Interesting - I also feel this much stronger than my husband. I wonder if it's some sort of nesting-female thing?
The Airbnb is a solid idea. The rules here in Vancouver would be too strict for us to make this work, plus we'd lose our cash flow. Are the rules pretty relaxed where you are?
Not sure if it's a female thing or a personality thing to be honest.
She wants a base for many reasons: having our stuff in 1 place (rather than under the bed in my childhood bedroom or in her parents' basement), having a place to go back to when we go back to Europe or when emergencies happen (at the moment we have to stay with people no choice), not having to carry "all her clothes" and being able to swap wardrobe once in a while, being able to buy souvenirs, once in a while being in a room she decorated and sleeping in a bed she likes, etc.
She wants both as well.
I'm worried that if we have a home we will travel less, because as humans, we tend to settle quickly in our cocoons.
About the Airbnb, we don't know where we will buy yet (looking at Spain at the moment), but as we are flexible, we will pick a place we know we can Airbnb, as at the moment we can't afford to have a place empty for 6 months while we travel.
I resonate with ALL those things she is saying haha. I have this feeling that when money is abundant, we can easily choose to travel for as long or as little as we'd like and not feel like we have to worry at all about having an empty home for 6 months. It's why I feel so laser focused on solving that problem next.
Our goal is to get to a point where we could buy a place cash- so no mortgage to worry about... just a few hundreds a month of fix costs (whether we live there or not) so this way we don't have the pressure of Airbnb it... but it would be a bonus.
Totally hear you on the not having to worry about costs while you're away. Becoming a nomad has freed up all the chatter for me about this.
Flynn and I have always looked at it like this - it's so much easier to earn more income than cut costs! We would love to get to the point where we have both and the cost doesn't bother us at all :)
We finally bought a homebase after being without one for awhile. In some ways we love having it. However, without meaning to, we started to travel less, just like you worried about!
I think it’s sort of inevitable, and it will take a real conscious effort not to get “trapped” into a sedantary normal life again. Our brains will always look for comfort, and everything around us is designed and set to feed this need. Traveling and moving around is not normal for our brains. We are very quick to settle down once we like our environment.
We have evolved much faster than our brains did… we live in a world so foreign to what our brains can deal with that it takes a lot to fight our natural instincts.
Hey Ravi! Curious question - how do you feel now that you have your home base and see that you travel less? Are you at peace or do you have the itch to travel more?
Definitely have the itch to travel more. Or last two years we were about 3 months out and 9 months in Canada. But our plan is more like 6 & 6. Like Jeremie said home gets comfortable real fast. But next year we will make more plans. Many things worth doing take effort. Like going on a big hike, or trying to figure out how to get the right train in a different language, they take us out of our comfort zone but they are part of the adventure. I guess it is finding the right balance of comfort and adventure. And it is different for different people. And probably different at different times of our lives.
On a side note, there is also plenty of adventures here in BC for our months here. We spent so many years abroad, that we are also really enjoying rediscovering the great outdoors.
6 and 6 is a pretty sweet balance. We did 3 months in 2024 and 2025 will be 7 months by the time we are back in December.
I was just telling my mom that one of the best parts of travel is the challenge that comes with all the problem solving. You really get to see who you are and learn.
And yes! BC is so beautiful - we want to make it out to Nelson at some point and head back to the island again. We did a month in Qualicum last September. It was beautiful, but got rain and cold quick after mid month haha
As usual, I relate to this so so so much. We’re just maybe a little ahead of you on the desire for a home base curve :) But then I catch myself wishing we were off sailing full-time again… that darn grass just looks so green!
Maybe you should buy a boat and officially join the crazy crew ;) Then your home base comes with you!
Aw thank you so much. This one article seemed to strike a chord with many people - the longing for a home base is strong it seems :) That darn grass DOES look so green haha.
Ok I don't think I could live on a boat simply due to the fact that I get wildly seasick on any boat - from kayak to whale watching charter boat.
Have any hacks for that? We're going to Bali and there are definitely boats in my future hahaha
Honestly, I applaud the people that can make this work! We had a small Airbnb for two months not long ago and I felt we were tripping over each other haha. Our kids are 3&5 right now, maybe it's something we'll try when they're older and can sit still.
