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Our Nomadic Life

Michael Perry

WE’RE IN OUR SECOND year as nomads, having sold our Texas home and driven away from our storage unit in November 2022. In the few years before that, we often talked about where we wanted to move, but could never quite decide.

When I retired in 2021, we traveled for most of the next 12 months. At the end of it, we still hadn’t decided where we wanted to live, but we knew we wanted a change, so we just pulled up our roots. We have yet to put down new ones.

How is this working for us? We’ve spent time in previously unknown parts of the U.S., England, Italy, Spain and Portugal, but our intent isn’t to “travel the world.” We were fortunate to do a fair amount of that during our careers. We have some destinations in mind, but ticking off a list or saying we’ve been to [insert number] countries isn’t driving us.

While we enjoy visiting new places, we’re also happy to revisit places we like and just be wherever we are. Our stops aren’t necessarily hot spots, just pretty places to spend time. When possible, we like to stay in one place for weeks at a time. As I write this, we’re enjoying our first visit to New Hampshire. We’ll be in France in September and England in November, but that’s the extent of our plans, and there are a lot of gaps between now and then.

We have considerable flexibility, though that’s been limited by visa rules. European countries that are party to the Schengen agreement—which most of them are—allow visitors to stay just 90 days in a rolling 180-day period without a pre-arranged visa. The positive is that we can travel anywhere within the Schengen area without visa or border formalities. The negative is that once we enter any Schengen country, the clock starts for the whole area. Fortunately, the U.K. and Ireland aren’t parties to the agreement, and the former graciously allows us to stay for up to six months.

While we’re outside the U.S., our car is professionally stored, along with extra belongings we don’t normally carry with us when abroad. This has a cost, and the storage location is a bit inconvenient. But overall, it’s been a good solution, and we intend to keep doing it. Meanwhile, we have yet to rent a car internationally, usually relying on public transportation, along with the occasional taxi.

We use a mail service that opens our mail and scans it. We rarely need to have anything forwarded to us, but that’s worked fine when we’ve needed to do it. All our bill paying is automatic, and we do our usual necessary business online, with appropriate attention to internet security.

We pay for an international cellphone plan with unlimited data. When we first started our travels, we avoided this expense, instead trying to rely mostly on apps that used wi-fi. This worked okay, but we found that having our phones fully functional at all times, without needing wi-fi, to be worth the cost. It enables us to use our phones for navigation, and it ensures our four elderly parents can reach us anytime.

We’re also part of a network through which we provide house- and pet-sitting services. This has been enjoyable, partially subsidizing our lodging costs, helping us meet local people and creating some interesting opportunities to experience wherever we are. When not sitting, we stay in vacation rentals, inns and hotels.

We’ve learned to live with very little and found that we don’t miss many things. We haven’t been within 500 miles of our storage unit since we left it. Unless we’re using our car and the items stored in it—which is rare—we each have a European-size carry-on bag and a day pack. Otherwise, we wear the same clothes again and again, and replace them when necessary.

The British culture of charity shops has been a fun and useful surprise. They’re everywhere, run by more charities than you could count on both hands, and often have good quality items. We’ve been known to buy something at a charity shop, use it for a few months, and donate it back or to another shop before we leave.

Unlike others who take long trips, we aren’t “coming home” afterward. That creates a few challenges. For instance, prescription medication has been a hassle. It’s tough to get our medications for longer than 90 days, and longer than six months seems next to impossible. We haven’t been out of the country for longer than that at a time, but we certainly could be.

We could have our mail service forward prescriptions to us when we’re abroad, but we haven’t tested that yet. In a pinch, we could get a local prescription wherever we are, but neither the doctor visit nor the medications would be covered by insurance. As a retired military officer, one option might be space-available care at a U.S. military base. But we haven’t tested that, and it’s obviously location-dependent. All things considered, it may be more predictable and less annoying to just plan to be in the U.S. often enough to get prescriptions renewed.

