Reflecting and Planning, Second Edition

January 1, 2025

As 2025 begins, it’s time to reflect on my second full year as a nomad.

The biggest questions are, “Am I happy with the nomadic lifestyle? Was this the right choice?”

Yes! Absolutely. I tell people that my life is 90% wonderful. I wouldn’t have said that three years ago. In fact, I was pretty miserable and felt trapped by my career and home ownership.

I never thought I would be so happy to be unemployed. (I’m not quite retired; I just decided to quit working and make some lifestyle changes two and a half years ago.) I wake up grateful every day for the sights that I get to see, the people and pets I meet, and a more relaxed lifestyle.

Highlights of 2024

House and Pet sitting: The main thing that keeps me on a reasonable budget. Think about it; I’m not paying rent or utilities for half the year. I house and pet-sat for 164 days last year. That included one “pet less” sit of seven weeks. I used that time to take online courses and renew my teaching certificate. (Even though I don’t plan to teach full-time again, allowing my cert to lapse would be careless.) My favorites sits are still the “one-dog sits.” Single dogs tend to be good company, and at least one daily walk is guaranteed.
Hawaii: I love the Hawaiian Islands! Thanks to a two-week sit, I was able to enjoy several weeks in the islands this year. It has become a regular thing for me to visit in late August and September.
The Greek Islands: There are over 200 islands to explore in Greece, and I saw seven more of them this past spring, increasing my list to eleven. I started with three weeks on Kos, where I was volunteering. Volunteering didn’t go well, but I saw much of the island. The weeklong yoga and Zen meditation retreat on Sérifos was most certainly a highlight! After the retreat, I spent nearly three weeks walking and hiking on Sifnos, Naxos, and Tinos. I also took day trips to Kalymnos and Nisyros while on Kos.
Scandinavia: I have been waiting a long time to visit Scandinavia and decided to make it happen. It is not the most budget-friendly place, so I could only enjoy three weeks, visiting Copenhagen, Gothenburg, and Oslo. I also saw some of the Norwegian coast on a weeklong cruise (Yes, the cruise was cheaper than staying on land.) I loved Geiranger and enjoyed Kristiansand and Stavanger. In fact, I at least liked every location in Scandinavia. Gothenburg was number one, though.
Cruises: I ended up taking two very different cruises in 2024. In June, I cruised up the coast of Norway from Copenhagen. The best parts were the wonderful people I met and the day cruising Geiranger Fjord. The food and entertainment were mediocre. I cruised on Celebrity Edge from Honolulu to Sydney in October, a much better experience. Edge is a newer ship with a more upscale yet relaxed vibe. The food was sensational, and the service was excellent! And I had no trouble keeping busy on the sea days.
Australia and New Zealand: More on my bucket list! I thoroughly enjoyed Sydney and the spots I was able to see in Australia. I even visited new friends I had met while traveling last year. But New Zealand—wow! I loved every place that I visited.

Plans for 2025

Continue housesitting and pet-sitting: I have been pet sitting since the middle of December when I arrived home from Australia and New Zealand. And I will spend most of my days on sits through late March. All of my upcoming sits are for friends and family, so I can invite people to visit. I’m currently enjoying a New Year’s sit with a sweet little dog in a gorgeous bayfront house. If it were an Airbnb, it would run about $2500-3000 for this week.
Continue to seek volunteer opportunities: I had a successful one-day volunteer gig last summer, but my longer volunteer situation was less than ideal. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up, though!
Transitioning from laptop to iPad: My kids bought me an iPad for Christmas! Since it’s a little lighter and more compact, I plan to use it as my primary computer while traveling. I have previously used one in my teaching career, but I always had a PC on hand, too. Old habits are hard to break.
Learning Croatian: It’s time for me to pick up another language and learn something new. Since it is part of my ethnic background, I have decided to dedicate time this summer to learning the language in Croatia. I’m beginning my online courses today!
More Cruises: The Panama Canal has been near the top of my bucket list, and I found a great rate on a cruise that fit my schedule. I’ll leave from Los Angeles, just a short plane ride from Seattle. Then, nine days after arriving in Florida, I will get on another ship from Florida to Barcelona. The transatlantic cruise will be with a group of fellow travelers/nomads. Very much looking forward to that!
Asia: I plan to revisit New Zealand and see some of Asia in the autumn and early winter. I might go minimalist with just a backpack for that one.