My wife and I spent many years working and traveling overseas. We would often make a trip to Canada at least once a year. We love Vancouver and the great outdoors in the summer but the biggest problem was always where to stay, with parents, family, friends, camping, Airbnb. First few days were always great visiting, but extended stays with others were tiring. For a couple of years, we did some pet sitting, which was fun and gave us some space. We have a homebase here now, which is nice.
Yes, I completely feel that. Pet sitting is such a good idea, but so few places are family friendly with a 2 & 5 year old. Maybe when they are older! Where did you end up setting up homebase? Any favorite countries you would recommend from all your travels?
I am struggling with this question right now… I just returned home after six months on the road in my van for some of the reasons you described (guilt about aging parents, health stuff, budget, and wanting to spend some time with my husband who still lives in the house we own and has a job). A part of me would love to sell the house, have the money, and be on the road together, but I worry about many of the same factors that you are struggling with. As much as I get bored being home, it’s nice to have a place to land and store all my stuff. Thanks for sharing your thoughts from the other side!
Thanks for the comment, Liz :) Yeah, it's a constant battle of wants and thoughts and feelings. I don't know if there is ever a permanent right answer, but a right answer for now. I haven't looked back on the decision to sell our home, but I waiver on the home base option alot haha. So you just returned from six months on the road - what's next for you?
We will see… I needed to be home for some family stuff, and my husband and I are trying to make a final decision about whether to keep pursuing having a family of our own or remain childless (I’ve written quite a bit about that journey)… depending on the answer, I may be back on the road again soon!
This is where my wife is at.
She is craving a home base so all our stuff is somewhere, she can decorate, use her own things etc.
I don’t care about all this, but it’s important for her so we’ll probably pull the trigger in 1 or 2 years I guess.
But we are thinking about buying more than renting so we can Airbnb it when we travel for example.
Interesting - I also feel this much stronger than my husband. I wonder if it's some sort of nesting-female thing?
The Airbnb is a solid idea. The rules here in Vancouver would be too strict for us to make this work, plus we'd lose our cash flow. Are the rules pretty relaxed where you are?
I want to have both! A home and travel.
Not sure if it's a female thing or a personality thing to be honest.
She wants a base for many reasons: having our stuff in 1 place (rather than under the bed in my childhood bedroom or in her parents' basement), having a place to go back to when we go back to Europe or when emergencies happen (at the moment we have to stay with people no choice), not having to carry "all her clothes" and being able to swap wardrobe once in a while, being able to buy souvenirs, once in a while being in a room she decorated and sleeping in a bed she likes, etc.
She wants both as well.
I'm worried that if we have a home we will travel less, because as humans, we tend to settle quickly in our cocoons.
About the Airbnb, we don't know where we will buy yet (looking at Spain at the moment), but as we are flexible, we will pick a place we know we can Airbnb, as at the moment we can't afford to have a place empty for 6 months while we travel.
I resonate with ALL those things she is saying haha. I have this feeling that when money is abundant, we can easily choose to travel for as long or as little as we'd like and not feel like we have to worry at all about having an empty home for 6 months. It's why I feel so laser focused on solving that problem next.
100%.
Our goal is to get to a point where we could buy a place cash- so no mortgage to worry about... just a few hundreds a month of fix costs (whether we live there or not) so this way we don't have the pressure of Airbnb it... but it would be a bonus.
Totally hear you on the not having to worry about costs while you're away. Becoming a nomad has freed up all the chatter for me about this.
Flynn and I have always looked at it like this - it's so much easier to earn more income than cut costs! We would love to get to the point where we have both and the cost doesn't bother us at all :)
That’s true.
I also love the freedom to be able to do anything.
The most you own, the more attachments and anchors you create which can hold you back to do certain things.
We finally bought a homebase after being without one for awhile. In some ways we love having it. However, without meaning to, we started to travel less, just like you worried about!
I think it’s sort of inevitable, and it will take a real conscious effort not to get “trapped” into a sedantary normal life again. Our brains will always look for comfort, and everything around us is designed and set to feed this need. Traveling and moving around is not normal for our brains. We are very quick to settle down once we like our environment.
Cool perspective- our brains aren't designed to travel and move around like this!
We have evolved much faster than our brains did… we live in a world so foreign to what our brains can deal with that it takes a lot to fight our natural instincts.
Hey Ravi! Curious question - how do you feel now that you have your home base and see that you travel less? Are you at peace or do you have the itch to travel more?
