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This is Where This Journey Ends

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Man walking through a dark tunnel to get to the endThey say everything comes in threes, and I guess my journey has had three big moments.

The first is when I fell in love with travel. It was 2004, and I was on my first international trip. I had originally intended to visit Australia, but somehow I ended up in Costa Rica. I don’t even remember how anymore; it’s just been too long. But I do clearly remember that somewhere between eating the best bruschetta of my life, creeping through jungles, hanging out with a troop of capuchin monkeys, and watching land crabs fight over territory, I became hooked. I had the travel bug. And as everyone with the bug quickly learns, this ailment has no cure. And every trip you take just makes it worse.

The second big moment occurred the following year. After meeting some backpackers on a trip to Thailand and talking with them, I knew the only way to treat my disease was to travel more. A few days later on the Thai island of Koh Samui, I turned to my friend Scott and told him that when we got home from Thailand, I was going to quit my job and travel the world. I was too consumed by my desire to travel to go back to life in the cubicle. Thailand had sealed my fate — and I had never been so sure and excited about anything in my life as I was at that moment.

Saying goodbye to my parents, I left in July 2006 for what was supposed to be a year traveling the world. A year became 18 months, which became 24, which soon became 68. My journey has taken me to fascinating places: I’ve lived in multiple countries, seen incredible beauty, had many amazing adventures, and met some of my closest friends.

But all things come to an end sometime, which brings me to today — my third big moment.

For you see, today is where my journey ends.

It’s been a long time coming. Over the last year, there’s been a recurring theme on this blog: the creeping, impending doom of finality. I’ve struggled with it. Part of me looks out at the bar full of fresh-eyed twenty-something backpackers — dancing, socializing, and drinking care-free, with only a hangover to worry about tomorrow — and thinks, “I wish I could be that way.” I want to go chasing ghosts. “Maybe just a little longer,” I say to myself. I keep grasping at sand, hoping it won’t seep through my hands and I’ll be able to hold on a little longer. Just one more day as Peter Pan couldn’t hurt.

But as I got stuck in Sihanoukville writing my book, my mind realized what my heart knew long ago: the end had come. My life and desires have changed. Whereas those travelers in Sihanoukville wake up to nothing but a day at the beach, I wake up to conference calls, blogs, and work. After 68 months, I desire a kitchen, a gym, and a set life — not more movement.

I once wondered if it was possible to travel for too long. Could one spend too much time traveling alone? Could one live without roots for so long that they became rudderless? I thought so then, and I still think so now.

Traveling alone doesn’t mean you get lonely. You learn that there’s nothing wrong with eating dinner, seeing a movie, or going out for a drink by yourself.

But being alone isn’t driving me home. I’m simply tired. Many of the people I know who travel like I do slow down after their third year. They stay in destinations longer, they have a home base, or they revisit places. Many have a partner with them who helps keep them anchored. But not me. I pushed past that and kept on going, even when I knew it wasn’t what I fully wanted.

But the heart wants what it wants, and my heart no longer wants to be a nomad.

My days as “Nomadic Matt” are no more.

I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t even know if I’m fully ready for the next step of my life. Will I be able to adjust? Months down the line, will I simply run off with my backpack and travel through Europe, unable to cope with being settled? Will this be like 2008 all over again, when I came home to end my trip, only to leave again a couple of months later? I don’t know.

I just know that sometime between that day in July 2006 and now, I grew up. I tried to stop it, but it happened anyway. For a while now, I’ve been trying to hold onto this lifestyle — but not anymore. I can’t linger at the end of this chapter any longer. It’s time to turn the page and see what happens next.

I still love travel and have no plans to stop. It’s too much a part of me, too much of who I am. And this blog will continue. I have enough articles today to fuel this site for months, and there are still plenty of trips in my future. So there will be plenty of new stories, photos, and tips.

But it’s time for me to put down roots and have a home. It’s time to become semi-nomadic. Instead of six months traveling around Europe, it might be two weeks in South Africa. The man without a home will finally have one to return to.

In a few hours, I will board my flight home to America and start to get ready to move to Sweden. It’s a new day, and I don’t know what it will bring.

But whatever happens, the future is now as amazingly uncertain and filled with promise as it was that warm summer’s morning in 2006.

Want to share your tips and advice? Got questions? Visit the community forum to ask questions, get answers, meet people, and share your tips!

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  1. WOW! What a post. My eyes teared up a bit! I’ve been following your blog for so long! Thanks for sharing. Why Sweden? And so much good luck!

    • I have a lot of friends there, the language is pretty, the countyside, Stockholm is wonderful. It just seemed the best place to go for 6 months.

      • Each to his own.always found stockholm rather drab.much prefer Oslo with its huge island filled harbour.however torshavens my favourite Scandinavian capital.

  3. Good luck Matt! Don’t think of it as ‘growing up’ though – just reaching the next phase in your life. I have long wondered if we always want what we don’t have – those of us in a cubicle (for now) wish for freedom and those of you eternally on the road wish for something more stable. I fully expect to vacillate between the two in the coming years and I suspect you will too. I’m looking forward to following along. Cheers!

  4. Beautiful post! I loved reading about some of your travel experiences and most importantly, I learned a few things (so thank you!)
    Like you said, all things come to an end and that only means a fresh start. I wish you good luck and send you positive vibes in this new adventure of making base in one place. (I think for a world-traveller like you, that will be an adventure)
    I look forward to reading about this different life you are going to begin. 🙂

  5. Wow!!!

    As I read your words, you, my hero.. :), I literally had goosebumps..

    I wish you the best. I’m sure you’ll do right by yourself. 🙂

    Will you keep blogging? I’d love to know lots more about Sweden. After Japan/Korea/Thailand, they,re my next most intriguing place…

  6. I have been struggling with this same thing…traveling is awesome and will always be a passion, but once you have a direction in life, it’s hard to go back and just aimlessly wander. You will have many more travel opportunities to come I am sure, just maybe not backpacking through hostels. Eventually there comes a time when Peter Pan has to leave Never never land, but it doesn’t mean that he can’t ever return…and think of how many other opportunities are there out there waiting for you. No I believe your bigger journey is just beginning my friend. Best of luck!!

  7. Matt, you were one of the first blogs I came across when I first started writing my own. You’ve been an inspiration in many ways, and I thank you for that. I hope one day that our paths will cross, so I can buy you a beer and thank you in person.

    All the best on where the road leads next…

  8. Lovely post! As a traveler, I know exactly how you feel and have struggled these past 6 months with wanting a home base as well. I’m hoping to decide on a where and give it a go living abroad permanently. Curious to know how you ended up picking Sweden?

    • I have a lot of friends there, I like the people, the language, and its beauty. Seemed like the best choice.

  9. Wow I never thought I’d see a post like this! I guess there comes a time when almost everyone has to sort of “settle down” and grow up. I’ve come to that point, too. Wishing you well in this next chapter!

  10. I’ve been reading your blog for almost two years. I’m almost seventeen and I babysit to pay my way to any destination I have a chance to go. Thank you for inspiring this future nomad and for making me realize even the most incurable wanderlust is a yearning worth having. I can’t wait for my own travel-filled adventures to ensue with a little guidance of my first and favorite travel blog I’ve discovered, thank you Matt and good luck in all of your future endeavors!

      • cheers for the repost on FB I did miss when you posted it.

        Cool man, beginning of a new chapter. I’m in the same position as you now but am settling in bangkok … cubical life still creeps me out though so im trying to make a living painting and illustrating. Its just as exciting trying to make a living an alternative way as it is traveling man, im sure you will have a ball in Sweden.

        • Bangkok is a fabulous place to live. Really great vibe. Make sure you go hang out at Cheap Charlies on Soi 11. My favorite bar in the world.

  11. Beautifully written..a fitting finale. My eyes are squinting back wet stuff. I reached that point one day on a train going past people working in their gardens and I realised I was always a voyeur and suddenly wanted to be the person with a home and family, actually living a life like that. And you know, it HAS been an adventure of a different sort…Life is pretty neat that way…it’s what you make it. And you will always make it special, I’m sure! Simply because it is unfamiliar will make it fascinating to explore …and you will learn new things about yourself. Good luck!!! Be brave.

