@ Elyse – Thanks very much .

It does seem that more and more people and willing (and able) to upend their life and move somewhere else, taking in a completely different cultural (and economic and philosophical) experience than the one they were enjoying in their own backyard.

I know for me, the prospect of continuing down the road that I’ve been on (very successful studio, with the work and money just piling on) just seemed so…depressing. I felt that by staying in one place, even though I work for myself I was still being shortchanged and not enjoying the breadth of experiences that are available to me.

The reasons are different for each and every person, though, and that’s a big reason why it’s so much fun to explore the blogs that people have started in the location independent niche. So many stories, so much inspiration.

Keep it up!
.-= Colin Wright´s last blog ..Park Further Away to Achieve Enlightenment =-.

I learn so much by taking the time to articulate these thoughts, and opening this platform to hear perspectives from you and other people reading this blog… so I too am very grateful indeed .

Everyday, it seems, I encounter people who, when they give themselves permission to ‘dream’, recognize that something has changed this past year, and that doing what they’ve always done before just doesn’t make sense anymore. They see a different way, and they imagine the possibilities. But as is typical, many of these people stop dead in their tracks when given the chance to make that dream a new reality. For them.

Getting past that barrier of societal expectations is about the hardest thing on the planet to do. So many associations were made in our brains at a time when we neither had the faculties to stop them, nor the realization that they were things that ought to be stopped.

When the default is a flight to safety, the system is clearly broken. And when the reality of that safety we imagine and move towards in such a time no longer exists, well that’s just insanity.

So much of my time this past year has been about moving beyond what I’ve known, since what I’ve known has not served me well. I love that you’re out there clearing a path, and I’m very grateful to you.

@ Cam – Thank you so much for your beautiful comment. I think it’s sometimes difficult to negotiate the line between being unapologetic and sounding didactic. The support means a lot .

@ Janice – What lovely words, thank you! “A bit of hard-won grace” and agility — outcomes I aspire to .

@ Haider – Thanks for offering your insight. While I understand what you mean, I have to say that I do believe everything we know is subjective to the extent that our language and understanding of everything passes through perspectives and filters we’ve created. “Flat” and “round” are categories we’ve created, and there are infinite re-classifications and new language that could replace them if we found new ways to perceive.

@ Miriam – Thanks so much . Hope to see you more on the blog!

@ Jen – It’s wonderful that you don’t have regrets — I think that’s really important — but your story does show the ways we can scare ourselves and limit ourselves. Thanks for the song lyrics, which I hadn’t seen before.

@ Kathryn – “Raising my children to be peculiar” — I love it! I can totally relate the work-from-home issues … it’s hard to convince people that you actually work, and that you don’t just hang out at home all day — especially hard when you enjoy your work!

@ Jean Philippe – Yep, it’s a theme that’s becoming pretty constant in my life. Can’t escape it !