NuNomad

Don't Know How to Fund Your Travels? How About Selling Your Life?

2008-06-27T15:42:15-05:00

So often we get comments on the forum and questions sent to us from people who want to take off on extended travel but are wondering how to raise the funds to hit the road.

Well, as they say, "where there's a will there's a way" and Ian Usher of Wellard, Australia seems to have both. Ian Usher is selling his life on Ebay and so far the bids are near $400,000.00 Australian Dollars. The winner will receive his home, car, jet ski, parachute and other recreational equipment as well as his electronics, furniture, friends and job. Ian is careful to say he is not "selling" his friends but that his friends have agreed to welcome the purchaser and give him a chance. Likewise, his current employer (a rug company) has agreed to hire the newcomer on a trial basis. To support his sales pitch he has put together a nice web page (Alife4sale.com)where he gives the details of the offer.

OK, so most of us might not go this far - but think about it. If you're wanting to do world travel for an extended period of time you will have to do something with your stuff. Selling your things to fund your travel is not only a fine idea but it has been done successfully by a lot of people including our own Ricardo of NuNomad (read about it in our book "Quit Dreaming and Go!") who held a local auction of his things before he took off. Personally, I'm getting ready to hit Ebay with some books and Craigslist with a dining room table to begin saving for our next adventure.

And kudos to Ian Usher who's creative idea looks like it's paying off big! Bidding ends on July 29. Keep an eye on it.

Starving for a Jet Lag Remedy

2008-06-19T16:01:20-05:00

By Ricardo

Jet lag hits me harder than a jalapeño margarita. I don’t mean, simply, restless sleep for a night or two after a long (trans-Pacific) flight, but all encompassing type of jet lag: dizziness, inability to sleep more than four hours for up to six days, nausea, the acute awareness that my mind and body are not in sync—the full-on zombie enchilada. This condition is realized at least a couple of times a year—for about eight years now. So, I’m way weary of this dilemma. When I fly from Los Angeles to the far east, and especially when I travel west to east on my return trip (the mother of all hellish routes—jumping 15 time zones) I know I’ll be out of commission for at least five, maybe six, days. I simply dread it. My curiosity was, therefore, quite peaked when I read a recent on-line article (Starving yourself may fend off jet lag) announcing a Harvard University study about the relationship between one’s internal clock and how it is affected by meals. In a nutshell, it concluded that fasting during long flights may trick one’s body into lessening the impact of jet lag.

Let me state, first of all, that I am not one of those new-age, holistic, “power-cleansing” type of guys. To me fasting means missing a meal. And since the Science study stated that one should fast at least sixteen hours of the flight time from their example set forth (Tokyo to Los Angeles), I had to seriously equate—what I was sure would be a torturous ordeal—with the benefit of not having to suffer five to six days of feeling crappy afterwards. I decided, in the interest of jet lag-relief science, to be the lab rat and test out this so-called remedy.

Last week I flew from Bangkok to Los Angeles. My flight departed at 5PM. At the airport, right before the first leg of my flight (there would be a quick plane change in Taipei), I ate a big meal. This would be my last meal for 18 hours. Additionally, I followed another common remedy which is to not sleep—an option not mentioned in the study, but seem equally logical to me. “Yeah, right”, you are no doubt thinking. “No food and no sleep on a (combined) flight of 15 hours, that’s not possible.” But, I did it. No food at all, just lots of water. And after about five hours of flight, my hunger actually dissipated. It was like my brain was saying “Oh, it’s past dinner time. You must no longer be hungry.” And by the time the plane was about to land, I had also noticed that I was not nearly as tired as I should have been. I was landing in Los Angeles at 8PM and my body was feeling like a person that was (more or less) 8PM tired (granted after an exceptionally hard day) and only a couple of hours late hungry.

That first night in Los Angeles I wolfed down two plates of pasta, had half a glass of red wine and went to bed at about midnight—my normal time. The following morning I woke up at 6AM. I felt rested and not at all loopy. This, however, did not convince me that I’d dodged a bullet. My jet lag usually does not hit me until several days after the flight. But the fact that throughout that first full day back I was, for the most part, clear headed and energetic was promising. I was even able to get quite a bit of work done on the computer.

