Random chat at a coworking space in Lisbon got me thinking about pace

I was in this coworking spot near Time Out Market last Thursday, just grinding away on some email catchup. This guy next to me, been nomadic for like 8 years, asks what I'm working towards. I said something about wanting to hit a certain income goal, and he just laughed and asked 'but are you actually living there or just passing through?' It hit different because I realized I've been treating each city like a pit stop instead of a place to actually be. Anyone else ever get that feeling where you're moving fast but not really landing anywhere?

2 comments

2 Comments

davis.gavin1mo ago

Wait, so this guy's been bouncing around for 8 years and he's the one questioning your life choices? lol. That's like a pirate asking if you're really settled on land. I get what you mean though, it's easy to treat every new city like a layover instead of a home. I did that for like two years in Berlin, ate all my meals from the same three kebab shops and never learned where the actual grocery store was.

davis.ivan1mo ago

You know, I used to think that nomadic lifestyle was the smart move. I had this whole thing where I'd bounce around different cities every year or two and I felt like I was collecting experiences, you know? But reading this hit different. I realized I was doing the same thing in Austin for three years - ate at the same three taco stands, never bothered to learn what street my apartment was on without GPS, treated every lease like a temp situation. Never even unpacked half my boxes. Then I saw my neighbor who'd been in the same duplex for fifteen years, had his own garden patch and knew the mailman by name. That's when it clicked for me. You can't call a place home if you're always half out the door.