My wife fell down some stairs early in our travels, and luckily got away with only a broken foot. We were in the U.S., but we still had to turn to the only urgent-care clinic in a small town. We delayed our departure overseas and extended a planned stop in the Washington, D.C., area so she could get physical therapy. Had we been outside the U.S., our insurance would have covered the initial treatment, but I’m not sure about the physical therapy.

Dental care has also involved some hassles. Ever tried getting in for a cleaning while passing through a new town? Almost every practice in the U.S. wants to do a full exam for a new patient, which insurance is only going to pay for once a year. In many cases, they won’t schedule the cleaning until after the initial exam is done, so we would have to be there for some period. Our last dental visits were in England, where some providers follow a similar process, but others offer “direct access” through which a new patient can come in and pay cash for service. Our cleanings weren’t covered by our insurance, but getting them done was worth the cost.

When we last stopped in to see our parents, we established ourselves as new patients for dentists and primary care providers, so now we can at least get in the necessary checkups when visiting them.

Looking at our expenses over the past year or so, they probably weren’t much higher than if we’d stayed in our home. I have no doubt that, when we do settle somewhere, our expenses will be more than they were in our previous home, and more than they are now. Wherever we end up, our cost of living will likely be higher than it was in Houston, and we’ll likely still be traveling a lot.

Not long ago, my wife asked if I missed going on vacation. It was a great question. Think of the enjoyment of planning a vacation, anticipating upcoming activities and, of course, anticipating time away from work. The actual vacation is often also a time of eating and drinking a bit more than usual, maybe skipping workouts for a while, and shopping within wider limits.

This isn’t a vacation for us. It’s our life. We need to keep our eating, drinking, fitness and the rest of our lives balanced. We’re thinking about where we’ll be next, but that’s an ongoing task as much as eager anticipation. We’re not spending to excess. We basically buy no souvenirs, clothing or anything else we can’t eat, partially because whatever we buy, we must carry around. Someday, we’ll have a digital photo display.

So, do I miss vacations? Not really, but there are a few things I do miss, and a few more things that I’ve never had but sometimes think about having. In the former category, the one thing I miss most is my home gym. I could go on and on about this, but I’ll spare you.

Overall, we’re happy with our lifestyle, and we’re in no rush to change. For now, we’ll continue to happily repack our bags.

Michael Perry is a former career Army officer and external affairs executive for a Fortune 100 company. In addition to personal finance and investing, his interests include reading, traveling, being outdoors, strength training and coaching, and cocktails. Check out his earlier articles.

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Grant Clifford
8 months ago

Thank you for the wonderful article. My wife and I are using the UK as a base for European travel, will do so for the years to come and will be there in a couple of months. On the mail and communications side of things. Which service do you use in the US for mail scanning and do you have any tips from this experience?

Another option we have used for phone connectivity, we purchased a mobile wi-fi device (very small / compact) and we buy/top up on-line SIM cards which are affordable (e.g. £20 for 80GB) while there. The SIM cards run on local networks such as O2 and Vodaphone. We can connect multiple devices including phones / computers to the one mobile wi-fi device. We can use our phones day-to-day in airplane mode and they function well for pretty much everything we need including phone calls. We have T mobile which also has 5GB / month internationally included with our plan, but from experience when the 5GB is used up the speed of service really slows down, so we save that as a back-up.

Over the years we have been in the UK in the darker dreary rainy months but found that we simply don’t let that stop us.We have invested in good waterproof hiking gear and have a great time.

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  Grant Clifford

We’re with you – there are no bad conditions, just bad equipment. (As much as we like UK thrift shops, our wet weather gear is not something we rely on them for.)

We use Texas Home Base for our mail. Small family owned and operated business. We have no complaints.

Our phone plan has unlimited data, and our phones can generate a secure wifi connection that we can access with other devices. Your mobile WiFi device sounds good, but I wonder if a different plan/phone might permit you to have one less thing to carry.

We do have a UK SIM but use it very rarely. For example, grocery delivery required a UK number to sign up for, so if there’s a delivery issue, that’s the number they’re going to text/call. An hour or so out from delivery I’ll pop in my UK SIM.