The second night’s sleep, however, was not as sound. I got in only about 5 hours—but that could have had something to do with going out to a 3rd street tequila bar with my hosts. That second day I was a little more tired than the first day—due to not getting my full eight in, not the tequila—but, still little jet lag was felt and I was still able to work several hours. That night I slept six hours and the following day (day 3), at around 6PM, I felt like taking a serious power-nap. But as I laid there on the sofa of my friend’s home, with my head begging for some nap time, my body was not concurring. I could feel how out of sync the two were. So, I sat up and forced myself to stay awake. An hour later, and after a couple of episodes of Family Guy, I was no longer sleepy. That night I slept for nearly 8 hours. And on the fifth night back, I again slept well. On day four—the day I’m usually impacted the hardest by a trans-Pacific flight—I still felt pretty good, even though I had flown eastward another two time zones that day. That night I slept nearly nine hours and that day I declared myself jet lag free.

Conclusion? The combination of fasting and not sleeping during a long flight makes a big difference. As sensitive as I am to jet lag, it was a relief this time to have gotten past it with relative ease. Yes, there was still some residual jet lag, but only about half (perhaps even less) as severe as in previous years. So, on your next long flight, starve yourself. What do you have to lose?

Re-Entering the USA. Should you be Scared?

2008-05-28T21:57:30-05:00

by Ricardo

I’m about to return to the States after nearly a year nu nomading in Asia.
I bounce back to my home country for a month or two every year in the summer and it’s a nerve wracking endeavor each time. Never mind the 17 hours of flight time it takes to go from Southeast Asia (where I am now) to Los Angeles, or having to rent a car, acquire insurance and pay for gas. My greatest trepidation is clearing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). No, I’m not a smuggler or terrorist. I’m just another mild-mannered traveler.

What has my chonies in a twist is having just read an article in the June 2008 issue of Laptop Magazine “Digital Search and Seizure.” What this article states, supported by countless news articles, web pages and blogs on this timely subject, is that the CBP (which is part of Homeland
Security) has the right to search not only your person and luggage, but your electronic devices at will—without cause or explanation. They have the authority to copy all of your data and passwords from your mobile phone and MP3 player to notebook computer. And if they desire to, they may confiscate your devices for further inspection. Already there are many people whose notebooks have remained in custody for a year or indefinitely. Yikes!

In case you are wondering about any Fourth Amendment protection, forget it. That’s only for those who clear Customs—and even then the Patriot Act has all sorts of ways of circumventing your rights to privacy once you’re happily on your way to Iowa for a symposium on bible studies.
Until then, you’re in no-mans-land and should the border authorities feel fit to bundle you off to Guantanamo Bay while they dissect your data under the Patriot Act, there is not much you’ll be able to do about it.

Is it likely to happen? No. Only about 1% (according to an informal survey by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives) had their data copied or seized. Statistically, you’re safe.

So what is the CBP looking for? Good question. Having gone through the CBP website (www.CBP.gov) what the agents appear to be looking for are subversive documents and the usual contraband: drugs, child pornography, plants and animals. But according to other credible sources, they’re also seeking out your unlicensed media. You know, like that shared file you have of Abba’s Greatest Hits within your "My Favorite Karaoke" folder.

As stated above, I’m not a smuggler, a terrorist nor even a person of any religious affiliation. I’m like 99% of the travelers who MAY have a shared media file somewhere in my computer that may not have a purchase receipt. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (www.eff.org) more and more people are being singled out for prosecution for unauthorized file sharing. This could be something as benign as having a shared audio file in your iPod or an unauthorized copy of an Adobe product in your laptop.

What to do? Be aware is the first thing. Clear out anything that might be construed as subversive or even unauthorized. (I know I’m deleting this article from my computer after I post it.) Renaming files is usually a good practice. Got a file labeled “My Secret Nude Pictures of Osama Bin Laden”, you might want to change it to “My Favorite American flags.” UpgradeTravelBetter.com
has a blog on this topic which you might find helpful. Clear out the pirated stuff. Also, be sure to back up your computer and forward a copy by mail to your home address.
For more information on electronic privacy issues, check out www.EFF.org, www.ACLU.org and check out CNN’s article No Privacy for Laptops.

