This Sunday has been officially dubbed by Technomadia as the “Day of the Nomad” at SXSW in Austin, Texas.

Here’s the schedule:

11a – SXSW Session: ‘Technomadism – Becoming a Technology Enabled Nomad‘ hosted by Cherie & Chris of Technomadia

12:30 – SXSW Session: ’How to Make Money While Traveling Around the World‘ hosted by Jason Boehle & Tynan

(Both sessions will be held at the Marriott Courtyard, Rio Grande B at 300 East 4th Street – 1 block west of the convention center)

2 – 4p Nomadic SXSW Meetup (SXSW Badge NOT required) At Casa Chapala (Cesar Chavez (1st street) and San Jacinto) Meet us for food and drinks whether you’re attending SXSW or not!  Please bring cash. No entry charge but we’re going dutch on what we munch.  Please RSVP if you’re showing up!

We really hope you’ll join us.  Looks like there’s going to be a great group of location independents in Austin. Come get to know each other and get inspired!

First, let me say that it brings me a lot of joy that Sarah Shourd, independent traveler,  has been released from prison in Iran.  Like most of us I hope her release will be soon followed by the release of her fellow backpackers (and now fiancee) Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer.

For those of you unfamiliar with the story, Sarah, Josh, and Shane, independent travelers were backpacking in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan in July of 2009 when they were arrested by Iranian officials and charged with crossing the border illegally into Iran for the purposes of spying.  They claim that if they did cross the border they were unaware of doing so and that they are unsure if they, in fact, did cross.  They have been held by Iran since then (1 year and 2 months) until Sarah’s release this weekend as a post-Ramadan goodwill gesture by president Ahmadinejad.  Sarah was chosen for release due to health concerns. Josh and Shane remain in custody and their release is uncertain.

What Does it Mean for Lifestyle Designers and Nomads?

Watching the story unfold has brought up a lot of questions for me as a writer here at NuNomad.  As a promoter of lifestyle design, breaking out of the cubicle and living the life of your dreams, I am all for having adventures and taking risks.  A lot of our readers are living non-conventional lifestyles and daring to do things many people only dream of.  It’s amazing.  In my ideal world we’d also live without borders and be free to choose our locations based on our values, needs and wants.  I wish that for every person and am always saddened when I hear from citizens of other nations who dream of nomadic lifestyles but where immigration laws or economics create hardships to keep them from leaving.

I imagine if you’re reading this, you might be the type, like me, who’d like to hike the Iraqi mountains.

Do We Have a Responsibility?

However, as people who have the ability to move about the world and seek adventure, what is our side of the responsibility for keeping ourselves safe and not creating scenarios in which others must come to our aid or in worse cases we become permanently dependent on others?

You might think, “Well, if I’m going to fall off a cliff in the Alps I could just as easily fall off a cliff in Colorado.” True.  And yet, I’m reminded of a friend whose traveling family member died in a motorcycle wreck in China.  Imagine learning that your loved one was dead in a foreign country.  In addition to the grief you would be experiencing, you would be trying to work through logistics of what was to be done with the body, whether you would fly across the world to see the body, try to transport it home, etc. etc.  It would be mind boggling.

When I was young I chose to do a semester abroad in Bogota, Colombia.  It seemed like a great idea as my extended family was Colombian and I would actually be living with my aunt.  The year was 1985.  Within four weeks I had been robbed five times.  My aunt’s apartment that had never been burglarized was broken into twice and she was knocked to the ground the second time when she came home to the intruder.  The Palace of Justice was bombed in retaliation for guerillas who had been killed and my family’s friends were all saying they would have a civil war.  When I called home to my mother in the U.S. she panicked and bought a last minute flight for me out of Colombia and back to college. All in all it was a traumatic and expensive experience for everyone involved.  Could we have prevented it?  Perhaps if we had followed the politics of the country more carefully we might have made other decisions.  But the exchange program was so reassuring that I went anyway.  Turns out that was the wrong decision.

Not all negative occurrences are preventable, but we do have some ability to predict if we are planning a grand adventure or a dumb-assed dangerous move. To be honest, half of my mind says, “Isn’t it horrible Sarah and her friends were jailed by Iran?” and the other half yells back, “Who the hell backpacks the Iraq-Iran border? Were they nuts?!”

What Do You Think?

So, I open this to conversation. What do you think?  Are there reasonable levels of risk when you design a nomadic lifestyle vs. unreasonable levels?  Should we be conservative and only do what we absolutely think is safe according to research and warnings?  Or should we fly in the face of danger, live life to the fullest and come what may?

