This is my home right now. The women’s dorm at the Central YMCA in Honolulu. I’ve been living here almost two weeks. (Before this, I was staying in one of the lovely Westin hotels in Waikiki for a conference I was invited to speak at.)
I can be in Hawaii for three weeks because I have nothing holding me back from doing so. I have no apartment, no mortgage, no “stuff” waiting for me to “take care of” when I “get back.”
In living with less, I am also experimenting with impermanence.
Technically, I do not live anywhere, which means that I can live anywhere.
On Tuesday, I had a lovely lunch with a woman I met at the conference I spoke at. We had the best sushi I’ve ever had in my life. I tried inari for the first time. Tasty stuff!
She asked me what I was doing in Hawaii for so long.
“Living,” I told her.
That was the short answer.
The long answer is that I want to be able to live in different places without a lease for a while. Right now, I do not have a permanent address and I don’t want one. (My mail gets sent to my mom’s house.)
After this, I’ll be in Florida and then back to the DC area for my birthday on New Year’s Eve. After that . . . who knows?
I saw a place in Baltimore on Airbnb that I may rent for a few months. It’s in a really cute neighborhood. Then, perhaps I’ll continue on to Charlottesville for a month or so. It’s so lovely there in the spring. I visit there every March for the Virginia Festival of the Book, anyway.
Then, maybe the stars will align to bring me to Portland for the summer. Portland just seems like a neat place. With lots of food trucks.
All of this is in pencil.
My sister freaks out whenever I tell her I’m going somewhere new. She likes stability for herself and wants the same thing for the people around her.
I’m the total opposite. I like change. And even though it scares me a bit – the adventure of not knowing what’s going to happen next. It’s why I got rid of most of my stuff.
So that I can go anywhere. (Or maybe so that I won’t have the excuse not to.)
Besides, what I am learning is that home is wherever I am.
happyblackwoman
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I sometimes wonder if those of us who start online businesses will eventually become digital nomads. When Tim Ferriss published “The Four Hour Work Week”, I couldn’t fully wrap my brain around it. But I knew I wanted to do it. I’m glad that more and more people are embracing minimalism and the desire to see the world on their own terms. One day soon we’ll have to have coffee, a drink or dinner in a foreign country when I can join you in this lifestyle
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“Nothing is permanent unless you want it to be.” That is so true. I’m so happy for you that you are taking this time in your life to be free and travel and follow your heart. I know I haven’t commented in awhile but I read every post!!
Hugs,
GG
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You are so right, home is where ever you are. I’m so happy that you’re living the dream! It’s great to have the ability to just pick up and go. And with technology these days, everything can be paid online (cell phone bill).
Keep on doing what you’re doing!
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I’m glad that you have been blessed with this wonderful oppurtunity Rosetta! Many times, we dream of the things that you are lving and never take that first step to get there. Being a woman from the “hood” myself, I can honestly say that reading about your journey brings me so much hope. That’s something we all need in this world, hope. Wishing you safe travels!
P.S. Still saving my pennies
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This is why I love social media – through blogging, etc. we can all encourage each other! Honestly, I wish I had done this sooner. It can be a much cheaper, more fulfilling way to live. Just need to make some changes to enable whatever lifestyle you desire.
SO VERY TRUE!!!!!….The next time you’re in HI you can stay @my place for FREE!!!!.. …I’m in full support of positive sisters live a life of their dreams!!!!…..I’m on my journey as well!!!…Mahalo for your blog!!!!
Thank you for the invite! That is so sweet of you. Happy to have some sisters in Hawaii who are reading
As I read this post, I found myself humming the classic tune “Any Place I Lay My Hat is Home…”. Your posts are inspiring a new generation of nomads! Keep up the good work!
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“Living” … love it!
I did a lot of nomadic moving from place to place in my 20s, lived all over, different apartments, parts of town, cities, states, whatever. It was great … but eventually I got tired. Even then, I sometime miss the unfettered freeness of it all. Have fun living hun!
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I’m loving being a nomad right now. The best thing, though is that I know I can go back to my old life if and when I want to. It’s all an experiment, I say. Nothing is permanent unless you want it to be.