Noms – The Decision

Hi, I’m Noms. Since I was a teenager, I have always been interested in travel. As soon as I finished university in 2004, I signed up for Camp America, which gave me the opportunity to travel for six weeks after the summer camp ended. Then, in 2005, I went to Australia and Japan – and that’s when I really caught the travel bug. From then on, I kept exploring, visiting new countries whenever I could.

Let’s fast forward to 2015, when Nigel was offered the chance to work in Singapore. We jumped at it and moved there in January 2016. While I was in Singapore, friends often told me I should write a blog. The idea didn’t appeal to me – I cringe at reading my own words – to me, it’s like when you hear the sound of your own voice, and it just doesn’t sound right! But here I am, sitting in front of my laptop giving it a go – because we’re about to start a pretty huge lifestyle change and an incredible new adventure.

I’m a very organised traveller (most of the time!), but I still make mistakes — and I try to learn from them along the way. I also love those moments when you stumble upon something unexpected and wonderful. Maybe sharing those stories here will be interesting or even useful to others.

We stayed in Singapore for almost 3 years before relocating again – this time to Germany, at the end of 2018 – and that’s where I’m writing from now. We’ve been here just over 7 years, and I really feel it’s time to move on. Luckily, Nigel feels the same.

This time, though, it’s different. 

Last Christmas, we volunteered at Rescue Center Costa Rica in in La Guácima, where we cared for injured and displaced animals. This was our first time doing something like this, and it turned out to be a life-changing experience. We made strong friendships with the center’s owners, who told us they would love for us to return. 

That trip sparked something. Nigel began talking about having a more permanent travelling lifestyle. Over the past few years, we’ve sadly lost some very special people – some far too young. This has been playing on our minds – life is simply too short and we want to travel while we can.

So Nigel proposed an idea: retire early, go back to the Rescue Centre in Costa Rica, and then keep travelling – keeping costs low by volunteering in exchange for accommodation/food. I instantly agreed!

Nigel’s worked incredibly hard since he was 16 and saved wisely, and I have also been careful with money too. Naturally, the engineer in him opened up a spreadsheet before we did anything else! Financial spreadsheets were done, to check if this plan was even remotely sensible – and, with a bit of caution and planning, we believe we can make it work.

So… can we really give up work, retire earlier than expected, and travel the world while volunteering in exchange for food/accommodation? If you’d like to, join me on this journey and let’s find out!