Not on Vacation and Not Gypsies — The New Life of Retirees
Type the keyword “digital nomad” into Google and there is one image which shows up repeatedly.
A digital nomad, according to Google, is someone having a great time on the beach with a high-end laptop in front of them and a cocktail within reach.
Today, digital nomads come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. It is possible to be a digital nomad when you are older and there are compelling reasons why older digital nomads enjoy the life. These include:
• Experienced in life situations and business life
• Desire to travel and experience foreign countries before they are too old
• More financially stable
- Have already experienced marriage and have children, and
- Personal growth and development.
After all, once people have seen the moon shine on the other side of the world, they are just not the same.
Not on Vacation and Certainly Not Gypsies
Mike and Deborah Johnson have been to more than 150 cities in 55 nations — including all of Europe. They’ve documented their travels in print and digital.
The Johnsons are different from the typical tourists or gypsie travelers. Their mantra is “we are not on vacation.” The pair have taken in the sounds and signs of the places they go and have never regretted their decision to pack up and leave it all behind.
It was Christmas, ten-years ago. With three grown children at home for the holidays, they started talking about retirement.
After a little discussion and a lot of though, the pair sold everything and set off with two suitcases, matching backpacks. That was December 2009. They’ve been traveling since.
Live Like a Local
A common thread throughout their travels is the preference for staying in hospitality service accommodations. Their reason is simple. They don’t have sponsorships and they aren’t given a discount — they pay for all their lodgings. They deliberately choose a hospitality service as they want to soak themselves in the local culture.
“What we do is look closely at places available with a host to make us feel comfortable,” says Mike. “Once we’re settled in, out goal is to live life like a local.”
Tradition is the Illusion of Permanence
— Woody Allen
The couple doesn’t fit the mold of tradition. Society says to get an education, work for 40-years and then retire. They’ve done a U-turn and take it all in stride.
They’ve passed the travel bug to their kids — all of them have scattered around the globe.
Four Things to Do
Writing in “Don’t Give Up on Your Nomadic Dreams!” Amy Scott lists four things for retirees, or close to retirees, to keep in mind when starting to think about picking up the nomadic lifestyle, Amy says:
- Take small steps,
- Ditch the extras,
- Are you closer than you think? and
- Connect with others who can support your vision,
Where is Home?
Traveling in the digital age has made the Johnson’s experience more enriching. The Internet makes it easy. Now able to plan their trips and schedules online, they don’t rely on guidebooks. With the ubiquity of the Internet, the Buddhist teaching “Home is the here and now,” becomes more relevant.
Rewriting the Stars
While some scoff at their nomadic lifestyle, there are also many who are inspired by their story. They refer to themselves as “fit seniors” as they have the freedom to go anywhere they want — and they can do it without having any baggage.
The couple is helping to rewrite the book on retirement. Others believe the couple is rewriting the stars.
Follow Your Star
“We encourage people to follow their own North Star,” said Mike. “We we got older, we narrowed our choices. Our options got smaller. Now, we encourage others to look over the horizon and give it a go — life is short.”
Deborah agreed and said, “People don’t give themselves permission any more. Just do it.”
After all, retirement doesn’t have to be about just having ideas. It can be about making those ideas happen. Your future depends on what you decide today.
The Takeaway
Mike and Deborah are together for 24 hours a day and still are very much in love. I asked the couple for their relationship tips while travelling:
- Be flexible when it comes to schedules and planning trips
- Be patient with one another
- Agree to stick to a strict budget
- Always have fun
Jerry Nelson is an American freelance writer living the expat life in Argentina. You can find him at any of hundreds of sidewalk cafes and hire him through Fiverr, join the quarter-million who follow him on Twitter or contact him at jandrewnelson2@gmail.com
Read, in installments, Jerry’s latest book, “JourneyAmerica,” about his three cross country trips — one by foot and two by bicycle.

