Nomad Life Recap

January 2024 · 2 min read

A collage of vignettes about wandering around Europe, Asia, and the USA. The belated bookend to my nomad era.

Originally posted on my Instagram.

Hi! I'm back after deactivating (my Instagram) for 3 years. Here's a little art project of updates.

I spent 2021-23 as a digital nomad, traveling to 10 countries & 27 cities. While in the UK, I started a part-time Masters degree in narrative studies at the University of Edinburgh. I'm now half done; my thesis is on how technologists are authors, artistically and culturally. I also took on a full-time remote design role at Dorsia, a hospitality tech startup. Learning like crazy. I also still work on Plot Twisters, the game design studio I started in 2019. Last year we won a grant from IDEO & Riot Games for our self-reflection video game, Twisterland. In progress.

Traveling led me to amazing long-distance friends. I still talk to some daily. It also matured my abundance mindset. I endured growing pains from figuring out my relationships, career, and values. Growing up doesn't stop, but I'm more comfortable with myself than I was at 23.

Nomad life made me crave a homebase — I'm now settling into the artist loft of my dreams in Cleveland, Ohio. More soon. In the meantime, highlights:

Mushroom foraging in Scotland.
Observational drawing in France.
Bed bugs in Manchester. Had to freeze my belongings for 3 days.
Making my best wonton soup yet for the Christmas party in Blackpool.
Buying silks in Doha.
A vegetarian feast for Tamil New Year with my family in Kuala Lumpur.
Mixing Mandarin and Spanish at the Chinese market in Barcelona.
Making friends at the gym like a real local.
Saturday in Monnickendam, walking with my mom, nibbling pecans.
Loitering in London hotel lobbies.
Walking by Florence Pugh in Hyde Park.
Getting fish & chips after any minor inconvenience.
Writing two book lists for a Scottish magazine (boom saloon).
Fringe Festival cabaret shows.
Sweating at the ceilidh. Late-night whiskey jam sessions.
Discovering swans in Holyrood Park. Visiting them weekly.
Qatar's chaotic metro during the World Cup.
Homemade meatball night in Chicago.
Birthday drugs.
Bossa Nova Civic Club on Thursday.
Driving on the left side in the Isle of Man.
11pm sunset in Oslo.
2am laughing/crying with my brother in the U-Haul to Cleveland.

Missed ya :)

✽