04/06/2026
💫 How I make the NoMaD LiFe work, spending 90% of the year abroad 🌎
I’ve been a for SIX YEARS, splitting my time between somewhere in the world and Mexico (where I have temporary residency). Here are answers to some of the questions I get most often:
🏠 GOING “HOME”
I put “home” in quotation marks because I don’t really have one. When I’m in the U.S., I stay with family in Kansas, which is also the address on my driver’s license. But I don’t have my own bedroom, bed, or space, and I didn’t grow up here. While I feel less displaced than elsewhere in the world, I wouldn’t say I feel at home either.
📦 WHERE’S MY STUFF? (AND MY DOG?)
I store a few bins of clothing at my mom’s house, along with my SUV. When I visit, I rotate clothing in and out, and reactivate my auto insurance.
My mom also takes care of my beloved Penny pup when I’m overseas. When I’m in Mexico, she comes with me because I drive from the U.S. (an adventure in itself)!
💰 INCOME
I fund this lifestyle through a combination of investments from selling my house in 2020 and income from my growing work-from-anywhere travel advisory business.
What I’ve discovered is that full-time travel often costs less than a traditional life in the U.S., and as long as my investments grow faster than I withdraw, the math works. Even without contributions, thanks to the magic of compounding, my net worth has grown roughly 40% over the last five years (I’ve written extensively about on my blog, juliedevivre.com).
🏥 HEALTH CARE
I have an ACA health plan in the U.S. and use travel insurance or pay out of pocket when I’m abroad.
❤️ DATING
My geography is flexible. If I come across the right person, I’m open to spending more time wherever he happens to live. Bonus points if he’s too. (Stories on my blog, of course!)
➡️ WHAT’S NEXT?
I’m heading back to Mexico this year, and one thing I’ve learned is that community > constant movement. These days, I’m prioritizing friendships and relationships, which may mean spending longer stretches in one place.
Nomadism is not a one-size-fits-all lifestyle. But like I always say: you can try it on for size 😊
Any questions? 💓