Got an Interesting Office Space? Opportunity for Fame and Maybe Fortune - You Never Know

2008-05-20T21:31:06-05:00

This morning I was contacted by Nick Leiber of Businessweek.com. They are working on a new project that will feature photos of interesting at -home office spaces and descriptions of those people who work in them. Nick thought our audience of nu nomads might be great candidates for people with cool office spaces and I have to say I agree. Ricardo has already sent in his photo and description. I'll be soon to follow.

If you'd like the opportunity to appear in Businessweek.com along with your name and short description, go to Wanted: Pics of Your Home-Based Business and follow the directions.

If you get published - let us know and I'll blog about you too!

What the F*** Are You Doing in a Cubicle?

2008-05-07T22:33:27-05:00

by Carmen
Today as I was listening to the radio I caught a story on Marketplace (a popular public radio news show) about the latest reports on U.S. worker productivity. Here's an excerpt from it that I pulled from the story text on the Marketplace site:

DAN GRECH: Since 2000, workers have increased their productivity by nearly 20 percent, but during that same period, average hourly wages increased by only 3 percent.

JARED BERNSTEIN: The American work force is working harder, smarter and longer. Essentially they're baking a bigger pie, but they're taking home smaller slices.

That's Jared Bernstein with the Economic Policy Institute. He says the gap between productivity growth and wages is at a historic high. The reason, more money is ending up in the pockets of the wealthy.

The story then mentions that some economists do not believe the gap between productivity and wages is as large as reported although they agree that there is a gap.

And get this - the way productivity is measured is in units of "widgets per hour". I don't know about you - but I have one life to spend on this earth and it's damn sure not going to be spent in a cubicle pumping out more widgets for less money so someone else can live like a Rockefeller.

And I ask you - if you're reading this from your cubicle in the 12th hour of your work day "What the F*** are you doing it for?!" Is this really what you dreamed your life would be? If not - go out and live it.

I suppose you're on this blog because traveling is one of your dreams. Make it happen. We've got tons of information here for you and more coming. In addition, there's a whole community of like minded people here on the forum, ready to help and an e-book to give you a step by step. Sorry - you don't have any excuse for being a widget pumper. Believe me. I'm a coach and I've heard every story under the sun. If you want it - go out and take it.

Meet the Nomads - Mark and Judith of Foundation Communicaid

2008-04-17T21:41:46-05:00

by Ricardo
Meet Judith Madigan and Mark van Luyk, founders of Foundation Communicaid. Judith is the General Director/ Chairperson and Mark the Creative Director/ Photographer of this unconventional nonprofit organization that supports aid organizations—two nu nomads who have blended their passion for charitable endeavors with that of traipsing around the world. I caught up with them in Bangkok, and over a bottle of Italian Chianti and plates of Mexican food we talked about their way of living.

Foundation Communicaid (FCA) was formally established about a year ago to assist local community based aid organizations with their marketing and communications, by using photography, graphic design and copywriting to maximize the organizations' marketing potential. It grew after Mark and Judith, both world travelers, saw the need for such a service as they volunteered for a few aid groups during their travels. They noticed that too often organizations on the front lines of helping communities and people were unable to effectively communicate to potential supporters and donors what it was the organization was doing, how well they were doing it, and what they needed in order to keep helping people in need.

In The Netherlands Mark was an established photographer, communications and marketing professional serving as creative director for a marketing company. Judith was a licensed MSc Optometrist. Both have a great passion for charitable work. “Our intention was and still is to contribute to a better world- helping others with our skills,” said Judith. This passion, coupled with her university (masters degree) structuring skills and Mark’s creative disciplines, formed the beginning for a new vocation that would take them out of The Netherlands and on the road. It was an opportunity to do what they wanted. “While in The Netherlands,” stated Judith, “you can’t plan for a life like this. You just have to go and see what happens.”

What interested them in becoming mobile was: freedom, more opportunities, and the chance to experience diverse cultures—to see the world. Although Judith admitted to being an at-home person and found the whole mobile lifestyle idea a little frightening at first, she soon learned that it is she who makes her “home” and not the other way around. “I can adjust very easily now. And,” she added, “Mark and I finally have plenty of time for each other—which was not the case when we were living the work-a-day world back in The Netherlands.” Mark shared the sentiments of his co-worker (and personal partner) and offered an example where mobility really shined.

Up until recently the two had based themselves in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. After nearly a year in that city they felt it was simply time for a change of scenery. They were also offered other opportunities elsewhere. Being mobile allowed them to pick up their gear and mobile office equipment, get on an airplane and set up shop in Bangkok. In two more months, they’ll be in various locations within Indonesia. “Also”, Mark added, “being able to move about grants me moments of greater creativity and clarity. It is while traveling that I get these, lack of a better word ‘epiphanies’ where I get the nature of the meaning of something that I can reflect in my work.”

Both Judith and Mark are full time nomads. Though Southeast Asia is where their work is taking them these days, they are completely open to working and traveling to just about any location on earth. They have their main office in The Netherlands, so they do like visiting neighboring European countries as often as they can when they are up that way—and can afford it. Even with an ever-growing travel case of mobile equipment, they don’t find themselves anchored in any particular place yet.

These mobile professionals are, however, traveling heavier than they had anticipated at first—with Mark being burdened a bit more than his partner since he’s the photographer which requires camera equipment in addition to his notebook computer and related accessories. Mark has two cameras, both Canons. His primary one is the 1DSMarkII and he has a 10D as backup. He totes along 3 lenses (all Canons): EF 24-70mm 2.8, EF 70-200mm 2.8 IS, and EF 16-35mm 2.8, as well as a couple of remote flash units. Both prefer Macintosh computers. Their newest acquisition is a MacBook Pro 15.4” screen, 2.2GHz with Leopard OSX. The other notebook is a PowerBook G4 with a 12” screen. They chose Mac over PC because they’re partial to the graphic quality that Macs are known for, and because the operating system is not (yet) greatly vulnerable to malicious viruses. Plus they simply like the stylized design that Mac offers. (All of this stuff is packed in 2 Pelican cases, customized to fit all the stuff for FCA.) This equipment is in addition to a Wacom tablet (for graphics), Yamaha classical guitar, small iPod, and Motorola mobile phone.

When asked if there are any web-based services they rely upon to run their business, they said that here they keep it simple. Skype is their main tool for verbal communications and their on-line banking keeps their finances flowing. Other than that, they use what’s in their computers. They have little problems communicating with their clients globally or supporters back in The Netherlands.

The Netherlands is where FCA gets its financial support through donations and support grants. Their work, however, is performed overseas and changes as the opportunities and need arise. It’s a real hands-on approach. They work closely with the client at their site, but their follow-up work is done through electronic communication as “Team Worldwide” will travel from project to project as nomads. It is a vocation that has amazed and is envied by both supporters and clients, especially the latter. “Community based aid organizations are usually pretty location bound,” noted Judith. “They see our ability to up-and-go and view that as a great way of living.” Mark added that one of their clients refers to them as “The New Gypsy Organization.”

This statement brought the interview to the next logical question, regarding the pros and cons of the nu nomadic business and lifestyle. They both said that the benefits were sort of obvious: the opportunity to travel—which is in addition to what was mentioned earlier in this article about freedom and opportunities, working and meeting with various people and communities. The down side was that they sometimes felt scattered and less organized then they wished to be. They had to maintain discipline and working hours, which can be a challenge when you’re in an environment where people are often having vacation time—such as on a tropical island. Also, the time difference between Asia and The Netherlands, where they often have to do net meetings, can be difficult. When the Dutch office is open or their supporters most available, it is already late at night where the FCA team is. “But,” Judith assured “that’s not a big problem; just a little inconvenient at times.”

In closing, Mark and Judith’s advice to those people wanting to set up their own mobile business is to: “Follow your heart. Why keep yourself in this lifestyle that doesn’t make you happy? Take the step! By traveling opportunities will arise. Ultimately, the good stuff, like success and happiness, is sure to follow.”

Nomading Around Costa Rica

2008-04-06T16:31:11-05:00

by Carmen

As you may know from a couple of posts ago, I recently had the opportunity to do a bit of nomading around Costa Rica. This wasn't a pure nu nomadic adventure as I wasn't able to stay more than a couple of weeks but I was able to scout out a bit of nomadic issues while I traveled/worked around the country.

