[bfz]

Just for some context, I was nomadic for well over a decade and consider that time an extravagant extension of youth, and a needless stunting of my growth into adulthood in absolute terms. By my late 30s I see no reason to encourage nomadism, or to celebrate or encourage others in the belief that it is a healthy way to live, it essentially amounts to the epitome of the dark side of individualism. When my children are of age, I would strongly discourage it for all the reasons in the original reply. Floaters don't grow - in the worst case they turn into "professional expats", and those (according to anecdotal experience) tend to develop into some of most fragmented and purposeless personalities on the planet by the time they reach middle age.

[jcims]

Holy moly just because you couldn’t figure it out doesn’t mean that nobody else can or will.

I’d argue the opposite. Reducing friction with nomadism increases the likelihood of a pilgrimage and radicalization of hyper aligned internet communities into meat space.

[zmgsabst]

Being nomadic post teenage years is natural among animals, particularly for males, before settling into a pack when mature.

I’d encourage you to not suppress that instinct in others just because you’re not currently in that phase of your life.

[ambrozk]

Both of you are correct.

[lmc]

Out of interest, where did you go, and what were your reasons for stopping?

I think I can relate to a lot of what you say. I'm not saying I'm doing things the right way, but I've met people that you're describing that are basically on a very long holiday.

It's a proper cliche, but travel has definitely broadened my horizons. I hope you don't discourage it too much - emphasize travelling with purpose, and when to stop.

[bfz]

Mostly Asia. I stopped for exactly the reason in the previous comment.. I realized that what initially seemed like a fun and academic idea about the people I was meeting absolutely did develop into a fundamental life choice, after the umpteenth drink shared with someone who might have initially seemed eccentric and interesting, but had very little depth and purpose almost immediately below the surface.

The choice was to either seize the endless excitement of travel permanently, and further develop my own eccentricities at extraordinary risk of accomplishing little material, or swallowing my pride and acknowledging the dream of travel may have been a substantially emptier experience than originally promised.

This is not to say I did not "develop" - I met numerous people, swap emails, send Christmas gifts, had amazing experiences, and so on, but the question is what permanence these actions and relationships have, and at what cost those experiences are gained. I still itch - regularly - to jump on a plane to a country I have never been before. It is so easy to indulge in that sense of adventure. But I notice this comes most often during times of stress, and nowadays I always weigh that adventure against the actual costs of what I am leaving behind. Due to this, adventure holds very little of the appeal it once did, and I often wonder how many of those life-loving expats I met who did not admit to running from their old lives were still on the run from something, perhaps while living with complete delusion that they were only having fun.

On the other hand I did meet people who had found a real sense of belonging and purpose in their life through the foreign communities they interacted with, but even if I were one of those, over a long time horizon, I don't imagine the outcome to be so much different on every occasion. There are only so many children to educate and schools to build before the satisfaction gives way to the wariness of ones own ephemeral relationship to their environment, the only answer to which is yet more adventure, or the cold reality of going home and discovering what was missed in the meantime.

As another reply suggested - travelling with purpose makes a lot of sense. Some of the most interesting people I met were NGO or higher education placements there temporarily to accomplish a specific task.

[lmc]

Thanks for sharing. Seriously.

[iovrthoughtthis]

you sound fun

[hungryforcodes]

Thanks for the judgement -- much appreciated!

On the other hand I was basically non nomadic until about 40 and always discontent. Then for the last few years have been working in different countries and love it. I also try and at least understand and if possible contribute to each culture I encounter in a small way. I'm not sure how that counts as fragmented and purposeless.

[pmoriarty]

"I was nomadic for well over a decade and consider that time an extravagant extension of youth, and a needless stunting of my growth into adulthood in absolute terms. By my late 30s I see no reason to encourage nomadism, or to celebrate or encourage others in the belief that it is a healthy way to live, it essentially amounts to the epitome of the dark side of individualism."

Way, way too many people never leave the area/country they were born in.

By traveling to radically different places you can learn about different people, customs, and cultures. You can see how the norms you were brought up with aren't absolute and that good and bad people exist everywhere. Travel can really open your eyes to the humanity of every person everywhere.

You can also learn what it's like to be the outsider, the one that's different, who can't speak the language and so is not treated like the first class citizen you're used to being back home, you might learn what it's like to go through the bureaucracy of a foreign land, and hopefully this will all help to to develop some empathy for people from other countries and who speak different languages when they come to yours.

You can learn to engage with, survive, and thrive among people very different from you. Learning the customs and languages of other people and places can be very useful for both you and them, as you can act as an intermediary or unofficial ambassador between your own country/culture and theirs.

That's not to mention your seeing and experiencing all sorts of wonderful things you might never have imagined were you to stay in one place all your life.

There are so many great things about travel, though life as a permanent nomad or expat is not for everyone. At the very least, though, it can really open your eyes and your mind.

[mr_toad]

> the epitome of the dark side of individualism

In short: anyone who isn’t part of the tribe is a dangerous threat.