Part Two- What's It Like Living As a Nomad ?

Last blog I started talking about what it is like living a a nomad. Actually, there is more to say about this lifestyle. I want to talk about my relationship to Stuff. Because having Stuff and/or the lack of Stuff occupies a great deal of my time and attention. Certainly, a lot of time more than it did when I had a house and a lot more Stuff. This is ironic because we started this lifestyle because we prefer experiences to possessions. 

If one has a home, as most people do, you buy something when you need it or want it, then you put it away with similar items.  It is not so easy for me. First I need to consider whether I can do without it. If not, then I have to decide whether I will use it and somehow delete it out from my life, or keep it. And if I keep it, what am I going to do with it after use- can I pack it or do I store it when I move on? Chances are I have no like items to put it with. So every item needs it own space and most important, I need to be able to find it again. 

At the moment we are staying in a big condo with lots of storage, including two walk-in closets. One is for clothes, one for ... well, it is probably meant to be a  pantry but for me, it is a sorting place for things that require further thought and/or action. A pantry full of things that have accumulated in our suitcases and/or storage space which require further attention to organize, incorporate or delete. 

I know everyone misplaces things but from day one here I have been misplacing lots of things because there is no natural place for them to go and/or no natural place for me to look. Yes, you are also looking for Lost Stuff. But not every day.

Then there are items we occasionally need but  we don't want to buy. We needed to change a lightbulb last week. How many nomads does it take to change a lightbulb? Well, this my life and not a lightbulb joke so let's just say it took one person several days to figure out how to reach a twelve-foot ceiling without a ladder.

Preparing meals is different too. Recently I got carried away grocery shopping and now have a full freezer- which sounds normal, but for me, it is a source of concern. I have less than one month left to use up more than 12 protein items, which means 12 or more meals that need to be planned out weeks in advance. And still have time for all the restaurants I want to visit. In addition, I can’t make dishes that use a lot of ingredients. Some rentals come supplied with kitchen staples like flour, sugar, oil, mustard, etc. Sometimes the kitchens are bare. This is one of those. Two pots, two pans, a roasting pan. No baking pans- that's it. I do travel with my own knives, spices and tea but all other kitchen staples need to be purchased now and rationed out to last until we leave. Yes, these things are cheap but I stayed in 7 different homes in different cities and even different countries just this year and that is a lot of waste if I just toss out unused food. Mostly I give it away. Sometimes I can carry it on to the next home but in this case, I don’t expect to be renting a house again for at least 4 months. And somehow it feels a little silly carrying things like mayonnaise from one country to another. I don't store any food items in our storage space.  

Plastic bags have become really important to me. Every size has their use and I don’t want to throw any away in case I need one that size to pack shoes, toiletries or any of a dozen other uses. Reusing bags may happen in your house too in the normal course of events. But I have no normal course of events. Snack-size plastic bags have become my best friend. For spices, medicines, jewelry, etc. plastic bags are my go-to storage space. You may not even know snack size bags exist but I definitely do. 

The one plastic bag I have never paid any attention to is the TSA request for a quart size bags of toiletries. I use specific-use kits for toiletries with lots of pockets and have never ever put drugs or toiletries in a clear baggies for some stranger to inspect. I have never been good at following the rules.  (I hope none of you work for the TSA).

I guess if I am taking about Stuff I should mention some of the Stuff I carry around. We’ve been on the road almost two years and as I said before I am not on vacation, this is my real life. I have learned what items I need to use frequently and make a place feel like home and I don't want to run out to buy when I need it. I know from reading posts from other travelers that this is a very individual thing and your list would be vastly different than mine but these are some things I carry around:

duct tape 

a night light. Internationally I use electric votive candles

detergent batteries of various sizes 

pens

a measuring tape 

corkscrew

mini foot massager which comes in handy after dancing. 

superglue

permanent marker 

mini swiss army knife (I could possibly eliminate this but know the minute I do, I will need it)

scissors I use this every day. Before we started traveling I never thought about them at all. 

mini flashlight. I rarely need it but when you need a flashlight, you need one. 

earplugs

eye masks

rubber bands

scotch tape
hand wash detergent
a sewing kit

stitch witchery for hemming pants. I am out of this right now and it is annoying to have to keep buying the same little items over and over again. And where exactly do you buy this? The supermarkets and drug stores don't have it. Walmart maybe? 

I keep all these things together in a small hanging bag 9x11. It is surprising how small all this stuff can get. Of course I take small sizes and small amounts. The tape, for example, is wrapped around pens. 

I also take a iPad and iPhone, a camera and charger, headphones, and a very compact kit with items I may want on an airplane like an inflatable head pillow, sleeping pills, moisturizer, earplugs, eye mask, etc. I am considering adding something I saw online, a footrest, but lately, we have been flying in a high class of service so I haven't needed it. I may need one, however, returning from Argentina this spring so I may order it now. 

I shall end with a piece of trivia. People living in warm places know that your blood gets thin and you get cold easier than other people. Well, apparently this is reversible. We have not been anywhere particularly cold but do wear sweaters and light jackets for 6 months in the Pacific Northwest. And now in Arizona daily people tell me it is cold but I have yet to put on a jacket. I'm not cold at all.