Becoming Nomads, Interview with Athena and Bruno

We had the chance to meet a couple of unconventional travelers. Unconventional because deciding to become a nomad really is outside the box. You don't belong to the "great travelers" or "around-the-worlders" families. Nomadic travelers are somewhat apart because it’s a decision that very few people can make.
We found them so endearing that we wanted to share their project with you, which they are about to embark on for the rest of their lives! Or at least, for the coming years... Here's a little interview!

Can you introduce yourselves in a few words?

Bruno, 38 years old, and Athéna, 36 years old. We've been traveling and living together for 15 years now.
We are very representative of the Y generation. Masters of resourcefulness, "slashers", flexible and adaptable, we've changed our lives a hundred times already. And our travels resemble us and don't resemble each other.
We are independent travelers and like to go off the beaten path... However, we also feel comfortable in a truck, camping, staying with locals, or in a charming hotel.

What remains constant in all our travels is meeting others. We love, above all else, to share and feel integrated into the life of the countries we visit.
We have always prioritized lived moments. We are not really fans of checklists of things to do or see.

And we are truly food lovers; for us, gastronomy and dining more generally are real moments of sharing, inseparable from our travels.

Tell us about your project

Our project to become nomadic is a bit complicated to explain because it’s more about a new lifestyle than a trip as we know it.

First, there's the desire to become nomadic, but this can even be done in Europe or France.
Then there's the desire to travel.
Or is it the other way around? Do we become nomads to be able to travel more? Always that darn chicken and its darn egg… 😉
Anyway, we're leaving in September for Asia for an indefinite duration trip.
We'll start by discovering Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, then all of Asia. But in reality, we don't really know how long this will take us.
We'll listen to ourselves, we'll come back (or not), we'll leave again (or not) and maybe we'll change paths...

To get a more precise answer, you'll have to follow us. Departure on August 18, 2019.

What was the trigger for becoming nomadic?

Travel has always been part of us and so has this need to move. Maybe it's an early midlife crisis, but after 6 moves, a long-term trip, 8 job changes, and an expatriation, we finally understood that sedentary life wasn't our thing.

In August, we discovered the West Coast of the United States. The sunrise over Monument Valley resonated something in me (Athéna). Standing at 4 am with a piece of dry bread admiring a magical show, we were happy... I came back and said to Bruno: We're getting it wrong; life isn't like this.

We owned a wine bar in Barcelona that was doing really well. We were even considering opening a bigger one.
So I suggested going around the world for a year before taking up another place.
He replied NO. No way we'd leave our booming bar for a year, come back with nothing, and start all over again.
So he was the more radical one and said: "If you want us to change our lives then let's do it for real.”

That was last September. In March we became nomads and in August we're leaving for Asia.

And every day of this new life reassures us in our choice…

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?? "The world is born in each kiss" by Joan Fontcuberta y Antoni Cumella in downtown Barcelona. This mural is actually composed of 4000 photos on the theme "live free" and is located in Barcelona's Ciutat Vella district. A must-see in the city. ———— Yesterday we kissed one last time in Barcelona, where "the traveling lovers" were born. Today we started our nomadic life with an initial stopover in Paris where we're setting up the professional part of our project. ? Have a wonderful week. Ours will be studious and nomadic ?? – – ?? El Mundo Nasce en cada beso composed of 4000 photos with the theme "vivir libre" what better way than goodbye Barcelona by kissing one last time in this wonderful city to start our nomadic life? From today we live free. First stage Paris where we'll kick off the professional part of our project… wishing you a fantastic week; ours will be nomadic and studious ?? – – ?? “The World Born in each kiss.” Artwork made of 4000 pictures about "live free." You can admire it in Barcelona's old Town. We start our new way of life as nomads today… with a first step in Paris to learn and start the working part of our project… ? Have an amazing week ? – – #elmundonaceencadabeso #barcelona #barcelone #spain?? #catalunya #travel #travelpassion #travelers #nomadlife #travelling_europe #frenchtraveler #worldtour #thefrenchtravels #travelblog #instatravel #viaje #viajeros #nomadas #nomades #wanderlust #discoveringtheworld

A post shared by B&A (@lesamantsvoyageurs) on March 18, 2019 at 10:55 PDT

How do you prepare for long-term travel?

We've never been pros at planning; anyway, we spend our time changing our minds.

In terms of an around-the-world trip with a departure date and return date, I imagine planning the itinerary is important.
But since we don't have a return date we know where we're arriving but not much more than that.
We've chosen to book a one-way ticket to Kathmandu and take it step by step.

However, we've prepared for this new way of life.
Giving up our apartment, selling and donating all our stuff (even my wedding dress), training for "nomadic" jobs, creating a legal structure in France, organizing our taxes domicile, doing blood tests, vaccines etc...

And then we've become minimalists and try to consume as little as possible. Our only purchases in 2019 were edible or related to traveling to share moments with people we love. Nothing material. Anyway, it doesn't fit into our backpacks 😉

What do you expect from this new nomadic life?

Traveling for sure!

And being free to be where we want when we want.

For us being nomadic means being happy in our own way. Living differently, a slower life. And then encounters, wonderment and time, freedom and surprises...

Returning to less material relationships. Reducing our needs and simply living our dreams.

Above all it's about being in harmony with ourselves. We've never been able to stay put so this seems like a lifestyle that suits us better.

And if it ends up not pleasing us anymore we'll change our minds again; it doesn't scare us 😉

What are your greatest travel memories so far?

Do you have time now? Because if you ask us to recount our travel memories you're not going to bed anytime soon... We're chatty so if you throw us on our favorite subject... Well you've asked for it 😉

Ice skating at Central Park, watching the sun rise over Monument Valley, remaking the world with Michael a New Yorker at a Polish bar. Believing we spoke Montenegrin because of too much Rakja shared with a family deep in Montenegro. the inhabitants of a village in Turkey who came knocking on the truck at 7 am to offer us breakfast. the meeting with our best friend over ten years ago in the Tunisian desert...

The landscapes, the people, the laughter fits, the mishaps. and then this Bosnian man at Mostar who spoke Portuguese. He had learned the language because he had once listened to Amalia Rodriguez and fell in love with Fado music. We spent the day with him singing classics of this music dear to our hearts and remaking the world... In Portuguese deep down Bosnia...

Is there one country in particular that could keep you?

All of them and none at once. during our first trip we almost stayed in Turkey but we were much younger and less sure of ourselves at that time. willingly sometimes staying several months at same place if feels good if need work if exhausted... but idea keep moving think curiosity frustrated settled before seeing whole world 😉 as such from comfort Paris seem expecting lot India honestly know nothing what's coming months basically moment feel being nomad corresponds best who knows? same way had twenty even got Pinterest hehehe Instagram Facebook @lesamantsvoyageurs spontaneous sharing blog lesamantsvoyageurs.com, those want dive detail find info adventure become nomad turn oh especially feel like asking questions writing email... LOVE exchanging never hesitate.