Our journey began in an outskirt of San Jose, Heredia, moved into the rain forest area near Puerto Viejo, on to Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna, and then ended on the coast near Tamarindo (click town names for pictures). Costa Rica has a thriving tourist business that attracts many environmentalists and nature lovers to its "ecolodge" accommodations where they can marvel at the abundant wildlife and learn about the rain forest. It also beckons to the active traveler who loves to surf, hike, snorkel, bungee jump or you name it. In addition, you will find an active expat community that includes citizens from many countries of Europe as well as the U.S. While all of this means that it could be very easy in Costa Rica to find a comfortable living situation, plug yourself into a satellite television and live a sheltered life surrounded by your western world friends, your golf course and your mojito, it also means that if you want to really know Costa Rica and the Costa Rican people, you will have to seek them out away from the upscale niceties that have been developed for the tourist/expat lifestyle and "live like the Romans (or in this case, Ticos) do".

Getting around Costa Rica is an adventure in itself. It is possible to take short commuter flights between popular areas and major cities such as Liberia, San Jose, Tamarindo and La Fortuna. This may make sense if you really need to move locations quickly. However, you can make your way between many major destinations in a day or half day by car or bus. If you choose to rent a car be sure to rent a 4x4. While the larger "highways" ( I rarely saw any larger than 2 lanes outside the major cities) are paved, most of the remaining roads including major routes between towns are gravel and some are downright large (I'm talking cantaloupe size now) rock roads. Be prepared to place a large deposit (in our case $1500.00 US) for a car to cover any damage your adventure driving might cause. I chose to go with a Costa Rican rental business called Mapache Rental Car because of their lower prices. They delivered the car to me in the rain forest, were prompt, efficient and honest. The car had some difficulties shifting but made the trip without incident and I was relieved to get my deposit back in full, knowing we spent a lot of time kicking up gravel and rocks.

If you choose a place to remain as a nomad and are within a short distance to your daily needs you could get by without a car. You might even consider a bicycle as many of the locals do. Taxis are reasonable and the public bus system is downright luxurious. Before needing our car we chose to take a public bus to do some waterfall viewing. The bus was the same style as other tourist buses, air conditioned with upholstered seats. This was a great comparison experience between tourist living and Tico living. To take a reserved tourist van to our destination (a 45 minute ride) and back would have cost us $75.00 US per person. The same trip on our luxurious public bus - $4.00 US per person. The bus ran on a set schedule and we found it to be on time.

So - what about working? Here's where a bit of the challenge comes in. Costa Rica varies wildly between world class accommodations with all conveniences including free Wifi in your room (such as we found in Heredia at La Contessa Hotel) - to very rugged areas that are still waiting to receive land-line telephone service (the case around Lake Arenal). Do not assume that because a destination is popular, has charming accommodations or an internet presence, that there will be access to internet or even telephone available. In fact, once we left Heredia (near San Jose) we never again had access to a phone in our room let alone internet. Actually - I exaggerate here. One place boasted in room telephones that I was to find out later only called other rooms at the lodge. Many locations seem to keep a phone that will make international calls with a credit or calling card in their main lobby. This is great if you're just trying to check in with family but not so great if, like me, you're needing to meet with clients by phone for hour long calls.

If telephone is vital to your career, I would suggest you consider an unlocked GSM with SIM card for Costa Rica. In fact, mobile phones appeared to be the communicator of choice for many locals. I was amused by our 11 year old horseback riding guide one day who spent a good amount of time talking with friends on his mobile phone while he rode.

You should be able to find telephone and internet service at most of the larger towns and occasionally you may find some in a smaller town. One of my favorites was the German Bakery in Nuevo Arenal (article picture is from there), where you could sit on a charming open air porch, eat pastries and coffee and get some work done online. Don't have your laptop? No problem - they had a computer room in the back of their associated gift shop for $1.00 US per half hour.

