There. I said it. Whew.
I’m going to climb up onto my soapbox for a little bit, so hopefully you can bear with me.
I’m a little irritated with all the posts about how working “the 9-5 grind” is a waste of time and no way to live a life. I’m sick of reading about how if you don’t visit 12 countries in 12 months you’re wasting your life away. And I’m real annoyed with all the “perfect vacation pictures” from people touting their “perfect life” because they don’t have a desk job and can work from anywhere.
Seems a little silly from someone trying to build a blog (semi-focused on travel) and who dreams of being able to make at least a bit of an income from writing, doesn’t it?
Now, let me tell you why.
1) I LIKE my routine and having somewhere to come home to at the end of the day.
My routine is comfortable and really helps to keep my anxiety in check. Knowing what to expect each day (to an extent) helps me to cope. Knowing that I have my routine to come home to after I push myself out of my comfort zone while traveling is reassuring.
2) I WANT to spend money on my house.
I admit it, I’m a homebody. My house is my happy place. My little gardens give me peace and joy. Building a little home with those I love makes me so happy. Perhaps it isn’t a priority to some people and seems like a waste of money, but investing money into our house and building our little paradise makes me happy.
3) Saying “no” to the nomad life has opened my heart to so much love.
My husband and I share our home with three dogs, a turtle and a hedgehog. My heart literally bursts on a daily basis because I love them so much. This is not something we could have if we were hopping around the world.
4) There’s certain sacrifices I’m not willing to make.
My husband and I live about 3 hours from the rest of our family. We already miss out on Sunday dinners and seeing our family as often as we would like, but are able to visit semi-regularly. As our family evolves and new additions are added (I’m an auntie now!!), I want to be nearby and able to visit. I don’t want to watch our family change through Facetime and emailed photos.
5) I already live in a pretty incredible place.
There’s a quote from Marley and Me that often comes to mind when I think about how lucky I am to live right by the Rocky Mountains. One of the main character’s bosses advises him to take a vacation for a couple of weeks and he asks where he should go before lamenting “I live in a vacation spot.” There’s a whole lot to see in the world, but what a shame it would be to take in the rest of the world and ignore the incredible outdoor playground I live by right now!
6) I KNOW all you digital nomad-ers are not relaxing on the beach sipping on pina coladas all day.
Your “vacation lifestyle” is funded by the work you do, and while you are able to do it no matter where you are, it means that you are unable to stop working while vacationing. One of the biggest perks of my job (the full time one, not the side businesses!) is that when I leave work, I’m done work. There is no work to take home. There are no deadlines to rush to meet no matter where I am. This allows me to enjoy and experience vacations to their fullest!
We all have different goals in life and different ideas of happiness. These goals and ideas change over time and who we are today may not be who we are a year from now or five years from now. So while I’m not knocking the life of a digital nomad, I am saying that it is not *the* lifestyle that everyone should be striving toward. Those who are happily building a little life and taking a couple vacations when they’re able to are not inferior to those who gallivant across the world and sleep in different beds each month. Being settled is not the end of someone’s life and doesn’t mean they’re wasting their days away. And if heaven forbid you work “the dreaded desk job” and come home to the ‘burbs at the end of the day, you are not a failure. Find joy where you are. Be who you want to be.
**gently puts soapbox away for another day**
The Scribbling Penguin 