A more interesting life: After seven years, why I continue to choose life as a nomad
My husband said his main reason for deciding to leave the U.S. to live in Europe as a nomad was that it just sounded more interesting. I couldn’t agree more.
There are reasons for starting something and reasons for continuing to do something. In 2017, my husband and I left the U.S. to explore a life as nomads living in Europe. I wrote an essay about why we initially chose to embark on a nomadic journey. My travel origin story. If you like, you can read that one first. This essay is about why we choose to continue living as nomads.
Artwork for an outdoor art show in Budapest, Hungary (photo by Roxanne Patruznick)
It inspires my creative life
Creative inspiration can come from any location, it’s just a matter of how you look at things. As a curious person, I am drawn to the places that are different than where I’m from. I consciously seek out what is less familiar. As I walk down ancient stone streets, past centuries-old cathedrals or Art Deco apartments, breathing in fresh baked bread, passing magnificent street art, and glorious tree-lined parks, I continue to be in awe of all the cities of Europe. Even after over seven years, the shine has not worn off. There is a magical quality that endures, that speaks to me directly as an artist and writer. There is an abundance of beauty and centuries old history around every corner. I drink in as much of it as I can and use it as fuel when I’m at the easel or when I write and even when I dance. An inspiring environment supports my creative work as it supports me.
Indonesian restaurant in Sofia, Bulgaria (photo by Roxanne Patruznick)
Amazing food
In the years we’ve lived in Europe I can only remember one bad meal (Stay away from the Chinese food in Zagreb.)
In the very beginning of our travels Johnny brought home a tomato and asked me to taste it. When I did, I asked if it was an expensive heirloom because it had so much flavor. But it was nothing fancy, a regular, inexpensive Spanish tomato. All the tomatoes I’d eaten in the U.S.—unless homegrown—were black and white and this one was in full-color. That was what I call my European tomato revelation.
All of the food that followed: from produce markets, grocery stores and restaurants, all the food has been high quality, delicious, and mostly inexpensive. Foods that I never really enjoyed in the U.S. were suddenly prepared in a way that made me really appreciate them, such as: octopus (though I no longer eat it), truffles, eggplant (aka Aubergine) and a few others. I even tried stingray in Croatia for Thanksgiving with a few expat friends. And don’t even get me started on European bread. Bread was an even bigger revelation than tomatoes. Bread deserves its own essay, maybe even several essays.
Various currencies we often carry (photo by Roxanne Patruznick)
The lower cost of living
When I first thought of living in Europe, I assumed it would be at least as expensive as the U.S. But it all depends on where you live, of course. Western Europe is generally more expensive than Central and Eastern Europe, however countries like Spain, Portugal and the southern parts of Italy and Sicily can be very affordable. In all the places we’ve lived in Europe, we’ve saved on rent. In Eastern Europe in countries like Albania and Croatia we’ve found three-bedroom apartments as low as $500-$700. When we stay in the off seasons we save even more.
The produce in Eastern Europe in general is four times cheaper than in the U.S. I was shocked when I saw it. There are produce markets in every city we’ve been to, and they aren’t just once-a-week farmers markets, but every day. Eating out can also be a savings depending on what city and country. When we were in Vlore, Albania last year we would get brunch on Sundays: two big omelettes with salad, cheese and a large basket of various fresh breads and cappuccinos and the total for the both of us was $12. In the U.S. the same meal would’ve been around $45-$50.
Another big money savings comes in the form of healthcare. We pay for monthly international insurance which is much lower than the insurance we paid in the U.S. We’re saving around $10,000 per year with better coverage and a lower deductible. When it makes sense, we pay for smaller things out-of-pocket and it’s astronomically cheaper. I just got a bone density scan which would’ve cost $150 - $300 and in Budapest it ran me $42. I visited a doctor last year in Bosnia for a consultation and ultrasound and the entire thing cost $25! For the same thing in the U.S., it would’ve been $250-$500. Prescription medicine is also cheaper. I will write more about foreign healthcare specifically in another essay.
Improved quality of life
With some of the money pressure and healthcare concerns relieved, we can focus on other things. I have slowed down considerably. We both no longer drive, removing another huge stress from our lives. Instead, we walk everywhere. It’s saved us money as well as improved our overall health. We walk to cafés to write or to the shops to run errands. We walk across the city on days off to explore.
The other day I met with a Hungarian friend in Budapest for coffee on the other side of town. I decided to walk home instead of taking the tram and experienced so much: the people, the dogs, the old historical buildings next to the modern ones, neon, restaurants, an art opening, a street musician, a breeze, street art and graffiti, the smell of home cooking from a window, a small sculpture on a wall that I would not have seen had I not been on foot. I take some time almost every day and give thanks for the life I have right now.
Budapest, Hungary near Margitsziget bridge (photo by Roxanne Patruznick)
Safety
I remember the first week in Europe, walking in Turia park late at night in Valencia, Spain. Johnny and I suddenly had an eerie feeling because it was dark, empty and quiet, a scene straight out of a horror movie. The park lights flickered in the darkness as I heard a noise. I held my breath and emerging from the darkness, illuminated by a streetlamp, was an old woman walking her little doggie. Johnny and I both looked at each other and laughed. Since then, in every city I’ve visited I have seen old people, young women, and children walking by themselves at night, perfectly safe.
I grew up in Los Angeles and have never felt this safe in my life. I’ve completely lost my spider sense. I’m not worried about someone harming me, and it’s hard to return to a place where I have to put that shield back on. Everyone should have an experience of living in a place where they no longer have to worry about their personal safety. I’ve even had a few situations where I dropped my wallet, and it was handed back to me by a stranger.
I know I’m generalizing and I’m sure there are sketchier neighborhoods here and there, however I am comparing it to where I’m from, Los Angeles. The biggest crimes in Europe have more to do with theft than with violence.
Ljublijana, Slovenia (photo by Roxanne Patruznick)
I continue to learn, grow and change through my experiences of travel
I have always been curious about other people and cultures. Once I made travel a way of life, it opened up the world to me. I have learned so much about various cultures, history, politics, and general life. The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know and can never fully know completely. I’ve had many insights while on the road, and one big one is that people in other parts of the world are simultaneously similar and different. That realization might seem simplistic, but it’s not. Understanding how we’re all similar as humans is beautiful while at the same time it’s important to respect just how different and individual we all are.
My view toward the U.S. has also shifted. It’s hard to see the full picture when you’re in the middle of it. The difference between seeing a lake while you’re swimming in the middle of it versus the view from the shore. I have a complicated relationship with my home country which I won’t go into here. But many of my European friends also have a complicated relationship with their country. It’s interesting talking to people who have lived through or are currently in countries with authoritarian governments. Something I’ll probably write more about later.
Living as a nomad has dramatically simplified my life, though it’s not always been easy. I have less stuff, which is mostly good. I visit new places, make friends and then have to say goodbye, hopefully to return. I’ve created a life that focuses on the things that I love, making art and writing while connecting with interesting people and exploring parts of the world. What I originally thought would only last for a year has transformed into my life. I will live as a nomad for as long as I can.
As I write this, I’m in a café in Budapest sitting next to my husband, surrounded by mixture of soft-spoken Hungarian and music.
Written by Roxanne Patruznick