To begin, I don’t care what you call yourself. Nomad is just one label. It is a bit like trying to define “senior.” I am not a traveller – I travel as much as possible.
I don’t know if others of you feel this way, but for the fun of it, I’ve concluded that I am a serial nomad. Prior to Covid, we lived as ex-pats for 15 years. Since Covid, we’ve been able to do five-week, 13-week and 17-week trips. We have recently returned from 4 months in NYC. We hate to say goodbye every time we depart but are glad to head home to Montreal. Even before we leave, I start thinking about our next journey.
Prior to retiring, it was wonderful to go on long weekends or for two weeks. But at the end of it, we were glad when we could visit home to all our friends in our family. In our condo, we can look at all of the small things we brought back over the many years of travelling, and it brings back all of our memories.
Really, what is a Nomad?
Do you have to be “homeless” to be a nomad, or is it more a state of mind?
Ignoring labels for the moment, I like this as a definition:
A nomad traveller is about embracing a lifestyle of perpetual exploration, personal growth, and freedom. It’s a way of life that allows individuals to continuously discover new places, cultures, and perspectives while cultivating a sense of adventure and self-discovery.
After some consideration, we decided that our sweet spot for a trip is around ten weeks. I don’t think that makes us a nomad in any traditional sense. We have lived in three other countries for four to six years, but Montreal has always been home. We grew up here even if we haven’t lived in the city for 40 years. Besides, Montreal is one of the top ten cities to live in.
And although there’s so much to do here in Montreal, it doesn’t take long for us to get itchy feet again. Then we know it’s time to plan a short trip. We’re not one to sit around whether it’s at home, in Florida, someplace in Portugal, Asia, or whatever. We love to do and see things, so we’re exhausted after ten weeks.
And yes, we have a short trip planned in a couple of months and then a biggie in February, so subscribe and stay tuned!
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