As I write this, my wife and youngest son are sitting in the living room outside my office in our current house in Costa Rica. They are watching the first day of the 2024 Olympics.
Yesterday, we tuned in to watch the opening ceremonies. I have to be honest, I was feeling pretty amazing as a dad. After spending the last three years traveling full-time, my kids cheered as many nations were introduced with shouts of, “I’ve been there!”
As the opening ceremonies unfolded throughout the city of Paris, we all reflected on our different times visiting Paris and enjoyed recalling fond memories.
It was pretty neat, and all possible because my wife and I decided to embrace a location-independent lifestyle and built a business that lets us do this.
While we anticipated that this lifestyle would have challenges, and we fully expected to have great experiences, we have actually discovered so much more.
1. We ENJOY Being Minimalist
We, and by that, I mean “I,” were a little apprehensive about living out of carry-on luggage. I was 46 when we started out, and I had become fond of my stuff, all the things that I thought made life comfortable. WOW, was I wrong. All of us are content with so little. While we have the ability to buy stuff, we have found we significantly prefer buying experiences, exploring new cultures, eating amazing food, and more.
2. Making Friends is Easier Than Our Experience Had Taught Us
Now that we move so frequently, our community constantly changes. So we are forced to either be closed off to people or be open to new friendships. I think that at a point when living in one place, you reach a state of “friend capacity.” So you just stop looking. And this, unfortunately, leads to missed opportunities to be challenged by new people. Our kids have also discovered that they don’t have to settle for friends. There are enough people in the world that you can find the best people who elevate you and allow you to elevate them.
3. Little Things Can Be Big Things in Disguise
Because we spend so much more time together and have to work together as a family to move so frequently, setting up new Airbnbs to live in, cleaning them up to leave, travel day challenges and stresses, saying goodbye to new friends, not seeing family back in our passport country, etc., little things that you might ignore in a stationary lifestyle can’t be ignored in this lifestyle.
So, while this lifestyle has its unique characteristics and challenges, we don’t regret doing this. The benefits far outweigh the costs.
The hard work to build and sustain a remote, location-independent business becomes even more rewarding when you embrace the freedom it brings with it.
Why wait for one day to come, when one day can simply be tomorrow?
gd2md-html: xyzzy Sat Jul 27 2024
