Being a digital nomad, living life on-the-go, and exploring places off the beaten path can seem unusual to those living under traditional societal norms.
Having friends and family that don't support your dreams of extended travel can be FRUSTRATING. Sure, they understand that you love to travel, but don't fully support the end goal. Maybe it's not something they are interested in, or maybe they can't comprehend how it is actually done without being a millionaire. The frustrating part is not having anyone that can relate to you on your travel goals. OR, worse yet, tell you that you can't or shouldn't do it!
Stop Getting Shut Down
Zane Bradshaw (
I agree 100%
I used to feel like I was alone in my dreams of long-term travel, which made it extremely hard to get motivated on making it happen. My friends thought travel was cool, but none of them wanted to live as a digital nomad. Most of my family was supportive, because they wanted me to be happy, but didn't think it would really happen. A couple of family members were so against my goal that they actively tried to stop me altogether (that was an ugly time).
It wasn't until I found a group for travelers that EVERYTHING started to change.
Finding My Tribe
Back in 2008, when I first started working on my goal of being nomadic, there were only a few travel blogs by those that had made their dream come true and I devoured everything they had to share/write. One of those blogs had a little banner ad about a new travel group and they were having a meet-up in my local area! . . . It was like a miracle had been gifted to me. I attended that workshop with at least 75 people - all eager to travel. As I looked around the room, I felt like crying - I had found my tribe.
I no longer felt alone in wanting to travel long-term (confidence in my goal solidified), I had new friends that got excited about new information I could share, they helped troubleshoot my itinerary - even daydream what it would be like to FINALLY be on the road. We fed off of each others' energy and passion for travel.
You Are Not Alone
There are a gajillion travel blogs on the web now that will inspire just about every type of traveler, journey-type, and niche-focus. Find an author you connect/relate with and keep reading! That will continue the inspiration while you are working on your dream (and find new friends who are also reading the blog).
A few places where you can meet other travelers:
https://www.meetup.com/topics/couchsurfing/
http://liveyourlegend.net/live-your-legend-local/
OR, . . . you can start your own group: https://www.meetup.com/
Trust Me . . .
. . . your new friends are out there. My old peer group/family may still not fully understand my lifestyle, but they see the happy person I've become for accomplishing my goal and they support me - even turn to me first with travel questions. I still "connect" with my old peer group, but my new peer group (the one I put more effort into) matches my current goals. Take it from Zane and myself - making the change to spend more time with others you wish to emulate will help you reach your goals faster.
