Dreaming and planning are beautiful and important. But the difference is the decision you make and the first steps you take. Especially if you want or need to travel and work alone.
Many people dream their life and do not live their dream.
Which is a pity, because then they would be much happier and satisfied and this planet would be a better place.
Traveling and working alone was not my dream. I preferred to tackle it together with a partner. But it came, as so often in life everything different.
My starting point - to travel and work alone
Being alone on the road far from familiar surroundings is certainly not everyone's cup of tea. Many are put off by it, although they may flirt with it. Friends and relatives point out the dangers that could lurk anywhere. Some are then deterred and give up their dream of freedom, others are undecided and wait. As I did for over 2 years, because I was also afraid and didn't know what was coming. I would have loved to be on the road with a partner. My wife at the time didn't want to and my later girlfriend had other plans. But to give up my dream because of that? No way!
And as it often happens in life, the universe helped me. The landlady of the finca in Mallorca wanted to increase the rent by 1/3, which was no longer affordable for me. My girlfriend wanted to spend less time on the island and so I decided not to look for another place to stay on the island, but to dare the step to go alone and no longer be sedentary and work remotely. Complementing this was the fact that due to the p(l)andemie, my clients were switching to online meetings. So the timing was perfect for me.
I had to give up my indecision and make a decision.
So I made the decision to travel and work on my own
So I started to Ipack -unbelievable how much stuff accumulates in 14 years in a big house - find storage and move out. I found a large dry garage, paid for a year in advance and cleared it full.
Since I already owned my mobile home, I unceremoniously moved into it. A large part of the clothes, important books, work equipment such as laptop etc., sports stuff I packed in the camper.
To this day I don't miss the stored things and even what I took into the RV is still too much. Especially way too many clothes.
Off we went into the new phase of life. It was a mixture of anticipation, excitement and fears, that is, existential fears. Yes, I also sometimes have fears and doubts, but I do not let them control me. They stop me only very briefly and then I continue. Always trusting that it is good or will be good.
My first weeks traveling and working alone
In the beginning, I stayed in familiar surroundings, i.e. in my old home country, and concentrated on my work as an executive coach and business trainer.
I stayed with my camper at my aunt's house in the north of Austria. She was very happy, because she lives alone. And I was able to help her a lot: go shopping with her since she doesn't have a car, chop wood for the coming winter, mow the lawn, cook for her and just keep her company.
omehow it was like pitching in and eating against hand.
kept taking smaller trips for 3 to 5 days, visiting friends and going bow shooting. I had a great time. And I think living stationary in an RV and possibly working analog has its charms too. But I was drawn to the south.
And then I traveled south alone
It wasn't until almost 4 months later that I went on a trip to the south. This also had to do with the fact that I wanted to go to France with my girlfriend for 3 weeks and she didn't have time earlier.
But after the 3 weeks I was on my own. I love challenges and like to leave my comfort zone to discover and learn new things. But this time I was a bit unsure. Alone with the big camper, alone the responsibility for dog and cat, which are yes with.
So I rethought my itinerary and decided on a country whose language - Spanish - was familiar to me. That gave me security.
That is, it helped me a lot to start this step in my familiar surroundings, to see how I was doing. To find out what it takes to feel comfortable with my new way of life.
And every day it got better, I felt more comfortable and could and can enjoy it.
I made myself an itinerary, with places and sights I wanted to visit. However, I didn't have a rigid schedule.
I crisscrossed Spain and Portugal and enjoyed it very much. Again and again I stayed longer than planned in some places. It was good to stay a few days or 2 weeks in the same place. I didn't feel so driven, met new people, and felt more consistency.
But after a while I moved on again. Felt strengthened and ready for something new.
My summary after 8 months of traveling and working alone
My conclusion: Face your own fears - not the fears of well-meaning friends and family - and keep pursuing your dream. Because in the end, you only regret what you didn't try.
And you grow with your challenges every day.
Postscript: Originally I had planned to live and work in a camper for about 1 year. In the meantime, I have decided to make it longer and have already agreed with the landlord of the garage that I extend at least one year.
