The Truth About Uncertainty, Money, And Living Differently
“WTF are you doing with your life, Jeremie!?!” 😅
It’s funny how even living your dream life doesn’t shield you from self-doubt. This thought pops into my mind once in a while—probably once per quarter!
I love my current lifestyle. I designed it exactly how I wanted. My needs are covered, and what I do brings me joy, fun, fulfillment, and challenges. Sure, it could always be better, but I don’t feel like I’m missing anything significant.
To be honest, if it was just up to me (and not both me and my wife), I’d probably be even more adventurous and travel at a quicker pace 🤓.
Still, sometimes I wonder what the future holds.
I recently shared about my struggles as an entrepreneur and my difficulties in generating sustainable income (a concern I’d have regardless of lifestyle). But honestly, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
When I feel down and doubts creep in, plenty of questions pop into my little brain 🧠—questions I don’t have answers to (at least not yet).
Here’s a glimpse of some of these questions:
Am I ever going to want to settle down? Get a home, have a dog (or two, if you ask Rosie 🐶)?
If we settle, where will it be—and how would we manage it (EU/non-EU couple, “odd” jobs, etc.)?
Will we ever have friends and family nearby to hang out on Sundays, watch games, or celebrate birthdays—or will it just be Rosie and me 95% of the time, seeing loved ones only once a year?
Am I going to struggle financially for the rest of my life as an entrepreneur?
Should I get a “normal” job to avoid constant hustle and always being “on”?
Why can’t I just live on a beach forever? 🏖️
How will I handle retirement financially—or will I even want to retire? Sounds boring!
Will I still be living a nomadic lifestyle, surrounded by 20-year-old digital nomads when I’m in my 50s?
As an only child, how will I manage my aging parents if I remain financially and geographically “unstable”?
Without kids, who will look after me when I’m older?
How long am I going to live, anyway?
Let me be clear: these things don’t deeply worry me, nor do I stress over them regularly. But these questions do pop into my mind occasionally.
I’m sharing this because I want to highlight a few important points:
Everyone has uncertainty, no matter how perfect their life looks. Just because I live unconventionally doesn’t mean I’m immune.
I say this often, but I’ll repeat it: don’t assume people’s lives are perfect based on appearances. Everyone struggles, whether they’re stuck in a poorly-paid job or living a luxurious, travel-filled life. We’re all human—we all have stuff going on.
These questions aren’t unique to my lifestyle—everyone faces uncertainty. But lately, I’ve realized something important: one reason I don’t have clear answers is that there’s little information about what comes next for people living like me.
Why?
Because this lifestyle is relatively new.
Until recently, most of humanity lived conventional, sedentary lives. The ability to work while traveling, to live “nowhere and everywhere,” and enjoy the freedom we have today is incredibly recent.
As a millennial, I’m part of the first generation realistically able to live this way (with few exceptions).
I don’t know exactly what the next chapter looks like because there’s less information available than for people with traditional lifestyles. When I do find stories online, most people eventually revert back to a more traditional life, seeking the certainty it provides.
Maybe that’ll be my path too. Maybe not. It’s not what I currently want, so I honestly have no clue.
If I’m completely honest, I think many of these questions arise because I’m not currently making the money I’d like to. If our businesses had stable, sustainable incomes, some of these questions might disappear (though not all of them).
There are so many factors shaping my future that I don’t yet have all the pieces to build a perfect game plan. All I can do is hypothesize. I’m also very aware that I can’t control many things—the world is a bit of a shitshow these days, and who knows what the future holds on a global scale.
All I can do is focus on what I can control, create my dream life as best I can, and use these uncertainties as motivation. Even without all the answers, there are many aspects of my life I can influence, and it’s up to me to make choices that move me toward the future I desire. 💪
Here’s what I know for sure:
Everyone faces uncertainty, no matter how perfect their life seems.
Unconventional living has unique uncertainties—it’s a newer path with fewer examples to follow.
Financial stability significantly influences peace of mind—many of my concerns stem from financial uncertainty.
Focus on what you can control, using uncertainty as fuel rather than as a barrier.
I don’t know exactly what’s next, but I know this:
If we embrace uncertainty, life becomes an exciting adventure instead of a puzzle we can’t solve.
If you're looking for some online community you can come hangout with us in Paul Millerd's pathless path group, we're a bunch of people exploring unconventional lifestyles.
This really captures something so many of us feel but rarely say out loud. Living abroad, building something unconventional — it can look dreamy from the outside, but the questions don’t stop just because the scenery’s better. Thanks for naming the uncertainty without letting it define the story. That’s the kind of honesty we need more of.