“Do you ever get tired of being a digital nomad? You know, living out of a suitcase, never having a sense of home?” The art of travel would fray around the edges if that were so.

“Are you constantly managing logistics? Always on the move?” I get questions like these since decluttering and pulling up stakes to travel full time—while continuing to work full time.

Happily, none of those circumstances apply. Neither does another stereotype of full time travel. As an online photo search shows, the stock image of the digital nomad is a Millennial with a Laptop at the Beach.

Surfing the Net?

Variations include stock images of the Millennial with a Laptop in a Hammock; silhouetted by a glowing monitor inside a tent; perched cross-legged, but still posting, from a promontory; or typing away at a tiki bar.

In this stock art of travel, the backdrop is always a beach. Because what could be better for a laptop—the equipment on which the digital nomad’s livelihood depends—than prolonged exposure to tanning oil, saltwater spray, and windblown grains of sand?

My day-to-day travel experience couldn’t be farther from that stock image. Let’s coin a new term, an alternative to “digital nomad.” Just call me a vagabond homebody.

Have Apron, Will Travel

What little else I’ve brought takes moments to put away. Each empty drawer or closet, though it might seem alien to others, is to me as inviting as a hand extended in friendship. Once again, a little corner of the world has made room for me and that feels like a kind of miracle.

On the first morning, I check out farmers’ markets and meet local greengrocers. Then, as I begin using the kitchen—be it spacious and connected to a large garden, or merely a two-burner countertop in an urban studio—a sense of home comes over me.

Home Travel Pleasures

Maybe it’s the fragrance of the herbs, the reflections in water drops that cling to leaves of lettuce. Maybe it’s the tactile and auditory pleasures: the satisfying push and thunk of the paring knife prepping rosy, golden, and green vegetables for an evening meal.

Maybe it’s the memories that play like background music for those of us who ponder as we cook. Above all, it’s gratitude in the present moment.

Out and About

Grounded by domestic ritual, I go out to explore, to learn, and above all, to connect with others:

Because sometimes I travel to acclimate to a whole new culture, and sometimes I travel to rediscover the cultures that have shaped me.

What About Work?

This, too, connects me to the everydayness of places. It lets me learn how to use the library in Copenhagen, request printing services in Bulgaria, conduct research at a museum in Athens, or go for an after-work swim in Oslo.

My work centers on writing textbook content, everything from language arts and history to original plays and short stories. This motivates to do something else I love: meet with students and teachers from all over the world.

Our Global Neighborhood

Some neighbors I meet in my travels are new to me, some I’ve known all my life. Each one carries a piece of the world’s puzzle. People of all backgrounds, perspectives, and ages, including millennials. So far I’ve never met a Millennial with a Laptop at the Beach.

In many countries, cafés are for socializing, not filing reports or reading spreadsheets. I usually work from home, whether at a desk in Budapest, a kitchen table in Bend, or a cozy dorm room in Bloomsbury. On those days, the travel pleasures are simple yet rich: the view of a park, the music of a local radio station, a quick jaunt to the nearest library, the wit of a favorite colleague as we confer online.

A Traveling Compass

The countries, neighbors, and customs change. But when I wake up each morning, I always know exactly where I am: I’m home.

Even on airplanes, I’m at home. In-flight, I reflect on memories of my late father, a TWA pilot, and my late mother, whose home cooking reflected her love of travel.

At home in many cultures, Mom and Dad connected the art of travel with everyday domestic pleasures. They showed my siblings and me that a happy childhood is a home you can carry within you wherever you go. They taught us that everyone has a right to feel at home in this world.

No, there’s no need to call me a digital nomad. I’m really just a vagabond homebody.

$\"An$

A recipe for domestic happiness?
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

