Tuesday, July 7, 2015

July 7: Writing Prompt #188-Rolling Stone

If you could live a nomadic life, would you? Where would you go? How would you decide? What would life be like without a “home base”?
I might experiment with being nomadic for a short period of time, but I cannot imagine choosing it for a lifestyle.  I would most likely travel here in the US and/or in Europe where there’s so much to see that can be reached by public transportation or even by riding bikes and without having to fly or take a boat long distances.  I would decide upon this short nomadic adventure by making sure all my other affairs were in order first (kids raised and taken care of, retirement savings in place, and ensuring I had enough funds to take this time to explore in this manner). And as far as life without a “home base,” I don’t know that I could do that.  I have never been without a home base, so even if home base was my parents or in-laws homes, I would probably maintain one with a few things there that I couldn’t take along on the journey, but would want or need for settling down again later. 

All that said, I am obviously not prepared for a nomadic life because the whole concept of that would be not having the need to keep a home base and feeling comfortable traveling around, stopping to work when needed, etc…in order to keep that lifestyle going, and that’s just not me.  I admire those who can do it (in fact, I have a brother and sister-in-law who are currently nomadic by choice), but I need more consistency, thrive best on a schedule, and like to travel for the sake of traveling (meaning not having to stop and work in order to keep traveling).  I also like to travel by living in a place for longer than a few weeks or months. I don’t feel I can really experience a new country or state fully until I have been a resident for several years because I like to immerse myself in the culture so completely.  Given that scenario, if I end up in Europe, it will be as a permanent employee for a longer period of time, and I will enjoy that country’s bounty and beauty during my off times and within the security and stability of my 40 hour a week job.  I know, sounds boring, huh? To each his own, right?!  Are you nomadic by nature?

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