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Living Large on a Small Budget: Interview with Nora Dunn

If you’ve ever dreamed of quitting your job, selling your stuff and setting off to travel the world, it may be comforting to know that others have treaded that path before you.

Take Nora Dunn, for example. In 2006, she set out to travel the world with her boyfriend, Kelly. Three years later, they’re still travelling, and Nora has just published her first book, while also building a loyal following on her blog, The Professional Hobo. In this interview, Nora talks about what inspired her to set out to travel, some of the downsides of long-term travel, and her new book.

Back in 2006 when you decided to sell your business and belongings and head out travelling, why did you do it?

I was running a successful financial planning practice; I had a great income, and a great lifestyle to go with it. But as I was turning 30, my lifelong dream of long-term travel seemed farther and farther off, reserved for my retirement years. I had tried to satiate the travel bug in previous years with vacations, but I never came away feeling satisfied that I fully (or even partially) understood the destination or its people.

I couldn’t accept that my dream might be on hold for so long until retirement, dependent on me being in good health and other circumstances beyond my control, thirty years off. And so was born the idea to sell the lot, stash away proceeds until I come back (heh heh – if I ever go back), and travel slowly, in a financially sustainable manner. I travel with my boyfriend, with whom the idea was hatched.

In order to travel indefinitely (or in a financially sustainable manner), we work as we go. We each earn a modest income with an Internet connection, which in conjunction with working in trade for our accommodation sets us up nicely for months at a time.

Were there particular people who inspired you to set out and travel indefinitely?

When I set out to travel indefinitely, I thought I was the only person – ever – to think of doing something so wacky. (Although this might be a slight exaggeration, you get the idea).

I believe that almost everybody at one time or another has fantasized about throwing caution to the wind and taking the world by storm.

It was not until I hit the road and started mingling online with other travelers and writers that I met so many people who have inspired me to continue on and grow in my traveling and writing style. The list and scope of my sources of inspiration is too wide to specify anybody in particular. I tend to glean small pearls of wisdom from many people.

Did you expect you’d still be travelling now?

I certainly hoped that I would still be traveling now, but I tried not to set such expectations. I learned pretty early on that things don’t usually go according to the plan, so setting expectations can be an exercise in futility and ultimately disappointment.

Case in point: Having originally been headed for Central and South America, we were taken off-course right off the bat by a family wedding and a chance to travel across Canada by train and live in the mountains for a summer. Then, Hawaii took us by surprise where we accepted an opportunity to live on an ecologically sustainable permaculture property on the edge of paradise. Later an opportunity for a free trip in Australia came our way, which gave us a chance to see some of Southeast Asia enroute. We still haven’t seen Central and South America on this trip, and I certainly won’t stop traveling before that happens! So I would say it is safe to assume that we’ll be traveling for a while yet.

You’ve now co-authored a book, 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget. As part of the promotion for that book, you wrote a great article about travelling full-time for less than $14,000 per year. Judging by the response to that article (123 comments and counting), you really struck a nerve with people with that post. Why do you think people responded so much?

I’m not the only person who has wondered if there is life beyond the rat race. In fact, I believe that almost everybody at one time or another has fantasized about throwing caution to the wind and taking the world by storm. By proposing that full-time travel is within many people’s financial grasp, and then by illustrating practical ways to swing it, a need seems to have been filled.

It is also an answer to the hundreds of emails I get from readers saying “I love what you do! How can I do it myself?” Stay tuned for a full-length book on the topic, by yours truly.

You’ve been in Australia since June 2008. Most travellers rarely spend more than a few weeks in one of their destinations. What do you see as the positives of staying in one place for so long?

As I recently watched my one year anniversary in Australia come and go, I wondered what happened; my stay in Oz was only supposed to be one year long, but instead our visas have been extended and working rights thrown in no less. (Yet another reason we don’t set expectations, as this is a rare opportunity for us “over-30” travelers who don’t easily get working visas abroad). This was a function of the volunteer work we did during and after the 2009 Victorian bush fires: Australia’s worst natural disaster.

It was a serendipitous gesture; being full-time travelers, it pays to slow down (I mean, to a crawl) sometimes. Actively backpacking (and even staying somewhere for a few months at a time) can take a toll; there comes a time when you simply need to stay longer – be it to hunker down and work on a business (as I have been doing) or make money somehow, or simply to set some roots and enjoy the warmth of good people and growing friendships. Being less transient for a while can be both grounding and fulfilling.

Although it was never my intent to stay in Australia so long, I will leave here with a foreign country in my heart, and I can even say I called it home for a while.

I’m sure many people envy you for being able to travel the world at your leisure, without being constrained by the need to return home to work. Are there drawbacks to your lifestyle though? Are there things you miss about the way life used to be before you set out on this journey?

There is certainly some give and take involved in traveling full-time. I’ve had to make compromises to live the life I do; for example, with my roots as an actor/singer/dancer in theatre and film, I really miss performing on stage. Relationships with friends and family back home also change: some people have an easier time adapting to long-distance communication than others.

I think that the daily grind of long-term or full-time travel is a mystery to many people. Some glamourize the idea, visualizing me lounging on beaches: laptop in one hand and frilly umbrella drink in the other, flitting from one touristy adventure to the next. Other people have a more grim idea of what my life looks like; wondering if they could make the same sacrifices in perceived quality of life that they assume I do. Truly though – the reality of long-term and full-time travel fits neither description. (As an answer to this, stay tuned at www.theprofessionalhobo.com for a week-in-the-life series, where full-time and long-term travelers share what a week in their lives on the road really looks like).

As far as things I miss, there are indeed a few: I miss having sushi whenever I want. I miss family game nights. I miss having a wardrobe that goes beyond what fits in my pack. I miss my loft. My boyfriend misses Canadian beer, and most of his rock climbing and mountaineering gear (which we sold).

But even given the drawbacks and sacrifices, I wouldn’t choose to be doing anything else. Every life choice requires some degree of compromise (whether we realize it or not), and I believe these are small prices to pay for the life I lead. I consider myself to be incredibly lucky, every single day.

OK, so you’re on the move soon. Where are you off to next?

I recently co-authored a book called 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget. Canadian distribution is in the works, and as the only Canadian author I’ll be returning home to Canada in August to do a promotional tour of the book (oh yeah – and hug my mum for the first time in 2.5 years!). Enroute I have some business to take care of in New York City. After, I’ll return to our temporary home base in Australia where my boyfriend will be holding down the fort, then possibly head to India after that. I’m not sure yet; the world has a funny habit of showing me the travel opportunities I need, when I need them. My job is simply to keep my eyes open, and continue to see the world – and its people – with inspired wonder and amazement.

Subscribe to TravelBlogs Posted by Eric on June 30th, 2009 in Interviews.
Tags: Australia, long-term travel, Perpetual Travel, travel writing