The past three years have conjured a whirlwind of emotions, leaving many of us to question, “What will I do with this one precious life?” For some, the answer was a career change, for others it was moving to a new city, and for many who no longer work in a physical office, becoming a digital nomad garnered appeal. I decided to maximize the flexibility my remote working life affords me and lean into the nomad life. So in January, I packed up my world, putting nearly everything in storage, and started a five month road trip to live in California and Utah – a reconnaissance tour for where I might call my next home.

Preparing for such an adventure took some serious soul searching and consideration for the kind of environment I wanted to explore. I started with the things that bring me the greatest joy (access to the outdoors, great diverse food, and walkable neighborhoods) and decided to stay predominately on the west coast, accommodating my work schedule and driving ease. My parents grew up in Southern California, an area where I have spent very little time outside of San Bernardino county, and thus my first region was chosen. January-February would be in LA area, then down to San Diego for March. That would also offer fairly consistent, modest temperatures, reducing the spread of clothing types I would need to bring with me.

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