We haven’t had to bother anywhere else, but might need a French one soon. To your point, they’re cheap.

Last edited 8 months ago by Michael1
deandwigz
8 months ago

Thanks very much for this Michael. Love your story and success. I noted your comments about health care. If eligible, are you not able to use TRICARE while overseas?

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  deandwigz

Thank you. The short answer is I’m not sure. I know there’s a Tricare Overseas option. I suspect one would choose this option expecting to primarily be outside the US, and it would only cover emergencies in the US, much like our US based insurance only covers emergencies overseas. But I haven’t done the digging to know this for sure. 

Sherry Edgeworth
8 months ago

Thank you very much for sharing your post-retirement life. I was actually giggling as I read the article because my husband and I are doing exactly the same thing. When we both retired in 2021, we sold our house and our car, gave away or donated our stuff, and started traveling full-time with a carry-on and a backpack. We stay in a place, usually a good size city, for one to two months. I can totally relate the annoying Schengen limit so we work around it by going to other continents. We just spent a month in Melbourne, Australia and totally love it. We plan to return for its mild winter next year. Australia allows up to 90-day stay but the clock restarts after one leaves and returns with no limit. Since we have no home-base, we retain our doctors and dentist in DC where we lived and worked prior to retirement. We return to the area roughly every six months for four to five weeks to do all the check-ups and follow-ups. We also use the opportunity to catch up with our friends. I did have an unexpected health crisis last year. Fortunately it happened when we were in DC so I was able to get the surgery. As a result, we had to cancel our plans for the remaining four months of the year. But the silver lining of the incident is we found an extended stay hotel in the area where the general manager offered us the generous annual rate with flexibility for our stay since I didn’t know exactly when I could leave the country. It is now our go-to place when we return to DC.

deandwigz
8 months ago

Hi Sherr. . What a great life. We are poised to do the same from the DC area. How have state taxes affected you? As your last place of residence, does DC (or VA or MD) still follow you? Thanks.

Sherry Edgeworth
8 months ago
Reply to  deandwigz

Both my husband and I really like the Pacific Northwest so we made Washington state our first stop after retirement. We established state residency and visit frequently.

Michael1
8 months ago

Smart move.

Michael1
8 months ago

Thanks for reading and commenting Sherry. Yes, our experience sounds very similar. We have a carry on and backpack as well when we don’t have the car. In some ways it’s easier when we don’t have it because of having less stuff to drag in wherever we’re staying.

The car itself is something we should probably consider losing. When we started this lifestyle, we had no idea how long we’d do it, but now we know we have no near term plans to settle. We’re emotionally attached perhaps. 🙂

T. V. NARAYANAN
8 months ago

Thanks Michael for the interesting article. Having been born in India and migrating to the US in the sixties I cannot even imagine a nomadic life like the one that Michael describes. After coming to the US and getting a good education I have traveled many European countries and the far east as part of my working life. Now in my eighties I cannot even imagine a life like what Michael describes.

Michael1
8 months ago

Thanks T.V. We actually never imagined it either until it happened.

R H
8 months ago

I absolutely loved reading your article, both content and style resonated with me. Having traveled extensively – backpacking style – I have some appreciation of your experiences. Hats off to you and wife.

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  R H

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

James Mcglynn
8 months ago

Michael very inspiring. Have you tried teaching English at Angloville in Poland? Teach for a week and have zero expenses at their resort venue. I’ve done 3x and have made good friends. I’ve only worked up to 3 weeks myself.

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  James Mcglynn

Thanks James. We haven’t, but so glad you mentioned it. I recall your article about this sparked our curiosity but pursuing it fell by the wayside. Our planned 2024 Schengen time is maxed out but we will relook it for later.

Nick Politakis
8 months ago

Love the article.
we have been living in Greece for half a year and the rest in the US. There are a lot of things we like and a lot of things that are a nuisance. We also have a dog which we transport back and forth. We adopted her in Greece and she travels as well as can be expected In Lufthansa’s cargo.

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  Nick Politakis

Thanks Nick. We seem to have met a lot of people in Europe with pets adopted in Greece.

