Wow! It's been nearly 2 years since began my adventures round-the world and set out on a quest to become a digital nomad, and just as life always wanders into gray areas and takes unforeseen turns, so has mine.
I knew when I first started this blog that my marriage was on the rocks...and maybe I wasn't ready to admit it to myself or out loud, but over the last year, I have finalized my divorce from Robert. It was a very freeing feeling to move on from him and, by the grace of God, him & I are finally able to have a civil conversation every now & then (when it is absolutely necessary to co-parent). In the midst of going through the divorce, I met a man who has become the love of my life, my best friend, my confidante, and my rock. I'm convinced that he is the one that God has had waiting for me all along. And, the best part? He has kids, his parents love me and he enjoys traveling with me. What more could a girl ask for? Currently he still needs a passport, but I have a feeling that one will find its way to his wallet very soon. In the meantime, I am content with armchair traveling until he can join me on my next adventure....hopefully soon.
So, what have I been up to since I last wrote? Well, I went to Israel & Jordan last November. It was an amazing trip filled with camels, worship, late night trips to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, early morning wake ups from the Muslim's call to prayer and relaxation in the Dead Sea. It was not a cheap trip, but it was worth every single dime I spent going. I'd love to go back on my own (instead of on a group tour) again. Maybe my new love will join me next time...
Monday, April 2, 2018
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Progress
I realized this morning that I haven't posted in awhile. I have been so crazy busy and in the midst of my crazy schedule in my day job, I decided to start driving for Uber. Why? Well, I sat down and did some simple math regarding my current finances and made some pretty lofty goals based upon my calculations. Here is how I currently stand financially:
Mortgage: $160,198.63
HELOC: $24,260.94
Credit cards: 0
Student Loans$: 343,977.33
I plan to pay all of this off within 87 months. 87 months!! How did I decide on the number of 86 months? Well, in my day job I am an attorney that works for a State agency, which is considered public service for the purposes of loan forgiveness under the College Cost Reduction Act (CCRA). The CCRA was signed by President Bush just before he left office in 2007 and provides loan forgiveness to those of us with student loans who work in public service for 10 years (or 120 months) and make 120 on-time payments during the time of service. As of the writing of this post, I have 34 months of verified creditable public service completed (though I actually believe it may be more, but I will have to fight Federal Direct to recognize the missing payments as eligible payments...long story, but it has to do with the deferment & forbearance periods I have exercised since graduating), which leaves me with 87 more months before I am eligible to apply for loan forgiveness on all of my student loans. So... if I can increase my income and accelerate my mortgage payoff, then I can be completely debt free at the same time as my student loans are discharged. I REALLY RALLY want to know what it's like to have no house payment, no student loan payment, so I decided o start dedicating my efforts to paying off every bit of the house and consumer debt by the time my student loans are forgiven. It IS doable, but it is going to take a lot of work. Every single dollar I make with Uber will be dedicated to debt pay-down. I intend to keep attacking it with a vengeance until it is gone. It may sound crazy, but financial freedom is worth more than words can even express. I have a desire to retire early, so the sooner my debts are gone, the sooner I can retire. :)
Mortgage: $160,198.63
HELOC: $24,260.94
Credit cards: 0
Student Loans$: 343,977.33
I plan to pay all of this off within 87 months. 87 months!! How did I decide on the number of 86 months? Well, in my day job I am an attorney that works for a State agency, which is considered public service for the purposes of loan forgiveness under the College Cost Reduction Act (CCRA). The CCRA was signed by President Bush just before he left office in 2007 and provides loan forgiveness to those of us with student loans who work in public service for 10 years (or 120 months) and make 120 on-time payments during the time of service. As of the writing of this post, I have 34 months of verified creditable public service completed (though I actually believe it may be more, but I will have to fight Federal Direct to recognize the missing payments as eligible payments...long story, but it has to do with the deferment & forbearance periods I have exercised since graduating), which leaves me with 87 more months before I am eligible to apply for loan forgiveness on all of my student loans. So... if I can increase my income and accelerate my mortgage payoff, then I can be completely debt free at the same time as my student loans are discharged. I REALLY RALLY want to know what it's like to have no house payment, no student loan payment, so I decided o start dedicating my efforts to paying off every bit of the house and consumer debt by the time my student loans are forgiven. It IS doable, but it is going to take a lot of work. Every single dollar I make with Uber will be dedicated to debt pay-down. I intend to keep attacking it with a vengeance until it is gone. It may sound crazy, but financial freedom is worth more than words can even express. I have a desire to retire early, so the sooner my debts are gone, the sooner I can retire. :)
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
From Solo to Duo
Greetings fellow Wanderlusters!