So - all in all - here are my impressions for nomading Costa Rica. This is an amazing place especially if you appreciate wildlife and natural wonders. You will find everything from beautiful white sand beaches excellent for surfing, to a live volcano, and rainforests with abundant animals and birds. The people are warm and helpful, exuding their love of a laid back lifestyle and a pride for their country. Costa Rica is reasonably safe. While you will want to take normal anti-theft precautions (especially in San Jose) the rest of the country seems quite secure. Prices are slightly cheaper than US but not as low as one might hope for a nomadic destination. Internet access can be an issue depending on what area you are in. My advice if you'd like to try it out for a longer stay: consider getting a car for a period of one or two weeks so that you can be free to travel the country, get a feel for the variation of different destinations and the viability of doing your work in them. Don't plan to do a lot of work during this initial period because connectivity may be difficult at times. Do a lot of talking with the local people about lodging and connectivity possibilities. Here a knowledge of Spanish is helpful. Once you've chosen your nest, say goodbye to the car, unpack your bags and get ready for life the "Pura Vida" way!

The Work-Travel Balancing Act

2008-03-25T17:57:21-05:00

by Ricardo
I was watching an episode of “Family Guy” recently, the one where baby Stewie ridicules people who strive to be seen in public (eg: Starbucks) with their notebooks open—perhaps tapping-out that promising screenplay. Though the tot doesn’t blow the heads off of the coffee-gulping remote workers (the cartoon character tends to get extreme at times), the scene does illustrate the point of remote working becoming a sort of cliché these days.

What I’ve found in the nearly seven years of nomading the world is the increased misperception of those who choose to integrate their work and home life with their lust for travel—versus those who simply like to demonstrate to others that they can finish up their projects down the street from the office (such as the ubiquitous coffee shop that supports wi-fi). And that misperception is understandable. These days, it is no longer unusual to find overseas backpackers huddled in laptop sessions at the cheap eateries or guest houses. Where they once sat around watching pirated video tapes of Bay Watch on the establishment’s television, they’re now watching pirated movies on their personal LCD screens while updating their blogs. The trading of paperback books has been replaced by the trading of DVDs, MP3 files and MySpace URLs.
Is that a bad thing? Probably not. Sad and pathetic? Hmm.

Aside from the reality that real nomads tend to do their work in more productive, if not appropriate, working environments (eg: rooms with great views), one must also find their balance. One of the harder disciplines of living this sort of work-travel life (I’m going to list two of mine now) is finding one’s center. Pardon me if I sound like Zen Master Ricardo, but if you’re traveling the world and finding yourself behind the screen (be it notebook, BlackBerry, iPod, mobile phone or other handheld device) as much or more as when you were stuck in your home country, then maybe you’re missing out on the whole nu nomad travel thing. Travel is about “getting out there,” not becoming a mobile version of the bored, introvert you were at home. At least that’s how I see it.

So what’s the advice? It’s sort of simple: set boundaries. Okay, you don’t need to be anal about it, but do try to look to the horizon for your next travel destination—as opposed to, let’s say, over the lid of your screen to the cute person at the next table. When out in public, leave the hardware in your (secured) room. If you’re in nature (hell, the town center even), pull those ear buds out buddy and listen to the sounds around you. Simply steer your life from gadget man (woman) to care-free traveler.

This brings me to the other discipline: refraining from buying too many gadgets. Not only does having redundant and superfluous equipment distract, but it weighs you down maak-maak (that’s Thai for much-much). The selection process of what you really need to be mobile, yet get your work done properly, is a judicious process. And as one of the bigger offenders of this rule, with my two laptops (one is an overblown desktop replacement and the other is an ultra-ultraportable machine for weekend excursions) I am now moving to trim down. So I ask myself: “Ricardo, do I need to have an MP3 player when I have a laptop for my music and movies? Do I need a Palm Pilot when I already have easy Internet access and a small GSM mobile phone? Do I need a travel printer when I rarely print to paper any more and when there are printing services at the cyber cafes. The truth is that I can do my work with one good machine (I’m looking into the new Lenovo ThinkPad X300.
—which is similar in design and weight to that of the MacBook Air). As for my MP3 player, my bulking Creative Zen unit is going to be replaced by an iPod Nano. And since my full-feature camera is already very compact (Canon PowerShot A710), I can concentrate on buying a new guide book (for either Laos or Hungary). And the money I’ll save from not buying all “cool tech stuff” I can spend foolishly while on my journey abroad.

So, now that mobile technology for the real road warriors is trimming down we too can take advantage of less weight and increased (physical) mobility. And if you need a little more advice on what may be necessary for your nomadic travels and not, Quit Dreaming and Go! (our handbook on how to nomad) has a comprehensive section for you to pack with.

