I finally had a real talk with my dad about my travel plans

I was back home in Ohio last week, showing him my new laptop setup, and he just looked at me and said, 'You know, I spent thirty years in the same office, and I never felt as free as you look right now.' It hit me because I always thought he saw this life as unstable, maybe even a bit silly. But he was actually a little jealous, in a good way. He asked about the internet in Guatemala City (where I'm heading next) and how I handle taxes, real stuff. It made me think about how this whole digital nomad thing isn't just a new way to work, it's a completely different idea of what a career can be, one he never got to choose. His generation's path was so set, you know? Has anyone else had a parent's view of your lifestyle totally surprise you?

2 comments

2 Comments

patricia_mason7d ago

That line about a "different idea of what a career can be" is so true. I see it with my older neighbors who worked the same factory job forever. They had security, but we get to choose what our life looks like day to day. It's a trade-off they never really had.

blakem137d ago

Used to think that old school job security was the only way to live. Then I watched my uncle retire from his office job after forty years and just seem lost. He had the pension, but he never got to build anything he actually cared about. Makes you see the trade-off clearly. Now I get why choosing your own path, even with the risk, matters so much.

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