I’m not really sure what I think. I’d love to hear from  you.

Photo by: basejumping

Photo by: Visualist Images

This year several location independent folks are getting together in Austin, Texas for South by Southwest.  I’m sure it’s going to be a great time for getting to know each other as well as enjoying the event.  For me, though, it’s an incredibly frustrating experience as we are currently living in Oaxaca, Mexico.  Even though I am an Austinite of nearly 20 years now, I can’t get back home to meet everyone.  I had originally offered for some people to stay in our home but now that’s not a possibility either since we have 6 renters who are helping offset our nomading.

Nevertheless, I really want to be able to share with you what my family loves about Austin.  Here is a list of our 17 favorite places to hang out, swim, dance, and eat.  If you have any time between your SXSWing, I encourage you to take advantage of all that Austin offers!

Have any more suggestions?  Please tell us below in the comments!

1. Barton Springs -the jewel of central Austin, Barton Springs is a “must experience”.  This is a natural spring that has been transformed into an enormous pool surrounded by trees.  Revered by the local native American tribes long ago, the allure of Barton Springs has been long recognized.  It is also home to the Barton Springs salamander, an endangered species and impetus behind the Save Our Springs protection effort.  You will find it in Zilker Park.  Bring your suit and about $3.00 to enter. Barton Springs
2. Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail – while in Zilker Park, ask any local where to access the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail.  Flanking both sides of Town Lake, the trail is a favorite of many Austinites for walking, running and biking.  Much of the trail is shaded and you will enjoy lovely views of the Austin skyline and lake wildlife.  I recommend beginning at Zilker Park, crossing the Lake at Lamar via the pedestrian bridge and then continuing back down the other side to cross again under Mopac (Route 1) and return to Zilker Park.  That’s about 3 miles.  If you’d like to do a longer loop continue past Lamar to Congress Ave. or if you’re on a bike, go further.  You will see mile markers along the way. Town Lake Trail
3. Capitol Building and Annex – Texans pride themselves that their capitol building is taller than the U.S. capitol in D.C.  This “sunset red” granite bohemoth is worth taking a look inside.  You can stand in the center of the main building and gaze up to the top but what I find really interesting is to visit the Annex.  When the Texas government outgrew it’s massive capitol there was a dilemma as to what to do.  No one wanted to obstruct the view of the original building so they decided to build down.  The Annex is completely underground, beneath the capitol gardens and yet enjoys natural light from above.  And, don’t worry, the Texas star was not forgotten when decorating the Annex! The Texas Capitol
4. Mt. Bonnell – to get a real sense of the layout and natural beauty of the city of Austin there is no better way than to climb Mt. Bonnell.  You can find it by following Mopac (Route 1) north to 35th St. exit.  At 35th continue west until the road ends at Mt. Bonnell Rd.  Go north on Mt. Bonnell until you reach the top and see cars parked along a hillside.  Park and take the stairs to the top.  The views are magnificent.  You will see the lakes, the skyline and U.T. all in one fell swoop.  You will also see some of the homes of the most wealthy in Austin lining Lake Austin.
5. Scenic Drive - if you like looking at homes of the rich and famous, get out your map and find Scenic Drive.  Running along Lake Austin between Mt. Bonnell and Lake Austin Blvd. you can take a drive and admire some magnificent homes complete with boat houses larger than my own home and drive up garages on the water for boats.
6. Whole Foods – Austin is the home of Whole Foods and their flagship store and headquarters is a site to behold.  At Lamar between 5th and 6th you can wander what seem to be miles and miles of organic, natural and gourmet food choices and eat at one of their numerous kiosks devoted to specialties such as raw foods, sushi, or Texas BBQ. Whole Foods Lamar
7. South Congress – if you’re attending SXSW you will likely go to South Congress for music at some point but take the opportunity to also stroll the eclectic stores along this road.  When taking my father who was a world traveler for 20 years he said he had never seen a store equal to Uncommon Objects for rare things outside of Istanbul.  Don’t miss Yard Dog (gallery of inspired art) and Lucy in Disguise (Austin’s costume mecca).  Whether you need a costume or not – go in! You have to look at it! South Congress Neighborhood
8. Sixth St. – again, as an attendee at SXSW you’ll probably be living on 6th St. but it has to be mentioned.  Sixth St. is the hub of Austin’s nightlife and music.  You can’t miss that. 6th St.
