As an English literature major and former English teacher, Evan loves a good oxymoron. But there’s more to it than that. Let’s work backwards.
While the more common definition of “nomad” is someone who does not have a fixed residence, there is another definition that refers to someone who roams about. We have a fixed residence, but many people in our lives would agree that we have been “roaming about” since we graduated from college. A summer in Vermont, a few months back with each of our parents, half a year in Uganda, a summer in Mississippi (for Evan) and Massachusetts (for Sarah), and the past seven years in Arkansas that has included countless trips throughout the country. We do not like feeling tied down and we love being able to say yes to adventures, both big and small. In many ways, we aspire to be nomadic and see as much of the world as possible.
That being said, we are deeply rooted people. We love living in a small town and being involved in our community. That was the primary reason we stayed in one place for the past seven years. We also have a tendency to build strong relationships that make moving very hard. This was the case in high school and college, and then it was certainly true living in both Uganda and Arkansas as well. The really tricky part though is that we also feel rooted in the northeast where the majority of our family and old friends live. There is a constant pull to be there, which is why we chose to move to Massachusetts in 2019. We know our ties to this region are too strong for us to ever be true “nomads.” We are rooted in our families, our friends, and our communities, and we wouldn’t want that to change.
While our name seems contradictory, it rings quite true for us. If there’s any part of it that strikes a chord with you, we hope you’ll look around our site and connect with us about your own families and adventures!
Travel tips and stories, from average people working traditional jobs, that are meant to advise and inspire families who want to live more intentionally and make their family travel dreams a reality.
The first reason is that travel is incredibly important to us. We value it more than any material possessions, and we spend an immense amount of time thinking about how to travel more frequently. This blog is a way for us to capture travel moments, big and small, so they can be preserved in our own memory. It is a journal that can transport us to a different place and time whenever we want.
The second reason is that we believe in the power of gratitude. Both professional research and our own experience has taught us that practicing gratitude makes you happier. By recording our travel experiences, and especially our favorite moments within them, we not only relive the memories but also feel the gratitude all over again.
We began this blog primarily for ourselves. However, we do hope there might be value in it for others as well. So, the third reason we created this site is for YOU! Almost every traveler I follow, via Instagram or YouTube or blogs, travels full-time. Most are social media ambassadors. Most have location-independent jobs. While they all inspire us and we are happy to support their work, we feel like there isn’t as much representation for more typical families: people with children who work full-time stationary jobs, live in permanent homes, and still want to infuse their lives with travel experiences whenever possible. Because of this, we wanted to record our personal “journal” of sorts in a public place where others could perhaps gain inspiration.
We would love to hear from you if you have any feedback, questions, or comments!