Life as a Nomad

 

You all know the word nomad.  You’ve seen films about nomads perhaps narrated by David Attenborough. But have you ever actually met a true nomad in real life?  Yes, you have.  Libby and I lived 12 years as nomads aboard our sailboat.

Madam toastmaster, I would like to share some of that experience.

I define nomads as:

1. People almost constantly on the move.

2. Whose movements are annual and repetitive.

3. They have no mailing address.

Among boaters, we were called cruisers, not nomads.  We were the elite.  But on land and with no mailing address, we were among the most despised segments of society. 

How so?  Consider the pejorative words synonymous with nomad.   Migrant, vagabond, hobo, rambler, rover, wanderer, transient, tramp, bum, derelict, outcast, drifter, loafer, in England traveler, and in Australia swagman.

On the other hand, people who travel but are presumed to have a mailing address get more respect. Explorer, pilgrim, pioneer, adventurer, tourist.

If you don’t have a mailing address, and your mail is sent to “general delivery”, you can’t get a photo ID, or a bank account, or a credit card, or a stimulus check, or buy insurance.  You can’t qualify as a resident of any state which means you can’t register to vote.  And most of all, before zoom you couldn’t join a toastmasters club.  

But there is a loophole and the loophole is delightful.  You can hire a private remailing service and use the service’s address as your home address.  That fools most governments. 

But here’s an amusing exception.  Somehow, the city of Marathon in the Florida Keys learned that many boaters in the harbor used a remailing service in Green Cove Springs, Florida.   After that, anyone in Marathon showing ID with a Green Cove Springs address was given the bum’s rush.

But back on the positive side, my blog followers repeatedly said that Libby and I were “living the dream.”  The cruising life really is the dream for millions of people.  There must be big benefits to make that lifestyle so compellingly appealing.  Indeed, there are.  I’ll tell you about three.

Cruisers have more freedom than just about anyone else on this planet.   Nobody tells us what to do.  When we see a place we like, we just drop the anchor and stay a while.  When we tire of that place, we raise the anchor and sail away.  We never ask permission to do that.  If you yearn to be a free spirit, then the ultimate freedom is best achieved aboard a boat. 

We used that freedom to make two huge lifestyle choices.   First, we decided to focus on the east coast of North America plus The Bahamas as our cruising ground.   Second, we elected to migrate north every summer and south every winter.  In other words, we chose year-round nice weather.  No heating or cooling required ever.  

On the boat, we had only 200 square feet of living space. But it was very comfortable, and completely functional. We had enough storage space for a whole year’s food for two people.  Our solar panel provided our electrical needs.   Our transportation was provided by the wind and by rowing.  The sun heated water for showers. I learned to do almost all necessary repairs and renovations without help.  Self-sufficiency is very appealing.  We had it and it felt great.

But most important, after a couple of years cruising, Libby and I realized that we had adapted to the simple life.  We owned no house, no storage locker, no microwave, no car, no TV.  Everything we owned in the world we carried with us on the boat.   We paid no insurance.  We paid no taxes.  No garbage collection fee.  In fact, we had no recurring bills and no debt of any kind.   We were no longer part of the consumer culture.  It was as if a time machine had transported us back to a simpler era.

What does all this mean to you?  Maybe you think your lifestyle is locked in, allowing you no flexibility at all.  Maybe not.  My message to all of you is this.  “If you come upon the opportunity to choose or to change your lifestyle, give it serious consideration and discuss it with your partner.  The benefits can be enormous.