I'm 6 years into retirement, and the idea that nothing settles down sure rings true. Life has continued to shift. I pride myself in being a lifelong learner, and it is how I keep my sanity and focus, so I'm always looking for new ideas or replaying old ones. Nothing about this time in my life is what I thought it would be, and I'm both sad and happy about that.
What a lovely sentence… and I agree, nothing in my life is what I thought it would be and I too and both delighted and sad… thank you for sharing your thoughts here Barbara 🤍
Thanks for sharing this lovely piece, very affirming as I'm getting ready to begin my nomadic life. Aurelius' Meditations is one of my favourite books!
I think this 'second life' concept hits us all at different times. It's often couched as a 'mid-life crisis' and dismissed as such. But for me, it's simply about awareness. I got comfortable in my suburban life of predictability, manicured lawns, and polite neighbors. But it's never brought me joy.
The only thing that HAS is when I'm on the water. So my family is figuring how to navigate a shift to boat-life with 2 large dogs, a senior in highschool, a mortgage, and all the trappings of regular life. It's not going to happen overnight, but it WILL happen. And I can't wait :)
Marvelous reflection - I especially liked the quote “attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” That is so true. Time is so precious and when you give it, with full attention, it touches the heart.
Thank you for your reply. I understand your predicament better now. European bureaucracy as it is today was not so restrictive in the seventies when I began my nomadic life. Your US nationality is also a difficulty. Obstacles to your dreams that serve no useful purpose.
We could speculate forever why restrictions have become so severe. I suspect it's a form of social control restricting migration from anywhere.
I sincerely hope the barriers will be lifted for you soon, and your dreams can find the space and freedom you long for. Time and bureaucracy are our greatest enemies. I managed to avoid the former but was defeated by the latter.
I send my love and hopes for your future life travels.
Yes, it is challenging doing it the way we are by obtaining the Visa in one country first as a way of making future travel easier, but it’s taking longer than we thought due to ever changing immigration policies. We could travel in a different way by moving in and out of different countries constantly and keeping track of the number of days we are there to not avoid overstaying but we want unrestricted travel…
Fingers crossed. Thank you as always for your thoughtful comments. I guess we all eventually get defeated by time so here’s to making the most of everyday 🙌🏻
I hestiate to write this because I love your writing. So please forgive me in advance.
The nomadic life to which you asplre is somewhat different to the life you seem to live in Maderia. You have it seems simply swopped a similar existence in the US to one rather similar in Maderia.
Giving ùp material possessions is only a first step to living as a nomad.
Nomadic life is a deeply spiritual way to live, it invoves movement and wandering without àny sense of direction or any sense of purpose. Very few of us humans can contemplate that. I learned how over forty years. Even then I was only an apprentice to that way of life. Eventually I had to give it up because of frailty and old age. My lifetime regret is that I should have started sooner.
Hi Logan, thank you for your comment and I can understand the confusion! We are currently in limbo unable to travel yet due to Visa backlog issues for the family reunification visa for my husband which we have waited for almost two years. This was not the plan that it would take this long and we are still waiting… to travel now risks being kicked out of the country and our attorneys have advised no travel at all ( not out of Portugal) until the Visa is in hand. So, we are currently unable to continue our adventure until this is resolved. I don’t write about that part because so many complain about the system. We are waiting patiently until the gates open so to speak that allows the unrestricted travel we long for and be truly nomadic. For now, we have our apartment which is required to obtain the permit that will allow the freedom of movement (ironically) that we will hopefully engage in. That was the dream, and are stuck in the middle at the moment. :)
I love this piece and I love the way you write. I am infinitely pleased that you chose to write rather than continue with instagram reels because I would not have found you 🥰.
I wonder how many women reach midlife and realize they weren't waiting for courage. They were waiting for permission. The two feel surprisingly similar until one day you notice nobody is actually standing in the way.
This SO resonated with me Jada. At 74, I feel I really should have been braver and trusted my instincts to have faith in myself and my abilities. I was always nervous that 'they' would find out that I was a fraud. Even on the day I retired, those were my thoughts. Of course they didn't find out because I was not! What a waste worrying about what others may think. Definitely relishing every day now!
Julia, thank you for sharing. I think we all think about feeling like a fraud at some points in our lives… such a common feeling. Living with complete peace with who we are is such a blessing isn’t it?! 🤍
We have two lives, not one. And knowing that makes the first life more... full. That's an interesting perspective. This idea you have proposed reminds me of something my guides have always said. They said, "Live your highest excitement... everyday. Doing so will bring you great joy and peace." This article is a wonderful example of how you found your true self, in places called Maderia and Ireland.
