✈️ Today is the day!

Well, more like "yesterday was the day" 😅 I'm writing this on October 28th. By the time you get it, I'm (hopefully) already in Madrid and not still frantically making my way to my AirBnB or desperately trying to ignore the proverbial screaming infant on the plane. Turtle and I been kicking off this journey by spending time with my folks in the Philly burbs. It's sort of the perfect way to spend my last days in the US.

I've spent a lot of my remaining time seeing friends and reflecting on aspects of my existing life that I'm leaving behind. It's a bit cliché to say, but in so many ways planning a nomadic lifestyle is less difficult than saying good-bye to people I love!

What this trip is

If you're coming to this newsletter totally cold, here is the TL;DR:

• Needed a big change in my life
• Began to seriously consider doing so by becoming a "digital nomad"
• Asked my (amazing) company if this would be something I could do (they were v cool and v on-board)
• Planned the trip over 5 months

I spent my remaining time in Philly creating a bajillion spreadsheets (please ask me about my spreadsheet) and booked stays in two countries for my first 3 months: Spain and Belgium.

For now, I'll be doing "slow nomadic" trips in AirBnB's, ideally staying in each location for a month or more. Right now, this adventure doesn't have an end date, but I'm thinking about doing it for a year or two.

Why even though

On some level, this is something I've always wanted to do. I haven't fallen out of love with Philadelphia – I've just always dreamed of traveling the world before I "settled down" and have felt envious of people who have the guts to take a leap of faith and make a huge move.

So, come my 28th birthday, I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret: I hadn't yet fulfilled my dream of a life on the road. I decided then that it was time to get serious about it.

Why, with 100% more Turtle

This is probably the most puzzling part of the journey for most people. Which is: SO FAIR. Admittedly, it's been far from a cheap, low-stress way to travel and has added a significant amount of pressure and difficulty to planning. Despite my best efforts, at some point a month or so ago I had to accept the possibility that it may be impossible to travel with him.

There are two main reasons why doing this at all was worthwhile to me: his personality and what I hoped to get out of this indefinite trip. I'll talk about the latter. Being a digital nomad – to me – is not about being the ultimate tourist. Retaining an authentic, sustainable lifestyle while traveling is a key part. To that end, Turtle has been my companion for years: I didn't feel I could seriously leave him behind and not feel like I'm just on a vacation. Worse, I worried that it would necessitate a clear end to these travels.

So that's it! Now it's time to settle in to my first location and get back on the Duolingo wagon.

✌️ Thanks for reading!

I'm thrilled that you've decided to sign up for this. I've never been much of a blogger, but hope to send updates a couple of times a month. And don't worry – future newsletters will actually include fun travel stuff.

I'd love to hear from you if you're reading, so definitely feel free to say hello! And definitely wish us luck.

<3 Alex and Turtle