Introduction Good morning. Or perhaps good evening where you are. It was early morning when I recorded this, watching a soft Tasmanian sunrise while grappling with a truth I could no longer ignore: I couldn’t keep doing life the way I had been.
In this blog post, I want to speak to those of you who feel the same. Burned out. Questioning. Longing for change. For something slower. Simpler. More real.
When the Treadmill Becomes Too Much Maybe you’ve been grinding for years—working, surviving, striving. You’ve ticked the boxes society told you to tick. But lately, you feel like you’re only surviving, not living.
I’m past halfway through my life. And I had to ask: what does the second half look like? Will it be more of the same, or something radically different?
The Pull Toward Full-Time Travel That question led me to the idea of becoming a full-time traveller. Not just taking a vacation, but reimagining life altogether. Living overseas, staying longer, connecting deeply with new cultures. Moving deliberately, not just geographically but spiritually.
If you’re on a pension, like many of us are or will be, the Western world can feel unforgiving. But places like Southeast Asia offer affordability, warmth, and a slower rhythm of life. A place to breathe.
The Invisible Barrier: Anxiety But even with the dream crystal clear, anxiety often clouds the path.
Our minds are problem-solving machines. They were built to protect us, to look for danger. And while there are no saber-toothed tigers anymore, the cost of living, uncertainty, and self-doubt trigger that same fight-or-flight response.
Your mind will whisper: “What if you fail? What if you run out of money? What if it’s not safe?”
These thoughts are normal. And mindfulness, the practice of returning to the present moment, helps us see them for what they are: stories. Not truths.
Childhood Echoes and Dominant Beliefs Much of our anxiety doesn’t come from the future but from the past. From the beliefs we formed in childhood: that we’re not enough, not capable, not safe.
For me, it’s low self-esteem rooted in a difficult upbringing. And even now, at 66, those inner stories sometimes speak loudest when I’m about to step outside my comfort zone.
But instead of fighting them, I’ve learned to acknowledge them. To say, “Yes, I hear you. And I’m doing it anyway.”
A Nomadic Life Already in Motion My wife Julie and I have already lived semi-nomadically. From Perth to Adelaide, Melbourne to the Solomon Islands, and a shoestring journey along the WA coast in a 6×4 trailer we called home.
We’re not new to change. But we are ready to go deeper. To be fully present, fully mobile, and fully alive.
Get the Guide: Free 80-Page eBook If this resonates with you, I’ve created an 80-page eBook titled “Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life”. It explores these ideas in more depth—how to uncover the beliefs that hold you back, how to manage fear, and how to step into a life of meaning and movement.
You can download it for free at GoTravelMindfully.com
Final Thoughts Maybe you’re not ready to pack up and go tomorrow. That’s okay. But if you’ve felt that nudge—that inner tug toward something new—don’t ignore it.
The fears won’t disappear. But they don’t have to run the show.
Let’s travel mindfully. Let’s live deliberately. Let’s go.
—Mark Go Travel Mindfully
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