When the Art of Travel Is Domestic<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u201cDo you ever get tired of being a digital nomad? You know, living out of a suitcase, never having a sense of home?\u201d The art of travel would fray around the edges if that were so.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you constantly managing logistics? Always on the move?”\u00a0I get questions like these since decluttering<\/a> and pulling up stakes to travel full time\u2014while continuing to work full time.<\/p>\n
Happily, none of those circumstances apply. Neither does another stereotype of full time travel. \u00a0As an online photo search shows, the stock image of the digital nomad is a Millennial with a Laptop at the Beach.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
Who needs a laptop when you can monitor nature’s display?
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Surfing the Net?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Variations include stock images of the Millennial with a Laptop in a Hammock; silhouetted by a glowing monitor inside a tent; perched cross-legged, but still posting, from a promontory; or typing away at a tiki bar.<\/p>\n
In this stock art of travel, the backdrop is always a beach. Because what could be better for a laptop\u2014the equipment on which the digital nomad\u2019s livelihood depends\u2014than prolonged exposure to tanning oil, saltwater spray, and windblown grains of sand?<\/p>\n
My day-to-day travel experience couldn\u2019t be farther from that stock image. Let\u2019s coin a new term, an alternative to \u201cdigital nomad.\u201d Just call me a vagabond homebody.<\/p>\n
$\"Cutlery$
Chop wood, carry water, appreciate everyday household objects.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Have Apron, Will Travel <\/strong><\/h4>\n
On arrival in a new place, the first thing I unpack is my apron.<\/p>\n
What little else I\u2019ve brought takes moments to put away. Each empty drawer or closet, though it might seem alien to others, is to me as inviting as a hand extended in friendship. Once again, a little corner of the world has made room for me and that feels like a kind of miracle.<\/p>\n
It will be a month, maybe two, before I need my suitcase again.<\/p>\n
On the first morning, I check out farmers\u2019 markets and meet local greengrocers. Then, as I begin using the kitchen\u2014be it spacious and connected to a large garden, or merely a two-burner countertop in an urban studio\u2014a sense of home comes over me.<\/p>\n
$\"A$
I work in many countries, yet carry a sense of home from place to place.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Home Travel Pleasures<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Maybe it\u2019s the fragrance of the herbs, the reflections in water drops that cling to leaves of lettuce. Maybe it\u2019s the tactile and auditory pleasures: the satisfying push and thunk<\/em> of the paring knife prepping rosy, golden, and green vegetables for an evening meal.<\/p>\n
Maybe it\u2019s the memories that play like background music for those of us who ponder as we cook. \u00a0Above all, it\u2019s gratitude in the present moment.<\/p>\n
$\"Breads$
Bringing home the bacon in Budapest.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Out and About<\/h4>\n
Grounded by domestic ritual, I go out to explore, to learn, and above all, to connect with others:<\/p>\n
\n
To meet new people who inform and challenge me.<\/li>\n
To stay in touch with colleagues, alumni, and friends who inspire me.<\/li>\n
To reconnect with family, near and far. To be there for school plays, graduations, and weddings. For early-morning walks and late-night talks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Because sometimes I travel to acclimate to a whole new culture, and sometimes I travel to rediscover the cultures that have shaped me.<\/p>\n
Oh, I see:<\/strong>\u00a0Travel can be a series of homecomings.<\/p>\n
What About Work? <\/strong><\/h4>\n
Keeping an ever-changing roof over my head requires that I work full time.<\/p>\n
This, too, connects me to the everydayness of places. \u00a0It lets me learn how to use the library in Copenhagen, request printing services in Bulgaria, conduct research at a museum in Athens, or go for an after-work swim in Oslo.<\/p>\n
My work centers on writing textbook content, everything from language arts and history to original plays and short stories. \u00a0This motivates to do something else I love: meet with students and teachers from all over the world.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
$\"A$
One little moment in Malta creates a sense of home.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
Our Global Neighborhood<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Some neighbors I meet in my travels are new to me, some I\u2019ve known all my life. Each one carries a piece of the world\u2019s puzzle. People of all backgrounds, perspectives, and ages, including millennials. So far I\u2019ve never met a Millennial with a Laptop at the Beach.<\/p>\n
In many countries, caf\u00e9s are for socializing, not filing reports or reading spreadsheets. I usually work from home, whether at a desk in Budapest, a kitchen table in Bend, or a cozy dorm room in Bloomsbury. \u00a0On those days, the travel pleasures are simple yet rich: the view of a park, the music of a local radio station, a quick jaunt to the nearest library, the wit of a favorite colleague as we confer online.<\/p>\n
$\"Family$
Sunday supper with my niece, Sydney Bevando, and her classmates in Copenhagen.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n
A Traveling Compass<\/strong><\/h4>\n
The countries, neighbors, and customs change. But when I wake up each morning, I always know exactly where I am: I\u2019m home.<\/p>\n
Even on airplanes, I\u2019m at home. In-flight, I reflect on memories of my late father, a TWA pilot, and my late mother, whose home cooking reflected her love of travel.<\/p>\n
At home in many cultures, Mom and Dad connected the art of travel with everyday domestic pleasures. They showed my siblings and me that a happy childhood is a home you can carry within you wherever you go. They taught us that everyone has a right to feel at home in this world.<\/p>\n
No, there\u2019s no need to call me a digital nomad. I’m really just a vagabond homebody.<\/p>\n
Comment<\/a>\u00a0on the post below,\u00a0or inspire insight with your own\u00a0OIC Moment\u00a0 here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":28493,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[190,109,227],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-travel","category-discoveries-creative","category-worldwide-mappoints"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28474"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40933,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28474\/revisions\/40933"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

When the Art of Travel Is Domestic

Surfing the Net?

Have Apron, Will Travel

Home Travel Pleasures

Out and About

What About Work?

Our Global Neighborhood

A Traveling Compass

Out and About<\/h4>\nGrounded by domestic ritual, I go out to explore, to learn, and above all, to connect with others:<\/p>\n