Feeling Extraordinary as a Nomad
Nomad Profile
I met Joanne (Jo) eating breakfast by a swimming pool at a hostel in Oman. Although the yoga class I was to attend never happened (the teacher was a no-show), it was a blessing in disguise since I met Jo instead!
After a delightful conversation, we decided to rent a car to explore the local bilbao trees and beaches. Marveling at the camels blocking traffic, we became fast friends and are even planning to meet up next year for another adventure. Nomad life at its best!
9 Fun Facts
First Name: Joanne
Age Range: 50s
Nationality: British
Nomadic Stance: Part-time
Last Corporate Job: Company Director, Retail
Current Job: Airbnb host
Favorite Country: Namibia
Next Stop: Unknown - my trips are generally last-minute decisions
What do you like best about the nomadic life? Variety
2 Questions
1) You're new to the moniker "nomad," how do you feel about it?
I met Erin beside an empty hostel swimming pool in Oman, and discovered that I am a FIRE (Financially Independent, Retired Early) Nomad. I’m not entirely convinced I deserve such a glamorous title.
When I think of modern nomads, I imagine young adults working remotely from laptops around the world.
I’m in my fifties, divorced, a mother of two grown-up children who have long since left home. At forty-seven, I closed my business, paid off my mortgage, put a little money aside, and started renting out and sharing my house to help fund an early retirement and a life of travel.
My year follows a loose pattern. I’m usually overseas during the UK winter, spend spring somewhere in the UK or Europe, enjoy summer at my home in the Yorkshire Dales, then head off again in autumn before returning home for Christmas.
People often assume early retirement means a life of comfort and expensive holidays. My reality is different. Travelling for extended periods requires careful budgeting, flexibility, and compromise. Mostly, I choose simple accommodation, cook for myself when I can, and use public transport, and still make room for the occasional luxury.
For years, I thought that making myself intentionally homeless was simply my situation rather than a labelled lifestyle. I’m gradually accepting that the way I live is unusual. I’ve learned that a nomadic life can take many different forms and comes with no age restrictions.
I like the new moniker. It makes me feel special. So thank you, Erin, for making me feel extraordinary.
2) When traveling, you mix it up and regularly stay at hostels. Why do these types of group lodging appeal to you?
When I think back on my most memorable trips, it’s rarely the destination that stands out. It’s the people I met and the experiences we shared. Whether travelling with a partner, a group, or chatting with strangers, those connections stay with me.
Hostels encourage conversation. They’re perfect for swapping tips, sharing stories, finding travel companions, and sometimes changing the direction of a trip.
A recent example was in Oman. I arrived intending to travel by bus, but within 24 hours in a hostel I had agreed to share the cost of a 4x4 with three complete strangers. We spent an unforgettable week exploring together and became firm friends.
Had I not stayed in another hostel, I’d never have met Erin or found myself bouncing around in a rusty hire car with her, discussing travel opportunities.
I vary my accommodation to suit my needs. I free camp in a van to save costs, choose hotels for comfort and a swimming pool, stay in homestays for local experiences, and I occasionally retreat to a private room. Yet it’s usually time spent at a hostel that sparks the conversations and friendships that reshape my plans and lead to unexpected adventures.
I prefer to leave my trips, and much of life, unplanned. It leaves open the exciting possibility that tomorrow’s direction might change because of someone I meet today.
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Christened “Wander Woman” by National Geographic, Erin Michelson has traveled to 140 countries & all 7 continents. She is the host of the Nomad Life community, a self-defense coach, professional speaker, and author of the Nomad Life™ series of curated trips and travel guides, including the #1-ranked Explore the World with Nomads.
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Woohoo! Another FIRE Nomad here (on a budget)! Well, soon-to-be. I like how Jo talked about varying her accommodations. I haven't really thought about hostels as an option--but now I will!