My Nomad Journey – Week 3

This post is part of the “My Life Off the Comma” series about my Nomad journey. If you haven’t read my earlier posts, I strongly recommend you go back upstream and read these earlier reflections, so that this post will make more sense for you.

I hope everyone is off to a good start to your week, wherever read this from!

It’s wild to think that it’s been 3 weeks on the journey so far. I’ve come many miles and seen a lot of country now. From CA to AZ to NM, then on to TX and LA, then driving through MS, AL and into GA. I’m keeping tabs, so it will be interesting to do an infographic at the end of all this to show the stats. Anyone wanna volunteer to be my tracker and do the infographic??? 😉

One minor change this week. I’m going to dispense with the bullet points and just write in text. I’ll reserve the bullet points for true bullet lists.

Here’s what I did this week:

This week involved several location changes and visiting different friends in different places.

Last weekend, I had arrived in Houston to visit a friend. It was nice to be able to sleep in on Sunday and relax a bit on Sunday without work or travel. I was able to write my weekly post and then spend the day visiting. I went with my friend to visit a friend of hers who is also a mutual acquaintance of mine. What a treat it was to see someone I hadn’t seen in a year and to meet his wife and family. We had take-out dinner, chatted about life and travels, and played ping pong in their loft. Something I’ve not done since I was a child! We also talked about travel to Africa and I was encouraged to start my explorations in their home country of Nigeria. Lots and lots of great tips and advice. Something to think about if I’m lucky enough to get to travel abroad the way I want to!

The next few days in Houston were pretty tame. I’m working on a new client project that will be pretty intensive, so a lot of the time in Houston was working. My friend works from home, so we would “corner off” to our work stations, then meet at the kitchen for “water cooler” chat and dinner planning. It was nice to have a break from the cold, as it was 78 degrees in Houston on Monday. I was able to get some errands run and take care of some personal matters, as well. We did some exploring in the evening and ended the stay with a home cooked meal and playing some cards at the dining table. If you haven’t played “Kings in the Corner”, look it up! It was a lot of fun! It was cute on the last night, because my friend’s dog decided I was worthy of sleeping with. LOL! Poor thing didn’t realize I was leaving the next day. When that dog crashes to sleep, it really crashes!!! I’ll try to remember to post the picture here.

Wednesday, I hit the road again. While Atlanta was my next stop, I had made plans to stop in New Orleans to visit a colleague. It gave me an excuse to break up the drive and visit a place I haven’t really been to in years. The drive from Houston to New Orleans was smooth and uneventful. I have to say that the highways along the gulf coast were pretty. Lots of trees, lots of bridges over the many bodies of water along the way. This holds true for the drives through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama that also came later in the week.

In New Orleans, I had a meeting call as soon as I arrived and a full day of work, meetings, calls from my motel the next day. I experienced one of my first challenges. When was I going to get out and actually explore? Since this was the point of the trip, I was already at risk of letting all my work obligations sidetrack my overarching objective. So I decided to take myself out on Wednesday night and explore the French Quarter. I’ve been to New Orleans before, but this was an opportunity to see the place through older, wiser and more sober eyes. I didn’t do anything glamorous – just walked the streets, explored, went to the water front, took some pictures, and then treated myself to a Thai dinner and watching people through the front window of the restaurant. It was after 7pm, dark and chilly in New Orleans. Fortunately, this meant that there were far fewer drunken tourists on the streets, so it was mostly quiet.

There was an open door I walked past that turned out to be an exhibition by black artists, so I walked through before they closed. This exhibition, “Beyond the Waters”, by Brooke Ellz Wyatt (@curationsbyTGTC) presented tremendous statements about the black experience in America and what people of color have to endure. Yet, the works also remind the observer that these are full, complete human beings who will not be defined solely by how they have to react to being marginalized. The painting that really hit me in the gut was the artist who challenged, “We are an endangered species.” Damn! I strongly encourage you to seek out artists of color and learn more about what they have to say and share. Allow yourself to reflect on how you respond to these artists. Very moving!

From there, I did something touristy. I went to Cafe Du Monde and had beignets and decaf coffee. It was fun to sit outdoors, watch people and have this late night snack. I laughed at the amount of powdered sugar on the floors, since they use so much on the beignets!

The next day in New Orleans had meetings from the motel room. I met my colleague/friend for lunch at a soul food restaurant in Treme, between the 7th Ward and French Quarter, called Lil Dizzy’s. If you’re NoLa local and haven’t tried it, I highly recommend! If you’re vegetarian like me, you may need to eat some sides and/or pick out some meat, but it’s worth it. We had a great visit and talked about goals, wishes and how to create what we want in this challenging world of work, life and balance. It was good to see her in person again, since it had been 2019 since we last were in the same room!