I continue to be grateful for the opportunities that this lifestyle gives me. Friends and family members continue to be supportive; I really couldn’t do this without them! It’s not perfect, and a part of me would love to have a permanent home, but that will happen when the time is right. As time passes, I feel more settled with the decision to be nomadic and roll with the year’s rhythms. I have been able to visit with friends and family for the holidays and continue to have quality time with my adult children when I’m in my house sitting in Washington. It’s a good life!

I wish you all the best for 2025!

Eighteen Days at Sea

October 23, 2024
I just disembarked from my first long cruise. Previously, I had cruised for a week at a time. Many of my nomad-traveler friends take advantage of the bargain rates on repositioning cruises, so I decided to give it a try.
Nearly a year ago, an acquaintance contacted me to see if I could housesit for her for two weeks in September…in Hawaii. It was an easy yes, and I decided to check off a couple of items from the Bucket List: Australia and New Zealand.
Thus began the search for the best cruise from Honolulu to Sydney. I chose Celebrity Edge for several reasons. I’ve always enjoyed the quality of the line, and Edge is in their newest class of ships. The dates fit well into my itinerary, too.

But 18 days at sea with only six port days? This would be a good test to see if I enjoyed the sea days.

First, the ship is gorgeous. I’d say it’s a little classier and more understated than other Celebrity and Royal Caribbean ships I had previously experienced. There are sections dedicated to art displays, and the main atrium is a few stories high rather than a dozen.

The veranda rooms have an infinite veranda, which makes the room feel larger because the veranda is an extension of the room. The outside wall consists of two windows, and the top one can be retracted to form a glass balcony.
Storage in the room is abundant and carefully designed to use every inch of possible space.
Instead of one large dining room, there are four themed restaurants. Initially, I received a late dining time of 8:15, but on the first night, the hostess switched me to freestyle dining. I could then eat at any restaurant anytime between 5:30 and 8:30. Some nights, I joined new friends for dinner but mostly settled into a 6:30ish dinner time at Tuscan, the Italian-themed restaurant. I connected with one waiter, who was in tune with my dietary needs as a person with Celiac disease. Most nights, I preordered for the next evening.
I ate breakfast and lunch in Oceanview Café, the ship’s buffet restaurant. The offerings were extensive, with some sections consistently offering the same foods and others offering specialized dishes. All the dishes were labeled for allergies so I could safely find abundant gluten-free items. There was also a vegan section, and the Indian food quickly became a lunchtime favorite.
The only disappointment was the gluten-free mini-cakes. They tended to be dry and hard. Other than that, I ate well!
As far as extras are concerned, I splurged on a spa pass for the duration of the journey. On sea days, I worked out in the mornings doing yoga, weights, and the elliptical trainer. Then, I enjoyed the salt room, infrared sauna, steam rooms, and therapeutic showers. It was a great way to start each day!

I had a view of these golden penguins from the sauna!

Entertainment on the ship was abundant and mostly of high quality. There were educational lectures every morning about the environment, the ship’s destinations, and math and science. Ongoing classes included ukelele and drawing. There were game shows, trivia, and a featured show each night. Throughout the ship, various musicians and singers performed in the bars and lounges.

The Eden Bar was filled with plants.

So, would I go on a repositioning cruise again? Yes! I have already booked a transatlantic cruise from Florida to Barcelona for next April. This time, I will be traveling with some fellow nomads. Looking forward to more fun on the high seas!

