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Writer's pictureBarbara Palmer

Nomad, Not Vacation.

Updated: Sep 6, 2023


Nomad, Not Vacation. I’ve had people ask how my vacation is going and I want to clarify that I am Open for Business! In fact, since starting my nomad adventure, I have been busy coaching clients, onboarding expectant and new parents to the Your 4th Trimester program, kicking off cohorts of Next Level Leaders, and conducting workshops. I was featured on US News & World Report and BioSpace, was featured in a podcast of Everyday Masters, recorded a television interview for America Trends, and was certified as a Fair Play Method facilitator.

It has me thinking, though, what is the difference between vacation and working from anywhere?

The obvious difference is work, but that indicates more than the actual labor. Work means structure, certain hours that I am on the clock and available, deliverables, time for thought and planning, accountability. Vacation (hopefully) is the opposite – you control your time and activities; any planning is for your own enjoyment.

The length of time I am settling into each location is also a key difference. I wish I had the means to take months-long vacations (actually, not sure that is for me), however on this adventure, ‘life’ still needs to be tended to: laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, dishes. That is where being on the road is different from being in my own home. Finding the best local bakery, exploring local farmers’ markets, talking to the drycleaner, finding the post office – this is where I have been out of my comfort zone. Each of these outings has a tinge of excitement as to what I will discover and also challenges this introvert that presents as an extrovert, to talk to strangers.

If you want to see your world through fresh eyes, here are a few considerations without taking the extreme measures of moving around:

  • Try the new restaurant or the one you have driven by a million times but never stopped in.

  • Visit a state or national park that you haven’t before.

  • Drive 1 hour in a new direction and see where you end up.

  • Go to water and put your toes in (lake, river, ocean or creek). See what lives in that water and on the shore.

  • Shop in a new market, neighborhood or a different community’s farmers’ market

  • Ask to share a table with someone sitting alone and strike up a conversation.

  • Be a tourist in your own city. [How many New Yorkers have never actually been to the Statue of Liberty?]

As I settle into my third new location, I hope to find the integration of work and life that allows me to thrive in both. I’ll continue to share my lessons from the road as I learn them.

Follow along on Instagram @topbroad

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