Let me be clear about something. I HATE BEING BORED! I’ve always thought of myself as a warrior of boredom. I think the main culprit of bad decision-making and depression is boredom. We don’t realize it, but when our brains are not stimulated, it will find problems to solve, or worse… CREATE them. As humans, we need constant stimulation to stay sane, not just “sharp.” Imagine… a life of boredom and no stimulation… no wonder you have crime, depression and disease. I became a nomad mostly because I am at war with boredom. Almost hate boredom more than I love traveling. What a fucking epiphany. I am Sally Golan. I’m a digital nomad, wanderluster, adventure seeker and ultimate life designer. And this… is my story.
I will share wisdom gained through wander, impeccable life lessons, incredibly funny stories that can only happen to a nomad, and life hacks to help you design your ultimate lifestyle. For now? I am here to entertain you with all the insanely funny, dramatic, life-changing, inspiring, emotional shit that has happened to me in the last 5 years (and more to come) with the spillage of some
digital ink.
So how did I decide to go full nomad?
As Robert Downey JR said in Tropic Thunder, “You never go full retard”. I went full retard. It all started with a fork in the road decision between getting a green card OR up and leaving the USA after a decade of stagnant life in the country. A decade of chasing my career goals, putting up with scamming health care systems, and inflated prices year after year. But also a decade of inspiration, camaraderie and true community building. A green card was going to cost me more than I could ever afford and leaving the country was going to cost me something else: security. So you know what helped me make my final decision? A simple pros and cons list (and a lot of tequila. And a lot of panicked phone calls to all my friends all over the world.) A pros and cons list of fighting for my rights to stay in the country vs uprooting 100% and going global. A pros and cons list I mowed over for about a month before I made my final decision to fuck the fuck off for good.
PROS OF GOING NOMAD
- No fixed rent
- Can go anywhere I want anytime I want
- I GET TO SEE THE WORLD
- Can work remotely from incredibly beautiful inspiring locations
- Can visit friends literally anywhere anytime I want
- Imagine how many hot guys I will meet?
- Hot guys as temporary tour guides
- Hot guys with hot accents
- Hot guys with foreign view points
- Eating healthy organic food that isn’t made in the USA
- I GET TO SEE THE FUCKING WORLD
- Learn a new language?
- Change my views on everything I’ve ever learned ever
- Grow and evolve as a human being
- If I don’t like where I am, I have the freedom to leave
- Get immersed in new cultures
- Constantly meet new people and grow my network
- AND AGAIN, SEE THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD IF IT TAKES A LIFETIME. And the list just grew and grew
CONS OF GOING NOMAD AND LEAVING AMERICA FOR GOOD:
- No official home base to run to in case things get weird
- Taking risks with unexpected travel expenses
- What if something bad happens?
- I will miss my friends
- I will miss my bed
- I will miss my creature comforts in a first world country
- What if I lose the drive to work and be productive?
- What if something medical happens?
- I will miss my stuff -clothes, furniture, makeup, etc
- I will miss the feeling of “coming home”
And there it was. The stay vs go list that I shared with all my Miami friends. Do you know what they all said?
GO.
Now that might be seen as offensive. You guys really don’t like me do you? But that wasn’t it. My friends knew me. They knew who I really was. A creative soul with a trapped spirit, a perpetual dreamer, a truth seeker a freedom addict. They knew that nothing could hold me back, not even the glam of Miami.
Here’s the magic about being in the midst of a tough decision to make: If you are open and aware enough, the universe will show you signs that will help guide you towards where you’re supposed to be. For me, the signs could not have been more clear. Once the idea of going full nomad seeded into my mind, I was presented with sign after sign that I should indeed, sell all my things and buy a one way ticket.
- I put my apartment up for lease and it got taken within one week
- I got notice that my building was about to go under a 3 year construction project
- I got an invite to stay in Mexico for free to set myself up
- My immigration lawyer said that even if I go for the green card I probably won’t get it
- I was beginning to lose interest in daily life and my daily surroundings as my mind was already traveling abroad
- The very thought of going nomad lit me on fire and the thought of staying became the very idea of hell
Deep breath in, exhale out, push out all that doesn’t serve you…
Let it go.
My decision was not spontaneous, not out of anger or resentment. My decision was extremely strategic, extremely well thought out, and talked over with all family members, all my friends, and any important figures in my life. I had full support. I had the green light. I had no reason to doubt myself.
The decision to become a full-time world traveler, a baseless nomad, a global citizen, is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make in your life. You will NEVER be the same. You won’t even sound the same to your friends back home after a few months of this experience. You will grow so tall, so big, most will not be able to catch up to you. You cannot make such a life changing decision out of anything but pure, utter curiosity and appreciation for the world. Pure admiration for the planet and all it has to offer. Your decision to go nomad needs to come from a place of peace. Not from a place of hurt.
So what did I do once I made my final, no going back, ultimate life changing decision?
I put stuff up for sale. I was amazed at how fast it sold. I let go of “stuff I didn’t need” and to this day I wonder why I hung on to so much crap. I got together with my friends as often as possible because I knew I was to say goodbye. I put all of my life online, all my bills, all my payments, all of my work systems, all digital. And most importantly? I braced myself. I got myself mentally prepared to leave and not come back.
If you are dreaming of becoming a nomad, thinking about selling your things and living the life of a remote professional, take your time coming to your decision.
You can always go back “home” if it doesn’t work for you. But not trying…should not be an option.
