Living a nomadic lifestyle is not a constant state of wonder all the time.
You may see the magical moments on social media, and while the highs and happy feelings are VERY real, there’s also the spaces in between where things aren’t as pretty as the pictures.
Last week, I went LIVE on Facebook to share some of the low points Ryan and I have experienced while living and working in Mexico.
If you’re personally considering a nomadic lifestyle, these are challenges to consider.
*Before I share, it’s important for me to acknowledge my privilege. My intention is to share my personal experience, however, in no way can these challenges compare to what people with less privilege have to experience in their day to day lives AND while traveling.
1.) PARASITES + FOOD POISONING.
In Mexico City, I came down with THE WORST stomach bug of my adult life after eating contaminated oysters at a nice restaurant.
At one point, I thought I was going to die.
I remember getting up from the toilet, experiencing intense vertigo, and falling onto the bed sobbing. Thankfully, Ryan was able to rush to the pharmacy and load up on Pepto Bismal and Electrolit to nurse me back to health.
Even in other parts of the world, I’ve been well acquainted with parasites.
In Tulum, they burrowed into my feet after walking barefoot on the beach. In Bali, I had stomach issues throughout my stay.
Thankfully, parasites can be treated, but the healing process costs you presence, time, and energy.
In Mexico City, I lost a week and half of work while I was recovering.
2.) LANGUAGE BARRIERS.
I’m not fluent in Spanish, although I am committed to learning because I want to be able to talk with the locals and express myself freely.
When you’re unable to speak the language, simple requests, let alone dire situations, present a problem.
In Mexico City, I held up the line for a good ten minutes because the girl behind the counter couldn’t understand my request in Spanish. We both left feeling frustrated and I didn’t get what I wanted. In San Miguel, I thought I was ordering churros with chocolate dipping sauce, but instead, they handed me plain churros and a hot chocolate.
Imagine if I had to go to the hospital for my stomach bug and needed to communicate symptoms?!
3.) LONELINESS.
When there’s a language barrier, creating relationships with the locals feels impossible.
With our limited Spanish, we can ask some questions, but after we’ve moved down the list, then what?
Luckily, there are expats, travelers, and other nomads who do speak English and it’s relatively easy to find them. You can search for Expat Facebook Groups, go on Airbnb experiences, or simply strike up conversation with people speaking your language.
While we were living in Tulum, we were fortunate to make a few great friends, however, on our current trip, traveling to a new destination each month doesn’t necessarily leave the door open for fostering connections.
Throw a pandemic into the mix, and it’s a lonely life.
4.) LACK OF DEPTH.
While I love getting to see and experience so many new places every month, it creates a lack of DEPTH.
Lacking depth in your environment also tends to cross over into your experience of life.
In Mexico City, I couldn’t shake feeling off.
Here I was, living this AMAZING life that I spent years creating and yet, something was missing.
When I consulted my intuition, it was a sense of depth. Constant movement had me feeling disconnected from my routine, my relationship with Ryan, and the ability to be present.
My experience of life felt transient and surface.
At home in Massachusetts, it’s easy to be present and deeply attuned to my routine and business because I’m so familiar with the environment.
When you’re grounded somewhere, the environment and culture become your regular experience. Excitement fades and you live where you’re planted.
When you hop from place to place, everything is always new and changing.
Instead of settling in, you feel distracted by all there is to explore. Instead of creating community and getting to know the heart and soul of a place, you only get to experience what’s shiny about it.
5.) CONSTANTLY FEELING UNSETTLED.
When we left Mexico City for San Miguel, I couldn’t wait to return to nature again, but when we got here, I struggled to feel at peace while we worked out the kinks in our new routine.
When you’re constantly moving—you’re packing and unpacking, taking planes, trains, and buses, and adjusting to new environments.
The cost is a huge amount of energy.
Even when we lived in Tulum for five months, we would move apartments every 3-4 weeks.
To live this way {especially for energy-sensitive individuals}, the bandwidth required to constantly adjust takes energy away from other important things like work, health, or self-care routines, which leaves you feeling even more unsettled.
6.) UNFORESEEN CHALLENGES.
For us type-A individuals who like to be in control, this is one of the biggest challenges.
The nature of going on an adventure is for things NOT to work out. There are risks and obstacles you can’t plan for until you’re in it.
Living on the ranch in San Miguel, as magical as it has been, has come with its own set of challenges.
For one, the internet, which was highly rated by past Airbnb guests, has been terrible.
During the week, service is intermittent. Sometimes, it works like a charm. Other times, it’s glitching every few minutes. On the weekends, it’s completely out because of construction in the region no one was told about.
To prepare for these moments, I extended my cell service to cover Mexico, but since the ranch is in the middle of the desert, cell service is also in and out.
This wouldn’t be a big deal, but when you work with Clients online, it’s a top priority!
Even in Tulum, the power would go out unexpectedly. We would be left without water, electricity, and internet for days. At one point, we went four days without water or a shower!
The other obstacle we’ve run into on the ranch is not having transportation. We thought we could get by with rides that the ranch offers, but they haven’t been reliable. As a result, we’ve had to give up plans at the last minute, forfeit the gym, and be extra cautious with stocking up on groceries.
Turns out, living far from centro isn’t as relaxing as we imagined!
So, what do you think?
Is this lifestyle for you, or did I talk you out of it?! 😅
In all seriousness, despite the challenges that come with it, I would not trade this life for anything. This is a dream I’ve wanted to make real for a long time, and I thank all of my Clients from the bottom of my heart for supporting me to make it happen.
If you have questions about our experience or living nomadically that I did not address here, comment below and ask away 💜
With love & adventure,
-Kayla
P.S. It’s my birthday tomorrow!
In honor of my 32nd year, I’m gifting SIX complimentary Create The Impossible Coaching Sessions to individuals within my network. These sessions are typically invite-only, however, at certain times of the year, I open them up to the public.
If you’d like one of the spots, send an email to kaylamacarthurcoaching@gmail.com with BIRTHDAY SPECIAL in the title and I’ll send you my calendar link.
*Please note: These sessions are only available to individuals who have not received one before.
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