How's This for an Office View? Heredia, Costa Rica

2008-03-09T08:10:32-05:00

Unlike my Nu Nomad partner Ricardo, who nomads continually and has for years, I have not broken away from a home base that completely. For me, nomading has meant developing my coaching business until it is completely mobile and having the freedom to work from wherever I like for as long as I like. However, having 3 children of school age we do stay home for extended periods.

Today, though, I am enjoying my ability to nomad. When my mother in law decided we should all go to Costa Rica I knew I could continue to work so our family was able to double our time with her here as compared to the extended family.

We flew in yesterday to San Jose and have spent our first night in La Condesa Hotel in Heredia (a neighboring area to San Jose. This must be one of the most beautiful locations anyone has ever found to build a hotel and the place that was built is quite grand in a "grand old hotel" way. The picture I'm including is the view from our room. The rooms are 2 floors high with a loft layout so that each room has it's own staircase. The central dining area is open air and the grounds are extensive. There is free wifi in the room which I'm using to write this blog.

This isn't a place most of us could stay for an extended nomading experience because the price isn't cheap, but if you wanted to treat yourself to some luxury for a night or two this is definitely the place to do so.

Heredia is a charming place with many small shops and the hustle-bustle of lots of pedestrian traffic. Many cafes boasted "Internet" on signs so I'm led to believe it would not be difficult to work in this town. You can expect numerous church spires rising from this town that sits at the base of small mountains. We were also treated to the site of many fruit vendors, a lovely town square, and homes from cute little bungalows teeming with flowers to the gated homes of the president's extended family who made their fortune in coffee.

I would definitely encourage anyone to check it out! Today we move on to an eco-lodge in Sarapiqui.

Meet the Nomads - Again! - Catching up with the Atkins Family as they Circle the Globe

2008-02-29T09:54:00-06:00

By Carmen

We last interviewed the Atkins family in May of 2007 as they were in the preparation stages of an around the world trip by bus while homeschooling their 4 children. At that time, the Atkins were overhauling their vehicle to accomodate their trip. Now they have been on the road for 6 months so we thought we'd get in touch and see how they're doing.

Manny, when we last interviewed you and your family, you were in the process of building out your bus and planning your trip. Now you have been on the road for several months. What countries have you visited so far?

We traveled through France, into Spain back into France, across to Northern Italy. Joe then had work in Monte Carlo, so we stayed in Antibes, and went in to work with him pretty much every day, which was wonderful! Back in to Italy, to Rome and beyond. We took a ferry to Greece, drove up through Bulgaria, into Romania to play a couple of concerts for the charity Growing Care. Back through Bulgaria and into Turkey, we spent Christmas in Istanbul, and New Year in Athens. Crossed back into Italy and came back up to France where we are taking a pause after traveling 15,000Km and being on the road for six months.

If you were advising a NuNomad as to what locations in Europe are most Nomad friendly (ie, low cost of living, widely available internet, quality of life) what would be your top picks?

Sometimes we’ve found the best internet access in the most surprisingly remote places (virtually the whole of Bulgaria seemed to have free wifi! just no shops!) and our favourite Italian campsite, in the forested mountains just outside Deiva Marina, had free and excellent wifi. And yet we struggled to find wifi in some capital cities - which surprised me! We have stayed mainly in campsites; which often offered wifi and always had useful info on public transport into the city etc. The free hot water, ability to plug in to electricity, and use of washing machines made sense for us as a big family. We often stayed overnight in truckstops on the autoroutes, when travelling from place to place, but then we’d seek the security and facilities of a campsite to base ourselves. The city sites tended to cost double the rural sites. Spain was cheaper than Italy and France, and the Spanish really know how to run a city! Greece was cheaper still, but we were there very much out of season. Turkey would probably be my top location - not too expensive, good internet, and the warmest and most generous strangers we ever came across. Istanbul was vibrant, and exciting. You cross from Europe to Asia and back, all within one city! Here’s a link to the blogs while we were in Turkey:http://web.mac.com/harryatkins/WTTW_Blogs/The_Family_Blog/Entries/2007/12/22_-_Turkey.html

Was this your original itinerary or have you changed? If you have changed itinerary what factors caused you to do so?