David Firth
8 months ago

Hi, great article!
We have thought about doing the pet sitting thing. We just spent 3 months in Madrid, Spain and our college-age son had to move home to look after the cat. Which company do you use, and could you tell me a bit more about your experience doing this, please?

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  David Firth

Our experiences have been positive overall. There’s some work and stress involved, but that’s okay. I’ve heard of people having bad experiences, but we haven’t.

Trusted Housesitters and Rover have forums accessible without signing up, where you can see users talking pros and cons and positives and problems, which I imagine are similar across platforms.

https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/

https://www.rover.com/community/

Lester Nail
8 months ago

Great read! Almost makes me want to jump in and try it, however, I’m like the husband of one reader who after 5 days wants to be back home. However, if one were to put a toe in the water, which country would you recommend he try first? Which countries are friendliest to (nice) Americans and are easiest to do what you do? Many thanks!

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  Lester Nail

Thanks Lester. It really depends on the person and what they’re looking for. England is a pretty easy intro to foreign travel – developed country, easy to get to and back, minimal language barrier and we’ve felt welcome everywhere we’ve been. If looking for something a bit more adventurous, try a country less developed with a foreign language but at least using the same alphabet.

That said, this is from a multi-lingual traveler with lots of international experience, which isn’t who you’re asking about. We have a pretty well travelled crowd here on HD so others may have better advice.

Mike Gaynes
8 months ago
Reply to  Michael1

“Minimal language barrier”?

Obviously, Michael, you’ve not been to either Liverpool or Glasgow!

Lester Nail
8 months ago
Reply to  Michael1

Thanks!!

Gozo Rabat
8 months ago

Wow!

What a great-sounding program. It fits my bill for much of what the best of life is about. Here’s hoping you guys get to follow this course of life for many happy years to come.

Wow!

Regards,
(($; -)}™
Gozo

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  Gozo Rabat

Thanks Gozo.

AKROGER SHOPPER
8 months ago

Michael good that you are able to check in with all the nuggets of information on travel taken to a new level. Any plans to go the route of U-tube videos with the adventures? Every day is a surprise to learn what the HD followers are experiencing.

Michael1
8 months ago

Thank you. Not a chance of YouTube videos, but I might explore side journeys or changes of plan in future articles.

Dan Fitzgerald
8 months ago

Thanks for sharing your insights Michael. Can you recommend any specific organizations for foreign home/pet sitting gigs? I understand you got rid of your home, but have you met anyone who is successfully using home swapping services?

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  Dan Fitzgerald

Here are sitting sites I’ve heard of:
TrustedHousesitters.com
Housesitter.com
Mindmyhouse.com
Rover.com
Care.com

Have not tried houseswapping, but would be interested in giving it a go. We would probably consider “swapability” in choosing where we might establish a semi-base or pied-a-terre somewhere.

mytimetotravel
8 months ago

Congratulations, I remember your article from before you took off, and I’m glad to read that it is working out so well. I do wonder why you’re heading to England in November – it’s likely to be cold and grey and damp, and will get dark early. There is bonfire night on the fifth, and apparently the Christmas lights now go on in London in November, but still.

I found that doctor’s visits in Europe were either free or cheap, and filling prescriptions was also very cheap, but that wasn’t for routine care.

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  mytimetotravel

Thanks Kathy. Yes, no doubt England can be a bit dreary in the winter. We’ll exhaust our Schengen time in late summer/fall, and it’s easy to pop back to England. Last year we spent Christmas and New Year’s Day in the Cotswolds, then spent January and February in Cornwall and Devon, and loved it. Much of the time we were taking care of dogs, so plenty of time outside. We still loved it. 

Adam Shapiro
8 months ago

@Michael –

Interesting piece, thanks.

If you feel comfortable answering, please tell us what your average monthly “nut” is since you started the nomad life “all-in”.

Brent Wilson
8 months ago

You might look into one of the big gym chains with lots of locations. Planet Fitness has a “Black Card” membership that doesn’t tie you to a home location and allows you to use any of their gyms nationwide whenever you want. It’s about $25/month.

