It’s my first official blog post!
When I tell people I’m a digital nomad, living and working out of a camper, there’s usually one question I always get.
“What made you want to do that?”
It’s hard to pin it down to one thing, but I suppose I’ll start here.
It’s 2022. I’m single, I’ve been living in Olympia, WA, for the last year with my dogs, Trixie and Bruno, when I started to consider the lifestyle. Not very seriously, just kicking it around with friends. We’d talk about van life vs Airbnb vs camper, the cost, how the dogs would do, where I’d go, etc… It was one of those conversations full of wonder and what-ifs that doesn’t seem likely to actually happen. It planted a seed, though, and as I began to ponder it more and more, started to think it could be reality.
First Taste
Then, in April of 2022, my Bruno was diagnosed with cancer and given a grim 3-month lifespan which turned out to be spot on. I had plans to travel to WI and Chicago by air, but I didn’t want to lose time with him. So, I decided to take him with. We ended up on a month-long road trip across the country.
We stayed and worked out of various hotels and Airbnbs. We visited family in WI and explored the Badlands, Bear Country, Yellowstone, Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and so much smaller stuff in between. Even knowing our time together was limited, on the road, in new towns, taking in new sights, I felt more content there than I had in a long time. I’d had my first taste of digital nomad life and knew it was something I wanted to keep doing.
Committing
That summer was a very hard period of grieving for us. I longed for the feeling I had felt on our road trip. I started to look more seriously at what our options were for going on the road full-time. Those dreamy, far-off conversations full of doubt and “How would I this?” and “What if that?” turned into a “Why not?”
Rent was expensive, the housing market was too crazy to buy into. Single and sad (about Bruno), I didn’t feel like trying to find my prince charming. I wanted to travel more, but I didn’t want to leave Trixie behind. I had a remote job, supportive of the nomad life.
If not now, when?
I decided to commit. I bought a camper and a truck that fall and nervously started planning my first route.
January 2023, we left our rental behind and officially became digital nomads. Trixie sadly passed in July. She was the best travel partner and is greatly missed. I’m excited to document those stops, and all the future stops with y’all.
