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As you can guess, the answer to this question isn’t universal. Some people hit the road to avoid spending money on traditional housing costs, some have no choice due to economic circumstances, and others are leaving, or running away from, a painful past. And then there are those who just feel a deep yearning to live life on the fly with few possessions and a thirst for travel. Those who know me well know it’s been a bad couple of years. And, those who know me the best know I’ve been dreaming of this life for a very long time. When I finally decided to take the plunge, I wanted to be sure my motivation was not muddied by the desire to run away from a crappy end to a (mostly) beautiful career. In fact, I sat through an extra winter of seasonal depression in upstate New York just to give myself time to reflect that this decision was based on true wanderlust and not the desire to delay facing my demons.
It can be an affront to hear how American society is so driven by work and consumerism, bookended and manipulated by the constructs of time and permanence. After all, it’s how most of us have been raised to interact with the world. How can it be wrong? As my perceptions have changed over the past two years (with much gratitude to my meditation teachers), I have begun to understand that my own innate desire to live life ever so simply with few (OK fewer) attachments is natural. It does not go against the grain – it is the grain.
I grew up in an affluent suburb of Buffalo, NY, a child of “the wrong side of the tracks” syndrome that pervades so many childhoods. In addition to our modest home, my parents also owned 20 acres of land in the rolling hills of Chautauqua County, NY where we would spend much of our summers exploring the creek beds, woods and fields. Humble living indeed - a one room cabin with no running water or electricity a good quarter mile from the road. It was predictable, then, that when I came into possession of a copy of The Whole Earth Catalog at the age of 12 I would begin to plot out my future off-grid life. Over the years my love of travel and camping has grown, as has my inclination to mesh my own life with the rhythm of the natural world.
Although it can be, for the most part the nomadic lifestyle is not off-grid living. However, the two do share the desire to be unmoored from standardized societal anchors. My own particular brand of nomadism includes spending as much time outdoors and living as harmoniously with the earth as is possible. For me, it is a knowingness that contentment just simply is. It is not dependent on a place, a person, or a thing. By creating space to just be without the distractions of a brick and mortar house or traditional job, I am allowing each moment to unfold in a way that illuminates the clarity and peace that is already present in our lives. Life moves slower. The basic activities of daily life become life’s activities rather than things to rush through to get to the next task we must accomplish. Each meal or brush of the teeth is done in thoughtful concentration. And through this, I notice my mind slow its anxious pace and begin to rest.
It’s true – I am just beginning to live this life. But, I feel I have always been preparing for it. In relative terms, what can I say? – I love the challenge of organizing such a small space and living with only the essentials. Indeed, the sun heals me, both mentally and physically and I am blessed to be able to travel and see some very beautiful places. Sure, I will go without a shower for days, get stuck in an SUV during an all-day rain, and accidentally pee on the floor. But, ultimately it is all just each moment going by and I celebrate my good fortune to live life in this way. In my heart, I know it will make me a better mother, friend, and traveler to those I meet along the way.
There are many ways to find our peace. This is mine.