9. The Broken Spoke – So, you’ve been doing Austin for a few days, hearing music, and you think you’re pretty much a Texan now. Well, I hate to tell you, but you’re “all hat and no cattle” still.  However, you could get a whole lot further towards being a Texan by heading down South Lamar to the Broken Spoke to see what real Texans listen and dance to.  The Broken Spoke is an authentic Texas dance hall.  Venture passed the restaurant in front to find the museum of their history and the dance floor.  Learn to 2 Step and have a great time! The Broken Spoke
10. Krause Springs – Ok, now for those of you with access to transportation who’d like to see what’s outside of Austin, Krause Springs out 71W passed Spicewood TX, is my family’s favorite place to spend a day.  Take your swimsuit and a picnic lunch and go enjoy the beautiful, privately owned fresh water spring complete with natural grotto and waterfall. You’ll think you went to paradise!  This is about a 30 minute drive west of town. There is a modest entry fee and also camping facilities if you’re a camper. Krause Springs
11. Fredericksburg - Texas was a first home to many German immigrants which has resulted in a scattering of German towns throughout the state.  About 2 hours west of Austin you will find Fredericksburg, a fine example of one of these German towns.  Eat at a German restaurant, browse it’s many stores along it’s main road or sample beers at the Fredericksburg Brewery.  This is a great day trip to pair either with Enchanted Rock or the wine tour.  Fredericksburg
12. Enchanted Rock – About 20 minutes past Fredericksburg you will find Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. Enchanted Rock is a monolith of granite.  Hike to the top and get a 360 degree view of Texas hill country, or ask someone in the know and enter one of the unmarked caves.  Hike the base, go rock climbing, or if you’re a camper, spend the night and enjoy the rock by sunset.  Be sure to go as early as possible because the park is closed when it reaches it’s quota for the day.  Enchanted Rock
13. Wine Tour – Do you love wine?  Believe it or not, Texas is quickly developing as a wine producer.  You can spend the day tasting wine at the vineyards found between Austin and Fredericksburg along 290W.  Take a guided tour by bus (just google Fredericksburg Wine tours) or print out this map and find the way yourselves (just be sure to designate a driver!) Map of Hill Country Vineyards
14. Curra’s – Now for eating.  Located just east of South Congress on Oltorf, Curra’s is a great local place for Mexican.  I recommend the Cohinita Pibil and their hot chocolate.  The quality is great and the prices are moderate/low.  It’s also a little less known by the tourist world and so feels more authentic. Map to Curra’s
15. Guero’s – “guero’s” translates to “gringo’s” but this South Congress restaurant is an Austin favorite.  Come in and enjoy the eclectic Austin atmosphere, great food and convenience to your SXSW activities.  Guero’s was a stop for Bill Clinton on his Austin visit (you can see the photo in the back room).  You can also enjoy live music in their outdoor garden. Guero’s
16. P. Terry’s - Need a fast bite to eat?  Are you close to Zilker Park?  P. Terry’s on South Lamar at Barton Springs is a local healthy fast food alternative.  Burgers are made with organic beef.  French fries are fried in a healthy way (if that’s possible) and the lemonade and shakes are to die for!  This is a drive through but you can eat at picnic tables on the side as well. P. Terry’s
17. Salt Lick – No experience of Austin is complete without a trip out to the Salt Lick Barbeque.  You’ll need a car to get you out to Driftwood Texas (take Route 1 south to 290 w.  Just passed Oak Hill take a left on 1826.  Continue for 12 miles – about 30 minutes from downtown Austin).  The Salt Lick is a quintessential Texas Barbeque restaurant.  The barbeques are so huge you’ll watch workers swabbing the meat with mops.  This is in a dry county so bring your own beers.  I was somewhat embarrassed my first time to go into a restaurant carrying a cooler until I saw the people around me wheeling in their own kegs!  This isn’t a great place for vegetarians unless you can be happy with cole slaw, white bread and potato salad.  Be ready to be stuffed!  The Salt Lick (by the way, in recent times the Salt Lick has opened other locations in town.  Don’t bother with them – either go for the original or don’t go at all).

by Richard and Carmen

For many, the answer might be “Who cares? I’m living the life of Riley!” Good point. But the fact of the matter is that if you’re not doing good work you will most likely lose your client base or business, thus seriously jeopardizing your ability to traipse the world without frying your nest egg.  Plus, doing our best is often preferred over doing just enough—that is, when we’re really given the opportunity to do so. This claim is supported by business guru, Daniel Pink, author of The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.

What Motivates Us?