So Easy to Fall in Love with Sydney

November 11, 2024

I recently spent twelve days in Sydney, Australia. Going Down Under has long been on my bucket list. In fact, my fascination with Sydney began in childhood, long before I caught the travel bug on my first European adventure as a university student.

You see, the Sydney Opera House was completed in 1973 when I was in elementary school. I can’t remember the exact circumstances or where I first saw a picture of that iconic building. Still, I know I had waited over fifty years to see it. Add fascinating animals like kangaroos and koalas (I had a beloved stuffed koala bear as a child). Who wouldn’t want to visit Australia?

About a year ago, an acquaintance contacted me to see if I would be able to housesit in her Hawaiian home for two weeks. It only seemed logical to travel to Australia from there.

Many of my nomad friends enjoy traveling on repositioning cruises. Maybe I could get to Australia that way. I found one that left Honolulu for Sydney, and I commenced planning a great adventure from there.

After spending six weeks on four Hawaiian Islands, I boarded Celebrity Edge for an 18-day journey.

First, it was so very nice to arrive in a far-off country and not experience jetlag. The owner of my Airbnb said it had been vacant the night before, so I could head straight there after the morning departure from the ship.

Getting to my accommodation was amazingly simple. Circular Quay, the downtown hub for the passenger ferries, was adjacent to the cruise ship berth. It took just a few minutes to walk over to the correct wharf, and in 15 minutes, I arrived at Kurraba Point, where my little studio apartment was waiting.

The funny thing (okay, not really funny) was that there were 88 stairs to climb from the wharf to the street. No small feat with my luggage!

After checking out part of Sydney’s expansive (and stunning) botanical gardens, I met up with a couple of friends from the cruise. We walked around the heart of the city and found a great hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant for lunch.

From there, the next eleven days were filled with wonderful outings in one of the World’s greatest cities. I will admit that I still have much of the planet to see, but nothing in Europe or North America can compare.

What makes Sydney special? The city is built around an expansive harbor. There’s a definite charm in traveling almost everywhere by ferry.

The Opera House and Harbor Bridge gloriously welcome visitors to the city center. I was fortunate to see it right before dawn from the ship! (opening photo) I also took an architectural tour a few days later and saw the Sydney Symphony perform that evening. Childhood dream fulfilled!

The Opera House is covered with more than one million tiles!

Photo taken after the performance

The botanical garden is immense and adjacent to the city center. The grounds are impeccably maintained. I visited several times during my stay.

The National Gallery has something for everyone, with two buildings, one housing the modern collection.

You can take a ferry to the zoo at Taronga Point.

There are National Parks within the city limits. Yes, you can walk/hike to your heart’s content, and the views are stunning.

You can get from downtown to beautiful beaches in half an hour. Bondi and Manly are the most well-known. Be sure to take the scenic walk from Bondi to Tamarama Beach. I was fortunate to be there during the Sculpture by the Sea event!

The central business district is lively, clean, and feels safe.

Darling Harbor is modern, lively, and inviting.

You can easily hop on a train and arrive in the Blue Mountains in about two hours.

Incredible restaurants! I truly did not have one disappointing meal. Some recommendations: Sydney Café (Don’t let the name fool you. It is an elegant yet comfortable restaurant overlooking Sydney Harbor.) Yellow (Gourmet vegan that can’t be beat! I thoroughly enjoyed the seven-course meal. Even if you aren’t vegan, I strongly suggest you experience it!) Grana (Farm-to-table deliciousness in a lively and welcoming atmosphere.) Somehow, I don’t have any photos of all that delicious food. I guess I was too busy eating!

Bonus: Sydney is the place to go if you are gluten-free or Celiac. Every restaurant and café had options for me. I’m not sure if this is a good thing because I kept finding bakeries to try.

There are lots of little gems around the city if you keep your eyes open. Nutcote, the home of author May Gibbs, was a few blocks away from my accommodation. I happened to walk by just as a tour was beginning.

May had quite a view!