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  Brent Wilson

Thanks for the suggestion. My wife has a PF black card membership for these few months in the US and we happen to be near some, but usually that’s not the case.

Last edited 8 months ago by Michael1
Laura E. Kelly
8 months ago

This article was so interesting to me, but I’m married to the opposite of a nomad. Even a week away from his routines and home base makes him restless and unhappy.

Your article also brought to mind a favorite book series about the peripatetic Jack Reacher (only the books written by the excellent Lee Child NOT the new author). Reacher travels the U.S. without a car or a smartphone and arrives in each new town with just his toothbrush. He buys a new set of clothes from that town’s used clothes or Army store and tosses his old clothes (laundry? what’s that?). His decision about whether to stay or move on from a certain town seems based on how good the coffee is at the town diner and, oh yeah, whether he gets a little too curious about the nefarious goings on in that town. (In Reacherland, every town has those goings-ons, if you’re curious enough.) Over its many books, the series builds an intriguing depiction of an extreme nomad life—the freedom and the loneliness. 

Of course, I would prefer the civilized “nomad” lifestyle you have constructed in Europe and the U.S., and wish you well on your journey-of-a-lifetime.

Andrew Forsythe
8 months ago
Reply to  Laura E. Kelly

Michael, I thoroughly enjoyed the detailed description of your lifestyle. I confess I’m the opposite and fit to a “T” Laura’s description of her husband.
But it’s nevertheless fascinating to read about folks who have a totally different approach to travel, retirement, and home. (And another Lee Child fan here!).

Michael1
8 months ago

Thanks Andrew

Mike Gaynes
8 months ago
Reply to  Laura E. Kelly

Laura, big fan of the Reacher books here too, although definitely not of the movie portrayal of the hulking 6’5″ Reacher by tiny Tom Cruise. It’s amazing how well a British author like Child (actually Jim Grant of Coventry and the University of Sheffield) captured small-town Americana as seen through the eyes of a retired Army major. But some key aspects of Reacher’s nomadism simply aren’t possible, such as traveling by bus and buying cheap motel accommodations with cash and no photo ID.

The “new” author is Andrew Grant, Jim’s younger brother. They’ve written the last few Reacher books together as “Lee and Andrew Child” but I haven’t read them. I’ll have to get back to the series when I have time.

Last edited 8 months ago by Mike Gaynes
Laura E. Kelly
8 months ago
Reply to  Mike Gaynes

Hi Mike–another Lee Child fan! Yes, Lee Child/Jim Grant passed along his series to his younger bro and while the newer books are marketed with Lee’s name on the cover they are not the same quality at all, IMO. (Reacher now seems like a cartoonish violent cyborg—you would not want this nomad ever visiting your small town.) I’ve also watched the new Amazon Prime TV series with giant actor Alan Ritchson playing Reacher, and while it’s much better than the Tiny Tom movies, that series can’t deliver Reacher’s smart and funny interior observations or the other “above genre” qualities that make the original stories special. Oh, well—nothing lasts forever.

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  Laura E. Kelly

Thanks. Agree I’d much prefer to read about Reacher’s lifestyle than live it. We continue to get smaller and we buy used clothes from charity shops and donate them back before moving, but we also have some non-used higher end items. Reacher might even approve of these.

SanLouisKid
8 months ago

I traveled for a living but always returned home on the weekends. Moving around in an Army career probably got you wired to do the kind of travel you’re doing now. I like to travel somewhere and come home for a while.

I really enjoyed your great recap of challenges and how you’re handling them. I’ve read about the “mail scanning” service but have never heard from a firsthand user.

Thank you for your service and enjoy your travels.

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  SanLouisKid

Thank you. We like wandering, but like you I was always happy to come back home, even if it wasn’t located in a spot I’d prefer it to be in.

Jeff Bond
8 months ago

I’m glad that works for you. I don’t think we could stand to be away from the grandkids (and their parents) for that long. Safe travels!

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  Jeff Bond

Thanks!

