Home sweet home. Not. Photo gilched from That Canadian Grrl
Mr. Gnome and I just purchased our first home.
It’s beautiful, just what we wanted: a great deal on a well-built house in a nice neighborhood. (Bonus: A gorgeous view of the Blue Ridge mountains.)
Somehow, though, as I sat in the title company’s conference room closing on the house, dog leash in one hand, pen-on-deed in another, I felt like I was cheating on my wanderlust.
Despite the fact that we’ll save money month-to-month (even excluding the 8k, first-time homebuyer kickback and projected return on investment), it made my inner backpacker widen her eyes in alarm and lament scream, “Now you’ll never travel again!”
Of course, this is ridiculous.
Even worse than ridiculous, it’s just my fear-hungry inner lizard that worries about basic needs and comforts.
But still, why does being a travel junkie and a home-owner have to feel mutually exclusive? It’s similar to the conversation about what it means to be a traveler. Some people quit their jobs to travel, some work/study abroad, some work at home and travel when they can.
In my opinion, it’s all good.
I sometimes have the image in my head of being some wanderer-hippie chick super long hair, a penchant for cheap hostels, and a desire to live as meagerly as possible with all of my possessions squished in a backpack.
But, I know my most authentic self is a little different.
I’m the gal who loves lazily wandering around the world, sharing beers with new friends and old, catching good tunes, playing piano for hours at a time, writing about the world and change, volunteering…and is secretly thrilled to pick out paint colors and hunt for cheap mid-century furniture.
Shhhh.
I have no intention to stop traveling. In fact, I know I won’t stop traveling.
As cliche as it may be, I’ve just learned over the years it’s about what makes you happy. Or “whatever works” as Larry David’s misanthropic character grunts in Woody Allen’s latest film.
I may not be the *cool* traveler, but here I am: a travel-obsessed chick composing songs for the pitbull sitting next to her Eames-era coffee table.
What do you think?
Have any of you felt the adventurer/abode dilemma?
Congrats, Nancy! My wife and I hope to be joining your ranks soon. Let’s prove that chronic travelers can be homeowners too.
Wow congratulations Nancy, that’s so exciting!
I don’t think they are mutually exclusive. Buying a home is a great investment which will hopefully put you in a better situation to travel.
I am definitely on the opposite end of the spectrum, living at home with my mother and saving every penny to travel. No husband, no puppies. Yes it’s exciting to be so free, but I can absolutely see the appeal in having a home base to return to. I think that will become more true as the years go on.
In the end you’ve just got to be true to you, and if being a homeowner is part of that, more power to you.
I’ve always said that I am two people vying for control. One of them wants to be a photojournalist for a small town newspaper, live in a nice house with some land, and quietly work on slowly building a biplane in a barn out back. The other one wants to be a photojournalist for National Geographic, to be truly nomadic, and to have as few obligations as possible.
I suspect that both will be the case, eventually. Maybe one day I’ll be that wacky photojournalist for a small-town paper that used to work for Nat Geo and travel the world.
I too, sometimes feel that I am betraying my fellow travelers by not being 100% into the backpacking lifestyle, but as you said, that’s not the authentic me. Sure, I love to travel. I love to be abroad for months at a time. But, I also love my cats. I love being a historical reenactor. I enjoy restoring my vintage motorcycle and slowly working on my private pilot’s license. I can’t do those things if I’m truly nomadic, and so I choose to sort of be nomadic in bursts, with some down-time in between.
You could always rent out your house when you travel!
Congratulations Nancy! My hubby and I are the proud owners of our home two years this coming May. I understand how it can feel like you’re locking yourself down, but we actually really enjoy it. We think of it as our home base – a place that will always be here when we travel. For us it was an investment, and we’ll probably continue to keep it and rent it out even if we do move abroad at some point in the future.
Have fun picking out the paint colors! It’s your space … so make it what you want!
Congratulations! Envy the Blue Ridge view (I live down on the plains outside Raleigh). I already had a house when I started traveling, which I didn’t do until after I took early retirement. i still have the house, despite spending a lot of time out of it – thanks to good friends who keep an eye on it for me when I’m gone. Renting is a good idea if you have a mortgage, though.
I have to admit that owning a house scares the shit out of me – but damn if I had bought that condo in Park City 8 years ago I would have quite the investment now. I really like to put all my crap in storage when I travel so I don’t have to pay any rent/mortgage. Just don’t spend all your money and/or time working on your house and you will be fine
I just actually sold the last remaining major possession I had (my car) and this new path your on with the house would freak me out – I fulfill my inner home decorating geek by helping friends decorate. That being said though, with your spirit I look forward to watching how you keep up the backpacker inside while running your new home. Congrats on that! It’s like a new adventure – not better than backpacking but totally different
For me, the ideal way to travel is just what you now have the opportunity to do! I’m so jealous of you
Having my own house (that I own..) to live in half the year, then rent it out the other half and go travelling… that’s a dream!!
So congrats with your new house!
Nancy, congratulations on your new home! I don’t think you should worry much. No matter how much you travel you always need to go home at the end of the day. If anything, think of it as the headquarters to your operations
Also I absolutely love mid-century furniture! And when you think about it, it works perfectly – you can travel and pick up bits and bobs for the house, pick ideas from traditional designs around the world, and so on, making your a part of your travels.
