Life in a Suitcase
So lately it seems that we have been living out of a suitcase. We spent 45 of the first 60 days of 2016 in hotels and while our work travels have somewhat slowed we have still been on the go alot.
And we actually don’t mind the travel.
What we do mind is the back and forth every 3 or 4 days instead of being able to stay in one place for a week or more. We have become expert packers and have developed our skills working in cars, on boats, on hotel beds and in random coffee shops and bars.
In the meantime the four story building next door to our current apartment is being demolished for a high rise to be built. The 7:30am start by the jack hammer crew has changed our late to bed, late to rise life style – and both of us are especially not happy about it.
So what does this all lead to…
Nomadic Life
The storage space has been rented, our rental notice has been given, we have made two trips to the Gospel Mission with items to donate, 1-800-Got-Junk is coming on July 28th and on July 31st the rest of our belongings will be packed into a 5 x 10 storage unit and stored indefinitely.
Yes we will be living out of a suitcase full time! Well, actually to be more specific, we will be living out of our car. Which will be much easier! A suitcase each, plus one for shoes of course and still space for a cooler, yoga mat and beach chairs. But no golf clubs or bikes. If we want them we will rent them. So this will be easier than fitting our life into just a suitcase. And no we don’t camp or RV. We will simply be ‘living’ in a different place (hotel, timeshare, airbnb, visiting family/friends) every week or two.
Location Independence
We have explained this plan to our family and friends using terms like ‘location independent’, ‘digital nomad’ and ‘travelpreneur’, getting very confused looks, and finally blurting out “we are going to be homeless”. Not everyone understands what we are trying to do. Location Independence is not a new thing. There are online communities all over that support global nomadic entrepreneurs. It is somewhat different to do so as a couple and also to do so with a business that is not fully online. But we travel so much anyway, why not?!
Why do we need beach chairs?
What is the point of being location independent if you don’t take advantage of the freedom? We will spend most of August and September in BC visiting various clients then head to Winnipeg to spend some time with family. Before the snow flies in ‘The Peg’ we will be heading South to follow the sun. We will be back in BC for golf industry events like the PGA Buying Show the NGCOA Conference and the Vancouver Golf Show and as the sun comes back to BC in the spring, so will we.
The amount we have paid monthly (rent/cable/hyrdo) to live in our fabulously located Coal Harbour, Vancouver, apartment will cover most of our monthly accommodation expenses. We are fortunate to have purchased timeshare 10 years ago. We also have been loyal to the same hotel chains for years and have built up our upgrades, rewards and other perks. And as we travel to places with a cost of living much less than our beloved Vancouver we may actually save money!
CK Golf
It will be business as usual at CK Golf as most of our work is done remotely anyway. With our three terrific associates now on board it is the perfect winter to ‘fly South’. We plan to be back to BC once a month, or as needed, to keep up with our friends, clients, partners and industry contacts. And if all goes well we may be able to replace the car with a suitcase and just carry on.
We are also going to pursue our love of food, wine and travel on this journey by posting it all along the way. We have started another website at foodwinetravel.ca that has more personal posts than our 19th hole blog. You can also follow this extended road trip at foodwinetravel.ca/road-trip.
We would love to hear your feedback and questions (even if you think we are crazy) so please leave us a comment or connect with us on social anytime.
We, Jeff & Tara Ciecko of CK Golf write two blogs, one is our 19th Hole Blog where we share personal experiences and the other an Industry Blog where we comment on general business and internet marketing best practices, sales strategies and give golf industry related opinions. We have owned CK Golf for 9 years and provide marketing, social media and business services to the golf and other industries. As of August 2016 our life and our business will be ‘location independent’. Our 19th Hole Blog is about the places we visit and the things we do. You can also follow our road trip at foodwinetravel.ca/roadtrip. If you have any questions or comments, or happen to be in the same location as us please reach out and contact us anytime.
Save
Sounds awesome to me! enjoy and keep the posts coming!
Will do DBD. Life’s going to be an adventure for awhile now. Cheers!
Good for you two. we can always count on you moving to a different beat….happy travels
Barrie
Thanks Barrie! Always like to keep things interesting 🙂
Jeff
Read your blog. What an exciting adventure. All the best in Your travels.
Mom and Dad
Thanks Mom & Dad. Who knows what adventures are about to begin 🙂
Saw your pic with Tim Stone on Facebook.
Looks like you are living the dream.
Any chance your travels will get you to Arizona this winter?
Hi Brad – good to hear from you. Hope you and Janice are well. We’ll likely be southeast until the New Year then start making our way to the West Coast for three months or so. If we spend anytime in AZ I’ll let you know.
Cheers,
Jeff
Hi Brad – where will you be in mid-January? Tara