Let’s go slow — SloMading = Slow + Nomading
So our lives are go go go and go. Always on the run it seems and then the world was forced to hit PAUSE. Prior to COVID I had been on a sabbatical for a few months in Southeast Asia doing exactly that, forcing myself to slow down and be bored — to see where I gravitated my energy towards.
Some big takeaways from that journey was coming to a place of acceptance and finding love for myself — that nothing needs to be fixed and that not only are you always enough, you are more then enough.
Also, spawning from that break along with doing lockdown back in Canada looking after my parents began the ramblings of what kind of lifestyle I wanted to have for myself.
Grateful for my time in California it never felt like a place I wanted to put down some roots, Canada’s always home but with the winters / no surf / affordable flights it didn’t feel right either.
Then came a great insight… I don’t really have to choose a finite place to be. What I mean is that I wanted the flexibility to spend 1–2 months home in Canada with my family, friends, especially now with my parents as they are getting older. Yet, that didn’t necessarily moving home permanently. With the biggest hurdle being work, and the raise of remote work opportunities + online consulting it opened the doors to give something new a try.
Hence as soon as it was possible I was it to Portugal to see if that could be my new home / basecamp. Wow what an incredible place. Near some amazing surf, the landscapes, and even better was the people I was meeting + reconnecting with (euro friends). It really started to feel like it could be a place to at least store my stuff… Unfortunately, my travel visa was running out (extended — total 6 months), I had to leave Schengen, applying for residency meant going back to Canada but it was still 14 day quarantine + 3 day hotel stay + nothing was open, so what to do next? Again, grateful for the work flexibility / homelessness I created so why not make the most of it → Costa Rica Pura Vida let’s go!
What started as a temporary until Canada opens up (Hint: still not open), turned into this great concept/term I’ve been hearing that I realized I was doing / massively enjoying:
“Slomading” = Slow + Nomading
Not just “remote” working hoping from place to place but really exploring one place SLOWLY. Not being in a rush to see or do it all, get actual work done all the while exploring my passions. What started as a 5 month trial run for Portugal evolved into this idea where you stay in a spot 2–3+ months and really enjoy the place while working.
In Santa Teresa because I didn’t plan on being there for so long originally, waiting for Canada to open, I ended up hoping from spot to spot every 2 weeks booking wise so I didn’t feel as slow as I wanted. Now that I am in Mexico (Costa Rica visa Expired) — I booked one place for 2 months and I am loving the time / pace of it.
TOP ADVANTAGES OF GOING SLOMADING
- Affordable spreading — With staying in 1 place for 2–3+ months that means you can get a better rate on accommodations, transport costs spread out over longer period, plus cook at home / shop groceries, and do monthly memberships.
- Time to dive into the culture / hobbies — immersing myself into learning Spanish + local cooking classes + surfing = there’s time when you go slow and not moving around non-stop. Packing / Unpacking. Figuring out where to go / what to do → ie become a local / regular
- Building community — Nice to meet people and build new relationships that are around for more then a week (tourists).
Almost a year in and I am ready for a BASECAMP (Portugal) for like 4–6 months of the year with visit to friends around Europe (weekends). I really am loving the idea of being able to go Canada 1–2 months, and then 2–3 months slomading once a year. I am sure my dating life will appreciate having more of a basecamp…