So though I originally thought I was going to be traveling to Paris solo...it turns out that Robert will, indeed, be joining me in the City of Lights. I'm VERY excited to be going...and I'm glad that Robert will be joining me. He's a little worried about going to a country where we don't speak the language. And I'll admit, I'm a little nervous, too. So I am embarking on learning a little bit of French before we leave. I am currently looking for a tutor over at Italki to start the process. I'll keep you updated on how things progress.
Robert has been complaining about the amount of money that I have been spending on travel lately, so he has asked me to slow it down once we return from Paris. I *might* slow it down a bit...or I might not. Honestly, I don't feel like I have been spending that much on travel. Norway, London & Paris combined has cost less than $5,000 total so far, which, in my opinion is NOT bad. Perhaps in my next round of travel planning, I need to go solo...which I totally wouldn't mind. I could use a break from home life for awhile. We'll see.
So though I originally thought I was going to be traveling to Paris solo...it turns out that Robert will, indeed, be joining me in the City of Lights. I'm VERY excited to be going...and I'm glad that Robert will be joining me. He's a little worried about going to a country where we don't speak the language. And I'll admit, I'm a little nervous, too. So I am embarking on learning a little bit of French before we leave. I am currently looking for a tutor over at Italki to start the process. I'll keep you updated on how things progress.
Robert has been complaining about the amount of money that I have been spending on travel lately, so he has asked me to slow it down once we return from Paris. I *might* slow it down a bit...or I might not. Honestly, I don't feel like I have been spending that much on travel. Norway, London & Paris combined has cost less than $5,000 total so far, which, in my opinion is NOT bad. Perhaps in my next round of travel planning, I need to go solo...which I totally wouldn't mind. I could use a break from home life for awhile. We'll see.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Europe...thrice in 6 months?!? WHAT?!?
Yes, it's true. I am the queen of spontaneous travel decisions. Just before we left for Norway, I found a steal on tickets to London during Christmas....so, naturally, I convinced Robert that it would be our Christmas gift to each other to fly to London from Christmas Eve to New Year's Eve. I'm looking forward to that trip (which is right around the corner...gee does time fly!).
Of course, with my never-ending wanderlust, upon my return from Norway, I was already on Norwegian Air's website scouring the low fare calendar and I found a really cheap round trip ticket to Paris for a weekend at the end of January. The only downside is that it leaves out of & returns to Fort Lauderdale, which is about 2 1/2 hours further than my preferred home airport in Orlando, but if it means a weekend in Paris, I'll make the drive. Robert hasn't decided whether he will be able to go due to his work schedule, but if he can't I've made the executive decision to go solo.
Speaking of Norwegian Air...they are AWESOME! I was a little hesitant about using a budget airline for a long-haul flight, but after our trip to Norway, I can confidently say that my fears were unfounded. The flights each way were comfortable and pleasant. I decided to be cheap (and quite practical, really) and not check any luggage for our Norway trip. So Samantha & I successfully spent a week in Norway with only a carry-on bag. It was honestly one of the best decisions I've ever made. Not only did this decision save us money, but it also helped us avoid overpacking and lost luggage troubles when we arrived at each destination. The verdict is in, so don't hesitate to book your travels with Norwegian. There is a reason they've been voted Best Low-Cost European Airline in 2016.
Of course, with my never-ending wanderlust, upon my return from Norway, I was already on Norwegian Air's website scouring the low fare calendar and I found a really cheap round trip ticket to Paris for a weekend at the end of January. The only downside is that it leaves out of & returns to Fort Lauderdale, which is about 2 1/2 hours further than my preferred home airport in Orlando, but if it means a weekend in Paris, I'll make the drive. Robert hasn't decided whether he will be able to go due to his work schedule, but if he can't I've made the executive decision to go solo.
