My Nomadic Story

How I Came to a Nomadic Lifestyle

Many years ago I was a psychotherapist in private practice in Austin, Texas. I also had 2 young children and was expecting a third. While I loved my office and view of the live oak trees out my window, it was located across town from my home and my children’s school. My newly budding practice brought in only enough income to pay the office rent, my licensing expenses and some pocket change which in all honesty was probably cancelled out by the car payment, insurance and gas to get to the office and maintenance of a professional wardrobe.

Around that time, my great aunt who is a therapist on the east coast called to tell me about a man who was teaching therapists how to do “coaching” via telephone. The training was also phone based. I quickly grabbed onto this concept as it allowed me to continue the type of work I loved (being a facilitator of positive change in the lives of others) while getting rid of the overhead expenses and allowing me to be at home and closer to my children.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that if I could work via phone from home, I could work via phone from across town or from across the country. Suddenly the world was my oyster. Short road trips while maintaining client calls became cross country trips lasting weeks and then eventually international trips and nomadic living.

I am eternally grateful for that first call from my great aunt! Through making the choice to develop this lifestyle I have been able to see parts of the world that would not otherwise have been possible. More importantly, our children have been able to experience other cultures and have been enriched through all they have seen. We have now visited 29 American states including Alaska, the western Carribean, Costa Rica, France, and Holland.

We are currently living on the beautiful island of Florianopolis, Brazil, where our three daughters are attending school and learning to surf among penguins! I love bringing my experience to others through my coaching relationships and our nomadic web community, NuNomad.

Owning Your Life and Your Business

People who know me personally know that I am married, have three daughters (2 teens and one 9), that I coach and that while not poor, I’m also not wealthy. That’s why when I take off to see the world for months at a time with our children people are often bewildered at how we pull it off.

How Are You Spending Months Traveling?

I get this question all the time.

The answer is – spending months traveling is not so much a question of money as it is a question of lifestyle choice and planning. Yes, of course, there is money involved but others are often surprised to find that by traveling in a nomadic way and developing a profession that travels with you, life abroad can be affordable and at times even cheaper than staying home.

How Do You Make Money while You’re Away?

Again, with proper planning and determination there are a lot of ways to bring in income while you’re abroad. In the years I have been interviewing nomads around the world for my NuNomad Blog I have met a wide variety of entrepreneurs and freelancers who are sustaining themselves while they see the far corners of the globe. The possibilities are endless and only limited by your own creativity.

Another thing I hear:

Yeah, but I Have a Business/Job that I Can’t Leave.

I hate this comment. It brings up two things for me. First – of course there are jobs and businesses out there that you really have to do in person (ie, ambulance worker, daycare worker). I won’t argue that point. However, if you really long to do something different perhaps you are in the wrong profession or you are running a business that doesn’t reflect your innermost passions. Do you want a lifestyle change badly enough that you’d make the leap to do something completely different? Secondly, many of the jobs/businesses out there that we assume need our bodily presence can actually be transformed into mobile work (ie teaching, radiology, insurance sales). Believe me, there are people doing these professions via technology while they enjoy the view from their Tuscan apartments. If you really want something in your life it’s up to you and only you to make it happen.

How I Can Help

I am passionate about working with individuals who are determined to make a lifestyle and/or business change. As a credentialed coach through and ICF accredited program with 11 years of experience as well as a Ph.D in Clinical Psychology I have spent nearly 2 decades helping others to change their lives and businesses for the better.

If what you’re looking for is a nomadic lifestyle I am equipped not only with years of experience in nomadic travel (with children even!) but also with a wealth of information as the co-founder of NuNomad Ventures where I have been writing on issues of location independence since 2006.

I would be happy to have a complimentary call with you – answer your questions and see if we’re a good match! Please get in touch at anytime. I am currently in Florianopolis Brazil which is one hour later than the east coast of the U.S.

You can contact me 3 ways: