Gone Nomad 2.0 Improvements

My family at the airport for the sendoff back in June.

I don't idle well. If I'm sitting somewhere doing nothing, it doesn't take very long for me to grow antsy from the need to be productive or at least occupied. That's why during the nine-hour flight back to Vancouver I kept myself busy with work, attempting to tab a couple songs, and taking notes on what I would do better when I headed back to Europe for Gone Nomad part deux.

Three Weeks Per City

This is probably the most important change considering my particular flavour of travel. Everyone has their own style and mine demands hours of solid work with a power outlet and a wifi connection.

The original plan was to do three weeks in each city, giving me enough time to work at least as many hours as a nine-to-fiver and do several days of sightseeing. Stick to the plan? I failed miserably.

In the two months I traveled I stayed in six cities for as little as two nights each, only hitting the target three weeks in Edinburgh. Sightseeing and work both suffered. So when I arrived for my two-and-a-half week stay in London I was almost as excited about the opportunity for productivity as I was about visiting the city itself.

This time I'll be sticking to the planned timing much more carefully.

Tracking Financials

Another big mistake I made was not keeping a closer eye on spending. It's especially easy to lose track when using a foreign currency. Changing cities more often also means more plane tickets. To make things worse, having to deduct your own taxes means evaluating your net worth isn't as simple as subtracting your credit card balance from your savings. You really have to keep track.

It's a bit of a blessing that I returned to Vancouver because it gave me a chance to catch up on financials. A few more weeks and the trip might have been cut short anyway due to lack of funds.

Other travel improvements

Big power adapters cutting each other off from the power supply. I need a 3-way splitter with a different configuration.

There were also a few little things that I would change next time.

• Get a three-way power splitter that actually fits three plugs. That's my camera battery charger, my laptop power supply, and my phone charger. With the current one, the bulky power adaptors cut each other off so you can only ever plug in two devices.
• Don't bother with fancy wear at all. At most a proper shirt and jeans will do. Anything else I end up using so rarely I might as well just be under-dressed for those few occasions.
• Get all vaccination done before I leave. kind of too late for this but getting my second Hepatitis A booster in London cost a whopping £45—nearly as much as what I paid for three combo shots in Vancouver.
• Get a smaller, lighter sleeping bag. My old mummy bag rated to -40° wasn't worth the weight or space, despite the compact stuff sac. I think hostel beds are good enough for me but one of these might be an idea.
• Get a backup credit card. I realized how vulnerable I was carrying only one: if it was lost, getting a new card would be a big pita. Not having one at all would mean no more booking flights and accommodation online.

While the circumstances of my return to Vancouver aren't the happiest, there's good in everything. In this case it's nice to have a chance to reflect on the last trip so that the next time around I'm better prepared.