What surprised me about writing is that it feels both private and deeply exposing at the same time. After years of communicating through presentations, meetings, and professional roles, writing asks a different question: What do you really think when the title and expectations fall away?
I also appreciate what you said about craving the deep waters. The older I get, the less interested I am in performing and the more interested I am in meaningful conversations and genuine connection.
Your posts always inspire me. And it’s so funny, cause I want to stay away from the internet more. But the stories and pictures I see on substack are so nice. So I find myself scrolling again…🙄
Anyway, I have a question: do you think you would have taken the step to leave everything and become a nomad if you were single? Kind regards, Helma
That’s a great question Helma. I am not sure honestly. I would like to think I would have the courage still but I also know how much I like having someone along for the journey. Thank you for your kind words and questions. What are your thoughts?
Hi Jada, I've been thinking about that quote from the Mary Oliver poem this week and I definitely live 'with death in mind'. My husband was a very good club cyclist as a young man and the only thing he was sad about selling when we moved onto the boat was his road bike. Now we're based in a marina and not always out on the canal, he's been thinking about getting another one. He's been reluctant to buy the bike he'd really love because it's expensive, but I said at 74, he might have this bike forever and to just have exactly what he'd love. Life is short, just do the thing! Have a great week 😎💛
Yes! Get the bike he loves! I built my dream road bike almost 10 years ago and it’s the one possession we brought with us. Do the thing. 🤍. Have a great weekend 💫
This is beautiful, and selling your stuff is a whole other layer to it all. It's easy to read the quotes and like the concepts, but actually taking action and doing something like what you are doing is really rare.
Thank you for this read, a gentle reminder to live fully however that may look, different to yours is ok and vice versa. Courage - that’s what this gives me and permission.
I'm 6 years into retirement, and the idea that nothing settles down sure rings true. Life has continued to shift. I pride myself in being a lifelong learner, and it is how I keep my sanity and focus, so I'm always looking for new ideas or replaying old ones. Nothing about this time in my life is what I thought it would be, and I'm both sad and happy about that.
What a lovely sentence… and I agree, nothing in my life is what I thought it would be and I too and both delighted and sad… thank you for sharing your thoughts here Barbara 🤍
"I think most of us at some point in our lives are terrified of being fully seen. And yet, isn’t that the thing we want most?"
Oof. I fly hard and fast between *give me the mic* and *get off my porch* these days. Fully seen asks a lot of the ego, and the energy.
Thanks for sharing this lovely piece, very affirming as I'm getting ready to begin my nomadic life. Aurelius' Meditations is one of my favourite books!
I think this 'second life' concept hits us all at different times. It's often couched as a 'mid-life crisis' and dismissed as such. But for me, it's simply about awareness. I got comfortable in my suburban life of predictability, manicured lawns, and polite neighbors. But it's never brought me joy.
The only thing that HAS is when I'm on the water. So my family is figuring how to navigate a shift to boat-life with 2 large dogs, a senior in highschool, a mortgage, and all the trappings of regular life. It's not going to happen overnight, but it WILL happen. And I can't wait :)
Marvelous reflection - I especially liked the quote “attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” That is so true. Time is so precious and when you give it, with full attention, it touches the heart.
Thank you for your reply. I understand your predicament better now. European bureaucracy as it is today was not so restrictive in the seventies when I began my nomadic life. Your US nationality is also a difficulty. Obstacles to your dreams that serve no useful purpose.
We could speculate forever why restrictions have become so severe. I suspect it's a form of social control restricting migration from anywhere.
I sincerely hope the barriers will be lifted for you soon, and your dreams can find the space and freedom you long for. Time and bureaucracy are our greatest enemies. I managed to avoid the former but was defeated by the latter.
I send my love and hopes for your future life travels.
Yes, it is challenging doing it the way we are by obtaining the Visa in one country first as a way of making future travel easier, but it’s taking longer than we thought due to ever changing immigration policies. We could travel in a different way by moving in and out of different countries constantly and keeping track of the number of days we are there to not avoid overstaying but we want unrestricted travel…
Fingers crossed. Thank you as always for your thoughtful comments. I guess we all eventually get defeated by time so here’s to making the most of everyday 🙌🏻
I hestiate to write this because I love your writing. So please forgive me in advance.
The nomadic life to which you asplre is somewhat different to the life you seem to live in Maderia. You have it seems simply swopped a similar existence in the US to one rather similar in Maderia.
Giving ùp material possessions is only a first step to living as a nomad.
Nomadic life is a deeply spiritual way to live, it invoves movement and wandering without àny sense of direction or any sense of purpose. Very few of us humans can contemplate that. I learned how over forty years. Even then I was only an apprentice to that way of life. Eventually I had to give it up because of frailty and old age. My lifetime regret is that I should have started sooner.
