At the beginning of this month I gave a six-month "change of status" notice to my employer. I had been giving him a few informal heads-ups during our weekly one-on-one meetings, but this was the formal notice. Because my work as a bookkeeper, and even much of my work of technical support to other bookkeepers and accountants at my firm, can be done remotely, and because I have 14 years of experience at my firm, my boss is willing to help me figure out how to keep working from the road. This is a big plus when moving to full-time RV life before retirement age!
Doug plans to have a similar discussion with his employer next month. His company also has experience with remote employees, so he is hopeful that a part-time employee or consultant relationship can be worked out.
It is somewhat daunting - but also exciting - to consider making such a big change in employment status. I have worked in a lot of different roles in my adult life (urban planning research writer, risk management consultant, film and television administrative assistant, library aide, full-time mom, church volunteer, bookkeeper), but becoming a "working nomad" is a bit different from simply changing jobs. For his part, Doug has had different roles within the computer network defense arena in 34 years, but has always gone into an office on a daily commute (everything from a twenty-minute bike ride to a 90-minute drive to a half-hour walk). Now he's facing a change from desk jockey to road warrior.
Fortunately, there are numerous resources and inspirations for becoming a working nomad. From the emotional - developing a more entrepreneurial and independent spirit - to the practical - staying connected with colleagues and clients - I have turned to the KYD (Keep Your Daydream) podcast and to sites I found by Googling "working nomad" or "digital nomad".
Of course, an office isn't the only thing we'll be leaving behind. We also have a strong community of friends, built up over 23 years. We have been fortunate that most have been supportive of and excited for us! But it is true that our daily and weekly interactions with them will change. We won't be in church each Sunday, and we've begun giving up the various leadership positions we've held. We won't stand and chat with our wonderful neighbors while picking up our newspaper in the morning, or bond over house and yard projects on the weekends. We won't run into the parents of our daughters' friends at the grocery store. These will be real losses, and it's okay to grieve those.
On the plus side, we'll be able to more easily visit our far-flung family members and our friends who have moved away. We also still plan to return to our area to visit friends, and to participate in our church's annual summer mission trips. These are real benefits, and we plan to remember that as we begin to say goodbye to our daily life here.
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