My Nomadic Life

~Ever since I was a small child I’ve felt the tug of the horizon, and have found myself unable to resist the call to travel and be a free spirit.

 ~I flew to the United States in my early twenties after selling everything I owned in order to make the trip, and arrived in the US with a suitcase and $1,000. I lived in California for a year then moved to Michigan/Indiana, where I was drawn into an abusive marriage. After nine years in the Midwest I gained my Green Card and within a year I left my abusive husband. With nowhere in particular to go and no-one to assist me, I just started driving.

 ~For a month I drove through several states, pitching my tiny tent each night, hiking, exploring and learning how to travel and camp on my own. The freedom of the open road was sheer bliss, especially after being in a controlling, abusive relationship for almost ten years. I didn’t want the journey to end, but eventually I ran out of money, and the timing chain on my car gave out, and I found myself stranded in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado, where I got a job and moved into a motel for the winter.

 ~When spring came I camped in the Colorado mountains for a summer in a little tent on some private property surrounded by wilderness. It was one of the most exhilarating and healing times in my life. I was so attuned to nature that I could ‘see the colors of the wind.’ I didn’t want the experience to end, but with the onslaught of winter I had no choice and moved into a tiny cabin near town.

 ~Then came a period of stability. I built a business, got re-married, and settled down with my new husband. We opened up a little gift shop in the very small town of Glen Haven. However, it was hard to make a living in such a tiny town, and we ended up putting our home/business up for sale. The sale was a total nightmare, everything imaginable went wrong, and when all was said and done we were actually $10,000 in debt after the sale of our home.  So we sold everything we had, cashed in my hubby’s retirement, and hit the road. We lived for a year in Oregon, then a year in Colorado again, then a year in Washington State in a little motor home. Through all this we grew apart, and ended up getting a divorce. Hubby stayed in Washington, and I returned to Colorado.

~That was back in 2007, and since then I’ve pretty much been living in my vehicle. Sure, I’ve done house sitting jobs, and have tried living in a permanent structure (stick and brick) which I lost because of the Colorado floods in 2013, but I just can’t bring myself to stay put in one area. I find myself growing bored with a fixed place very quickly, and after losing or giving up almost everything I own at least five times in my life (leaving England, leaving abusive husband, losing home/business, parting from second husband, floods, and more) owning stuff or having a fixed home no longer interests me. Every time I’ve had a traditional home I’ve lost it somehow. A person can lose everything they have so easily, even overnight. So now I just live in my vehicle, work part of the year, and travel part of the year; all by choice.

 ~In living this lifestyle, I’ve found true joy and freedom. My heart pumps faster each time I explore a new road or a new trail. There are endless sunsets and sunrises on different horizons. There are new experiences around every bend, fascinating geological features to explore and study, new people to meet, and new wildlife to view and learn about. I can travel with the seasons (I’ve camped in -30 F, and I don’t intend to do that EVER again), and work outdoors in nature, with osprey and eagles flying overhead.

 ~I live for experiences instead of things…this lifestyle is chosen, and I hope to continue living this in this manner for many more years.

 ~Please sign up for blog notifications and join me as I travel, write, and take pictures of the beauty I see as a Nomad for Nature.

ALSO READ: LOSING ALMOST EVERYTHING REPEATEDLY LED ME TO MY NOMADIC LIFE, AND I HAVE NO REGRETS. I hope you’ll find it inspirational.

 ~ Life is a Dance, Savor It ~ Roxy ~