HEY — It’s me, and it’s been a while 😮💨
I’ve been fucking busyyyyyyyyyyyyy. And I know that’s the excuse of the century, but seriously. Since the last time we spoke, I’ve lived in five states, traveled to seven cities, built my website, created a beta coaching program, started coaching clients, enrolled in a business coaching program—all on top of working my full-time consulting job 😅
I’m incredibly happy with the progress I’ve made, but I’m not happy with how little time I’ve had to write. I’ve missed sitting down to just brain-dump, so I’m stoked that I’m finally back in a time zone that gives me space to do just that.
Yes, I am back in my favorite place on Earth: Cape Town, South Africa. And this time, I’m here for a hot minute, with no plans of getting on a plane anytime soon 😳
Which is what I want to talk about today—what I’m referring to as my “Nomad Sabbatical.”
When I left Cape Town six months ago, I was gearing up for a hectic stateside summer. Before this year, I hadn’t spent a summer in the States since, like…2021? This was actually my longest stint in the US since I started my digital nomad journey back in 2022. Six months of traveling from Colorado to Hawaii to California to Louisiana to New York brought me back to how the beginning of my nomad journey felt, except instead of it being exciting and chaotic, it was exhausting and chaotic. Don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of fun this summer. From dancing at Red Rocks Amphitheater to partying on the North Shore of Hawaii to going to a Brooklyn warehouse rave, there was plenty of fun and games this summer, trust me.
But when you’re constantly on the move, you never feel settled. And when you never feel settled, you never really relax. Which brings me back to why I’m so excited to be back in Cape Town. This place makes me feel like the best version of myself and allows me to live my best life. While my intention when I started traveling wasn’t to find a new home, I did—here in Cape Town. And when you find a place that makes you feel like you’re home when you’re home-less, that’s a special thing that’s hard to give up.
I’ve been on the move for two years though—staying in one place for over six months feels like a foreign concept to me now. I want to settle down, but I’ve forgotten how. The idea of signing a lease feels like I’m signing away my freedom. The idea of buying actual items (like a mug or a plant) feels like a waste of space. The idea of dating people with the intent of seeing where it goes because I have no plans of jetting off feels…terrifying.
There’s also this identity crisis that comes with putting away your passport. Who am I if I’m not always in a different place whenever someone asks me, “So, where in the world is Joie?” Am I giving up my nomad title for good? Or am I just putting it in a storage unit?
But when I bring it back to why I’m aching for a more permanent home, I’m reminded of why I’m even doing this. Every time I pick up my life, I’m saying goodbye to people I don’t want to leave. I’m quitting a routine I don’t want to let go of. I’m forcing myself to be adaptive again, dysregulating my nervous system and self-inducing a cortisol spike.
I have to ask myself: Why do I feel the need to keep living the nomad life? Is it because it still brings me joy and fulfillment? Or is it out of comfort, convenience, and the fact that I don’t know any other way of being at this point?
Getting comfortable with the discomfort of having nowhere to go, letting myself connect with someone without the safety net of an escape, and building my own space because it’s mine to build is one of the wildest journeys I’ve started in a long time.
Am I ready? I really don’t know—but I guess we’ll find out.