David Lancaster
8 months ago

Hi Mike,

Welcome to NH!

You wrote, “We’ll be in France in September and England in November, but that’s the extent of our plans, and there are a lot of gaps between now and then.”

Might I suggest Greece? We were there this time last year and found it is similar to the experience of Italy, but a lot less expensive. I would definitely visit the Peloponnese peninsula including Olympia (a very quaint small town), and Napflio which the original capital, and is only two hours from Athens (which I wouldn’t spend more than a few days in).

PS You can eat a lot there and still be healthy thanks to the Mediterranean diet.

Last edited 8 months ago by David Lancaster
Michael1
8 months ago

Loved NH btw. We will definitely be going back.

Last edited 8 months ago by Michael1
Michael1
8 months ago

Thanks for the suggestion. Agree Greece is nice. Similar to Ed’s point below about longer stays, we’ve also developed a preference to not bounce back and forth too much. So a Greece visit would more likely be not between France and the UK, but as part of more time in the Eastern Med.

mytimetotravel
8 months ago

Another vote for Greece, and definitely include the mainland which doesn’t get as many tourists. Eastern Europe is also cheaper than Western, and has lots to see, although perhaps not too far east these days.

Chuck BV
8 months ago

Great article, and great tips here and in the comment section. There are two things I am curious about for this type of arrangement. First–is there a downside in not building a rooted community that could be important farther along in retirement/life? Second, medical expenses–as a South American-in-law, I had supposed that if I ever do something like this it would look more like 6 months North America and 6 months in South America, and we would get medical needs met out of pocket while in South America. It sounds like you spend more time in Europe and the British Isles. Are medical costs too high to take that approach there?

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  Chuck BV

I’d agree there is some downside in having no rooted community, and though the downside is more important for some than for others. It’s not a big gap in our lives, but we recognize it and would get involved in community activities if we had a community. Further, while it doesn’t matter to us much now, it might someday, and sometimes “someday” can come very quickly.

On medical costs for us overseas, the dental visit was a reasonable out of pocket expense. I suspect a routine doctor visit and prescription would be as well. Our US insurance would cover an emergency. If we learned of something serious that needed longer term or specialist attention, we’d be prepared to go where we feel is best to get it, presumably somewhere in the US. To your earlier point, that might be somewhere that has great medical but where we don’t know anybody. We’re okay with this.

R Quinn
8 months ago

Where and how do you live on a daily basis? If you are going to Europe in September where will you live before that? Where do you live say while in New Hampshire?

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  R Quinn

It just depends. As I mentioned we do some house sitting, and otherwise it’s inns, hotels, AirBnB, etc.

New Hampshire it was a combination of an inn and a house sit. On the way to NH we had our first visit to NJ, staying in a vacation hotel (with a kitchen, a big plus for us) in Cape May. After NH we were in a few hotels, and now we’re doing a house sit in NC. Next we’ll visit respective parents, then take to the road with hotels again before to storing the car and heading to England. Similar story when in Europe, but minus the car.

Last edited 8 months ago by Michael1
Edmund Marsh
8 months ago

Nomadic life is alien to me, Michael, but obviously suits you and your wife. Your style of travel—settling in for an extended stay—is intriguing, though. You’re mostly avoiding the schedules and uncertainties of daily hopping about. Great article, and great tips on the nuts and bolts of doing it.

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  Edmund Marsh

Thanks Ed. Yes, now having done both the extended stays and more frequent moving, we definitely seek the former. 

Linda Grady
8 months ago
Reply to  Edmund Marsh

I agree with Ed, especially the info about the mail and cell phone services. Though I don’t expect to adopt a nomadic lifestyle, the idea of being away for longer than a month (the limit of USPS mail holding), whether for touring or missionary/charitable work, interests me. Thanks for the update on your travels and please keep us posted on your discoveries and adventures.

