“When do you think you’re going to settle down?”
How many of my next gen nomads / folks living non-traditional lifestyles get asked this question when you return back to your hometown? For me, it is a question I receive regularly, amplified when I am in the USA. My global lifestyle was deemed OK in my early twenties, questionable in my mid-late twenties, and down right SHOCKING in my low (to mid?!) thirties. This question used to annoy me, i'd roll my eye in response and become defensive. Now, I take pride in it, and view it as as an opportunity to educate.
We’ve been conditioned that there is one path to happiness: husband/wife, babies, house, suburbs — you know, the white picket fence. I’ve learned over my last 12 years living internationally that those that challenge this — those that are living and breathing examples that there are alternate paths to happiness — tend to make others uncomfortable.?Now don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with opting for the white picket fence, but don't do it out of societal pressure to "settle." If Yayem has taught me one thing, it is that there is no "one size fits all" path to happiness. It often surprises people to learn that 25% of our members at Yayem have young children under the age of 5. These members are living incredibly interesting fulfilling lives — crafting their own unique lifestyles that serve them and their families. There is nothing "settling" about the lives they lead.?
So, how do I now respond when asked "when I am going to settle down?" Plain and simple, never :)
#NeverSettle #NomadLife #JoinYayem #ChampagneNomad