Speaking of Norwegian Air...they are AWESOME! I was a little hesitant about using a budget airline for a long-haul flight, but after our trip to Norway, I can confidently say that my fears were unfounded. The flights each way were comfortable and pleasant. I decided to be cheap (and quite practical, really) and not check any luggage for our Norway trip. So Samantha & I successfully spent a week in Norway with only a carry-on bag. It was honestly one of the best decisions I've ever made. Not only did this decision save us money, but it also helped us avoid overpacking and lost luggage troubles when we arrived at each destination. The verdict is in, so don't hesitate to book your travels with Norwegian. There is a reason they've been voted Best Low-Cost European Airline in 2016.
Monday, September 19, 2016
Wanderlust
Good Monday Morning!
I am back now from my amazing trip to Norway. Samantha & I had a blast trekking through Oslo, the fjords, hiking a glacier and chasing the Northern Lights in the Arctic. What an amazing trip! As I sit in my office this morning, I can't help but wish that I had woken up to a train ride into my comfortable office in Oslo or Bergen. I really loved Norway THAT much. To my surprise, I find myself willing to live under a Socialist government (instead of the familiar capitalist government of my homeland) just to increase my quality of life. The Norwegian people seem so much happier and so much less stressed. Of course, I would be too, if this were my backyard:
Of course, as is normal after all of my travels, I find myself wishing that I was more physically active so that I could accomplish more sightseeing. Therefore, I have set a goal for myself to go back to Norway and hike Nigardsbreen again and actually finish it. (It was MUCH harder than it looked...especially as a fat, somewhat disabled, sedentary American). I'm so proud of Samantha for making it to the top and taking some amazing pictures. I'm giving myself 24 months to do it. I know that with a lot of hard work and dedication, I WILL do it.
As an even bigger goal, I've also set my sights on an even bigger achievement....EVEREST. I know that my body will probably never allow me to summit the beast, but I CAN (and plan to) train to trek to Everest Base Camp, which according to our Northern Lights guide, Andrei, is no small feat. Everest Base Camp is now at the top of my bucket list. I'm giving myself 10 years to check it off the list.
Of course, I still also have the Mongol Rally on my bucket list, as well. Now, I just need to figure out how to fund these dreams. I'm working on it. For the Mongol Rally, I'm giving myself 5 years to do it. I think that's a fairly reasonable about of time to accomplish (and fund) such an incredible journey.
I am back now from my amazing trip to Norway. Samantha & I had a blast trekking through Oslo, the fjords, hiking a glacier and chasing the Northern Lights in the Arctic. What an amazing trip! As I sit in my office this morning, I can't help but wish that I had woken up to a train ride into my comfortable office in Oslo or Bergen. I really loved Norway THAT much. To my surprise, I find myself willing to live under a Socialist government (instead of the familiar capitalist government of my homeland) just to increase my quality of life. The Norwegian people seem so much happier and so much less stressed. Of course, I would be too, if this were my backyard:
Of course, as is normal after all of my travels, I find myself wishing that I was more physically active so that I could accomplish more sightseeing. Therefore, I have set a goal for myself to go back to Norway and hike Nigardsbreen again and actually finish it. (It was MUCH harder than it looked...especially as a fat, somewhat disabled, sedentary American). I'm so proud of Samantha for making it to the top and taking some amazing pictures. I'm giving myself 24 months to do it. I know that with a lot of hard work and dedication, I WILL do it.
As an even bigger goal, I've also set my sights on an even bigger achievement....EVEREST. I know that my body will probably never allow me to summit the beast, but I CAN (and plan to) train to trek to Everest Base Camp, which according to our Northern Lights guide, Andrei, is no small feat. Everest Base Camp is now at the top of my bucket list. I'm giving myself 10 years to check it off the list.
Of course, I still also have the Mongol Rally on my bucket list, as well. Now, I just need to figure out how to fund these dreams. I'm working on it. For the Mongol Rally, I'm giving myself 5 years to do it. I think that's a fairly reasonable about of time to accomplish (and fund) such an incredible journey.
Friday, May 20, 2016
Intentional Change
Being a "digital nomad" is a popular term that many people in the online community promote as being the product of "living the dream". For those of us stuck in the daily grind of the 9-5, it is a dream that truly feels unreachable. I never thought that I would ever want to do anything but work for someone else...but my whole worldview shifted a few years ago after reading The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss.