    • Don’t cry! It wasn’t that good! But thanks for being such a great reader and commentor! I really do appreciate it!

  12. Good luck. All we can ask of ourselves in life it to be truthful with our hearts. You were brave to follow it out into the world when you were younger and you are equally as brave to follow it to a more permanent home now. It’s all part of the same big adventure.

  13. Man, I literally bookmarked your site yesterday. I was coming here for a bit of “travel inspiration” and then… you stop! It must have been me, I´m really sorry mate… 😉

    Nah, 68 months seems even longer if you say it in years, and I´d be more more than happy to get a fraction of the experiences you´ve gotten so far, for sure.

    May I selfishly ask you if you plan to leave the site open indefinitely? I can see there´s a lot of useful info in here that I wouldn´t like to miss, but I don´t know if is should hurry up.

    Thanks mate, and good luck in the Land of Ugly Women… 😉

    • Don’t worry! I’ll keep having plenty more travel articles for you to come back for! I am still going to keep blogging about travel. It’s not the end of the blog, just the end of being a nomad.

  14. You may be ending the “nomadic” portion of your travels (for now), but you are going to live in a foreign country for a longer period of time – one could argue that doing that is a better way to travel than the nomadic way!

  15. Wishing you all the best in Sweden! You’re still an adventurer even if you’re not a nomad. 😀 I look forward to reading what the next phase will bring.

  16. You are one of the first travel bloggers I started following years ago and seeing all you’ve accomplished inspired me then and continues to inspire me today. Good luck with whatever comes next for you!

  17. Great post Matt. I’ve enjoyed reading your posts in the last couple of years and you’ve always written in a very thoughtful and truthful manner. This post is no exception.

    I too have looked at young backpackers having the time of their lives and thought to myself, “MAN… sometimes I wish that spark was still there…” Maybe it’s a function of getting older, having done a lot of those things, or for whatever other reason, but I know exactly how it feels.

    But the thing is, wanderlust is something that tends to stick with you forever. Although you may not get that awe-inspiring, first time out in the world feeling anymore, backpacking is still something that brings the best out of people.

    I think what you’re doing is great. Having a base and somewhere to call home is really important. The travel bug, if scratched long and hard enough, can turn into a sore. You’ve gotta let it heal. Then when it pops up again, somewhere down the road, you can enjoy scratching it that much more.

    Best of luck to you Matt, I’ll be reading.

    – Paul

    • Wise words, Paul. I agree. Sometimes you need to let the wound heal a bit and then scratch it again. Maybe you really can have too much of a good thing?

  18. Matt, I found your blog shortly after my trip to Crete in 2009. Since then, I have enjoyed your sense of humor, your love of adventure, and your practical, no-nonsense advice for those who love to travel. Best wishes to you in this new phase of your life. Sweden is a beautiful place to start anew.

    • Thanks so much! I’m glad someone enjoys my sense of humor. Sometimes, I think I’m the only one!

  19. Very emotional… Where one journey ends another begins… Sweden will be a new journey for you 🙂 Moreover, I and many other people are about to follow your steps… So travelling will never end 🙂

  20. Awesome post! Ther´s no need to add anything to that…. Wishing you all the best for your future! Take care, may God bless you! Always follow your heart Matt 🙂

  21. I started following your posts just late last year and found your travel tips and guides very inspiring. I’m not the first one to say this of course but still, thanks for sharing them and I wish you happiness in your semi-nomad life. 🙂

  22. Matt, your blog was truly the inspiration that got me started. I’ve known for a long time now that I’m not a nomad at heart – not when I was younger and not now. I’ve always needed a home-base to return to, and truly I believe that returning to your home is just another part of the travel experience, and without it you’re missing a part of what it means to travel.

    So don’t look at it as a “step-down” or being less of a traveler, or anything like that. Heck, even Rick Steves has lived his entire life in Washington outside of Seattle, and he’s a travel-master. Just think of it as a healthy balance – a grounded Ying to the nomadic Yang.

    Congratulations on the big move, the new stage of your life, and all the success you’ve had along the way. Hopefully the next time I vacation to Europe I’ll make it up to Sweden and buy you a beer. Take care!

