Our Midlife adventure began with a question
Where will Chris and I be happiest living?
The ocean, a mountain town, or a bustling city? Heck if we know. That’s one of the reasons we’ve decided to go nomad for the next twelve months. Will we like it? We’ll find out.
As I write this, we’re 20 days into the adventure. I’m sitting at the dining table in our two-bedroom East End apartment by Sonder in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We love our location, space, and its amenities. I think I might have a Midwestern attachment to space. The apartment has over 1,000 square feet with ample shelving, storage, and closets and it makes me want to stay.
Seriously! Check out this apartment:
Space is supposed to matter less as we progress. Chris has come up with a plan to make it so. He’s going to measure the cargo space of our truck. Then, he’s going to create an outline of some sort on the floor of our apartment that includes just how high we can go. Anything that doesn’t fit will not make the cut. That video will be coming soon, along with a reveal about the next city we’ll be living in (July 30th).
Want to see the neighborhood?
What do we hope to accomplish?
His Take: We’ll learn if we like being nomads.
My Take: We’ll decide where we want to live.
Right now, my vote is Minneapolis. We have family and friends here. There’s a vibrant arts and theater community, as well as an abundance of delicious restaurants for most any mood. Just look at our IG feed!
Through our channel, blog, and social media, we both hope to inspire other midlifers to travel, take chances, and try new things. Adventure doesn’t have an age limit, or a specific born-with disposition requirement. After all, on paper, we’re not the typical nomadic adventurers. We’re both cautious. I have the occasional panic attack. Neither one of us is inclined to rough it. I have allergies that can trigger severe asthma attacks. Chris is in his early 50s. I’m in my early 40s. We’re not college-aged, or retirees.
What makes us work well together as nomads?
We are only at the beginning of this journey, but we have traveled a lot together. The more accurate title to this section would be “What Do We Think Will Make Us Work Well Together As Nomads.”
I like to plan. Chris does not. We’ve figured out that we’re both happy (most of the time) if I plan and he’s along for the ride. That way we both get our way.
When it comes to the bigger decisions like where we’ll be living for a month, we make them together. Then, Chris negotiates the details, makes the payments, and sorts out things like parking issues if the place we’ve booked doesn’t offer it. He’s done more business traveling, home purchasing, and landlording than I have.
If fear makes me hesitant about an adventure, Chris soothes me with sarcasm, “Well, there have been all of those news reports about hundreds of people dying by [gondola, bear attack, crossing a suspended bridge].” It’s been so common in the past year, that I’ve started to calm myself with the sarcastic thought before it becomes a discussion.
We’re both big dreamers and we both probably have ADHD. Mine’s been diagnosed. I’ve diagnosed him by using the takes-one-to-know-one methodology. Its accuracy is both logical and questionable.
Where will we go and what will we do?
To get an idea about what cities are on our radar check out our Should We Do 12 Cities in 12 Months? If We Have to Leave Canada? video.
At the end of each month, we’ll reveal where we’re heading to next. If you live in the city, or have been to the city, we look forward to hearing your recommendations!
What would you choose: living by the ocean, in a mountain town, or in a bustling city? Let us know!
P.S. Are you a woman in midlife? If so, you might want to check out the Happy & Healthy in Midlife Summit. I had the honor of being one of its speakers. There are so many women providing great information. You can get 48-hour access by clicking here. VIP tickets providing access to all of the 20+ speakers are available through Sunday, July 25th, 2021.
P.P.S. Interested in living in an East End Minneapolis apartment? Get your application fee waived by clicking here.
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