Grecia, Costa Rica
Being a digital nomad for 13 years broadened my perspective.
Circling the globe non-stop provided me with experiences contrarian to the judgment of the world.
Travelers typically do extensive research before taking a trip. My wife and I do some due diligence before hitting the road.
But not doing highly thorough if not exhaustive research blessed me with a sweet aspect of circling the globe.
Being pleasantly surprised by the unexpected feels fun.
Not knowing feels enjoyable most of the time.
Uncovering hidden gems thrills the globe trotter.
For example, my wife and I did modest research on our current location of Grecia. Most articles focus on town. We sit 15 minutes northeast of town in the mountains.
Few if any articles cover this neighborhood of San Isidro de Grecia. I love this.
Why?
Surprises wait for me around every turn. Rarely do surprises become unpleasant. Most surprises feel fun to explore.
I had no idea that we’d spend hours daily hiking dozens of off-road trails among the coffee plantations. Kind expat locals introduced us to the seeming secret spots. Generous finca (farm) owners graciously allow passage. No travel blogger published content discussing these trails because virtually none know about ’em, except me.
I share this not to expose a secret but to uncover this sugary aspect of not doing thorough due diligence. Enjoying the unexpected is a core reason why we explore…..isn’t it?
Do you want everything to flow exactly how you expect it? Why? Do you want travel to be simple book-keeping? Do you want to know everything then experience exactly what you know based on doing heavy due diligence?
Is that fun?
Is that freeing?
Or is it a wee bit boring, bland and lifeless to experience exactly what you expected?
Newsflash; unexpected surprises – both pleasant and unpleasant – meet everyone who walks planet earth. Digital nomads and part-time travelers alike understand this truth.
But pleasant discovers far outweigh the rough slaps upside the side for consistent globe trotters.
I Have Not Stopped Traveling Since 2011
Most travel bloggers return home to a job or business.
I have not stopped traveling since 2011.
Returning home every few months or perhaps yearly proves to be a different experience than being a full-time digital nomad.
Digital nomads do not return to the cocoon of full comfort or the frame of consistent familiarity often. Since 2011 I decided to not say:
“I cannot wait to get home.”
I own a backpack, carry-on, Chromebook, phone and clothes for 1 week. Choosing to dissolve attachments to:
- a house or apartment
- special relationships
- a job
- familiar surroundings
- familiar routines
- familiar customs
did not prove easy at times.
But conquering many fears attaching me to the world unearthed this concept in my mind:
Being present without egoic expectations morphs life into a fascinating, interesting, fun and progressively peaceful journey.
Rarely, unexpected surprises seem unpleasant because the ego would not have it any other way.
Most of the time, releasing heavy research and expectations makes for a really fun, fascinating, pleasant experience based on trusting your intuitive guidance NOW versus attempting to plan every step of the journey BEFORE the trip.
Not researching extensively removes the information, steps and expectations.
At that point, you can just be explore and make discoveries.
Does that sound fun?
I think it does.
But it sounds scary to most minds because the masses typically attempt to control versus going with the intuitive flow.
Light Research Plays a Part in Circling the Globe
Research does play a part in our digital nomad lifestyle.
Consider doing at least basic due diligence to avoid unnecessary resistance.
For example, I contemplated visiting a beautiful national part not 5 kilometers from the house.
But doing a wee bit of research revealed:
- 4 WD is about the only way to traverse the steep, gravel road; most Uber drivers would not take this perilous journey
- admission is credit card or debit card only; I never would have assumed a government agency in Costa Rica refuses to take cash
Imagine if I spent a long time trying to get an Uber driver, then the 4WD journey only resulted in me being denied admission because I did not bring a credit card?
Hardly a tragedy, for sure, and of course I could have appreciated that unplanned adventure, but doing due diligence for 5 minutes could have saved me some time and headaches.
However, researching mightily will never eliminate all seeming headaches and time-wasting because you cannot know it all.
You Cannot Know it All
World travelers sometimes try to know it all by researching locations heavily.
Inevitably, they miss some information because no travel blogger knows it all. Google does not know it all. Lonely Planet does not know it all.
My wife and I have done extensive research and asked highly experienced, fellow world travelers for their experiences concerning specific locations and still experience the unexpected because when one travels this far outside of their comfort zone it is simply built into the script.
For example, we did heavy research on extending our visa in Nizwa, Oman and I consulted fellow travelers.
Turns out, at the police station (that in and of itself is an irregular place to extend your visa), we were quite surprised at this highly unexpected fact: payment could only be made via debit card.
We had a debit card on us to make payment. But this completely out of pattern experience once again proved: you cannot know everything.
Do Some Research But Enjoy Adventures
Genuine travelers go on adventures.
Adventures reveal the unexpected from time to time.
Experiencing the unexpected is typically fun, fascinating and freeing.
I circled the globe for 13 years to go on a 13 year adventure. I had spent my prior 36 years living in New Jersey doing what one expects to do, largely. Work a job. Pay rent. Relax on the weekends. Book keeping. Life seemed like a formality for me; not an unexpected adventure.
Beware attempting to take that “formality” mindset with you as a globe trotter.
Conducting exhaustive research is one fine example. Many research so thoroughly to “prevent bad stuff from happening” when it may just lead to a robotic experience and NOT a thrilling, fascinating adventure.
By the way….the “bad stuff happening” is your conscious and unconscious fear acting out for you, to see the contents of your mind, since only one mind exists in reality.
With that being said, learn to trust the intuition to guide you a little more to enjoy a fun, freeing, fascinating adventure.
Do your basic research to cover visa requirements, travel plans and simpl worldly, practical, day-to-day stuff at the travel destination.
But…..slowly train your mind to get lost. I mean that literally and figuratively.
I will never forget wandering around Prague with no fixed plan or expectations for up to 6 hours on some days.
The memorable fun was in not doing research but wandering and enjoying the unexpected.
In real time, this unexpected surprise alighted in a tree in the backyard in Costa Rica today right after I wrote that Prague sentence:
Keel billed toucan, Grecia, Costa Rica
A keel billed toucan showed up.
Unexpected experiences.
Fascinating adventures.
At its core, this is why we travel.
What you did not plan and expect will bring you the greatest peace, the biggest thrills and the most immense joy.
