The 20th decade: It’s the decade in which you traditionally begin to make your way in the world and your life. For some, marriage comes in this decade; news jobs are found, and the prospect of settling down begins to fall into place.
Yet, does all it seem too soon to engage in such life-transforming actions? It’s as if a false sense of security presents itself as too good to be true.
We find it common to see our peers proceed forward by settling down right after college as if everything has fallen into place all too soon.
Some return to their hometowns, while others linger in the college towns they called home for four years. Still, though, we often fail to see there’s an entire world around us worthy of exploration.
It was in my mid-20s when I decided a change in my life’s direction needed to occur. Years out of college, I saw that going in the same direction and in the same place only had my life in second gear. I knew the prospects of settling were there, but I knew it wasn’t what was right for me.
So, I looked at my options and decided to chart the course for new horizons.
I became a nomad in my mid-20s, and it was then I realized what I wanted, and along the way, I found a new home. I worked with various employers crafting my skills while gaining new ones.
Living as nomad isn’t a feat to be taken lightly, but lessons are learned from such a journey. I've listed the top lessons learned along the way, which I’m certain fellow nomads could benefit from.
1. Gain excitement by embracing the unknown.
You’ll find it impossible to tell just where your journey will begin, but the fact you’ll be embarking on an uncharted course will display unfounded courage within yourself.
It’s a rush unlike any other that will pave the way for a new life transformation adventure.
You won’t know what will come from the journey, but the mystery will provide you with the confidence of new adventure. Once you begin, the rest will fall into place as you travel to new destinations.
2. You never know who you’ll run into next.
You will meet the most interesting people living as a nomad in your 20s. Some will pass into your life for reasons you may never know. They’ll teach you life lessons, and you may return the favor along the way.
People are not alike all over, which only leads to the beauty of the social interactions you will have along the way. Some you’ll come to see as family, some may be antagonists, but through it all, they all have their own distinct purposes.
3. Failure will serve you well.
Despite the adventure that comes from being a nomad, bad days will come, and with them, there will be failure. You’ll get knocked down only to see that getting back up will make you stronger.
It’ll show you what doesn’t work and where you need to think differently in order to make things work the next time around. You’ll feel stronger for it in a way that makes you more immune to the future challenges that will come.
4. Street smarts will trump book smarts.
A nomadic lifestyle requires outside-of-the-box thinking. The places you’ll live and work will all be drastically different from the rest.
Adapting to new places and situations will pave the way to new skills, making you wiser and leading to future success down the road.
5. Wherever you land, you don’t have to return home.
The longer you travel and the more places you see and live, the memories of your past life in your hometown will only dissipate.
Sure, it’ll always be there, but the prospects of returning there to settle down after your nomadic travels will only defeat the purpose of the journey.
Your mind and way of thinking will be completely different from when you started your journey as a nomad.
Eventually, through perseverance and hard work, you will find a place that materializes into the final stop of your journey. It’ll trump whatever your hometown ever had while serving as a final destination.
Life is as limited as sand in an hourglass, so make the most of it. Travel as a nomad as you look for your purpose and place in the world before it gets harder to do so. It’s a mysterious journey that will unfold the more you travel and work in new places.
You’ll grow through your experiences, failures, adventures and travels. By looking at the whole adventure in retrospect, it will be the best thing you ever did.