    Andy

  23. Congratulations! I made that tough decision after traveling straight for only 13 months. What you did is amazing! The next step in life will be even better and traveling will always be an integral part. Best of luck.

  24. Matt, Many thanks for all you’ve shared so far. I know there’s more to come, in whatever form. As a 47 year old ‘backpackermom’ I can attest that this life is full of wonderful transformational journeys. Some of those journeys have been road trips to afar. Other journeys I’m even happier to have experienced eclipse even the joys of travel. Being married 20 years, raising two sons well, learning to be a good wife, mother, daughter and friend. Most of all, growing in my faith. I’m glad I’ve experienced it all. The road, however, is conducive to only a few. And now the exciting part? Since our sons are getting ready to launch, my husband and I will be hitting the road again for more. = )

    With smiles of gratitude for how this website has enriched me and the travel community, and wishing you the very best. = )

  25. Matt, just want to say I’ve been informed, entertained, and (most importantly) inspired by your posts and example. I wish you the best and look forward to following your next adventures.

  26. It was inevitable that we’d all read this post some day. Good luck with the exciting new chapter you are opening up. The future is exciting just as the past.

  27. Hey Matt,

    I am an avid follower, although I’ve never been compelled to comment. I gave up the solo travel lifestyle after 3 years of long-term travel… but after a couple of years, the travel bug has bit again.

    Knowing I have a couch and a TV to come home to, a closet to hold my clothes instead of my suitcase, and a boyfriend who picks me up from the airport makes the short trips I’ve taken since more meaningful. After several years, I DO have a strong case of wanderlust brewing again though.

    Only this time, I made the vow to never travel alone! 🙂

    Good luck in this next stage of your life!

    • People always ask is traveling alone lonely. I wouldn’t say it’s lonely. It can be boring sometimes and after 5.5 years, I’d like to travel with someone.

  37. It comes to us all. There is a point in every person’s life where you take stock of where you are, where you have been and where you want to go. Traveling to see the world is an amazing adventure, but if you are at all an adult, the desire to carouse through life without commitment to anything but the next adventure does get old. I’ve struck a nice balance in my middle age – we make a point to do something interesting every 3 months for a week – but I am not consumed with where I will wake up the next day anymore. I’m happy to be where I am. You’ll get there. Thanks for an entertaining blog over the years and I trust you’ll find something to keep you interested as you move on.

  38. Aw, Peter Pan! 🙂

    Good luck with absolutely everything. It’s so fascinating to me how our lives are constantly refreshing themselves with new obstacles and opportunities. There have been some recent developments in my own life that may allow us to cross paths in Europe. Either way, hope to see you soon.

    • I’ll be in NYC soon. We can meet up for dinner than! Haven’t seen you in ages. You can tell me all about it!

  39. Good luck Matt, One thing I have learnt during my 50 years on this planet is that you do take stock of where you are at from time to time and change directions accordingly. However though, this is a life-long process and is what creates the richness in our lives. I travelled a bit when I was your age, settled down domestically for 25 years and now I am living in France for at least 12 months while I consider the next stocktake of my life. A whole life of travel and carefree attitude is boring, a whole life of domesticated bliss is boring, but a whole life mixed up with the lot is the life. Take your time on what you want to do Matt, you have your whole life ahead of you. You’ll be on the road again, one day. Thanks for all the blogs. Maybe your next blog theme can be 30 something travelling with 2.2 kids.

    • I doubt that! I’m not looking for kids anytime soon! Maybe 40 something traveling with kids….

  40. Congratulations Matt for having the courage to come to this decision. Travel will remain an option but you have grown up and are willing to admit it. I’m sure that keeping a blog and tweeting your travel highlights has been rewarding as an accompaniment to your travel. Now turn that experience into writing a book or keeping the blog but give advice. Life holds so much and you are taking it by the tail. Good Luck in Sweden or wherever you end up after 6-12 months.

  41. Great blog and your lives adventures are just starting Matt. I am excited to see where your life takes you. My advice is just don’t have a plan, go where it takes you, you’ll find yourself there. This past January I made a decision. I am at a point in my life where I want change and I my desire to travel kept getting bigger and stronger. So I sold everything I own, everything in 8 days on Craigs list and am quiting my job. Bought a one way ticket to Paris and I’m traveling the world. I have no set plans or destinations (except Pamplona in July). I don’t know what or where I’m looking for but I know I’ll find it. Reading your blog has inspired me and most of all soothe the thoughts that I’m not crazy and making a mistake. Thank you, even though we have never met I consider you a friend.