Since reading that book, I have had a certain wanderlust for travel and adventure and entrepreneurship. My biggest obstacles in satisfying my wanderlust has been 2 things: 1) My huge amount of student loan debt and 2) Fear. I'm hoping that starting this blog will give me the kick in the ass I need to start pursuing my dream of becoming a digital nomad. Even though the travel of such a lifestyle sounds exciting, I'm more intrigued by the idea of being self-sufficient & free from the 9-5 grind.
A lot of the "gurus" say that in order to be able to break free from the 9-5 and become a true digital nomad, or "Coconut Cowboy", you need to identify areas of pain for your targeted client base, offer a solution to the pain, and build your business offering triage services for that pain.
Someone posted on a digital nomad forum the following suggestion to a law school grad looking to set up shop remotely doing estate/tax/financial planning:
You know, that's not a bad suggestion. I think I will file that away as food for thought as I begin to really start to seriously consider the life of a Coconut Cowgirl. Another, related thread, found here, also expanded this idea of a need for people who can set up the right corporate structure for those who are pursuing the location independent lifestyle.
I don't want to entirely give up on the law, but I also don't want to be chained to a courtroom, either. I think it's time for me to branch out and explore new horizons using the skill set I have. For right now, it is just a thought/dream, but I am going to keep blogging about my goal of being location independent.
I have a bit of a disadvantage to others who have chased the location independent dream... I'm a lot older than most of them. But I also have a significant advantage over those who have gone before me: I'm a lot older than those (and therefore have significantly more life experience than the fresh college graduate trying to hide from the real world). I also have a family and have done my share of "settling down" already, so I can sustain a life of a nomad easier than those who are young and seeking connection and "roots". I figure that I have about 7 years before my kids are grown and out of the house. So I'm giving myself a timeline of that long, to get on the digital nomad horse and ride off into the sunset of a series mini-retirements.
Since reading that book, I have had a certain wanderlust for travel and adventure and entrepreneurship. My biggest obstacles in satisfying my wanderlust has been 2 things: 1) My huge amount of student loan debt and 2) Fear. I'm hoping that starting this blog will give me the kick in the ass I need to start pursuing my dream of becoming a digital nomad. Even though the travel of such a lifestyle sounds exciting, I'm more intrigued by the idea of being self-sufficient & free from the 9-5 grind.
A lot of the "gurus" say that in order to be able to break free from the 9-5 and become a true digital nomad, or "Coconut Cowboy", you need to identify areas of pain for your targeted client base, offer a solution to the pain, and build your business offering triage services for that pain.
Someone posted on a digital nomad forum the following suggestion to a law school grad looking to set up shop remotely doing estate/tax/financial planning:
"Want to make a killing? Set up a consultancy for international setups for digital nomads from around the world.
In detail: How can a citizen of country W with business type X set up shop in country Y with banking in Z. Something to that tune.
How can I, as a French citizen, set up shop for my SaaS business targeted towards the US market? Where should I do that? How can I get a merchant account at a trusted bank?
Start with the US market, as this would be easier to study for you. Study everything about legal structures, different types of incorporation strategies, banking, taxation, which payment processors accept which business with which bank account in which country etc. etc..."
You know, that's not a bad suggestion. I think I will file that away as food for thought as I begin to really start to seriously consider the life of a Coconut Cowgirl. Another, related thread, found here, also expanded this idea of a need for people who can set up the right corporate structure for those who are pursuing the location independent lifestyle.
I don't want to entirely give up on the law, but I also don't want to be chained to a courtroom, either. I think it's time for me to branch out and explore new horizons using the skill set I have. For right now, it is just a thought/dream, but I am going to keep blogging about my goal of being location independent.
I have a bit of a disadvantage to others who have chased the location independent dream... I'm a lot older than most of them. But I also have a significant advantage over those who have gone before me: I'm a lot older than those (and therefore have significantly more life experience than the fresh college graduate trying to hide from the real world). I also have a family and have done my share of "settling down" already, so I can sustain a life of a nomad easier than those who are young and seeking connection and "roots". I figure that I have about 7 years before my kids are grown and out of the house. So I'm giving myself a timeline of that long, to get on the digital nomad horse and ride off into the sunset of a series mini-retirements.
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