You'll Need Very Different Life Skills as a Full-Time Traveler
...and some aren't easy to learn.
Last week and the week before, we talked about the role loneliness plays in nomads calling it quits.
Another reason nomads ditch the open road is a skillset mismatch. The skills for everyday life are often very different from what it takes to travel full-time. This is especially true for those of us traveling solo, who might not have someone else to fill our skills gap.
The best way to understand this is to consider how different full-time travel is from staying put.
When you live in a house or an apartment, you get accustomed to turning on the tap and seeing clean water. You might rarely lose electricity, and you don’t give a thought to what happens to your poo when you flush the toilet. When furnishing your apartment, as long as it fits, it’s alright.
Compare that to living in an RV:
You only have constant water if you’re hooked up directly to a source at a campsite or fill your tanks.
You have power through your battery, hookups, propane, solar, or a generator.
When you flush your toilet, you are responsible for ensuring proper waste disposal.
And even when you can fit it all in your rig, you wonder: is it overweight?
Backpackers and people who live in Airbnbs have other considerations. If you think packing all my things into 160 SF is hardcore minimalism, imagine how little space you have in a suitcase.
Life overall is a lot less predictable than being at home.
Wherever you roam, prices change, and your budget must change with it. This could result from different economies across cities or rural areas or currency differences across countries.
Your passport and other documents are things you see every so often in everyday life when you stay put. If you’re crossing borders or flying regularly, that passport becomes your lifeline.
Routines are also harder to come by. Different campsites bring different amenities—sometimes none at all. Different countries mean different languages, different customs, different food. Drive two hours east or west and it could mean a different time zone.
Traveling across states and countries also results in different rights. Even within America, state laws vary on everything from driving to immigration enforcement to women’s bodily autonomy and access to healthcare.
For some of us, diversity is the whole idea.
Change can be a terrifying thing — and frequent change? Even more so. But there is beauty in diversity. I always enjoy a change of place, space, and faces. Every new destination is a fresh adventure for me.
If I don’t like it or the people suck? No worries. I can leave.
Still, it doesn’t mean you won’t ever have stability. For example, my views and the outdoor world may change, but my RV and FJ Cruiser form a general constant. They’re home!
So, what skills do you need as a full-time traveler? Next week, I’ll tell paid subscribers the top skills nomads should master before hitting the road. These won’t guarantee success, but they will certainly improve your chances.