Let me introduce Sharon. You might remember her from Where’s Sharon or Digital Nomad Wannabee and now Germany Footsteps. I met Sharon in 2014 when she was an inspiring digital nomad. She succeeded in her dream. But she is a Nomad No More.

It’s my pleasure to have ended up in the same city with Sharon and to call her friend. She has created a beautiful life and has a wonderful story to share.

About this series

See more in our first interview, but in the briefest terms: This series is focused on people who travelled the world, without a base, for minimum 6 months or more, and eventually found a home. Back where they were or in a different location, but a base that gives them bills, and a wardrobe with more clothes than fit in a suitcase.

Make sure you tune in each Friday to read about your favourite nomads who returned home.

1. When did you first start your nomadic journey?

December 2014.

2. How long did you go for?

We ended up leaving for 13 months.

3. How many countries did you do?

About 20!

4. What did you do for money/work while nomadic?

The main reason for us leaving was actually to work on growing our online business.

I had been working on my travel blog and some other sites before we left but it was close to impossible to find enough time to work on it in between my husband being at work and me being home with two young kids. Travelling is so much cheaper than being at home so being away basically bought us the time to work on the business.

It was a big success and we made money from our travel blog and a couple of Amazon affiliate sites. By the time we got home, we were earning good money.

5. Give us a brief description of your travel style?

We had a home base in Penang and we travelled from there. The trips away varied from a weekend to spending 3.5 months in Europe. We also spent our last six weeks travelling before returning home.

Having a home base was probably the best thing we did. It was hard to work when travelling and we could have a great life in Penang for a fraction of the price of a home in Australia.

6. Do you have kids? How old were they at the time?

We had two kids when we set off. They were 2 and 4. I was 20 weeks pregnant with number 3 when we returned home.

7. When did you decide to stop nomadic life?

The kids were nearly 4 and 5 when we returned home. We came back primarily because my daughter was school aged and we wanted her to go to a regular school. There is no way I could have worked, travelled, homeschooled and dealt with a newborn.

We thought about it a lot but decided to return to Melbourne because there was a school we really loved and we knew we needed to commit to somewhere long term and it’s the only place we felt comfortable doing that.

8. Was there a defining moment that caused you to stop?

It was just about school although my pregnancy hormones did have my body screaming out to wanting to be back home as well. It wasn’t an easy pregnancy and it was made harder by being away.

9. How long have you been stationary now?

It’s now been over 2 years. However, we still travel a lot. Last year we travelled to Asia, Africa, North America and Europe as well as to other parts of Australia so I’m not really sure I would call us stationary either.

10. Are you doing the same job when you were on the road or did you return to work?

Yes, I continue to work on my blogs and my online business. My husband now stays at home full-time. Going away was the best thing we ever did for many reasons but growing an online business that has made us truly free to live our lives where and how we want has been the biggest benefit.

11. What do you miss most about the road?

The excitement of new places. I am a total travel addict so I miss that.

12. What do you love most about having a home?

Having time and space to work and where the kids have school and activities they love. It leads to better balance than travelling all the time for us.

13. Will you ever go nomadic again?

With the kids, we would only do it with a home base like we did last time. We are all happier with some stability. Once they grow up, I’m sure we will have many adventures J

14. Do you recommend nomadic travel to everyone?

Anyone who wants to should do it. I do tell people to be realistic about certain elements though. Like it is very hard to work while travelling. Much harder than I think people realise until they do it. Throw kids into the mix too and it is incredibly exhausting.

15. Where can we find you?

You can find us at Germany Footsteps where we blog about all things Melbourne. If you are interested in making money from blogging, join my Facebook group here.

> NEXT WEEK: Meg from Mapping Megan.

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