Definitely have the itch to travel more. Or last two years we were about 3 months out and 9 months in Canada. But our plan is more like 6 & 6. Like Jeremie said home gets comfortable real fast. But next year we will make more plans. Many things worth doing take effort. Like going on a big hike, or trying to figure out how to get the right train in a different language, they take us out of our comfort zone but they are part of the adventure. I guess it is finding the right balance of comfort and adventure. And it is different for different people. And probably different at different times of our lives.
On a side note, there is also plenty of adventures here in BC for our months here. We spent so many years abroad, that we are also really enjoying rediscovering the great outdoors.
6 and 6 is a pretty sweet balance. We did 3 months in 2024 and 2025 will be 7 months by the time we are back in December.
I was just telling my mom that one of the best parts of travel is the challenge that comes with all the problem solving. You really get to see who you are and learn.
And yes! BC is so beautiful - we want to make it out to Nelson at some point and head back to the island again. We did a month in Qualicum last September. It was beautiful, but got rain and cold quick after mid month haha
As usual, I relate to this so so so much. We’re just maybe a little ahead of you on the desire for a home base curve :) But then I catch myself wishing we were off sailing full-time again… that darn grass just looks so green!
Maybe you should buy a boat and officially join the crazy crew ;) Then your home base comes with you!
Aw thank you so much. This one article seemed to strike a chord with many people - the longing for a home base is strong it seems :) That darn grass DOES look so green haha.
Ok I don't think I could live on a boat simply due to the fact that I get wildly seasick on any boat - from kayak to whale watching charter boat.
Have any hacks for that? We're going to Bali and there are definitely boats in my future hahaha
Get a van or RV!
Honestly, I applaud the people that can make this work! We had a small Airbnb for two months not long ago and I felt we were tripping over each other haha. Our kids are 3&5 right now, maybe it's something we'll try when they're older and can sit still.
That makes sense! I know it’s been done, but I’m sure there are plenty of challenges.
Oh it has! I have a friend with three kids who made it work for a couple years! But yes, definitely comes with a unique set of challenges :)
I struggle with this daily, thank you for sharing!
Hey Jenny! This seems to be a common sentiment from comments I've received on this piece. How are you managing it right now? Home base? Travel? Both?
My wife and I spent many years working and traveling overseas. We would often make a trip to Canada at least once a year. We love Vancouver and the great outdoors in the summer but the biggest problem was always where to stay, with parents, family, friends, camping, Airbnb. First few days were always great visiting, but extended stays with others were tiring. For a couple of years, we did some pet sitting, which was fun and gave us some space. We have a homebase here now, which is nice.
Yes, I completely feel that. Pet sitting is such a good idea, but so few places are family friendly with a 2 & 5 year old. Maybe when they are older! Where did you end up setting up homebase? Any favorite countries you would recommend from all your travels?
We're in Richmond, BC, down near Steveston Village.
Favorite countries are hard to pick. Maybe Japan, the Andean countries and I always have a soft spot for Thailand if you can get away the crowds.
Oh no way!? Pretty close to us - we bounce around the tri-cities alot.
I had to google what the Andean countries were! Columbia is on our list. And Thailand is a contender for our next winter trip 😍
Which cities would you say are "away from the crowds"?
I am struggling with this question right now… I just returned home after six months on the road in my van for some of the reasons you described (guilt about aging parents, health stuff, budget, and wanting to spend some time with my husband who still lives in the house we own and has a job). A part of me would love to sell the house, have the money, and be on the road together, but I worry about many of the same factors that you are struggling with. As much as I get bored being home, it’s nice to have a place to land and store all my stuff. Thanks for sharing your thoughts from the other side!
Thanks for the comment, Liz :) Yeah, it's a constant battle of wants and thoughts and feelings. I don't know if there is ever a permanent right answer, but a right answer for now. I haven't looked back on the decision to sell our home, but I waiver on the home base option alot haha. So you just returned from six months on the road - what's next for you?
We will see… I needed to be home for some family stuff, and my husband and I are trying to make a final decision about whether to keep pursuing having a family of our own or remain childless (I’ve written quite a bit about that journey)… depending on the answer, I may be back on the road again soon!
Ah, yes I can imagine that decision will influence your path forward. I wish you all the success in whichever path you choose :)
Thank you, Tanessa!
You’re welcome!