I recently stumbled upon an educational talk called Technomadic Lifestyle Workshop. Quite apt considering I’m undertaking a 7 month journey down the Americas, working and writing as I go I am - without realizing it until it was given a name in this workshop – technomad. What is it? Essentially it’s a person traveling or living on the road whilst continuing to work in the ‘real’ world (of business) and all it entails including the technological aspects (which are unavoidable and extremely handy).

The workshop started with a couple describing their journey, Chris and Cherie. Both happen to work in IT and actually met on the road (it so happens before they officially turned to the nomad life). Carrie was a freelancer and her work involved a lot of travel anyway so it was fairly easy to sell her house, adopt a campervan and still keep her clients happy. In fact she didn’t tell them she had ‘moved’ for 6 months – there was no need, she could still meet with them as she’d invoice travelling expenses as she always had.

As a technomad you can easily work full time, especially if you’re hooked up to the internet. The most comfortable and cheapest was to live is in your own campervan; though the initial outlay of buying the portable home will pay off when you’re parked up on a spectacular coastline, sipping iced tea whilst answering your emails.

WIFI and Cellular internet are fairly easy to hook up. Many of the technomads at the workshop also used a system called BGAN which you can use as a satphone (it provides satellite coverage worldwide, better than most traditional cellular networks). It’s a bit like skype, plus you can leave the line open to use instant messenger and communicate with your clients.

From an eco perspective Troy and Carrie say the best way to be a ‘green’ technomad is to build (or adjust) your own vehicle. For example you buy energy efficient appliances (i.e. a top opening fridge is more efficient than a side opening one) and you can install solar panels on your ‘moving home’ to create your own electricity. Some technomads vans run off vegetable oil.

A truly sustainable life is one that not only balances work and play but combines them. The cheaper sustainable life seems also to be paying just to travel – it’s far cheaper than keeping a home and traveling. Naturally, you tend to consume less as everything you buy you must ask ‘does this really matter to me’. As Chris says: ‘you’re not encouraged to collect anymore’ as you just don’t have the space.

If you’d like to learn more about the technomadic solar powered RV lifestyle visit Chris and Cherie’s website.