brip blap - Latest Comments in how to be a location independent family, part 1

Re: how to be a location independent family, part 1

JC McDowell — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 10:26:54 -0000

My family is working on these very same issues. In part out of necessity due to the economy and it seems an appropriate time to re-create ourselves versus beating our head against the wall in the hamster cage doing the same stupid stuff every day that seems meaningless and uneventlful to provide an opportunity to the do the exactly same thing tomorrow (and so on).

The 'Four Hour Work Week' was inspiring, but not entirely realistic. In part because the learning curve for the type of work that would provide substantial income can be quite high. But it is a lofty goal non-the-less with success being measured by a hybrid of income strategies (jobs).

A wise man once told me, "It takes one full year to start or stop any ONE thing". This could not be more true. We have actively been working since November of 2007 to stop the hamster cage cycle and break down the barriers to being location independent- which includes exploring income opportunities both labor and intellectual related.

Planning, adaptability, and diligence are imperative to swimming against the social current.

I enjoyed the post.

Re: how to be a location independent family, part 1

asithi — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:57:16 -0000

Like weiszguy said, I am too invested in the social network in my community. I love to travel, but I really cannot see myself away from my home for more than 1 month out of the year. I like my home and I like my friends. It took a few years to establish this after moving here. I am not sure I am willing to give that up just yet.

My husband is does not fill every social role that I need in my life. I think that if you are location independent, you have to be satisfy with whatever social role your spouse can fill. My husband is my best friend and we can talk for hours. But he cannot fill the role of my girl friends where we get together and talk about the things that he will never understand. Sure, you can talk on the phone with your friends, but it is not the same. You do not connect the same way as you do with a face to face conversation.

Re: how to be a location independent family, part 1

plonkee — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:57:33 -0000

I also want to go to places that I haven't been to before. It feels like every time I here of a place, I want to go there. But I don't know that being location independent would suit me full time. I like to have a home as well.

Re: how to be a location independent family, part 1

Dividend Growth Investor — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:29:57 -0000

Brip Blap,

I never though about traveling the way you described it. I would love it if you could post more thought provoking articles like that in the future.
I myself this that I want to be location independent. I think that the whole idea of passive/alternative income really meshes up perfectly with the idea of location independency. For example, you could travel accross the globe and still be able to write articles for your blog while earning money from your advertisers.
Fascinating!

Re: how to be a location independent family, part 1

Curmudgeon — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:23:45 -0000

As someone who caught a nasty cold last weekend on his flight back to the States from Prague, right now travel doesn't seem that appealing. I'm sure my outlook with improve in a few days.

However, I have a friend who sold his software company here in New England for a modest sum (not enough to retire on) in this early 30s and moved his family to Bonaire. He trained for and became licensed as a patent agent, and travels the world from his base in Bonaire as a patent consultant and expert witness in patent disputes. Much of his work is done long-distance, thanks to the Internet.

He, his wife, and two children travel frequently. I believe they do a combination of in-school in Bonaire and home schooling, with the travel an integral part of the education. They recently returned from a three week Mediterranean sailing cruise, with stops in a dozen different ports to explore cultures and histories.

The downside is that he's platinum elite on two airlines and gold elite on three others. I'm gold elite on one, and that's more than enough.

Re: how to be a location independent family, part 1

weiszguy — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:24:10 -0000

Location independent living has always held a certain appeal for me. Traveling around somehow seems - romantic. Or adventurous.

The problem for us is we have a pretty strong social network where we live. We have great friends that we depend on, and there are plenty of people who depend on us. This inter-dependency is what has prevented us from being mobile like this. I would feel like we're leaving part of ourselves behind, and we're also taking something from someone else.

Inter-dependency has it's advantages, but mobility is not one of them. It would be interesting if you could address this in a future column.

Re: how to be a location independent family, part 1

Chad @ Sentient Money — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:07:09 -0000

Nothing is ever simple. For many that cruise would sound good, but I would rather stay home than go on a cruise. Too regimented and you never really get to be part of the culture of the island. Physically seeing the sites is only part of the equation for me. I also like being part of the culture, even if it's only for a few days.

Re: how to be a location independent family, part 1

Writer's Coin — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:59:54 -0000

Paris all the way baby!