TRAVEL. LIVING ABROAD
When is a Nomad Not a Nomad?
What sort of traveler are you?
Nomads move, that’s what the term means. They are unsettled people.
The Oxford dictionary defines a nomad as:
“a person who does not stay long in the same place; a wanderer.”
Are you a nomad? Or are you unsure?
All long-term travelers will face this question sooner or later.
What sort of traveler am I?
Rarely does a person leave home and say, “I’m going to travel the world. I am a nomad.”
It doesn’t work that way. When we set off, we usually don’t really know what we're doing.
We’re just following our inner desire for change, adventure, or to satisfy our curious nature.
Some follow love to the other side of the world and it can work out, or not, but either way, they find themselves far from home wondering, “should I go home now or keep going?”
In a sense, we sort of grow into the nomadic life.
So, in this blog, I want to help you to determine what kind of traveler you are.
Here are some things to consider…
Have you stayed too long in places when you knew you should have left?
Do you have a vision when you travel or do you just go with the flow?
Do you have a short-term or long-term plan?
Are you getting comfortable in a job overseas that was initially only meant to top up your travel budget?
Are you leaning towards the ex-pat life?
Are you feeling homesick and a bit bored with traveling?
You can work out the meaning of the answers to those questions yourself.
But, they are the kind of thoughts that come up as we transition from the regular life back home to a nomadic life.
It takes time to make that transition and for some, it’s just not for them.
They enjoy the experience of being abroad for a while, it broadens their mind, but they would rather take that experience home with them.
There’s nothing wrong with that. We are all different.
How to know if you are not a nomad
You set off on a big adventure to the other side of the world, take the first decent job you get, get an apartment, and stayed put.
You may stay for a while, take a few short trips to the surrounding countries, save some money and go back home and find a real job. You are not a nomad.
Or you get to like it in the new country and become an ex-pat. You end up relocating to the new country.
Nomads tend to keep moving, yet many will form a base that is inexpensive where they have a community.
I have met some nomads who are more of the loner type, but I think this is quite rare as most people like to connect with others when they travel.
Nomads don’t like to get tied into long-term contracts, so they choose short-term accommodation instead.
They won’t have too many bills hanging around as they like to travel light.
Nomads are not lost and they are not misfits
It’s time for the narrow-mindedness to end. People who choose to live a conventional life need to accept that not everyone is like them.
It is actually quite arrogant to think that if someone chooses a lifestyle different from our own, that they are somehow abnormal.
Perhaps it is the one pointing the finger who has the problem.
But, my point is, more and more people are choosing the nomadic lifestyle, so it’s time we started to acknowledge and appreciate their courage and contribution to society.
Let’s find out more about modern-day travelers and nomads, and if you are a traveler, what category do you think you fall into?
Maybe, you don’t see yourself falling into any category.
I’d love to hear your comments below if you have anything to add.
So who are the true modern-day nomads who travel the world?
I met Rose Hedberg in Da Nang, Vietnam where she was running a writer's workshop at a venue called, The Workshop. Rose is a content writer and editor for SMP.
She is an awesome writer and a smart, warm, enthusiastic person. She travels the world with her husband Thomas Brath who is a photographer.
Below is an extract from the about page on their website ScratchMyPack.com
“We’re Thomas and Rose, ex-pats from Colorado since 2016 when we reduced our belongings to two 65 litre Gregory backpacks and headed for Colombia with no return tickets. Our planned year abroad blossomed into an everyday itinerary. Our job is to help you do the same.”
“We currently live in Da Nang, Vietnam.”
—ScratchMyPack.com
When I left Ireland in 2017, I didn’t call myself anything as I was way past the age of being a first-time backpacker and I couldn’t say I wanted to be an expatriate either.
I just left to get some teaching experience abroad and maybe come back to Europe to settle. It was a sketchy plan. I just needed a change.
So, you can imagine that after three years and still in love with the adventure, I didn’t know what was going on with me.
I had no desire to go home, I knew that. Travel came easy to me as I had done lots of backpacking in the past.
But, it began to feel odd, like I was sort of homeless, and people would say to me, “you’re a nomad,”(or a digital nomad).
In a way, it was true, I had become comfortable with the nomadic lifestyle and didn’t want to give it up. I found myself in a no man’s land, yet happy too.
It wasn’t until I met Rose that it started to make more sense to me.
There were indeed people who had gone before me, and she and her husband had cleverly taken the time to categorize the stages a person goes through from backpacker to backpacking ex-pat.
I felt like kissing her — it made sense! I finally had a name for my new lifestyle. I think their 7 stages are brilliant. See for yourself…
“Anyone who has been travelling for a long time can probably agree that there is an innate change that takes place within us. We have broken down and dissected what different kinds of travelers there are and separated the major differences into 7 defining categories. This is what turns us from an Expert Backpacker into a Backpacking Expat.”
Here are the seven categories:
1. First Time Backpacker
New backpackers plan the whole trip in advance and tend to stay at different places for short periods of time. The highlights of the trip are usually partying and seeing the most popular tourist attractions.
