So I think the USA is definitely taking steps in the right direction to become more worldly. In terms of domestically I can’t speak for that but I’d be interested to hear from others!

Amen and good luck! My fiance and I have talked about doing something similar to what you are doing as far as roaming the globe searching for what works and what doesn’t. She is a secondary ed teacher and I’m a cube rat. We’re trying to get our student loans paid off before embarking on our journey. If you ever want some perspective from the front lines, I’m sure she’d be happy to oblige.

@Meg: Thanks so much! Glad to have you as a reader! I’ll definitely keep you in the loop in regards to the education thing, since it seems like you’ve given it some thought and I’d love to get your input when I have something more concrete to get opinions on.

@Edward: Very good point…a big part of the change will need to be in the way people see ‘non-traditional’ education and to set up a solid brand for the movement. Fortunately that’s a big part of my plan

@Brett: Haha, that’s one of the biggest compliments I can get! I figure the crazier I get, the more fun I’ll have and the more useful I’ll be to those ‘sane’ people who hang around, not being crazy!

@floreta: I tend to agree..it’s not a standard dating situation, for sure, but I’ve found that in many situations the alternative lifestyle thing is actually beneficial, romantic-seeming, etc.

I think everyone has their own reasons for how they live their life, it’s just a matter of making sure that you ARE being true to what you need to be doing. There are so many options, and the only way you can be doing it wrong is to try to make your square peg fit in a round hole (that wasn’t intended to sound dirty, but it kind of does…see what happens when I respond to a blogger who writes erotica?).

@Rob: I love the unsaturated fat comparison! I agree that it’s selfish, and that selfishness isn’t always a bad thing. I’m a big supporter of the idea that you take care of yourself first and foremost, and then you’ll be a much better, stronger person more capable of helping out others. If we all did this, well, eventually there wouldn’t be any need to ‘sacrifice for others’, because everyone would already be taken care of!

@Monica: To each their own! I’ll keep you in the loop about the education shakeup!

@Meg: Absolutely! Find your passion and do what you can to live the lifestyle you want to live around that passion. Good for you for finding yours and becoming so engaged with it!

@Daniel: It’s true, but so many people assume that because we’re not living traditional lifestyles, we must not be capable of having any of the benefits of living within those traditional bounds (the people saying this are generally the ones who wouldn’t want to be involved with someone who is doing something non-traditional, obviously). That being said, the girls I’ve been going on dates with and having a good time with have been free-thinkers, rule-breakers and attitude-ridden chicks…which totally works for me

I imagine you’ve gotten the ‘when are you going to stop?’ question a whole lot more than I have, considering the duration of your travels thus far! I think your awesome is a good one, though. Who knows when you’ll be done? You’ll stop when you want to, when you’re not getting everything you want out of the lifestyle anymore. And when you feel like stopping, you’ll stop and figure out some other way to keep yourselves entertained and make waves.

Thanks for the comments, folks! Really appreciate it!

This assumes that there aren’t women out there who are interested in a fluid lifestyle, have a carpe diem attitude, and are captivated by owning (or perhaps sharing) 70 things. The more you travel, the more you’ll be surprised that there are many women out there that fit that profile. Having said that, they might just come into your life at a time, at a place, and in a package that you’d least expect.

2) “When are you going to stop?”
Ahh, the classic life-segmenter’s guide to figuring out the rest of us and framing our lives into stages they can comprehend. It’s not entirely unlike “When are you coming back?” as in “When will you end this journey of yours and join us back where we think you belong?”

We get that a lot.

It’s my impression that success in life is an exercise in moving forward. For fluid lifestyle folks like us, it’s not a matter of “When to stop?” but rather “What’s next?”

We were recently asked “When are you going to stop?” I responded: As exhausting as our far-flung world travel is, we are not finished yet. We feel like there’s something more out there that we need to discover. And so long as that remains, we pursue it.

Well… It makes me happy.

And yes, just sometimes, that’s reason enough to do something.

People think kids in public schools aren’t getting a proper education, but dismiss charter schools as “not providing a real education.” Online degrees are perceived as diploma mills and not on par with those from a traditional college. And even “design your own major” programs at traditional colleges get eye rolls.

I think the reason for this is that most people got whatever success they have by moving through the ranks of the traditional system and, deep down, resent it if others have a chance to take a better fitting “easier” route to the same goal.