  42. Best wishes to your new life abroad. I moved to the Philippines from Southern California and haven’t looked back! Even though I’m not traveling the world, I am totally enjoying getting to know every nook and cranny of my new home away from home….it’s a different kind of adventure. I look forward to seeing you, too, enjoy expat life!

  43. Good Luck! As we move into the future we are all asked to make some Changes in our lives that will serve our highest good as well as others. Trust your intuition it will always guide you in the right direction. – Seriita

  44. Hi Matt,

    This is such a simply beautiful post. You have been such an inspiration and your site is really one of my favourites. Don’t think of it as an end, it is just the beginning of a new journey, of a different type. I keep coming back to your blog for travel inspiration. Thank you for sharing your amazing stories.

    Here’s wishing you a great new life in Sweden and a lot more travel stories to inspire us dreamers to get out there in the world.

    Cheers!

  45. Discovering your site at this point in your life (and mine) reminds me of when I discovered Clash records in high school – round about the time they broke up. Very sad, but I still encountered a great band. And now, I get to experience a great travel resource.

    I wish you all the best in your new home. There’s a lot to be said for going deep into a foreign culture. Up until 2010 I lived for 8 years in Asia (Japan and Singapore). I’m living in my home country but look forward to getting back on the road. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to see you out there. Cheers!

  46. Hi Matt. Hate to come this late to the comment party, but I just had to. What a touching, thought-provoking post this is.

    I probably got to know about you too late also (just a few months ago). Some years ago I decided I wanted to explore more of what I could see of this world within the limitations of being an 8-to-5er, and the travels I’ve done across America -the continent- just have left me wanting for more. And for reasons I can only attribute to destiny, luck and good providence, I now have a great location-independent job that is giving me the chance I wished I had when I was younger (I’m 38 and single): That of exploring even more of this world on my own. On gathering more life-changing experiences than stuff in life. And I hope it’s not too late for me to go ahead, as I’m seriously looking forward to an extended stay across South America during this year. I’ll probably won’t be able to put up with noisy, drunk twentysomethings at a hostel though – but again, I’ve got the cash for not having to 😀

    Rest assured your blog and writings are now a huge source of inspiration for me. Probably my travel wishes are just an old itch looking for a good scratch, and someday I may also get tired of it and wanting to settle down, as you are doing now. But at least I want to be able to say “There, I did this because I wanted to, and that’s all that matters”. Because that’s how it really is. Best of luck on your future non-nomadic or semi-nomadic life, cheers!

  47. Hey Matt,

    I knew a post like this was going to come, and yet I was still surprised to actually read this! It’s clear from all these heartfelt comments that you’ve inspired so many people (myself included!), and that while you may no longer be “Nomadic Matt,” you’ve left the sort of legacy but no one will ever come close to achieving. Years from now, all the young new backpackers will still be talking about “Nomadic Matt.” 🙂

    With that said, I’m excited to hear all about your adventures in Sweden! I’ll be moving to Europe in the fall. I will see you around!

  48. Wow Matt! What an adventure you have had and I am sure you will have many more. I have followed you for quite some time and you were the first inspiration for me to go travelling and also start blogging! I just wanted to say thank you for giving me the kick I needed to do it! I bought your oook “How to monetize your blog” and spoke to you once on Skype but never got around to discussing my blog due to getting ready to leave and now wish I had. You probably heard this before and not to sound corny but you are great at what you do. I look forward to reading your stories of Sweden. I only wish I got to meet you in person and have a beer with you. Thanks again and good luck with Sweden.

    Tom

  49. Good luck, good luck! The move is going to be great, I’m sure. Settling down doesn’t really mean that the story ends. It means that one chapter of the story ends. You’ll have a whole bunch of new chapters to write in the coming years, I’m sure.

