Roaming in Miami
The idea of a six-month lease draws out my fear of commitment and makes me hyperventilate a bit. Instead, I roam from place to place in constant search of a squat rack. I am a modern day nomad with no permanent address and I own no household items such as pots and pans. All I need to function is a fast internet connection and access to a gym.
“Don’t you ever think about getting a job?” An Uber Driver asked me in South Beach the other night.
“Oh, I do have a job,” I replied with pride. I explained to him I can work remote and don’t need to go to an office. I spend a lot of time explaining how my life works. I can work from anywhere. The internet has freed us from the chains of day to day life that way. My customers were none the wiser when I called them from Costa Rica this winter as long as the birds kept it down.
I started this experiment a few months ago and so far so good. I always find a comfortable place to sleep and can carry everything I need. One thing I have learned is that we tend to be held back up our stuff. So I have less stuff.
As much as I love fashion, I don’t need a lot of clothes. In fact, it is easier to get dressed in the morning when you have fewer options by eliminating the need to make choices. I’ll bet most of you don’t even wear half of the clothes you own. I brought a backpack on my six week trip to Costa Rica and over half of it was filled with my protein powder.
I decided on this lifestyle last fall. Out of character for me, I had been one Minneapolis for almost two years and it wasn’t working out anymore. A few friends had proved they didn’t belong in my life anymore and it was time to leave them behind. I booked a flight to Uganda where I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer from 2010–2012 and spent some time with friends who do belong in my life.
After Uganda, it was Costa Rica. Present day, I sit here soaking up the warm Miami sun. I have traveled to several countries but haven’t seen that much of the U.S. so I packed up my car and started to drive.
I drove 650 miles that first day, some of those miles at the posted speed limit. After a night in the middle of Illinois, one in Nashville, a tour of the Jack Daniels distillery, and a night at a seedy hotel in Fort Pierce Florida I arrived in Miami.
I had found an apartment in North Beach on Airbnb that I rented for a month. After I got settled in I realized I don’t know anyone in Miami. I always travel alone. Usually, I stay in Hostels were I meet other travelers and I make new friends along the way. I work from home and always wear headphones at the gym. So needless to say I was on my own.
After several solo long walks on the beach and a visit from a friend, my time is North Beach was up and I knew there had to be a better way. I had read an article about a new concept called, co-living focused on a new startup called, Roam. Just as I was leaving my North Beach hideaway Roam opened their newest location in Miami.
It is like Roam was made just for me. Billed as a place you live and work the other residence are people that I don’t have to explain my life too. They are just like me. Just when I thought I would never meet anyone like me, I met a group of them.
My first thought was, that sounds like a modern day hippy commune. In some ways it is. We each have our own room with a bathroom and we share a kitchen. I realized it is part hippy commune part hostel for big kids. I love sleeping in hostels. I did it for three months straight while backpacking Eastern Europe, but it is not without its drawbacks. Roam managed to do away with the drunken 20 something girls and create an environment where you can live and work among friends.
I initially signed up for a week to try it out. After a few days, I think I will sign on for a month. There is a very good reason. In day to day life, so many of the people you meet have a negative outlook on life. Not so at Roam.
In just a few days I have met bloggers, entrepreneurs and most importantly travelers. John Rohn said, “You become the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I woke up in Minneapolis on morning and didn’t like the person I was becoming. Hopefully, I can become an average of the people here at Roam before I am off to my next adventure.
Originally published at misswanderingheart.com.
