My Life as a Quasi-Nomad
Spending the last 12 months in mid-term length stays in several cities, I’d love to share my reflections of the good, the bad, and what I’ve learned.
What Is It
Quasi-Nomad [kwey-zahy, noh-mad] noun
“Spending 3 to 6 months in a given place, being able to set semi roots somewhere, and then off to the next place.”
About a year ago, my partner and I couldn’t decide where we wanted to move and decided to give away most of our belongings to explore the states. With both of us working fully remote, we were allowed to travel and stay at Airbnb’s in various cities. Here are some of my reflections of the 3 cities we have lived in so far.
DALLAS, TX
We chose Dallas as our first location because both of us have family and friends there and felt it would be a great transition.
Pros
Living in a beautiful historic neighborhood
Quick access to great restaurants and lively entertainment
Cons
It isn’t much of a walking city (without having a car, it can be a bit of an inconvenience). I would walk to the local grocery store and wouldn’t see anyone else walking. I was shocked!
It can be a bit pretentious and lacks some of the local dining, that I would expect. Most restaurants there can be found in any major city.
AUSTIN, TX
While living in Dallas we decided to take a road trip to Austin for the weekend. We were curious because Austin had been compared to Portland, which is one of my partner’s favorite cities. The weekend before our Austin visit, we had a conversation with a couple who attended college in Austin, they told us that we would love it so much and would not return to Dallas. I hate to admit it, but they were right! After our visit, we decided that would be our next location.
Pros
It is one of the most unique cities in America
You are given the permission to be you
With no car, we were able to use electric scooters to get most places
The live music is unmatched
A diverse food scene that does not disappoint
Cons
?? Dare I say none?
NEW ORLEANS, LA
True story, when living in Austin, I woke up one day and told my partner that I thought NOLA would be a great location for us when we left Austin. His reply was that he planned to tell me the same thing during that week. That is how we transitioned to NOLA, where we currently reside.
Pros
FOOD! It needs no explanation, it has some of the best food I’ve ever had.
Culture! From Mardi Gras, to the second lines, to Frenchmen Street and beyond. This city has a culture that is unlike anything I have ever seen. As much as I wanted to document, I had way too much fun living in the moment.
NOLA has a strong network of black owned businesses that should not go unnoticed.
Cons
The city could use some infrastructural improvements, such as roads, federal services, delivery services, etc. However, so many people come for the fun and entertainment, that it doesn’t become a huge disadvantage.
Overall Pros
Freedom
Learning
Exploring and living in new cities
Great weather
Meeting new people and making new friends (as an adult!)
Dispelling myths of regions, areas, and peoples
Overall Cons
Costs - In our current process, it is more expensive than a traditional rental. The best example is taking a traditional 12 month rental and reducing that to 3-4 months - the prices change significantly.
Healthcare - I have a team of specialty doctors in my hometown that I cannot access because I have moved away from the state. It is also more challenging to find a new care team since my stays are so short.
Hair care - It is difficult finding one good hairstylist anywhere, let alone one for each new city (whew!)
What I learned
Personalizing the space with pictures and memorabilia helps you feel connected to loved ones
Staying in the moment is key, always thinking about the next move will stress you out
Embracing each culture, instead of questioning it, will yield the best results
Meeting new people on this journey has been so fun and most all of my interactions have been positive
Someone asked what’s been the best part of traveling? I said it’s hard to explain but in this journey God always puts things in place for me. So many things just happen and come together for the good. Random acts of kindness and being in the right place at the right time. I do not take this opportunity for granted. There are a lot of things that have to be in place to make this work and only God could make this happen for us.
Finally, home is not a place. We have had so many of our family and friends come visit us throughout this year, both in the cities we’ve lived in and traveling with us to other cities. I often get asked if I plan to go back to my hometown any time soon. My response is “home is wherever my people are”. It is not a physical place, it is being in the company of those who I love and cherish. I’ve experienced the privilege of those people visiting me and joining us on vacations. No matter where we convene, it will always be home to me.
To my partner - thank you for supporting me and all my wild ideas!
The question is always where to next, I’m not sure yet, we’ll see. Until next time!