It was always our intention to have a fluid itinerary and while we were in Spain, we decided we weren’t ready to go into Africa. We thought maybe we’d head for North America, but in our (long) search for crossings for us and the bus, we discovered Grimaldi Freighter Cruises. Their office in Naples have been really helpful, and we were thrilled to find we could cross to Argentina. We were booked to travel in April. In fact this crossing has been cancelled, and we are now booked onto the November crossing.
This delay has coincided with a bit of a financial crisis for us: some money we were relying on has fallen through, and so we need to re-fuel our funds. We’ll sit tight for a few months here in France, live as cheaply as we can; earn as much as we can, and learn French! And hopefully be ready to get on the boat in November.

What caused the decision not to go to Africa?

We found it almost impossible to find a realistic crossing from Egypt to Kenya, which was our original plan; also the political situation in Africa seemed to be more and more unsettled. We decided we weren’t comfortable taking the children into a situation where we would be so vulnerable. It was a big disappointment, but Joe and I felt strongly that it was too early in our trip to be facing those kinds of challenges. Life on the road was going so well, and to be honest was exciting, interesting and challenging enough. I have to say though, that now we’re six months in, and have crossed borders in the dark and snow, I’m really excited about changing continents!

How has it been to be in the bus on the road with a large family? How have you all adapted to the close quarters?

The joy of a big family is that no-one ever gets left out; there’s a constant variety of different combinations. We run a very harmonious team to keep everything ticking over, and the children take as much responsibility for the tidiness and running of the bus as Joe and I. It works really well, and it all runs very smoothly. Being so close has become a way of life now, even sharing our huge top bunk with Arthur, our seven year old, feels completely natural. Going to bed is reminiscent of the end of “The Waltons”!

Looks like you’ve been playing music as a family band along the way. How do you set up your concerts and get an audience?

The music has been a great family focus. it tends to come in bursts. We played some summer concerts, at campsites and for friends; and a big Birthday Party last September. Then we played the two concerts in Romania. They were a real adventure. One was for the children the charity helps; they have so little, and live a hard hard life. It was a real pleasure to bring a live gig to them, we felt so appreciated, and it was very humbling! The other was in a big theatre as more of an awareness-raiser with local dignitaries etc. Here’s the blog link to the Romanian concerts - http://web.mac.com/harryatkins/WTTW_Blogs/The_Family_Blog/Entries/2007/12/7_Politics%2C_Philosophy%2C_Harmonics_-_Romania_2.html
We’re playing a gig in a couple of weeks here in France, a musical evening already organised, so audience gathering is not down to us! but we hope it will lead to a few more. So we’re practising hard at the moment. We’ve made no more than a free supper so far, and it would be great to earn a bit; but playing for pleasure carries less pressure!

What are you learning along the way that you didn’t expect?

Just how rewarding home-schooling is
I don’t miss England at all!
I never crave time to myself, away from the family.
The Turkish generosity is boundless.
There are more good people in the world than the media would have you believe! (Actually, I did expect that to be the case!)

How is the bus holding up?

She’s in fine form. She’s running better now than she was when we left the UK. We’ve ironed out oil-leaks and air system problems; fixed the radiator and had the heating re-instated. She’s happiest doing the kind of long, steady, regular drives we do, so really she’s in her element! There is a harmony and trust when we’re driving that’s hard to describe. The bumpy roads of Romania took their toll, and we had some quite big structural repairs to take care of in Turkey. But all in all she’s looked after us, and we’ve looked after her and the respect is mutual!

What has been the greatest highlight/positive experience of the trip so far?

There’ve been a few!
Parking on the waters edge at Camping Fusina, and watching the sun go down over Venice took some beating!
Driving through Greece in the crisp winter sun; snow capped mountains to our left, and crystal blue sea on our right...music playing, family singing... deep inner peace!
Christmas day in Istanbul! waking up to stockings in the morning, and a boat trip across the Bosphorus sea in the evening, the city illuminated magnificently in the moonlight.
I can’t even begin to put into words the way this trip and the preparations for it, have bonded us as a family. It has enriched our marriage and deepened all our relationships.

Welcome to the World.