Beatrice brought the dogs up to Arnold, CA for the last week in the cabin, gathering clothes and other keepsakes, as I did the same.
In the end, I ended up with a reasonable pile constituting every material thing I own, except for the car that hauls it away, until I sell that too, within the next month.
The photo up top is Bea and I after signing away the home we’ve owned for 16 years. Time to go. I’m very happy about it. We both left just before noon yesterday after giving the new owner a comprehensive walk through. Good people, and we’re glad someone else has the potential to enjoy it as much as we did.
They’ll be putting it back on the vacation rental market after the holidays and Beatrice is already talking about renting it for Bay Area family reunions in the future.
I only had a 2-hour drive over to Placerville, CA, just in time for the family and friend Christmas Party.
My mom’s typical holiday party spread.
Chips and onion dip, salmon loaf, spinach dip, shrimp, pickled herring, chicken wings, open face sandwiches German style (lunch meats, liverwurst, Limburger cheese, tomatoes, red onion…on French or pumpernickel), cream cheese & chive spread, smoked oysters, bacon wrapped lil’ smokies, and a cheese plate.
Most of this stuff was on offer since I was a kid. 55 years and it never gets old.
This morning, I set up my office for the next month.
Then I got busy on planning.
First leg of the Nomad-for-life journey is booked. San Francisco to Chiang Mai, Thailand, via a 1-stop layover in Kunming, China on Jan 14-15.
$344, 1-way. Unbelievable. It’s almost “free.”
Then, I’m attending the https://www.nomadsummit.com Jan 17-21. Early bird cost $179.
Also got a hotel near the venue. http://www.maninarakorn.com. Whereas, staying at the Shangri-La where the event will be held is $121 per night, got a deep discount via Agoda, $125 total for 5 nights, great reviews, pool, spa, Wi-Fi and breakfast included.
That’s the name of the game, now. Frugality and deal shopping.
I plan on hanging in Chiang Mai for 30-60 days. Any budget lodging recommendations (decent WiFi is essential) from those familiar are appreciated.
From there, I plan to head to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos for another couple of months, then it’s off to Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean for 4-6 months (Kiev, Krakow, Hungary, Bulgaria, etc; then perhaps Cypress and other islands).
I’ll be taking the Free The Animal brand to a focus on nomadic living, with lots of photos and detailed descriptions. I’ll also be documenting all living and travel expenses down to the penny, plus income via all the online channels I already have and the additional ones I’ll be creating.
It’s location independent income generation and never trading time for dollars. You’re making money 24/7 globally, while you tour, go on adventures, and sleep. I’m going to show everyone how easy and enjoyable this style of living really is. My eight years of living abroad in Asia and Europe, along with travels to many countries will come in handy.
Accordingly, you can expect this blog to be highly energized with regular postings in the weeks and months to come.
Chiang Mai province has excellent internet pretty much wherever you go. There’s a wide variety of accommodations available that it’s hard to recommend anything. I like to get a hotel room for a couple of days and explore and check out what’s available.
I’ve been thinking of doing something like this myself when it comes time to retire. I’ve already learned some things from your blog over the years and I look forward to learning from your experiences with your latest initiative. Thank you and good luck!
You both look very nice, Richard. You, much better than with the hair very long.
Glad you and Bea remain on good terms. No one needs to carry a bitter divorce around.
After my ex’s second divorce, she realized that I wasn’t such a bad guy. We’ve gotten along great since then, about 1990. As two of our three daughters, she, and I all live within a thirty minute drive or less of each other, this is good. We see each other often.
Her third husband, older, is getting frail. I help her and him. I’ll probably officiate his memorial service. Life, what a trip.
Family. It’s what matters.
Dogs would probably be one of the toughest parts of shifting to that lifestyle for me.
a) re-homing the ones I have now and
b) not having them on my journeys
May you have rewarding travels Richard.