Becoming, Rebuilding, and Belonging: Stories from the In-Between
Feeling stuck between who you were and who you’re becoming? You’re not alone. For three nomads, a crypto crash, an identity crisis, and a global recession became unexpected doorways to freedom.
✈️ Welcome to Midlife Nomads, your weekly hit of real talk, smart ideas, and helpful tools for building a location-independent life through remote work, travel, and business.
We often talk about “taking the leap” into remote work or long-term travel, and while that big leap moment is real, the truth is that most of us get there by walking slowly toward it first.
It’s not always about selling everything and booking a one-way ticket. Sometimes, it’s waking up 15 minutes earlier to learn a new skill. Maybe for you, it’s reaching out to someone already doing what you dream of. Or perhaps it’s finally opening that spreadsheet and looking honestly at your finances.
Over time, those tiny shifts build momentum. The leap stops feeling like a cliff and starts to feel more like it’s just the next logical step.
But there’s another part of the journey we talk about less: the stretch between who you used to be and who you’re becoming. When you’ve outgrown your old life but haven’t quite landed in the new one yet. It’s tender and weird and sometimes incredibly powerful.
This week, I’m sharing a few stories that speak to exactly that: the slow-building momentum of small steps… and the unexpected clarity that can come when everything falls apart and you’re forced to begin again.
If you’ve been dreaming of a location-independent life (or just one that feels more aligned with your values and rhythms) here are a few small steps from our One Step Closer series to help you start building that future, a little at a time:
🧭 Master One Essential Tool: Build confidence by getting really good at one core skill that travels well.
💬 Talk to Someone Who’s Living Your Dream: How one conversation can collapse your timeline.
💸 Take Control of Your Money: Make your budget your business partner, not your jailer.
What’s one small thing you can start incorporating into your life today — even for just 5 minutes a day or 15 minutes a week — that will move you closer to the life you’re building?
Reply and let me know — full subscribers can share with the community in the comments. We’d love to hear what step you’re taking next.
And if you’re looking for inspiration, insight, or just a reminder that you’re not alone in this journey, here are some thought-provoking, practical, and a little bit aspirational reads I’ve been digging into this week… perfect for anyone walking the path toward more freedom, purpose, and flexibility.
When Everything Falls Apart, Freedom Finds You
Wow, does this ever resonate. Sometimes you don’t realize how easy it is to start over until life burns it all down for you—and suddenly, you have no choice but to rebuild. That was the position Trevor and I found ourselves in back in 2017, and I can absolutely co-sign Lukas Wiesflecker’s beautiful declaration: losing it all can be the best thing that ever happens to you.
In this soulful, globe-spanning reflection, Lukas shares 15 deeply personal lessons from the road—on money, meaning, healing, and what it really means to be free. From crypto highs and financial collapse to mountain sunrises and ashram rituals, this is a love letter to letting go, starting fresh, and finding peace not in a place or a bank balance, but in presence.
👉 Read Lukas’ full story on ‘The Free Nomad’
Crisis-Proof Your Career: What the 2008 Recession Taught One Digital Founder
When Brian Clark launched two scrappy online businesses in the lead-up to the 2008 financial crash, he didn’t predict a global meltdown—he just built something useful. What happened next? One business hit seven figures. The other scaled 1000% in a month. His story is a powerful reminder that economic downturns, while daunting, are also fertile ground for smart, lean, experience-driven businesses. If you’re building a location-independent career, this piece is pure gold.
👉 Read the full story on Further.
When You’re Not Who You Were, But Not Yet Who You’re Becoming
This one gave me chills. Beckett Johnson captures something so many of us feel but rarely have words for: that disorienting space between identities, when your old life no longer fits but your new one hasn’t quite landed yet. Wow, does this ever resonate.
I’ve found myself here before, adrift between the life already built and the one not yet imagined. And just like Beckett says, sometimes it’s not a breakdown… it’s a renovation. Quiet, strange, and achingly beautiful. If you’re floating in that liminal space, unsure of who you are but certain you're done being who you were, this piece is for you.
👉 Read Beckett’s story at Quantum Nomad
Tool to Know: Wise (formerly TransferWise)
Moving money around the world shouldn't feel like a bank heist. If you’re earning or spending across borders, Wise is hands-down one of the most useful tools in a nomad’s toolkit. I started using it to invoice international clients and avoid the mystery fees traditional banks love to sneak in, and never looked back. It’s good for:
Real exchange rates (not the bank’s markup)
Low, transparent fees
Multi-currency accounts so you can hold, send, and spend in 50+ currencies
Local bank details in USD, EUR, GBP & more, great for freelancers and remote biz owners
👉 Check out Wise here (affiliate link alert—because paying fewer fees means more tacos for all of us. If you sign up through this, you get a free transfer and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
That’s it for this week. Wherever you are on your journey, from daydreaming to rebuilding, I hope this reminds you that you’re never alone in the in-between.
Miranda
P.S. Like what you see here? Upgrade to a full subscription and help me keep sharing tips and resources for midlife nomads carving their own paths.
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