  50. Damn Kid!!! So glad and sad all at the same time for you. It is quite compelling how your experiences and adventures in the past 5 years helped change many peoples lives sitting at their desk wondering if life can get better. I have followed you for quite some time since I also am from Boston and heard about you through the grapevine. Wish you the best on your new endeavor in SWEDEN!!!
    Next time your in Boston let grab a beer…

  51. It’s such an act of courage to follow your heart and go for what you want, whether it is travel or settling down. And you can always re-decide – to stay, or to leave. Glad you’ll still be travel-blogging!

  52. Good Luck, Matt! I am new to your blog, but have enjoyed reading about your adventures. This next step will too be an adventure – just a different kind. Look forward to following your journey in Sweden!

  54. I’ve been reading your blog for some time now, although this is the first time I comment. I just wanted to thank you for being such an enthusiastic travel writer. I’m sure you’ve accomplished your goal of inspiring lots of people to start/keep on travelling.
    Some years ago I spent 6 months living in Oslo and therefore I can almost guarantee, despite I know they are different, you’ll love staying in Stockholm!
    Greetings from an Argentinean and cheers to our now seminomadic Matt! Salud!
    Ju

  55. Yay!!! Congratulations on the transitions! Oh how I wish we could join you in Sweden! We are closer to spreading our wings, but for now still remaining in our work bubble. = ) Extremely excited for you babe. The journey continues, it never really ends. Will want to chat with you at some point, you’ve really inspired shone to create a travel site of sorts. We LOVE you.

    xoxo

  56. Wow, that was heavy. 🙂
    I’ve been reading your blog since I started my journey last year. And this would be the first time I would be posting a comment perhaps this article has really moved me. Anyways, while reading this post and consuming all your experiences and realization. I came to understand that. Still, a time will come where your heart will choose a place to stay and get rooted. In which, you can make yourself grow more and more productive.

    Matt, Thanks for sharing your life and your travel experiences. I believe your passion in travelling and writing is enough to ignite more nomads to continue in this journey and experience what you had experienced.. Thanks.

  57. Sweden sounds a teeny, tiny bit like still traveling but I get the point 🙂 And how cool to get to write about and travel in Scandinavia.

    You are hugely successful and don´t think that will be diminishing anytime soon. I´ll be looking to you in the years to come for ¨How to keep a successful blog successful¨ type of posts. Or an eBook???

    If life´s a journey, then travel never really ends. Right?

  58. It is not impossible for a nomad to settle down completely ! I have been nomadic (or semi-nomadic) for at least 5 years, during which time I have moved or left on a long trip at least every 6 months. But there was a moment where my journey ended too, or the desire to constantly roam slowly ebbed away. The sweetness of buying a coffee pot, knowing my local corner store guy, and being in a web of stable relationships became more important than the rush of travel. I admit I sometimes have to try hard to be non-nomadic these days, not just pick up and take off. I often get twinges of envy when I read National Geographic or other people’s blogs. But there are some nice rewards for being more settled too, trust me. You can inspire yourself from “voyage autour de ma chambre” by Xavier de Maistre where he talkes about what you can learn from taking a journey around his own room.

  59. Wow Matt…such a sad post. I am a newbie to your site and newletter etc. and just when I discovered something wonderful, you are saying goodbye. Really sad but I wish you will with your new venture in Sweden.

  60. Wow… this was like a cold shower to me. I read your older posts and I was sharing your excitement with every post. This is not what I expected and I actually feel very, very sad. Not because you want to cut down on traveling, but because you’re often with people yet you feel alone. I hope that one day you will meet that one girl who will share your passion for traveling and she will be that one person you will have by your side to talk about memories once you turn 70.
    Thank you for a beautiful experience Matt, I felt like I lived them all myself.

  61. You had me hooked from the beginning here Matt. It may seem like massive lifestyle choice, by nothing is ever permanent. If you do decide to head off down the line again, there’s nothing wrong with choosing to do so, as long as it is what you want. I wish you all the best for your move to Sweden.

  62. Hey everyone! Due to the age of this post and the difficulty in moderating lots of posts spam, comments here have been turned off. If you would like to continue the discussion, head over to the forums at http://forums.nomadicmatt.com and chat there! I post frequently and reply to threads on the boards! See ya there! Thanks! – Matt