   In This Episode Renting out their duplex in Milwaukee Steps she took to move to Chile Logistical challenges she discovered along the way Getting clarity on what her Nomadtopia looks like Finding long-term accommodations during high season Why it’s important to plan for your “retirement” years And so much more   See www.nomadtopia.com/151 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join aspiring and current nomads, expats, and more in the Nomadtopia Collective, your home for a global location-independent lifestyle (www.nomadtopia.com/collective).

Brandon and his family have been traveling the world for 10 years now, and have recently set up home bases in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and Bali, Indonesia. In this episode we talk about how they’ve created the life they wanted, how finding meaning guides his decisions, their interest-led approach to educating their daughters, and lots more.   In This Episode Building a one-hour-a-week business Creating the life they wanted as a family Choosing how to spend his time and energy The challenges of location independence for families Balancing exploration/adventure with community/stability Having a baby abroad And so much more   See www.nomadtopia.com/150 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join aspiring and current nomads, expats, and more in the Nomadtopia Collective, your home for a global location-independent lifestyle (www.nomadtopia.com/collective).

Having spent much of the past six years being fully nomadic, Tommo and Megsy are now more focused on the freedom of location independence to have a home base, travel when they want, and avoid winter. In this episode we talk about their challenges finding income streams that worked for them, food as inspiration to travel, and lots more.   In This Episode Getting started as nomads Challenges of finding location-independent income streams that work for them Food as inspiration as travel Their “rules” for staying healthy while trying local food Settling down in Portugal And so much more   See www.nomadtopia.com/149 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join aspiring and current nomads, expats, and more in the Nomadtopia Collective, your home for a global location-independent lifestyle (www.nomadtopia.com/collective).

After a few years of full-time travel, Marek found a home base in Lisbon, Portugal. He enjoys connecting with the local community when he’s settling into a bit of a routine at home, and also spends a lot of time on the road in support of his travel blog.   In This Episode Building (travel) blog-based income Getting over the fear of travel Dealing with travel burnout Creating local community And so much more   See www.nomadtopia.com/148 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join aspiring and current nomads, expats, and more in the Nomadtopia Collective, your home for a global location-independent lifestyle (www.nomadtopia.com/collective).

Since 2017, Jayme and John (and their two dogs) have been living in a 1996 Chevy Express van, which they built out themselves for full-time living. They enjoy spending time in rural areas of the U.S. where the dogs can roam free and they can spend time on work or personal projects.   In This Episode Tools for finding campsites and getting online Tips on building out a van for full-time living Making changes to create the life they wanted What they wish they’d known before they started Domiciles, insurance, and other logistics And so much more   See www.nomadtopia.com/147 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join aspiring and current nomads, expats, and more in the Nomadtopia Collective, your home for a global location-independent lifestyle (www.nomadtopia.com/collective).

An intuitive hit that she was supposed to spend a year on the road led Carrie—a coach who was already location independent—to head off on a nomadic adventure full of powerful and memorable experiences, insights, and challenges. She joined me just after the year had officially ended, as she was reflecting on her trip and exploring what’s next. In This Episode How and why she set out on a one-year road trip Dealing with her “logistical hell triangle” as she prepared to leave How improv skills can enrich one’s travel experience Connecting with people while traveling Figuring out what’s next after a big adventure And so much more See www.nomadtopia.com/146 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join the Nomadtopia Collective, your home for a global location-independent lifestyle, at www.nomadtopia.com/collective.