It is fair to say, and I am sure we can all agree, we exist in an age of intense political, cultural, and economic upheaval—including a deluge of “alternative facts” that have amassed to distract us.
Turn on the news (regardless of your preferred source), or log into Facebook, and suddenly you feel the weight of the mindlessly spewed negativity.
I have frequently found myself wanting to “check out.”
I suppose, in some ways, the idea of venturing out with a location independent, nomadic state of mind, is a desire to do just that – check out. But, it is not.
In our daily lives, each of us has our unique challenges. For me, constantly juggling the ups and downs of owning a web design business, establishing this blog, traveling with my dog, Mila, and figuring out how to support us can be overwhelming.
My personal struggles may seem trivial to someone else. But, I wouldn’t trade these challenges for anything. The rewards of living this lifestyle far outweigh the challenges if we’d never left.
When this adventure began in San Francisco back in 2017, I had a mixed bag of emotions – the excitement of new possibilities and fear of the unknown. To be honest, much of my fear was over fears of an unknown future. I realized, even with the best of intentions, not everything would go exactly according to plan.
Fortunately, I quickly learned my goals and ambitions would need to constantly evolve and change.
Ensuring I could provide the best care for Mila possible, the most practical (and affordable) approach to travel was going to take some creative thinking and stepping out of my comfort zone. There is still so much to see, and I curious to see if I could explore the world together with her.
Hopefully, share uplifting and inspiring stories from our journey along the way.
Five years later, regardless of the challenges, distractions, and circumstances, this experience has been anything but “checking out.” It’s definitely not blissful ignorance either.
It hasn’t been easy, but the rewards of stepping out of my comfort zone and relocating to Mexico with Mila was one of the most rewarding decisions of my life.
Everyday I walk out the door, I’m learning something new and I am constantly having to make mindful, conscious choices that not only support Mila and my well-being, but that I am also making a positive impact in the world around me.
Scrolling through Instagram, I saw photos from the adventures of other digital nomads traveling the world and occasionally wishing it was use experiencing all those exotic destinations. But, as a digital nomad web designer traveling with a dog, I’ve discovered it wasn’t as easy as I had hoped.
While living this semi-nomadic life, I’ve developed a mindset that true location independence is simply a state-of-mind. A gypsy by nature, at 46 years of age, I’ve come to the realize I don’t need geographic ties to any particular city, state, or country.
Once I downsized, letting go of most of the physical possessions I had acquired over the years, I realized to feel a sense of freedom and, as Pumba from the Lion King said, home isn’t, in fact, where your “rump rests.” It’s where your heart rests.
If there is one important lesson I’ve learned living and traveling around Mexico the last five year, especially with a dog, is to have patience, Diá a diá, poco a poco.
Oprah once said, we are all more alike than we are different. Regardless of walls, borders, nationalities, and difference, there is one thing we all share in common: we all share one common home, planet Earth.
I believe the upheaval of politics, economics, and culture distractions are just that, distractions. Illusions from keeping us from waking up to realize our true potential.
Having a nomadic state of mind has helped me realize I am not a victims to my circumstances, I create my reality. And, it’s up to me to design a life I love. And then, mindfully, go out and be the change I want to see in the world.
There is a difference between checking out – choosing to ignore the problems of our world – and making the conscious choice of positively redirect our energy and efforts.
If we are going to doing anything meaningful with our lives, it should be with the intention to “pay it forward,” putting the needs of others before our own. Some people choose to do this by getting involved in politics, activism, or civic discourse – and that’s totally fine.
Those activities are great, but they’re just not who I am. I’m not an activist or a politician. I’m an artist and a healer.
I live by a mantra, “educate and inspire from your creativity within.” I truly believe my purpose here on Earth is to do just that.
And that’s what this blog is all about. Healing day by day, I’m letting go of my anxieties and fears, redirecting that energy into other small ways I can make a positive impact in the world. Diá a diá, poco a poco.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
