This is my once-a-month roundup of what’s happening in our lives.
We’ve Split Up
Traveling together for 5 years full-time, we’ve been together 365/24/7. Although we love each other dearly, it was time for a break. While Steve and I have both solo traveled many times, and we’ve certainly been apart often during our married life, we haven’t intentionally parted for an entire month. We were ready.
For the month of March, we’re split up. We’ve each got a budget ($2500), our own timeline (meet up in Amsterdam on April 1), and our responsibilities (we’ll each do two solo vidoes for our youtube channel.) Other than that, though, we’re on our own.
So what are we up to? Steve’s off to Spain to practice some Spanish, take care of a Giant Schnauzer, and perhaps walk some of the Camino. His first two weeks are solid, but the last two he’s playing it by ear.
Me (Chris)? Well, the first thing I’ve learned is that Jersey on the Channel Islands is NOT in the UK. How did I discover this? When my global plan on my esim for my phone didn’t work. One hour with tech support had us scratching our heads. Then I googled, “Is Jersey part of the UK?”
“No, Jersey is not part of the United Kingdom. It is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, similar to Guernsey and the Isle of Man, and is not represented in the UK Parliament. While not part of the UK, Jersey is part of the British Islands and relies on the UK for defense and international representation.” (ref)
Let me tell ya. I was thrilled! Why? Because I got to fill in another country in my Countries Been app and true up my total countries visited to 89!
I’ve been spending my days writing my latest book (it’s fiction!!!!), walking, cooking, and soaking up the unexpected gorgeously sunny days exploring the 2-mile wide tide zone. It’s a tide pool lover’s dream escape. I can’t get enough.
Getting Ready to Launch?
For those of you in the pre-launch phase of your Nomad Life, you’ll be so happy to hear I’ve released my Nomad Life Launch Kit. It’s chuck full of timelines and check lists to get you through your ToDos for launching into full-time travel. When should you sell your car? Get rid of your heirlooms? Digitize your photos? I’ve organized all of these ToDo’s by chunks, starting with 2 years out before launch all the way to the day you leave. It even includes a 1-year itinerary in perfect weather.
Need More Help than a Checklist?
But if you need more help, need a bit of motivation, have doubts, or just don’t know where to start, you’ll want to grab the new second edition of Two Carry-Ons and a Plan. Considered “the bible” of all Nomad Life Launch stuff, this #1 best-seller is now available in print, audio, and ebook. It’s everything you need to know to start your Nomad Life with a little love story thrown in. Get your copy today.
What I’m Reading
My friend who I was going to visit in Newcastle, UK, recommended this book before I arrived. During our visit, we’d be going to her book club at the local library. Eager to read a memoir and also meet a book club, I jumped in. Little did I know when I looked at the title, I ended up loving the story.
Book Review: What happens when you read through old family journals and find a person who has never been mentioned within the family? You head back to the old country to find him. In this fascinating treasure hunt, Belim returns to Ukraine and confronts its history as played out in her family’s politics and secrets. I adored this book and loved how her relationships across generations tell stories all of us have heard within our families. A must read for people curious about Ukraine/Russian history. Get your copy here.
What are you up to this month? Share your questions, and we might include them in our next newsletter or youtube episode!
P.S. We’ll be doing several youtube episodes about this married, solo life we’re both having. Be sure to catch them at here.
My need for travel and my husband’s interest in travel do not align so we’ve decided that I will travel solo. I’m leaving for two months; we’ll see how it goes. I think I will love it.
We’re giving this a try in April - Levon is heading to Florida for some paragliding and I’m headed to South Carolina for time with my sister and nieces before we reconnect in Miami and then board a repositioning cruise to Europe. We’ve had smaller bits of time apart over our almost 30 years together, but mainly for taking care of family members or for work. This will be the first time we do it for fun. It feels like a healthy experiment. Looking forward to hearing more from your and Steve’s experience!