Life Updates and 2023 Plans
The Adventure isn’t ending yet!
Happy New Year!
Let’s start off 2023 with a quick lil’ recap of the end of 2022, and then progress into some general reflections as we head into our 16th month of travel.
Last I Substack’ed we were in Tunisia seeing all things Star Wars. Since then we spent almost two months in Spain (more on that in the next newsletter), returning to the US for Christmas. As of today, it has been exactly 15 months since we started our travels in October 2021 and—drumroll—I’m thrilled to report that we’re not quite done yet!
(I made a slideshow Instagram reel if you want a very quick overview of the whole trip!)
So here’s the deal. Tragically/luckily/necessarily, Chris and I now both have jobs.1 We will be working remotely/doing the digital nomad thing for at least a couple months and then eventually moving back to DC for reals for reals; my job will require some in-person time so we can’t be nomads forever. Also, TBH I would like full access to my clothing and other stuff at some point!
When life phases end, you want there to be a transition period with lots of time for reflection and closure on that experience before moving on to the next. However, I’ve never found this to be the case. Things end in a whirlwind of logistics and flurry of activity — moves start with labeling schemes end in the chaos of tossing last odds and ends into plastic bags; jobs come to a close with a final email, a mostly comprehensive list of passwords for the next person, and panicking that all those desk drawer shoes and scarves aren’t going to fit into your bag.
Even though we are kinda sorta winding down, overlapping adventures and work for a while, ultimately I expect our travels will be no different. We’ll wake up one morning in a beautiful/exotic/foreign locale and the next in my in-law’s guest room in Virginia, exactly where we were in September 2021, like it was all a wild dusty delicious fever dream. On April 6 we’ll say, hey a year ago we were at Pamukkale, on July 31 we’ll say hey a year ago we were at Komodo National Park. That part will probably go on forever.
I don’t think these 15 months have fundamentally changed my outlook; more that long-term travel brought my life more into alignment with my actual values. Work should positively contribute to the world, but at the same time it’s a means to an end, an exchange of services for money. Not everything can be a priority all the time; and actually ideally only one should be (i.e., 2022 was all about prioritizing travel, 2023 is going to be about marathons, 2024 tbd!). The world is wonderful and terrible, often both at the same time. If you don’t like something, change it. Family and friends are the most important. Money is for spending. There is no time better than Right Now to do the things you’ve always wanted to do.2
I am very happy to have the luxury of continuing to travel—albeit at a slower pace—while readjusting to work. Our current plans start with a quick trip Oregon, skiing in Austria, then heading to warmer Europe: Mallorca, Tenerife, and Portugal are all options. Our considerations for location selection are time zone (Chris has to work on US East Coast time), price (duh), weather, and running routes/safety. That last one is because we are training for Grandma’s Marathon in Minnesota in June. (Do we ever stop?! No!!)
As always, thank you for reading and following along! The newsletters will continue as long as our travel does, and I promise that when I end it you will know (everyone hates a story that just kinda trails off).
What am I reading?
Just finished: River of the Gods (Candice Miller)
Currently reading: Mrs Queen Takes the Train (William Kuhn)
Up next: Shadow Baby (Alison McGhee)
If anyone considering taking time off is worried about a “resume gap,” let me just say that I interviewed for four positions, got offers from three of them, and not a single one commented on or asked what I’d been doing for the last year. Honestly I don’t know if they didn’t notice or just didn’t care.
Making big changes happen is HARD, and everyone faces a totally unique combination of obstacles. If you’re considering doing something like this and want to chat, I’m happy to help!