What and Where Next?
I’m on the move again. After one year of staying in one country and one city (yet many different apartments!); I’ve got itchy travel feet again. I’ve packed up my meager possessions in two suitcases, gave back my motorbike key, said my goodbyes, bought a one way ticket, and the wheels left the ground last Saturday in Vietnam.
I’m back to being nomadic; back to having no plan.
I called World Nomads Travel Insurance to find out how to change my country of residence since I was moving from Vietnam and I needed new travel insurance for my upcoming adventures.
They asked me, “What’s your home residence?”
Big pause by me….
“Um, I don’t really have one. I was living in Vietnam but I’m moving now and will be traveling to Nepal and Sri Lanka, then to the US for a few months. My residence is my two suitcases.” I said
“Will you live in the US?” the agent asked.
“No, not really, I’m visiting family and friends and haven’t decided where to go next. I don’t really have a home. In fact, I’m exactly what your name says – a world nomad.” I replied feeling a bit smug.
Basically this was a road block; the conversation ended as they told me I’d have to open a new account with a new email and home residence of the US and then I could purchase their insurance. A bit strange considering their insurance is for ‘world nomads’, and you can’t even edit your home country without creating a whole new account under a new identity! I ended the call by telling them their system wasn’t very ‘world nomadic’ of them! Their response…”sorry.”
This is the problem with being truly nomadic – you don’t belong anywhere and computer programs don’t even know how to handle you let alone people!
My brother-in-law asked me the other day, “Sherry, what exactly are you going to do with your life in the long term?”
“I don’t know, I don’t have any plan beyond these next few travel stops.” I replied.
This response visibly baffled him. It just doesn’t compute. Instead, it makes people nervous, and seeing their reaction makes me nervous! Should I be worried about my future?
Regardless, I intend on continuing this lifestyle a bit longer and see where it leads me. Yes, it goes against the norm; but as you know – I like that.
My itinerary for the next few months:
Oct. 10 – Oct. 16: Singapore (see family, meet up with my Dad)
Oct. 17 – Nov. 12: Nepal (going hiking with my Dad in Nepal. Doing the Annapurna circuit for 21 days!)
Nov. 13 – Nov. 18: Sri Lanka (staying in Galle at a villa on the beach – yeah – relaxation + a tan!)
Nov. 19 – Dec. 14th: Set foot back on US soil – NYC
Dec. 15 – Dec. 29: Midwest – South Dakota
Dec. 20 – Jan. 16: San Francisco
Jan. 17 to ?: Back to South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota – after that – who knows what country is next!
I know when I return to the US I will be bombarded with one question, “What’s your plan?” So – I guess my plan is to make a plan in Feb. As for right now I’m not going to worry about it and instead enjoy the feeling of being free, without a plan!
I plan to make a plan pretty soon. Any advice in going about planning that plan?
Plans are highly overrated.
Your World Nomads conversation is really strange. I would figure they have discussions like that all the time.
You’re doing something right when someone is baffled by what you do. That means you’re doing what YOU want to do. Your plans or lack of them should be understandable to one person: yourself.
No more Vietnam, no more motorbike diaries???
@Will – plan the plan wisely…:)
@Brian – I always baffle people – I must be doing lots of things right! Thanks for the kind words!
@Ba – I gave the keys up – the motorbike is no longer mine…so sad! It was actually the hardest thing I had to leave behind! I will still write occasionally about Vietnam, but hopefully you’ll enjoy some new stories about Nepal and my other future travels. Regardless – I still have some good upcoming Vietnam posts in the works – so stay tuned!
Hey Sherry, I’m looking forward to seeing you in December and/or January. I promise not to ask “what next”! Have fun. Be safe. XO Kim
Hello stranger – been along time since I last saw you for a drink in Singapore back in 2007. Now your thinking, who’s that… Well just thought it was high time to say it is good to hear that your adventures have continued and I’m a little jealous ;( I’ve done the opposite after my year and settled down, marrying my very cute vietnamese girl, Trinh. Whom you might recall I met in Auckland before the Magic Bus trip in the South Island – them were the days – Franz Josef still has something of mine!!
The Annarpunna is superb – hats off to your Dad he’ll love it. Still working on the misses to see if I can get her on a long walk in Nepal, fingers crossed.
Good luck and God bless,
Graeme
Hi Sherry,
We’re looking to fix this at the moment, so you can change country of residence, once your policy has expired. We’re just setting the rules around it. Apologies for the inconvenience.