“A common practice of the first-time traveler abroad is being out until 3 am only to wake up 5 minutes before the hostels free toast and Tang breakfast ends.”
2. Intermediate Backpacker
This group of travelers is still excited after their first trip. They have learned to travel a bit slower and manage their budget better.
3. Seasoned Backpacker
The seasoned traveler has found their feet and understands that traveling can be a way of life if taken slowly. They become more immersed in the culture.
“They’re more appreciative of the tourist attractions, caring to understand more of the Why’s than the What’s of places. They invest in the local culture by staying in places longer, visiting home-stays, attempting to speak the native language, while cooking and eating local foods.”
— Rose & Thomas
4. Expert Backpacker
These backpackers are relaxed and go with the flow, letting things evolve rather than overplanning. They’ve learned to manage their budget, finding creative ways to earn money as they go.
“When all else doesn’t satisfy their desire for travel, they sell everything and pack life into a backpack.”
— Thomas & Rose
5. First Time Expat
When I met Rose at her writing workshop in Da Nang and subsequently read her blog, it helped me to understand myself so much better.
I had noticed myself changing. I noticed how I had become a first-time ex-pat and I never forgot Rose or her blog after that.
“Expats find a similar community, usually living in an ex-pat area, and building friendships with ex-pats from their work. They spend the time investigating and savoring the culture while watching seasons change and people come and go. First-time ex-pats may spend anywhere from 4–12 months in one spot, building the confidence and financial funds to continue traveling.”
— Thomas & Rose
6. Five Year Plan Expat
It’s interesting the transition a person goes through to find themselves as a new ex-pat.
It’s not the same as say, someone who follows their partner who works for an international company overseas. They are another group.
The traveler at this stage is somewhat settled.
At stage six…
“The backpack is stored safely in their closet abroad, as they’re occupied and satisfied with their position as an ex-pat. Their travels happen over summers and holidays, with time off from work, where they aim to understand the bigger picture of a region rather than a city or country.”
— Thomas and Rose
7. Global Citizen Expat
“You know those annoying people that say they’re a citizen of the world? Well, it’s a real thing and they’re not as crazy as you think. These people have taken the “five-year plan” and turned it into an everlasting lifestyle.”
I would see the global citizen ex-pat a little different from the nomad as the ex-pat may take full-time employment, whereas the nomad likes to be freer, so you may see them taking short contracts and online work.
You will have to ask Rose and Thomas yourself if they consider themselves ex-pats or nomads, but for now, they call themselves backpacking ex-pats.
On the other hand, there are people like Nomadic Matt (Matt Kepnes) who do not have any fixed abode. He simply makes a home wherever he lays his hat.
He has been living the nomadic lifestyle for thirteen years now.
Nomadic Matt is from Boston, America. He traveled to over 100 countries and territories. He was a cubicle worker and changed his life to become a travel writer.
He says many people tell him he’s running away. I can relate to this, but for me, they think I’m having a mid-life crisis.
Well, maybe I am, but if this is a mid-life crisis, bring it on! I’m having the best time of my life. I didn’t abandon anyone.
“I’m not sure why, but there is this perception out there that anyone who travels long term and isn’t interested in settling down or getting a conventional job must be running away from something.”
— Nomadic Matt, “Everyone Says I’m Running Away.”
I love how Matt responded to these comments. I think the article is worth reading to find out for yourself what he said. I’ve attached it below.
Basically, he didn’t really care what anyone said. He did what felt right for him and he is happy doing what he is doing.
It is his life, not a phase he’s going through. Matt is a nomad. Are you?
If you are a nomad or long-term traveler, embrace it, and love it. Be proud of yourself for being true to who you are.
There is a lifestyle that suits different people. If this suits you, learn how to do it well and enjoy it.
You can always go home and visit those who choose not to travel full-time.
Final Thoughts —
Many nomads or long-term travelers that I meet have a sense of purpose. Of course, there are some people who smoke weed and opt out for a few years, but generally, the kind of people I meet have a vision or purpose.
A true nomad doesn’t do it just to be cool. They do it because they can’t live the other way, it’s too confining. It stifles them.
Nomads are usually creative people of all types — visionaries, artists, pilgrims, bloggers, teachers, coaches, entrepreneurs, photographers, web designers, surfers, etc.
Nomads are free spirits who see the world in a different way and function better outside of the system.
When I travel, I always connect with international churches and get to know people there.
I help out where needed and usually find ways to volunteer at English clubs, or in the churches themselves.
Initially, my skill for Asia was teaching English, but as I met different travelers, I learned about blogging & started to love that.
So now, I’m excited about developing my writing career along with teaching English and coaching.
I also like meeting people and talking to them about life, creativity, etc. It has opened a whole new world for me.
You can meet like-minded people anywhere; at hostels, guest houses, English clubs, meet-ups, writers groups, art classes, cooking classes, schools, language classes, day trips, etc.
It’s not hard to meet people, but you do have to put in the effort. When you put in the effort, you grow as a person.
I love being on the road, I wish I could travel forever. Who knows?
Thank you for reading!
Orla K. 2021
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