The rest of the day was full of calls and work. I also recorded another podcast episode from the motel room. By dinner time, I was fried, so I walked to a local coffee shop a few blocks from the motel, called Pontilly Coffee. Locally owned and very popular in the Gentilly Terrace area of town. I had a salad and some decaf coffee and watched the people and TikToks, just to unwind and decompress. I’ll talk about this in “what I learned” next. Also fun… there was a stray cat outside who was greeting everyone. It really wanted to get in and kept jumping up on the window sill next to my table. It finally found an opening and darted inside to go scavenging. When the owners carried it outside, everyone said “awwwww”. The cat was clean and very friendly, so I played with it a bit on my way out.

Friday I was back on the road for Atlanta. As I mentioned before, it was a pretty drive along the gulf coast, and as I turned northeastward toward Atlanta. I had to take some calls from the car for clients, which was going okay until I lost signal along the route. After these calls, I realized that my route was taking me through Montgomery, Alabama! I could not pass up the opportunity to detour to Selma and see the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the spot that propelled the movement for equality and justice forward and inspired the Civil Rights Act of 1968. I was moved by the place and the memorial. While I was only able to stay for a few moments before getting back on the long drive, I was moved by the “place” of it all. There are plaques and memorial markers adjacent to the bridge. Yet it was the “sense” and the “feeling” that struck me most. While standing there, and then driving across the bridge, it was the feeling of standing in a place where something so significant has happened. I honestly didn’t know how to categorize what I was feeling, but it was on the same level as the feelings I had while visiting the pyramids in Giza – the sense of how “small” I really am in the big world. I was also saddened at the lack of attention that current day Selma appears to be getting and by how all of the sacrifice made by these heroes is being erased today. I strongly encourage people to visit this place. Do not expect to shop, dine, entertain here. That’s not what Selma is today. Allow yourself to stand in your own discomfort and experience what it’s like. Reflect on how you feel and what it must be like for those who can’t easily walk away from the discomfort like we can.

I had much to think about for the rest of the drive to Atlanta. For those of you who know, Atlanta traffic is from a whole other world. At all hours of the day, traffic in this city is insane, but during the rush hours of the day, the entire city – I mean the ENTIRE city – comes almost to a standstill. So from the time I entered the Atlanta metro on the southwest side, to the time I arrived at my friend’s house in the northern exurbs, it was a TWO HOUR COMMUTE. Blech…. But I arrived safe and sound, and my friends and I began a “girls weekend” to relax and spend some time with each other. Friday night we ordered delivery and Saturday we ventured out to explore the Tate House in Tate, Georgia. It is an historic mansion that has been restored and is now decorated for visitors to see during the holidays only. Otherwise it is used as an event space for weddings, etc. during the year. It was really interesting to observe the beauty of the place and think about what it may have been like for folks to live there in the past, while also being cynical about the wealth and expense that was put into the home while the folks who probably did that work may have been struggling. I don’t know if any of this is true, but my world view has me questioning a great many things right now.

After, we went to an outdoor market to have a drink/snack and shop the vendors. Which led us to sweets, of course. You’ll see the cake pops we bought from Bomb Babes… they were super rich and amazing! And I bought some awesome crazy good Garlic & Green Onion honey from Mo’s Art + Honey Co. This amazing creator is one of only a few bee keepers in Georgia and uses her farming experience to create new honey flavors. I’m kicking myself for not getting a picture of her selection! We ended the evening playing cutthroat card games, including “Kings in the Corner” and another, really complex game called “Shithead”. You’ll have to look it up, but it’s a fun game to play! My friends enjoyed their wine and I had some of my “sober wine”, as I call it. A great night to be inside where it was warm.

Sunday, we went to see the matinee of Cirque Du Soleil’s “Twas the Night Before…” This was a treat from my friend and I was very grateful for this gift. We drove to Atlanta’s historic Fox Theater and enjoyed an afternoon of music, entertainment, people watching and acrobatics. After that, it was a mellow afternoon indoors while it was cold and rainy outside. We played more cards and then made it an early night so everyone could work the next day.

That’s all of the “what I did” for this week.

Here’s what I learned this week:

I continued to lean into my systems of organizing how I live this week. I got to unload and load my “travel kit” at multiple locations. Given the fact that I had multiple stays this week, I got to see how efficient my system is for packing in the car and for setting up in different rooms. Overall, I think I’m in good shape for a while, BUT, I am using very little of what I packed and am washing and reusing only a few of the clothes. However, that’s because it’s been similar climate where I’ve been so far. I remind myself that what I packed is for the year ahead and the different seasons. But I do think I will rethink some of what I’ve packed and look for ways to reduce what I’m carrying. Let’s see how that unfolds over the months and as weather changes. I think this is teaching me something about how much I have and reducing my load even more.

Question for you: What system(s) your life could use some review and evaluation?