Kind regards
Christopher Noble
General Manager – WorldNomads.com
@Chris – thanks so much for the response. I appreciate you looking into the issue. I was able to resolve by creating a new account, which isn’t ideal at all, but it worked for now and I”m covered. However it’s nice to know that you are listening to your customers! As a world traveler now for 3 years – insurance is extremely important to me!
Sherry
@Graeme – how are you! Wow – such fond memories of spending Halloween with you 3 years ago (at the beginning of my journey) in New Zealand! Congrats on your nuptuals! If you ever go to Vietnam, let me know. I’m no longer there, but have a lot of good travel advice and friends there yet! Super to hear from you -pls keep in touch!
Great plan, Sherry! I can’t wait for your nomadic adventures to continue, and to read your stories!
Hey Sherry, so what is in the Midwest, are you from Minnesota?
I have been out of the country for two years and I never have purchased any insurance. I realize many people say the—what if—but in my life whatever happens in the moment then I will just deal with it. However, I do understand that for many people insurance is important.
Great update, thanks
Good Lord! Don’t make a plan. Just be open to what the Universe puts in your path, like you’ve been doing for a while now. It’s certainly worked so far! Have a wonderful time with your Dad and I’ll be in Chicago from mid-Dec. thru the beginning of Jan. Maybe we can get together!!!!!
Hi there! I stumbled upon your blog and just wanted to let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I”m looking forward to reading some of your past posts on India and a few other destinations on our list as well. Thanks for blogging!
@Shawn – I’m from Peoria, IL – but I lived in Nebraska and Minnesota as well. Also lived in San Francisco and New York City – but I’m a midwesterner by heart. My family is now in South Dakota – so I fly through Minneapolis to see them when I’m in the country!
Luckily I haven’t had to use the insurance – but at 39 years old and traveling to developing countries – I feel like I still need to get it…for me better safe than sorry! Thanks for reading!
I’ve been temporarily ‘homeless’ a couple of times and I find it’s best to – and it’s hard to write this as I”m such an honest person otherwise – but you gotta lie. Use your parent’s or friend’s address and pretend it’s yours.
I only lasted 4 years in corporate life, made too much money in IT sales, so could afford a year off to travel. I ended up living in Europe for 9 years before returning to Canada. Am about to return to my big city hometown after 30 year detour, the last 8 on a 100 acre farm. Should be interesting.
I spent 3 months this year on a Southern USA road trip with my dog and truly got the travel bug again. I’ll be back in Florida for Feb. to escape those Canadian winters.
Don’t ever accept it when anyone says you’re crazy to do what you’ve done. Life is too short to live it with too many regrets. Just go and do it!
Very good to hear about World Nomads since we will be on the road soon too. As for now we have travel insurance through our work. But after 1 year, everything will expire. I am not sure what we are going to do. Originally we were considering World Nomads, but we will definitely have to look into other alternatives until they work out the rules.
Nice to see that Chris is listening from World Nomads.
Insurance coverage is extremely important to us too.
I like the sound of Sri Lanka and Nepal. I guess there’s a time to be free with no plan and a time to set you objectives out on the table & how to achieve them.
I’m one of lives natural planners, but these days I try to live a little more in the moment and enjoy it as it comes.
Sherry, I’m thinking about taking the train to NYC some time the first or second week in December to say hi – stay in touch once you get back in the states and we’ll figure it out!
I like reading about your planless state since I am such a control freak. I couldn’t live like you do but I enjoy it very much vicariously!
xxoo Lynn
Everybody plans, it’s just a matter of how far out they go!
This sounds like a great plan to me, and you will be with family for Xmas? Never mind your next plan, just go with the flow!
Sometimes it’s good to just enjoy the time. I am sure when the time is ready you will have the right plan. Have fun and enjoy your time.
“My plan is to make a plan in Feb.” – I like that plan. Lol
Hope you love our favorite city, San Fran. If you’re there on a weekend, join the chaos of the Ferry Building Farmers’ Market (first thing on an empty stomach!). The MOMA always has something interesting to see. There’s always the 21st Amendment Brewery just south of the museum — our favorite locally made beers.
If you have time, and a car, the area above Sausalito, north of the city is just beautiful. You’ll find oyster farms out there selling for about $1 an oyster. Bring your own knife!