It’s time to make another big announcement…
Have you ever had an idea about something you’ve always wanted to do in your life, then suddenly the right set of circumstances align, and you realize that now is the time?
Well, that dawning moment came to us a few weeks ago, and I’m finally ready to share the news with you all.
We’re going FULL DIGITAL NOMAD!
What does that mean?
The Vision
Brian, Pumpkin (now 14 months), and I will be heading off for a cross-country exploration with no specific end date in sight. We’ll be spending the fall in the Catskills/Hudson Valley area of New York. This winter we’ll stay warm in Sedona, AZ, and the spring we’re planning to hang out in Davis, CA. After that, well, we’ll see!
We have talked for years about how important a location independent lifestyle is to us. Some of you might remember 2.5 years ago when we spent a whole month traveling around California and then Florida (partially to escape the New England winter). Now, we’ve decided that it’s time to go “full time” on our adventures to explore and live in many different places. For the moment, the plan is to remain in the United States, but as we get into the swing of things, who knows where our travels might lead us.
We chose these locations because in both the Catskills area of NY and Davis, CA we already have friends, but Sedona is someplace that we’ve visited before and always wanted to enjoy for longer. I imagine that we’ll go some places to spend time near people we love and other places just to discover beautiful areas that we haven’t seen (and meet new amazing people too!)
The Logistics
Currently, this new plan means that we are selling, donating, and storing EVERYTHING we own, which, as you can probably imagine, is quite the process!
Everyone keeps asking if we’re buying an RV – Nope. We’re not quite up for an RV lifestyle. We like real kitchens, bathrooms, furniture, and solid WiFi. However, we’re downsizing our daily lives into what will fit in our car, and the plan is to stay in furnished AirBnB rentals for roughly 3 months at a time and move around chasing beautiful weather and new places to explore. Yep, we’re all done with shoveling snow for the immediate future. I’ve lived in New England for over half my life now (wow, that’s literally true,) and I think we’ll enjoy a bit less winter and some more meals out on the patio in February ;).
However, in order to make this digital nomad launch possible here’s what’s been happening:
I spent most of July & early August figuring out where we could go/stay, and we got the necessary approvals for “Remote work” lined up from Brian’s managers at Hubspot.
August was all about selling and sorting out excess stuff that we didn’t want to keep/store. Yep, all that baby stuff that Pumpkin’s outgrown, and the extra gear (yoga stuff, excess clothes, beer brewing supplies, unused sports equipment, etc.) had to go.
Now September starts the serious packing, storing, and selling/donating process. What is important enough to keep in storage? What are essential items to bring with us? And then we’re selling off and donate EVERYTHING else before we leave the first week of October.
Then, there’s the digital logistics – We’re getting our digital files available and accessible. We’re going fully “paperless” with our bills and statements, so I’ve been getting those systems solidified on a WHOLE new level. We’re figuring out how to handle things like forwarding mail, voting absentee, health insurance, etc.
Yep, there’s a lot involved in this transition. But, in just a few weeks the bulk of the logistics work will be done, and we’ll be off!
What Happens Next
Many, many people in our lives have been encouraging me to blog about our travels. I’m certainly not going to start writing a whole new blog, and in many ways, since the name of the company is “Chosen Course,” it feels completely appropriate to give you all a glimpse into the evolution and exploration of my own course both through life and business.
Therefore, I might start sprinkling in a few posts where I pull back the curtain on our adventures: where we’ve been, what we’re up to, and what we’re learning. I hope those posts might inspire you to ask even bigger questions about the course of your life.
Maybe our story will help you realize that you’re ready for a REALLY big change in your every day too!
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So, wish us luck, and I’ll keep you posted about our digital nomad launch and further adventures very soon.
Hi Erin,
You are amazing…I’m sending warm blessings your way for an awesome adventure with Brian and Pumpkin! This is a dream come true…and something I have wanted to do for years…so I am very interested in how you are doing this.
I’m also realizing that we have an open loop on doing the interview regarding your book plus new stuff — I’m sorry we did not follow up quickly on this — but it’s not too late. As busy as you are, if you want to plug in a 30 minute interview with me, which posts on YouTube and all the Cable Networks, we can do this in person or via SKYPE. Just let me know.
Onward and Upward,
Lisa Wessan
PS – when I went to sign up for your special list for this trip, it asked me if I agreed to the Terms of Privacy, but there were no Terms to see or read. FYI, I would like to participate, but I’ll wait til that gets revised. Thanks!
Hey Lisa,
Great to hear from you! We can definitely find time for a quick Skype interview. Let’s email to get something scheduled :).
re: the terms are the full website terms (it’s the standard blah blah that now everyone has to sign off on because of the EU GDPR regs.) The links are at the bottom of every page on my website, but here they are just to make it very easy Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, and Disclaimer.
Glad to have you join for the adventure (even if it’s virtually!) ;).
Warmly,
Erin
It sounds awesome! Particularly the part about not shoveling snow. Enjoy your travels. And I look forward to hearing all about it.
Congratulations, Erin! I’m so excited for you, and look forward to hearing your stories about how you are able to “accomplish your work and enjoy your life!”
Blessings and safe travels!