Episode 130: Special Guest, Kate Connelly, Shares Her Stories About the 'Nomad' Life

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Paige: You are listening to “Coffee with Gringos.” I’m Paige Sutherland.

Ian: And I’m Ian Kennedy.  

Paige: And today, we have quite a special guest, a good friend of mine from college—Kate Connelly—is here with us. Welcome to the show, Kate.

Kate: Thanks for having me.

Paige: Of course, it's our pleasure. So, because you are new to the show, we just want you to introduce yourself a little bit—tell us where you're from and what you do for a living.

Kate: Sure. So, as Paige said, my name is Kate Connelly and I am from the Washington DC area. I currently am based in that area as well for work. I work at a media company that covers the public sector and I work in events production there. So, it's been quite a journey workwise during COVID for sure switching all of our live events to digital events but definitely afforded a lot of opportunities, professionally and personally too which I'm sure we'll get into.

Paige: Well so listeners, today Kate's joining us because she has quite an interesting story. She has really taken advantage of these COVID times of working remotely, and has just left her apartment in DC and lives the nomad life which basically means you don't have a home. You go where the wind takes you, I guess. And so, we're going to chat a little bit about that, what inspired her, what places she's gone to, where she's going to be going next. So as always listeners, if you get lost, check out that audio guide and transcript online at www.dynamicenglish.cl. So, Kate—first question. This is a crazy life decision. Most people would never have the courage to do it. What inspired you to take on this nomad lifestyle?

Kate: Well, when COVID hit the US in early March, I wasn't planning on starting a nomad lifestyle. We learned we were going to be working from home for a couple of weeks and I'm fortunate enough that my family has a house in the mountains of Virginia near Shenandoah National Park. So, we said, things are weird in the city, we're working from home anyway, let's decamp for two weeks to the Shenandoah. So, we packed our bags, packed a lot of different gear for activities, because there's a lot to do there, and then we ended up staying for five months. Definitely, four and a half months longer than my husband really wanted to, but we were making the best of it. We just were hearing that things in the city were kind of in lockdown, we weren't going to be able to see our friends. We lived in a one-bedroom apartment and were worried about space for work there so that summer, we got a little tired of paying rent for an apartment that we hadn't been to in several months. So, we decided to end our lease and embrace the nomad life. So, we've been traveling up and down the eastern seaboard of the United States for the past couple of months and then, recently, have been lucky enough to be here in person with Paige in Colorado.

Ian: Wow, that's pretty amazing, Kate. So, I have a question, first of all, where all have you been and how did you pick these places? What made you put your finger on the map and say, “Let's go here?”  

Kate: Sure. So, a lot of it was driven just by the opportunities that we had and spaces that were available to us, people that would welcome us into their home when we no longer had one of our own. So, the first kind of base camp that we had was in the Shenandoah area of Virginia. So, we were there for five months, and then we said hey, we've been with my family for so long, let's go up and visit Jack's family. So, my husband is from New Jersey so, we spent about a month with his family in New Jersey. Also, super fortunate that they had actually just bought a beach house in Rhode Island, so we spent three weeks at the beach in Rhode Island. Then we had been plotting with our friends about how we could get together in a safe way during COVID and we decided to go to Maine all together and had a great time hearing about all Paige’s adventures from Chile during that trip. So, in 2020, it was primarily the Shenandoah, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. And then, my sister is an adaptive ski instructor here in Colorado and she got a two-bedroom apartment for the season in the hopes that she wouldn't have to get a roommate, that she would just have enough family members willing to visit her that they would supplement her rent. So, jack and I said, “Of course, we're not paying any rent normally. So, we'll definitely come live with you for a month.” in January at a resort called Crested Butte. And then when we heard Paige and our other friend, Suzanne, were going to be spending February in a different part of Colorado and we said, “Why not?” It wasn’t planned, it just kind of happened.

Paige: Was it a hard decision for you? I mean, I think most people want to be in one place, they don't want to move. It's kind of scary especially being so far from home, you're far from family. Or was it pretty easy for you and Jack?

Kate: It was definitely several conversations. I think a little easier for me, maybe, because I have lived abroad and like being in new places. I think for Jack, it took a little more just getting used to the idea but we both came around to the fact that, hopefully, COVID is temporary. So, this is trying to make the best of a pretty shitty world situation and just taking advantage of the time that we'll probably never have again in our lives to go wherever.

Paige: Absolutely. You know, it’s you're definitely making the best of it. And like you said, you’ve been to quite a lot of places–pretty different places. Do you have some favorite spots so far in your travels?