Pink touts that intrinsic motivators are clearly the primary root to high performance—that it’s not just the money. Very true. Some of the most sought after companies to work for, such as Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia, NetApp, Google, reward their employees with a more comfortable working environment, quality health and/or child care services, along with more time for creativity, rather than bloated paychecks. And isn’t that on par with what we nomads have opted for? Trading in predictable paychecks and automated ways of living for the ability to be the best we can be (personally, creatively, even professionally?)

So, what’s an intrinsic motivator?  As wikipedia desribes it:

“Intrinsic motivation comes from rewards inherent to a task or activity itself…”

Interestingly it goes on to describe educational research that has shown that students are more motivated when they:

attribute their educational results to internal factors that they can control (e.g. the amount of effort they put in),

believe they can be effective agents in reaching desired goals (i.e. the results are not determined by luck),

are interested in mastering a topic, rather than just rote-learning to achieve good grades.

Notice how these three characteristics point back to the student being in control of the process.  The student feels their achievement is a direct result of their own efforts.  Now, ask yourself how often you were able to feel this when working for someone else?

In the traditional workplace,  having the unbridled opportunity to do our best often times does not happen. Too many supervisors, confining job parameters and short-sighted performance targets often hold a person’s potential back. It is not the financial rewards, modern working environment or fancy equipment that makes us more clever, intuitive or creative. In fact, it is often those externally imposed structures that can keep us from accessing our intrinsic motivators.

Being the Master of your Destiny

If you have achieved a nomadic existence then you know what it is to rely on yourself and at times only yourself.  You have experienced the intrinsic rewards of making your way through the world by the seat of your own pants.  If you haven’t become nomadic yet, but you’re reading this blog, then most likely you are a person who understands the sense of accomplishment that can be experienced in an independent lifestyle and yearns to have more of it.

Being an independent worker or entrepreneur you are also perfectly poised to reap the rewards of intrinsic motivation from your own work.  What can you do to increase these rewards?  Here’s a list:

1) Ask yourself – of all the tasks you do to complete your work, which ones excite you the most? Why did you choose this work in the first place?  Get back to your original passion about your career or business.  Now – maximize the time you spend in those activities that bring out your passion.

2) Ask yourself – of all the tasks your do to complete your work, which ones do you dread? Likely, those are the tasks that do not use your inner strengths.  Make a list of these.  If possible, erase them from your scenario all together or delegate them to others (virtual assistants for instance) who might do them more efficiently and get them off your plate so you can be freed to do what you love.

3) Look at the tasks you love.  Which of those tasks gets the most return for the effort you put in? Do more of those tasks that really pay off.  Move others down the priority list.  There is no better way to feel in control of your outcome than by maximizing those activities that bring the biggest pay off.

4) Get to the next level. If you are supporting yourself by your skill, you are probably pretty good at what you do.  But what if you could be excellent?  What would it take to achieve a new level of excellence in your work?  Think about what skills, talents, etc. you might like to improve so that you could be one of the best in your field?  Remember, the students who mastered a topic for love of the topic felt more reward than those who just learned in order to make grades.

Nomad Your Way to New Levels of Motivation

As a nomad you will not only have greater control over how you work but you will also control when and where you work.  Use your freedom to send your motivation through the roof!  Here are some tips:

1. Self-discipline and strong work ethic. With freedom comes responsibility.  Yes, you could take off several days to climb that nearby mountain, and perhaps you will, but remember to keep in mind that the reason you can do so is because you take good care of your income source.  Use self discipline to make choices about your time.

2. Make the most of where you are to energize your creativity and motivation. Being in professions that require a lot of creativity, we find that inspiration is often born from down-time. (Say, cycling a mountain trail or sipping tea at an old world café.)  Choose places to nomad that are going to inspire you. If you like the outdoors, find natural beauty and visit it often.  Like the arts?  Nomad to a culturally rich area and be sure to see its offerings regularly.  These activities will feed your soul and allow you to pour your new abundance into your work as well.

3. Maximize nomad-friendly tools that are easy to travel with and get the job done. Leave the fax machine at home. Fed-Ex can track you down in some of the most remote places. Reference materials are most likely available in digital format and the shiny, modern, office interior can be replaced frequently with that of the environment you’ve recently chosen.  In other words, don’t burden yourself by trying to bring along the kitchen sink to your new hut.  Traveling light will make your nomading experience more joyful both physically and mentally.

When you’re doing your best work, people will naturally be drawn to you.  The results?

• You’ll love your life
• Your business will thrive
• Your nomadic lifestyle will be sustainable for as long as you choose

Photo by Personeelsnet