*the last line was supposed to read – making your home a part of your travels.
HOLY, what a week for you! New house + Masters! CONGRATS! And I am EXACTLY LIKE YOU. And Kelsey. And everyone else. I need two different lives to do everything I want. I am absolutely dying to buy a house, knock down some walls, paint everything in rich colours and decorate the shit out of it. But I also want to live entirely on the road.
You CAN do both! Well, I can’t. Cuz I’m broke. But I would if I could.
Candice – perhaps, like me, you can do one and then the other.
@Hal-Thanks! I’m ready to prove it, especially after hearing all the encouragement.
@Stephanie-Thanks for your thoughtful response. You’re so right about everything you said. Having the house as an investment to allow more travel in the future was a big reason we made the decision.
@Kelsey-You sound like me! I have both the homebody and nomadic spirit. All of your activities are so fascinating!
@Abbie-Great point Abbie. That’s definitely in the back of my mind.
@JoAnna-That’s so relieving to hear about you and your husband. So relieving. I love the idea of a home base for travel. And hopefully the investment will set us up for more travel in the future. And believe me, I’m have a blast picking out paint colors.
@Mytimetotravel-Thanks fellow North Carolinian.
Renting is definitely an option. Glad to meet another homeowner/traveler out there!
@Amiee-I know that scared feeling well. lol. That’s fantastic that you can put all your stuff into storage when you travel. Hopefully this house will be a good investment for more traveling.
@Shannon-I like that: thinking of it as a new adventure.
I’m going to try to prove homeowners can still be world explorers. JoAnna Haugen is a great example!
@Sofia-Thanks! I do feel very thankful for the house and ability to travel…I think, especially hearing from you awesome travel bloggers, this is the ideal situation for the type of person I am.
@Neha-Love that you love mid-century furniture. It does work perfectly that we can pick up bits and bobs for the house. We’ve already got a small collection going, stuffed in bookshelves around the house. Love this: No matter how much you travel you always need to go home at the end of the day. So true!!
@Candice-I know right! It’s been a crazy cool week. I definitely need two different lives for everything I want to do. One day I’m obsessed with finding a way to go to Indonesia, the next I’m scouring ebay for jonathan adler lamps. My creative side is practically salivating at decorating this space. Glad to hear you think I can do both. You can do it too, or one after the other as Kelsey says.
Congrats on this next big step!
As you know, the “cool” traveler doesn’t exist as everyone’s life path is certainly different and should not be compared.
Who says you can’t have it all? I too own a home (currently renting it out) and I fully understand the feeling when I first walked in and fell head over heels for it.
Everything comes to a pass at the point of travel, converging to a starting point.
From there on, as the journey stretches ahead, the travel matters, not the traveller, nor the means employed on the travels.
@Lola-You’re so right. The “cool” traveler doesn’t exist. And if someone identifies himself as one…he’s probably far from cool. lol. Glad to hear you’re also a homeowner. Thanks for the congrats!
@Anil-so true. The travel is what matters.
Awesome, Nancy! The two aren’t mutually exclusive; I think people just tend to think of them as opposing because it’s rare that young travelers can afford to buy a house — it’s one or the other. If you are able you do both, that’s incredible, and will be such an investment for future travel. Renting it out could even finance your travels–I’m envious. Your masters and your own home — at 25! I’m impressed.
@Simone-wow-thanks so much! And thanks for the encouragement too. Especially after talking with all you guys, I’m excited about it as that investment for future travel.
Wow, that’s impressive! I’m happy that you’ve found your home base. I might consider being in the same boat if I ever could find a place that I feel truly connected to –somewhere I’d like to call home. In the meantime, I’ll keep renting crappy condos and hope that someday I’ll have more than $40 in my wallet.
Congrats Nancy!
There’s no point being a wanderer, if one doesn’t have a place to return to. So, don’t worry yourself over this, and have fun picking out paint colours!
Congrats on the leap! It’s enviable. Travel days gone? Don’t think so- you can always hippie house swap! But seriously, even travelers need a home base to come back to.
Now you can just trade your house for another while you’re traveling! Loads of new opportunities have just opened up for you.
So excited for you!
@Sarah-Thanks for stopping by and thanks for the warm wishes. It takes a while to find a place that feels right. My husband and I felt like the characters in “Away We Go” for a while, as we shopped around for places to call home base.
@Abhi-Thanks! That’s true that to wander, it’s much sweeter to have a place to return to.
@Grrrrl-Thanks!! I love that: hippie house swap. We’ll definitely be looking into that!
@Julie-Thanks! We’re excited. And you’re right about swapping. For some reason, I wasn’t even thinking about that until recently. And hopefully the investment will just open up more opportunities to travel in the future.
@Nancy ~ We’re painting some accent walls the weekend after next. Care to join us?
@JoAnna-Yes, please! I could actually learn how it before we start painting.
Congrats on the house purchase, at least you have somewhere to send stuff too when you pick up souvenirs now though.
Many a backpacker I have met who have to send stuff to parents for the future houses, I know if I didn’t control my spending I’d be needing an extension on my virtual house now already
@Adventurerob: Thanks! It is great to now have a place that can hold and properly display the souvenirs.