Uncaged Lifestyles – Amy Scott of NomadTopia

It’s the first installation of the Uncaged Lifestyles portion of The Uncaged Life – Hurray!

When I set out and decided that I wanted to not only  run my own business, but run a business that I could work on from ANYWHERE in the world, while staying true to the lifestyle I love AND being able to do work that I cared about, I needed  hella  inspiration. I needed to know that other people were doing the same thing. And I needed to see that it wasn’t as scary as it sounded.

I really believe the more we see courage in action, the more examples we see of people unapologetically taking risks and doing what they love, the easier is it to really, no kidding, FOR REALZ try it out in our own lives.

So I decided to start rounding up some folks who are living the(ir) dream,  and decided to ask them a few questions.

Here’s the first interview (and you can look forward to new ones about once a month).

Amy Scott of www.nomadtopia.com

 In 10 words or less, tell us what you do.

I’m a location-independent editor and writer, currently based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 What inspired you to choose a different path for yourself?

I started out like many people, I think. I had often thought about striking out on my own work-wise, but thought it would be too difficult, and I was too much of a wimp to take the plunge. I always loved to travel and was frustrated by only having two weeks of vacation each year. I dreamed of living abroad someday, but didn’t really know how/when it would be possible.

The push to really make it all happen was a conversation with some of my older cousins, who urged me to do more traveling while I still could–before I “settled down.” I decided they were right, came up with a plan that very weekend, and two years later, in 2004, I quit my job and sold/packed up all my stuff so I could travel. During the nearly nine months I spent traveling around the world, I met a ton of people who were doing things differently, living their ideal life: traveling long-term, living abroad, spending the year in different places to get the best weather, working on the road…

By the time I finished that trip, I knew I didn’t want to just have this once-in-a-lifetime experience and then go back to my “regular” life. So I didn’t go back! I’d already quit my job and sold most of my stuff, and I realized I could live and work from anywhere. So I moved to another city, started working for myself, and began plotting my move abroad, which finally happened in 2007.

 Following what we believe in can be  terrifying! What was your biggest fear, and how did you squash it and move forward anyway?

When I embarked on my round-the-world trip, I think I was most afraid that I wouldn’t like it! I’d never traveled solo or long-term before, and didn’t really know what to expect. When I moved abroad, I was also afraid I’d end up not being happy living in another country. I also worried that I might not be able to continue to support myself working from abroad. But I realized that if any of these things didn’t work out, I could just go home! Very few things in life are permanent. If you make a wrong move, you can change course.

 What is your best advice to fellow dreamers who want to scrap the life they currently lead in favor of the life they crave?

Just do it! Figure out what’s standing in your way logistically, solve those issues, and get going. I’m not one of those people who just decides to take off without a backup plan, savings, etc., so that was what I needed to have in place to feel prepared to go for it. I saved a good chunk of money so I wouldn’t have to go back to “real life” just because I didn’t have the money, and then I went for it.

As I said before, remember that it’s not permanent–if you move somewhere and you don’t like it, or you start working for yourself and decide you’re not cut out for it, you can always change things up again.

 What is the best part of living your life?

FREEDOM. Flexibility. Autonomy. I love the fact that I can go anywhere, live anywhere, work from anywhere. For example, I recently spent two months back in the States, working and not working, visiting friends and family, etc., and that would have been much harder to pull off if I had to ask an employer for time off from work, or couldn’t take my work with me.

 How have your experiences changed the way you view the world?

In so many ways… the most important is seeing the ways we are all the same–and yet different. People all over the world do the same things, we all want a lot of the same basic things–yet the way we go about getting them may be very different, and our outlook on what is possible in the world is different.

Living in another country for more than four years, I can also say that there is no question that the experience of a place that you get as a tourist is nothing like the experience of living there. My understanding of Buenos Aires and Argentina, of the people, the culture, and what daily life is like here, is so much deeper–I had no idea beyond the superficial when I spent 10 days in Buenos Aires in 2004.

If you make an effort to really immerse yourself, you can get a better understanding even in a fairly short period of time. When I spent nearly a month in Cusco, Peru, studying Spanish and living with a family, I got to see a side of the city that other people don’t see when they just breeze through on their way to/from Machu Picchu. Couchsurfing (http://couchsurfing.org) is another great way to get off the tourist track.

 How did you build a kickass business while still supporting yourself financially through the beginning stages?

I had some savings to start with, and the business I started was in an industry where I already had experience (publishing), so I milked every connection I had to get the ball rolling. I didn’t have any other source of income at the beginning, and I was determined to make it work, so I did everything I could to keep the work coming in (and took pretty much any kind of work).

Over the years I have occasionally taken on part-time or contract jobs to give my bank account an extra boost. Overall, though, I think the key to making it all work is having low fixed expenses, so you can pull through even when you’re not making a lot of money.

 Was it worth it?

Oh HELL yes. I have done a lot of things that I used to think I’d have to wait to do until I was retired. I’ve become fluent in Spanish and seen and experienced a lot of incredible things. And if I hadn’t begun this adventure, I wouldn’t have met my fiancé, either!

Want to hear more from Amy or get the low-down on how you too can become a real life nomad? Check her out at www.nomadtopia.com, or connect with her on facebook or twitter

Have a sweet-ass Monday, see ya in a few days,

xx becca

{I’d love to hear about anyone who has inspired you along the way. If you know anyone who is running their own unconventional biz (or maybe you are!?), going on epic adventures, or just plain kicking ass at life – throw a comment in the lil’ box below and I may just feature them on Uncaged}

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