Kate: Definitely. When we were in Acadia National Park in Maine, that was a highlight. We were on vacation with a group of ten-ish friends, whereas we had just been living on my grandparents’ quarantine rules for the past several months, so it was so fun to be with everyone. I would say that was definitely a highlight and being here in Colorado with friends again is amazing. I think the theme throughout all the places we've been is the accessibility to nature and kind of a more rural setting so that you can go for a walk without wearing a mask because you're not going to encounter anyone on the trail and just being able to have that freedom in COVID times is nice.

Ian: And getting to enjoy all that amazing snow you guys are getting up there. I'm so jealous. I wish we were getting that down here so what a time to be traveling around and enjoying it and so we're all living vicariously through you during this time. We're stuck in quarantine, we're stuck in one place, but at least some people are able to go around and enjoy that nomad lifestyle.

Paige: CWG officially has over one hundred episodes and we are among the “Top Podcasts in Chile.” And that's thanks to you, but we are always working to grow our audience so make sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, Tik Tok, and even LinkedIn. But most importantly—rate, review and share us with all your friends, family, and coworkers. And if you want to take your English education to the next level, sign up for private or group classes at dynamicenglish.cl.

Ian: So, another question I have, I'm sure during all of these long travels you've had, there have probably been a few hiccups. Do you have any funny stories where maybe something went wrong or something made you guys laugh?

Kate: Yes, I think the biggest one, which is an ongoing saga, is our car license plate. We were city dwellers before the pandemic and I was definitely someone who was, why would you need a car? I'm never moving out of the city. Who would need any of that? But by August, we were tired of relying on family members or friend’s generosity to go from place to place, so we decided to buy our own car, which the whole process was super smooth. They had kind of told us at the dealership, with COVID, we can't go in person to the DMV, it's going to take a while to get your plates. So, we thought nothing of it. A couple of months went by, three months, still no word from the DMV. So, then we started calling, social media-ing corporate of Subaru of America to try and get some kind of answer. Finally, in December, so now, four to five months after we bought our car, the dealership came back and said that Chase, which, I guess, owned the title to our car had actually lost the title. So, it's unclear who legally owns our car. It’s unclear when we will get a license plate. And right before we were coming to Colorado, which from the DC area is a three-day drive, we had really been bingeing the show “Ozarks”, which is very dramatic—a lot of violence, some scary parts. And the night before we left, my husband woke up in a cold sweat, having a nightmare that we had been pulled over somewhere in Missouri and we were going to be arrested for not having the correct license plates. We were never going to be able to get out of jail. This was the end of our lives. Luckily, I was able to talk them down from the cliff when we drove across the country with no incidents but we are still waiting for those Virginia license plates to come.

Paige: Do you have a temporary license plate? I didn't even notice.

Kate: Yeah, we have a temporary New Jersey license plate which is where we bought the car. Technically expired in September 2020, and now we're in February 2021.

Paige: Wow.

Kate: Living on the edge!  

Paige: Knock on wood. Yeah, you've been doing so much driving and no incidences. That's good.

Ian: I have to back and laugh about you mentioning going through Missouri because I'm actually a native from the Ozarks region from Missouri. “Ozarks” is based off of essentially where I'm from even though I think they make us look a little more redneck than everyone really is. Some of it's pretty realistic but not all of it. So, it makes me laugh to your husband woke up in a cold sweat in my home state afraid for his life. We’re not all that bad, I promise. Just a few bad eggs, but that’s great. That’s a great story.

Paige: That's funny. So, you know obviously, like you said, you’ve been on the road for quite some time now, but your journey isn't over. Where are you going next?

Kate: So, while you're here in Colorado, we were just chatting with some of our friends who are here who were asking the same question—where to next and can we come? Pretty impulsively, we just did some searching of warm places in the eastern part of the US and settled on a month in South Carolina. We're going to Florida to be with Jack's family on vacation for a bit and then from there, we're going to go to South Carolina. Our house has a golf cart. Everyone should come.

Ian: Hey, sounds nice.

Paige: We've just had such a good time in Colorado because, as we say nowadays, we're potting up. So, we've all got tested and we're only seeing each other and getting tested frequently and just being outside a lot and we're all like this is great. It feels normal. It feels like life has come back again. And so, we're like let's continue because most of us can all work remotely. And I remember one night you just saw a house in South Carolina and you're like “This looks beautiful.” And then she comes out of the bathroom of a ski mountain and is like, “I booked it—we're going.” So, it's been very, very spontaneous but I feel like, luckily, working remotely, it doesn't really matter where you are as long as you can log on to a computer—like what we're doing now.

