How Does a Nomad Get a Vacation?

J0284032by Carmen Bolanos
June 4, 2009

OK, so this probably seems like an odd question. I mean, nomads are traveling the world all the time, seeing amazing sites that many people in the 9-5 world only dream about, right? Isn’t our whole life just one big vacation? It may appear so to the outside world. Some folks would have you believe that we’re only working 4 hours per week!

Real life for most real nomads is a bit different. True, we may work sporadically and many of us may not put in 40 hours in a given week. Also true that we may be doing so from some of the most beautiful places in the world. I’m not trying to say that the lifestyle isn’t enviable – it is.

However, to be able to support yourself enough to travel the world indefinitely means having a reliable source of income. That means being reliable ourselves. Many of us are entrepreneurs with clients or web sites to attend to, or perhaps audiences expecting to see us perform. We have to be good at what we do. We actually work! In fact, like many at-home entrepreneurs it can be easy to let work seep into personal life. When your laptop is strapped to your back or sitting next to you, how easy is it to turn it on just to get a few minutes work only to find 4 hours later that you’re still there just “tying up some loose ends”?.

That’s why it is all the more important for us nomads to have a strong sense of boundaries between work and personal time. There was a time in my life that I realized even though I had enjoyed amazing mobility and freedom I hadn’t actually had a week without working for 6 years straight! This isn’t healthy for anyone.

Be sure if you’re on the road for extended times to designate days, weeks or even months where you do not work. Plan ahead for it and make it happen. This means letting your clients know you are not available between certain dates, you do not answer your business line, you do not attend to business emails or check your web sites. If that’s not possible for the amount of time you need a break then designate the work to a partner or a virtual assistant. You have to give your mind a vacation as well as your body. So what if you’re sitting in front of the Taj Mahal while you make that business call – you’re still working!

In addition to the long breaks you will periodically need, be sure to give yourself a daily break schedule. Designate your work times and your personal times and keep to strict boundaries between the two. You’ll find that you get more done in the long run because your mind and body will be refreshed and ready to focus when work time comes. After all, you got into this lifestyle for a reason, right? And I don’t think it was to work.

  • Benny the Irish polyglot

    Hear hear!! I always make sure I get a “mini-retirement” even though I’m always travelling anyway. A week where I set auto-response on all emails, replace Skype forwarding with voicemail for calls and go somewhere with NO Internet connectivity. I try to have this week every 2-3 months. It’s shocking you’ve had 6 years without one!! Sign up for Burning Man or something, where it’s impossible to work :) If you are getting too much work, then increase your rates. That will reduce the number of clients and give you more time, while possibly giving you the same amount of money.
    I know what you mean though. Whenever I’m near this laptop I can’t relax…

  • Technomadia

    There seems to be a lot of misconceptions out there about the differences between vacation and a traveling nomadic lifestyle.. thank you for highlighting this angle. It’s a great reminder that even though we’re traveling, we are still working – and need to carve out time for non-work.
    Serendipitiously, we just finished up our a piece exploring the differences between vacation and a traveling lifestyle.
    http://www.technomadia.com/2009/06/its-not-an-extended-vacation/
    All our best!
    - Cherie

  • http://profile.typepad.com/doctorcoach Carmen

    Cherie, How strange that you recently blogged on a similar subject! I guess with summer upon us we’re all thinking about vacations! I’ll have to go read your blog now.

  • http://profile.typepad.com/doctorcoach Carmen

    Hi Benny,
    Thanks for the comment. Yes, I’m delighted to say that after 6 years of silly earnestness to build my coaching practice, I now have more sense and take vacations occasionally!

  • Carlos Ruiz

    Precisely. I’ve found that when I keep going back to the computer to tie-things-up, which is usually done at the spare of the moment, the quality is not nearly as good as when I take the proper amount of time to do the task. And that proper time, quality work time, goes hand-in-hand with how much real down-time away from the computer I’ve taken.
    I also have to remind myself not to feel guilty or anxious when I do take travel/sight-seeing days–which is often. But I quickly remind myself that, not only are my clients understanding of my non-traditional work/living schedule, but are usually oblivious to my being away (let’s say visiting Petra or on some snorkeling adventure), and generally don’t care as long as the project is completed within terms. In fact, they are usually quite supportive–wishing that they too could be living the nomadic life.

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