Vagabond, Gypsy or travel junky?

Today, I have a question…

Am I becoming a vagabond… or maybe a gypsy?

A travel junky looking for a fix or attention online?

Either way, my fortune teller keeps reminding me…

Nobody is looking through her crystal ball, so I might as well have some fun!

I’m not talking about living under a bridge with a shopping cart.

I’m talking about the philosophy of long-term travel.

Travel slowly.
Live simply.
Own less.
Experience more.

And most importantly…

Own more of my time instead of more junk.

For most of my adult life, I thought I was preparing for retirement.

Then retirement showed up earlier than expected and I thought…

Now what?

Maybe I wasn’t just preparing for retirement.

Maybe I was preparing for freedom.

So let me ask you…

If you didn’t have to work tomorrow, what would you actually do?

Travel?
Spend more time with family?
Move somewhere cheaper?
Try something you’ve always wanted to do?

Or would you occasionally wake up like I do and think…

What the hell am I supposed to do today?

I get bored easily. I’m still figuring this out.

But I know one thing…

I love sharing stories.

Even if nobody is paying attention, it’s basically free therapy!

When I was laid off at fifty-two, I suddenly had something I’d spent decades wanting…

Time.

I’d saved and invested, bought and sold properties, made mistakes, and gradually simplified my life.

That doesn’t make me smarter than anyone.

Trust me…

I’ve got receipts for the mistakes.

My situation is also different.

I’m single. I never had children. My financial responsibilities aren’t the same as everyone else’s.

That’s why I’m not interested in comparing numbers.

I’m more interested in comparing possibilities.

What could you change to create a little more freedom?

Retire earlier?
Take a three-month trip?
Work remotely?
Downsize?

Or maybe just own less stuff?

I learned that one the expensive way.

At one point I owned multiple properties, several vehicles, a boat, a side-by-side and enough other crap to keep me constantly paying for something.

Insurance.
Registration.
Maintenance.
Repairs.

Eventually I asked myself…

Do I own this stuff… or does this stuff own me?

Travel changed my perspective.

These days, I don’t need to check twenty attractions off a list.

I prefer staying long enough to live somewhat normally.

Find an apartment.
A grocery store.
A gym.
A coffee shop.
Walk the neighborhood.
Talk to people.

Basically…

Live normally somewhere unfamiliar.

That’s also where geoarbitrage became interesting.

If my money lasts longer somewhere else, my retirement calculation changes.

A dollar doesn’t care where I spend it…

But it buys very different amounts of freedom depending on where I am.

Vietnam taught me that.
The Philippines taught me that.
Mexico taught me that years ago.

But I’ve also learned something important…

Cheaper doesn’t automatically mean better.

I still want comfort.
Good internet.
Air conditioning.

And apparently…

A decent coffee shop within walking distance.

So maybe I’m not a true vagabond.

A real vagabond might say…

“I’ll figure it out when I get there.”

My version is…

“I’ll figure it out when I get there… with a spreadsheet, emergency fund, travel insurance and three backup plans.”

And I’m okay with that.

I’ve met travelers who are far more comfortable with uncertainty than I am.

I’ve learned from them.

And maybe that’s the bigger lesson…

Freedom doesn’t have to look the same for everyone.

You don’t have to sell everything.
You don’t have to move to Southeast Asia.
You don’t have to retire at fifty-five.
And you definitely don’t have to become a vagabond.

But there’s one question I’ve started asking myself…

How much of my life did I spend preparing to live someday?

And when does someday finally arrive?

My retirement experiment isn’t really about never working again.

It’s about deciding what I want to do with the time I’ve created.

Maybe that’s Arizona.
Maybe Mexico.
Maybe Southeast Asia.
Maybe somewhere I haven’t discovered yet.

Maybe I’ll change my mind completely.

That’s part of the experiment.

I spent decades accumulating money and possessions.

Now I’m trying something different…

I’m accumulating experiences.

So…

Am I becoming a vagabond?

Maybe.

Or maybe I’m just a bum living his best travel life…

With travel insurance, a retirement account…

and, of course, a spreadsheet.

Thanks for listening to the NorthAmericanDarrell Podcast.

Until the next episode…

Live life to the fullest!