Ian: Sure, that's a really big benefit about today. So cool that you can take advantage of wandering around and still being able to work full time. I talk a lot with students about how what if this had happened fifteen or twenty years ago when we had no technology like we have now for communication or working online? So, of course, the pandemic is a negative, but I think that's a silver lining we can find in it. So that's so awesome you guys are taking advantage of it. Again, I'm living vicariously through you both, and I'm very jealous. Hopefully, one day I can do the same but not during a pandemic—just during vacation time.

Paige: Fair. Well, I guess to wrap things up Kate, any advice for people who maybe are inspired by you to take the nomad lifestyle on?

Kate: I would say it's a lot easier than you might think to just pick up and go. You can be anywhere right now if you're in a job that allows that. It is temporary so it's not like you're moving to a new city for two years or a longer period of time. That you can do it month to month or for a longer period so I would say go for it because hopefully, it's not going to last too much longer.

Paige: True and, I mean, the alternative is just staying in your apartment and being depressed. Well, Kate, thanks so much for joining us. It's really inspiring what you and your husband are doing and, hopefully, our listeners out there inspired to really make the most of this kind of shitty time period. So, listeners, as always, if you get lost, check out that audio guide and transcript online at dynamicenglish.cl. As always, thanks for listening.

Ian: We'll see you next time.

Paige: “Coffee with Gringos” was brought to you by Dynamic English, where you can learn English simply by using it. If you’re interested in taking classes or just want to learn more, go to our website at dynamicenglish.cl. Thanks for listening.

Key Vocabulary, Phrases & Slang:

 1.     remotely (adverb): away from a usual workplace location.

a.     Many people have been able to work remotely during the pandemic.  

2.     go where the wind takes you (idiom): to move without planning or thinking.

a.     We just want to go where the wind takes us for the current moment.

3.     to embrace (verb): to accept or support.

a.     We want to embrace the chance to live on the road.

4.     seaboard (noun): region bordering the sea; coastline.

a.     We have been living on the Eastern seaboard for a few months.

5.     driven (adjective): motived or determined by a specific feeling.

a.     The destinations were driven by the places with access to nature.

6.     to plot (verb): to plan.

a.     We plotted a trip out to Colorado with our friends.

7.     to supplement (verb): to increase; to boost.

a.     I started a side job on the weekends to supplement my income.

8.     abroad (adjective): in a foreign country.

a.     Spending time abroad is a great way to understand other cultures.

9.     to come around (phrasal verb): to start to accept and support an idea after being against it before.

a.     We came around to the fact that this kind of lifestyle can’t exist for us forever.

10.  highlight (noun): an outstanding part of an event or period of time.

a.     Visiting my friends was the highlight of the trip.

11.  rural (adjective): relating to the countryside; outside a city.

a.     I have been able to see so many rural places traveling during this time.

12.  vicariously (adverb): imagining an experience through the actions of another person.

a.     While I’m still in lockdown, I’m living vicariously through those getting to travel now.

13.  hiccup (noun): unexpected problem.

a.     It is almost certain that one will experience a hiccup during a road trip.

14.  saga (noun): a long story or series of events.

a.     The saga of the license plate never seems to end.

15.  DMV (noun, abbreviation): Department of Motor Vehicles.

a.     The DMV has been taking forever to get us our new drivers’ licenses.

16.  to binge (verb): to do or indulge in something in excess.

a.     We binge-watched a show on Netflix this weekend.

17.  talk someone down from a cliff (idiom): to convince someone to change their mind about something.

a.     I talked her down from the cliff and she agreed with my idea.

18.  to live on the edge (idiom): to live dangerously or riskily.

a.     We are driving across the country without a plan. Living on the edge!

19.  knock on wood (idiom): a phrase to express a hope for one’s good luck to continue.

a.     Knock on wood, the car will continue to run without any problems.

20.  redneck (adjective, noun, slang): working-class white person.

a.     There were lots of rednecks at the NASCAR race.  

21.  impulsively (adverb): unplanned; on impulse.

a.     She impulsively decided to find a beach house and reserve it for the future.

22.  spontaneous (adjective): unplanned; impulsive.

a.     We decided to jump in the car for a spontaneous road trip to the beach.

23.  silver lining (idiom): something positive from a negative situation.

a.     Being able to work remotely has been a silver lining for many people during the pandemic.

24.  to wrap (something) up (phrasal verb): to conclude or finish something.

a.     To wrap the interview up, what are your future plans?