Today, we tend to be more mobile than just about ever before in history.
Between services like Sydney Ute Van Hire allowing us to quickly and easily transfer our belongings between different locations, and the ease of things like remote working, it’s common for many people to not live in a single location for more than a couple of years at a stretch.
Recently, there has been a big movement to take this even further, with increasing numbers of people looking for a more or less permanently nomadic lifestyle.
If you’ve been thinking about living on the road, here are a few questions that you should probably ask yourself before taking the plunge.
Are you really after fewer attachments, or just more meaningful ones?
One of the big things that motivates a lot of people to want to take up a nomadic lifestyle, is the idea of disconnecting from unfulfilling obligations and attachments of various sorts.
Just like with the minimalism movement more generally, becoming a Digital Nomad or joining the “van life” movement allows you to have fewer attachments, and to potentially be more dynamic and mobile in how you greet each day.
But is what you want really fewer attachments, or are you just after more meaningful ones?
As human beings, we all have certain drives towards connecting with others and having meaningful relationships with the world around us, as well as with other individuals.
It might be that what you really want is a more meaningful job, a house that feels more like home, and a more tight knit friend group – and hitting the open road might not be the best way to achieve those things.
Are you open to the uncertainty of the experience, or are you just chasing after someone else’s highlight reel?
One of the great things about taking up a nomadic lifestyle is that it allows you to experience unfolding mystery and novelty on a regular basis.
You never necessarily know where you’re going to be next month, or what you’re going to encounter on the road. Instead, you are constantly in motion.
But is that actually what you’re after, and what you are open to experiencing? Uncertainty, sometimes bad, sometimes good, sometimes mundane?
Sometimes, people are really chasing social media highlight reels when they take to the open road. But a nomadic lifestyle doesn’t just mean sunny days by the beach, all year round.
What’s most meaningful to you in life, and will living on the road help to connect you more to those things?
Everyone wants to live a meaningful life, and we all have different values and priorities that help us to experience a deeper sense of connection to the more meaningful aspects of our own existences.
The question is, will living on the road help you to live a more meaningful life, and to connect more with the things you do find meaningful?
Will it help to enrich your relationships with your loved ones? To explore your creative passions and interests?
The answer may be yes, or it may be no. But it’s worth considering, in any case.