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  Linda Grady

Thanks Linda. Mail and cell phone service are among the easiest things to handle.

mytimetotravel
8 months ago
Reply to  Linda Grady

Another option if you’re going to be gone less than a year is to have your mail forwarded to a friend. Mine was asked to open anything that looked serious, like a jury summons, and dump the junk. All my bills were on auto-pay except my credit cards, which I paid on the road – using a VPN for security.

Laura Ricci
8 months ago

I did the same as you and don’t regret anything about it. After a few years, I knew I would not return to my original home base, so I emptied the storage unit after 4 years of travel. After 7 years as a nomad, it was time to have a home base again. It was such a pleasure to furnish a place without the burden and constraints of bringing all my precious things. For the same cost I would have paid in moving expenses, I furnished my new place with entirely new furniture, and I’ll gradually add new art as I go.
It is a shock to realize that if we give up our home base, we have plenty of cash flow to cover full-time travel.
Another nomad said the same thing as you, “This isn’t a vacation, it is our life.” But all the day to day is manageable with internet access and a mail service. This year I combined my home phone number with my US phone number on one device, and it works great!
Good luck on your continued journeys. This is the best kind of retirement I could imagine.

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  Laura Ricci

Thanks for commenting Laura. Glad you enjoyed your nomadic adventures. We are also thinking seriously about mostly emptying our storage unit (which we haven’t seen once since locking it in 2022) and relocating a minimum nearer to where we store our car.

Alistair Leigh
8 months ago

Great post, Michael. We are traveling in Europe for 2+ years. Initially we obtained a one year visa and now we are doing the 90/180 days in Schengen with the other 90+ in the UK / Ireland. We have Google voice #s for US calls and a mobile plan from Free in France. We have a medical insurance policy for accidents and have just paid for other medical and dental expenses out of pocket – mostly in the UK.

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  Alistair Leigh

That sounds like a great plan Alistair. From what country did you get your visa? Also, why did you need one? Unless I misunderstand, what you’re describing doesn’t require any visa except what you get on entry.

Alistair Leigh
8 months ago
Reply to  Michael1

We had a 1 year French Visa de Longue Sejour so we could stay in Schengen for longer than 90 days out of 180.

Michael1
8 months ago
Reply to  Alistair Leigh

Got it; from your comment I misunderstood that you were doing the usual 90 out of 180. Good idea to get the 1 yr visa and some flexibility.

ostrichtacossaturn7593
8 months ago

What international cell phone plan did you choose? We’ll be in Spain and Portugal in July and will need a way to take and receive calls from the U.S.

tshort
8 months ago

Y’all might want to check out Airalo for international cell data. They have a great selection of regional data-only plans covering nearly every country you can think of. Very cost effective. For voice calls we use either WhatsApp or to call a landline, Skype.

mytimetotravel
8 months ago

I chose T-Mobile when I was traveling, and still have it. My senior rate is $50/month and includes unlimited data in many countries.

Michael1
8 months ago

We use AT&T. As Stacey mentions, the cost caps at ten days, and the second line on the same account is half price. So, at $10 a day for us, having both our phones active all the time when last overseas was $150 a month. Now it’s a little more.

You can obviously keep this down, but for reasons I mentioned we just pay it.

Stacey Miller
8 months ago

We have At&t and pay $12/day (it used to be $10) for adding international to our unlimited plan. FYI, the charge gets capped after a certain length, somewhere around the 10th day of a billing cycle.

Laura Ricci
8 months ago

See what your US carrier offers. My carrier was T-mobile and they have good international plans for month-long trips abroad. Now, I use Tello for my US number because they allow me to adjust the amount of coverage I need (not very much when I am abroad, more when I’m in the US). Verizon was a problem for international travel, so I left them for T-mobile a couple years before beginning my travel. GoogleFi used to be ideal for international travel, but they are no longer tolerating international users, so buyer beware.

Linda Grady
8 months ago
Reply to  Laura Ricci

I’ve also had good experience with T-mobile, though my international travel has mainly been to China, where I have family, and for no longer than a month. However, it’s always nice when the plane is landing, knowing that I will see loved ones soon, and then getting a text, “Welcome to China Mobile.” I know then that I can stay in touch with the folks back home as well. 😊

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