Keeping up with mail as a nomad is tough.
If you generally move between two or three locations, it’s not that bad. However, getting your mail can take some extra work if you cross borders and have a more unpredictable travel schedule like I do.
Additionally, ordering products across country lines can invalidate the warranty. No, I’m not joking.
Here’s a perfect example.
I ordered my rooftop tent from a company in Montana in early 2021. COVID-era supply chain disruptions led to repeated delays in getting the tent. So, despite driving to Montana that summer, I could only see a sample. I would have to either drive back or have them ship it.
By the time it was finally ready, I was in Mexico and had just decided to extend my stay. I had no intentions of returning to America anytime soon, let alone driving all the way back to Montana.
I asked them to ship it to Mexico.
“We could do that,” the company assured me. “But we can’t honor our warranty if we do. Are you sure there’s no one near the border who can accept it for you? It’s fine if you take it to Mexico after that.”
I ended up driving to Arizona to get the RTT picked up and installed with the help of an American friend I had made in Mexico.
Credit cards, repaired devices, Amazon packages, absentee voting forms, a spin dryer … I’ve had many things chase me across locations while on the move.
Some never catch up to me.
What about mail handling services?
Several companies will gladly collect all your mail and send it to you. But there are caveats:
There’s a monthly or annual fee. For example, I pay $100 annually for my USPS box in New Mexico.
Some will ship or mail your packages to a new address, but you pay them to do that, too.
Forwarding services don’t always work. I asked USPS in New Mexico to forward my vehicle tags to California and they never arrived.
Some companies, like USPS, only accept forwarding requests in person, which isn’t ideal for nomads.
If mail is important to you, you could find yourself circling one location or needing to return regularly.
Lenders may have trouble verifying your personal information and may deny you if you have multiple addresses, PO boxes, or shipping handlers.
Some hotels, Airbnbs, RV parks, and campgrounds either won’t or cannot accept mail on behalf of people staying there.
There are some workarounds.
Eventually, you just get used to not always getting your mail. You might even find it a welcome relief.
Sure, you might not get to vote in that election like you planned (this happened to me twice—thanks, Georgia!), but at least spam mail can’t find you either. Pros and cons … right?
On a serious note, there are workarounds to get your mail, but it takes serious planning or changing the way you travel. This is especially true for people traveling internationally, even if you’re just an hour or two across the Mexican border.
Next week, paid subscribers will receive a follow-up post explaining what I—and some of my nomad friends—have done to get our mail and packages while hopping across cities, states, or countries. See you then!