Hey everyone, A new friend of mine (@beelzael) I met in Cotacachi, Ecuador introduced me to this platform. His passion for writing and meeting new people from around the world was evident, so I simply needed to know more about it. Now...I'm not old, but also not a spring chicken, so it took me a bit to catch on. Let me tell you a little bit about myself.
Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain“
~ Jack Kerouac
My name is Rik, and I write and operate under the "nom de plume" as The Mortgage Nomad. As you may have guessed, I work remotely in the Mortgage space, working with Canadians to get them their mortgages. This is one of my jobs, with the other being a Business Development Associate for a capital corp that builds backend machine learning and artificial intelligence modelling for the Canadian Scientific Research and Experimental Development grants. Now that we have all the boring mechanical capitalism stuff out of the way, here's the "me" behind the Nomad part.
My background before I started Nomadin'
In order not to go back to conception, let's start at the end of high school. The year was 1986, and Canada was just coming out of a horrible recession. Jobs were tough to get, and if you didn't know anyone, you were screwed. At this time, when my pals were heading off to university, I took a bit of a different route and followed my dad's footseps, enlisting in the Navy. By 1988, I was finished basic training and became a full-fledged sailor. In hindsight, this was probably the catalyst for my eventual wanderlust, and in 1989 my ship sailed to central and South America making a stop in Guayaquil. I stayed in the Navy for 4 years after I realized that my interests were more into business and doing my own thing.
I spent the next decade both self-employed and working for the man. I ended up in the oilfield, where I worked all over Canada, the US, and finished off working in India for a year....again, all contributing to my love of the road. Fast forward 27 years. in this time I got married, had two wonderful daughters, became a Realtor, co-created an oilfield services company, got divorced, lost it all, co-founded a solar company with my brother, and lost it all again while on my largest ever contract during COVID.
You have to lose it all to realize you've won everything.
This was a pivotal time. I was a local business leader, and my company went broke. I was both devestated and ashamed; afterall, I helped people with their businesses, and I couldn't even help myself. It was at a little table in a Quesada Mexican restaurant that a great friend of mine Dean, 16 years my junior, yet full of insight said to me "Rik. You've been talking about moving abroad since I've known you. You are now closer to that goal than you've ever been". The script flipped. An indelible thought coursed through my brain.
The plan turned into the action
I started selling everything, which was no small feat. I collected stuff. ALL KINDS OF IT. I collected vintage Japanese guitars, graphic novels, mid-century furniture, dinner jackets, antiques, shoes, hats...you name it. Oddly enough, within this purge, I realized that I was mostly collecting these things so nobody else would have them. I was awakened, and this realization pushed me forward with resolve. In this time, I met a wonderful woman, sold my house to a friend, and moved to her place in Calgary Alberta. She was a student of Stoicism and quickly pulled me into the world of Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, and so many more of histories greatest philosophers. I read, learned, and solidified my resolve to do better...to BE better. Sadly, the relationship suddenly ended, and I was left with a gaping hole where my heart used to be, but instead of getting angry or wishing things were different, I moved on.
It didn't kill me, so I must be stronger, right?
The home I sold to my friend ended up being unrented, so I moved back into my old, familiar place. It was super cheap, and because I sold everything, it was pretty sparse. In preparation to realizing my vision, I consciously lived with less. I wasted less. If I ever needed anything, I'd thrift it. If I couldn't thrift it, I waited until I could. I fixed my worn out clothes instead of buying more. I looked for a job, but felt guilty about taking one from someone that needed it more. I bought and sold some things, and did a few off jobs to top up my funds that I received from the sale of my home. I took a year off basically, using the time to dote on my 5 grandkids, spend time with my mom, and hang out with my adult daughters, probaly more than they liked. As I knew I needed some income while on the road, I levereaged my former real estate experience, and studied for my Brokers course in mortgages. A career that I could pack in my backpack was priority #1. I passed the course and started honing my craft in order to be confident while in another country. I had been on Duolingo for over 700 days by the time I was ready to leave.
It ain't real until you buy a one-way ticket
When I finally got all my paperwork in check, I booked my flight. Shit simply got real at this point, and I can tell you that tying off loose ends is a lot harder than you think, however, knowing the day you'll be flying out makes it both urgent and easier. Things like car insurance, the internet, memberships...all cancelled for the "day". Lots of last visits, last this, last that....and as much time with family and friends as possible. One night, I get a knock on my back door. It was my daughters, and in tow a big bag of snacks, a giant foamy mattress, and sleeping bags. Good thing they did too, as I had one plate, one fork, one spoon, one coffee cup. I have to say that even while writing this it makes my eyes well up. We haven't lived in the same home since they moved out on their own 8 years prior. We hung out, watched movies, and laughed. I can't even remember the movie, but I remember the time, and will continue to until the day I die.
Thunderbirds are go
February 10, 2025....a day that will live in infamy (for me). All the goodbyes are done...with some tears, of course, the house is cleaned for my friend. Everything I own is packed into a backpack, a small suitcase, and a duffel bag. If I don't absolutely need it, I don't have it. Every extra pound counts. My good friends Dennis and Lisa, young German bakers, pick me up in their vehicle, and we pick up my daughters to accompany me to the airport. It's a weird feeling, a bit abandonment, a bit of excitement, and a bit of nervous trepidation. The airport is full of hugs and tears, and my daughters are handling it like champs. It's time to head to the gate, necks craning until the last moment we don't see each other. It's a flood of emotions. It's a new life. It's uncertainty. It's the fear of the unknown...but it's also the human resolve, of new things, of exploration, of knowing just what's over that next hill.