Do not waste a second.
Hi Logan, thank you for your comment and I can understand the confusion! We are currently in limbo unable to travel yet due to Visa backlog issues for the family reunification visa for my husband which we have waited for almost two years. This was not the plan that it would take this long and we are still waiting… to travel now risks being kicked out of the country and our attorneys have advised no travel at all ( not out of Portugal) until the Visa is in hand. So, we are currently unable to continue our adventure until this is resolved. I don’t write about that part because so many complain about the system. We are waiting patiently until the gates open so to speak that allows the unrestricted travel we long for and be truly nomadic. For now, we have our apartment which is required to obtain the permit that will allow the freedom of movement (ironically) that we will hopefully engage in. That was the dream, and are stuck in the middle at the moment. :)
I love this piece and I love the way you write. I am infinitely pleased that you chose to write rather than continue with instagram reels because I would not have found you 🥰.
Thank you Melanie! 🤍
I wonder how many women reach midlife and realize they weren't waiting for courage. They were waiting for permission. The two feel surprisingly similar until one day you notice nobody is actually standing in the way.
That’s so true. I needed someone to give me permission.. a decade ago. It’s an imaginary limitation we create ourselves.
This SO resonated with me Jada. At 74, I feel I really should have been braver and trusted my instincts to have faith in myself and my abilities. I was always nervous that 'they' would find out that I was a fraud. Even on the day I retired, those were my thoughts. Of course they didn't find out because I was not! What a waste worrying about what others may think. Definitely relishing every day now!
Julia, thank you for sharing. I think we all think about feeling like a fraud at some points in our lives… such a common feeling. Living with complete peace with who we are is such a blessing isn’t it?! 🤍
It certainly is 🌸
We have two lives, not one. And knowing that makes the first life more... full. That's an interesting perspective. This idea you have proposed reminds me of something my guides have always said. They said, "Live your highest excitement... everyday. Doing so will bring you great joy and peace." This article is a wonderful example of how you found your true self, in places called Maderia and Ireland.
I love that idea of “living your highest excitement everyday”. That’s so beautiful
This resonated with me.
What surprised me about writing is that it feels both private and deeply exposing at the same time. After years of communicating through presentations, meetings, and professional roles, writing asks a different question: What do you really think when the title and expectations fall away?
I also appreciate what you said about craving the deep waters. The older I get, the less interested I am in performing and the more interested I am in meaningful conversations and genuine connection.
Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you so much for such a thoughtful comment. I really appreciate your sharing your own experience with shifting roles 🤍.
Here’s your swimming in the deep waters in life 💫
Thank you. 🙏
I have a feeling the deep waters are where the most interesting conversations and discoveries happen.
I’m grateful our paths crossed here on Substack.
Dear Jada,
Your posts always inspire me. And it’s so funny, cause I want to stay away from the internet more. But the stories and pictures I see on substack are so nice. So I find myself scrolling again…🙄
Anyway, I have a question: do you think you would have taken the step to leave everything and become a nomad if you were single? Kind regards, Helma
That’s a great question Helma. I am not sure honestly. I would like to think I would have the courage still but I also know how much I like having someone along for the journey. Thank you for your kind words and questions. What are your thoughts?
Hey Jada,
I honestly don’t know 🤷🏼♀️.
Sometimes it does feel tiring 🤔to have to figure things out by myself. On the other side I don’t have to compromise 😉, it’s my way.
We’ll see what happens next.
Helma 🤗
Hi Jada, I've been thinking about that quote from the Mary Oliver poem this week and I definitely live 'with death in mind'. My husband was a very good club cyclist as a young man and the only thing he was sad about selling when we moved onto the boat was his road bike. Now we're based in a marina and not always out on the canal, he's been thinking about getting another one. He's been reluctant to buy the bike he'd really love because it's expensive, but I said at 74, he might have this bike forever and to just have exactly what he'd love. Life is short, just do the thing! Have a great week 😎💛
Yes! Get the bike he loves! I built my dream road bike almost 10 years ago and it’s the one possession we brought with us. Do the thing. 🤍. Have a great weekend 💫
This is beautiful, and selling your stuff is a whole other layer to it all. It's easy to read the quotes and like the concepts, but actually taking action and doing something like what you are doing is really rare.
Thank you for your kind comment Lauren. I think all of us can be frozen at different points in life for sure.
Thank you for this read, a gentle reminder to live fully however that may look, different to yours is ok and vice versa. Courage - that’s what this gives me and permission.
Love this comment and yes absolutely, everyone’s dreams and ways of living their one life is unique and different! 🤍. Here’s to courage 💫