11.28.22
I estimate we have probably stayed at 15 or more places for longer than 30 days since starting our nomadic life in 2019. We are now in Sarande, Albania, and after all this time, we understand the process. For those who might be thinking about traveling to different places for longer periods, here are some of the steps we take.
The first thing we do is check out the neighborhood. Having a local intimate coffee shop is important to us along with (close) places to eat. Ironically, where we are right now lacks those things! But that’s okay, there are compensating factors that make up for it, including probably our favorite room we’ve ever had, and a view that cannot be beat of the island of Corfu and the sunset. The closest coffee shop is about 10 minutes away, and it’s quite lovely, and there are plenty of restaurants just a little bit further. When we were in Athens we were initially dismayed because we had the same problem; nothing was close. But once we realized how easy it was to take the Metro and go exactly where we wanted, that took care of that. This town is much too small for a subway, and we think that there is a local bus, but not even sure of that!
After we get the lay of the land, it’s important that we stock up on provisions and supplies. That means food and investigating all the options, since we don’t want to eat out every meal, and sometimes that requires getting things over and over again, like spices, plastic storage containers, paper supplies, etc. That’s just the cost of doing business, not much we can do about that.
We also look into public transportation, and here in Sarande, we already knew that there wasn’t any. Taxis are abundant, and cheap, and since there is no rail infra structure here in Albania, buses are the way to go, and we recently took the bus to the city of Tirana, the capital, since we needed to get new passports. After 4 years I ran out of empty pages! The 4.5-hour trip was quite beautiful, but it was a small minibus, fully crowded, and unfortunately this is the rainy season—and it did on our ride– so we could not enjoy the views. We surprisingly enjoyed Tirana, and may go back again, but haven’t decided. I need to return to pick up our passports, but that’s going to be a quick turnaround trip.
For me, a gym is one of the first things I seek out, and hopefully one I can walk to in a reasonably short time. The gym here is pretty awesome with a great view and very quiet, which works for me!
One of the most important things to think about when moving to a new location is what type of weather you can expect. Since its winter here in the northern hemisphere, we try to stay as close to the Mediterranean belt as possible, and even though we have cold weather clothing, our choice would be to not need them! So far the temperatures have only gotten down into the 40s, not much different in my old home in Orange County, California, but the good news is that our apartment is extraordinarily well insulated, and the windows are well sealed. No wind blowing through, which has been a problem in several of the older rooms we have stayed at.
This type of lifestyle may intrigue you, and you do not need to jump in with both feet and leave where you are permanently. But if you feel so inclined, and would like to go visit a place for a month or two, we think it’s a tremendous experience. We constantly run into parents of younger children who travel with them, and the kids get a terrific cultural experience that they could not duplicate in schools.
If you have any questions or comments, please let us know!
