The Beginning

 

Hello, World! My name is Michele and my entire existence is about to change, dramatically. My husband and I are on the path to becoming Nomads. So, that means we have a lot to do! Where do we start? How will we eat and make the meager amounts of money we will need to pay our bills? How do we live out of a Vanagon? What the hell is a Vanagon?

I am starting this blog to help you learn these things with me. It is my greatest hope that somewhere along the way, you decide to follow a dream you never imagined you would. Remember, there is nothing more taxing to our souls than regret. These things can be scary, but it helps to have someone to relate to. To see that someone else is struggling to achieve the impossible. Because if we can do it, then dammit, you can too!

My husband and I are both from the upper mid-west; he Minnesota and me Michigan. We met in sunny Naples, Florida a little over two years ago and have loved each other passionately since. If you know anything about passion, you know it can lead to amazing fights and amazing make-ups! This my friends, is going to be interesting!

There has always been a certain pull to movement for us. We both traveled seasonally for work for a handful of years. There is nothing we enjoy more than driving aimlessly as long as we are in the country. I love gazing out into the vast expanse of the Everglades, picturing the places we will never go and animals we will never see. Ever heard of the Skunk Ape? Look it up! Good shit!

I have been a writer, bartender and server for the past 18 years. I remember people mocking me when I started, the whole dead end gonna do it forever crap. Well, I made amazing money bar-tending and had awesome opportunities and experiences! I have no shame in it. But something has changed.

I have changed. I don’t have the appreciation for the whole cog and wheel operation of the restaurant that I used to. That shit used to get me out of bed in the morning. I don’t want to watch people drown in their sorrows and cry, or worse, at my bar any more. I know that there is a better life. A simpler one.

Ok, so what does all of this have to do with anything? Our backgrounds and current living situation have set us up with something pretty amazing. An undeniable case of wanderlust and a gut-wrenching disgust of the plastic and frenzied society we find ourselves drowning in these days. You may feel the latter is not a very amazing circumstance, however, where do you look for your motivation?

I challenge you to take a reflective moment and find the connections in your past and present.  I think you will be surprised when you start to see how obstacles that seemed completely unrelated come together and give you strength you never knew you had.  For example, if either my husband or myself had grown up wealthy this wouldn’t seem feasible.  If he and I hadn’t traveled so much, we would be intimidated by the prospect of taking on our beautiful country in a large van.  We did this all separately growing up, now together it’s like the hands of destiny were always pushing us to this moment.  How has you’r life set you up to achieve something you wouldn’t have imagined five years ago?

A promise has been made and will be kept. We are going to do this, all of us, together! So as I research and plot and explore the world of the modern day Nomad I will share it all with you. We will laugh together. And probably cry together. And most importantly, we’re going to make our lives and the lives around us better! We owe that to ourselves and to the loved ones that share in our journeys.

If you are reading this, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Starting any new venture can be very daunting and I appreciate your support. Not to mention, as a writer, I’ll be damned if I’m not a bit nervous!

So, here’s to it, my friends! I look forward to the journey!

Cheers,

Michele