This week I started having doubts about what I’m doing. To be clear, I didn’t think about quitting or giving up – I have NO intention of this. I just noticed how there were moments that I was uncomfortable and starting asking myself what I’m doing and how I was going to be able to do this longer term. The doubts, the sabotaging voice… that’s what was happening. I think what I noticed was that the critical voice kicked in the most when I was thinking about the future and worrying about things that have not happened yet. I also found the voice kick in a LOT when I got into comparison mode. When I am alone, I seem to be fine with whatever choices I make. (Example: low cost motels, re-wearing yesterday’s clothes that I haven’t sweat in, etc.) When I’m with others, staying in nice homes, looking at how my friends have their routines and comforts set up… that’s when it becomes easy to say “what am I doing?” or “why am I doing this?” I need to remind myself that Comfort and Convenience are NOT the reasons I chose this path. I find it hard to remember and remind myself when I’m in the thick of the emotional moment. However, if I allow myself to experience the feeling(s), then I’m usually able to regain perspective on later reflection. So what I’ve learned is to “stay in what is uncomfortable” and “do nothing right now” when it’s just feelings and emotions. I tend to grasp for answers and solutions whenever something isn’t going my way (including feelings). I need to trust that I will figure it out and that feeling shitty for a while is okay, because overall, I’m still exactly where I chose to be.

Question for you: What is something you have been doubting about your life that could benefit from trusting yourself?

I notice how impatient and angry I get when I don’t feel like I’m in control. This is especially true when I get rushed or hurried. If I feel like I’m behind schedule, someone is waiting on me, I’m going to be late for a call/meeting/appointment, or I’m hurrying to do “one more thing” before I get in the car or take a shower – these are the times I get really ramped up and impatient, which leads to anger, which leads to self-judgment. I think this has always been true for me, but now I notice it more because I’m with myself quite a bit. This unfolds more in next paragraph about comfort.

Question for you: What is a default reaction to daily stressors you have that you could explore more?

Comfort and discomfort are my themes right now. I’m showing you a lot of both in these posts. In fact, I probably don’t write enough about the discomfort. I’m challenging myself broadly right now to really allow myself to be uncomfortable. To do things that aren’t glamorous, fancy or conventional. That it’s okay to eat an egg salad sandwich from a gas station for lunch. To skip a meal or to eat dinner for breakfast and breakfast for dinner. I can work at night and nap during the day. I can take detours from the highway just because I want to see something or take a silly picture. As long as I am on this path, I truly get to make it up as I go. Everything I do is up to the commitments I’ve made to myself and others. Yes, I’m working a LOT as well as exploring. As long as I’m making and keeping commitments I make, then who cares when or how I do things? I’m reminding myself that this includes the overarching commitment I made to myself to get out and see the world around me. I will continue to explore this more, because I definitely recognize how much I seek, claim and enjoy my comfort!!!

Question for you: What is something in your life that you need to get more comfortable being uncomfortable with?

Lastly, when it comes to the “travel like a nomad” experience, I would say that this week has been pretty uneventful. I haven’t made any new friends, inserted myself into any local groups, or dances with strangers at a local event. I’ve mostly taken short detours from the road and spent a lot of time just watching the world from my car windows. I find it interesting how much time I spend in the car with NO music or other content playing. I do listen to Spanish exercises and occasionally some music, but I can drive for hours with nothing playing at all. I really enjoy that! I’ve written about some fun things, but this leg of the trip leading up to the holidays was always meant to be a “getting started” journey and focused more on seeing my friends, working and getting used to life on the road.

Question for you: What is something(s) in your life that is perfectly okay exactly as it is?

Here’s what’s next:

I need to refine what I include in these posts each week. It’s starting to take up to 2 hours to write, so I need to keep this stuff travel related and not turn it into a daily journal! I’ll work on that.

I’ll be in Atlanta through the end of January, thanks to the hospitality and generosity of my friend. Given my current work projects, this will be a good time to settle in for the next month plus and get some work done, while the rest of the world goes quiet. I’ll spend some time with my friend and I’m sure we will visit with her friends and some shared acquaintances, as well.

I also plan to carve out a day somewhere in here and just sleep in, nap, and take a technology break!!!

While in Atlanta, I will make some day trips to visit a few friends who live in neighboring states. I will also spend a little more time exploring central Atlanta and all that it has to offer.

January will be work-focused as well. I anticipate some work travels in late January and early February. It makes sense to stay in Atlanta until those are complete. After that, I plan to move down to Florida and catch up with numerous friends there. I want to do that before it starts getting hot down there, so the timing is good.

Question for you: What are you planning for your “next stop” in your life’s journey?

As always, please interact with this post. I love getting your questions, your thoughts, and your comments. I’ll reply when I’m able.

Please enjoy yourselves in this week ahead and look for another update from me next weekend, or later, if I get caught up in the adventures of the journey. Be well my friends!

Want to hear other people’s stories about getting off their commas? Check out the podcast!

Are you sitting on a comma? Let’s talk! As an ICF certified professional Coach, I work with all kinds of people who are sitting on a comma and looking to find their next steps to get moving again. If this is you, let’s talk about your comma. Book a session and let’s get started. Or, if you’re not quite ready, you can book a short inquiry call and we can talk about it first. Both have high value for you!