Nora Dunn (The Professional Hobo)

I've been on sabbatical for 1 year. Here’s how it’s going.
There have been some interesting surprises.

PROS:
I'm more present with friends & family. Before, my mind was partially elsewhere, and my time was more limited.

Of my 5 pillars of work, travel, social, fitness, & sleep, the biggest sacrifice I made to accommodate the other pillars was sleep. Now I sleep long, and I rarely set alarms.

I'm in the best shape of my life. Last month, I ran over 100km. I regularly take half a day to hike and run, to explore trails and enjoy nature.

I can explore more of my travel destinations. Some of my travels in the last year have been faster paced, and would’ve been impossible if I were working full-time.

I'm reading more books than ever.

I still work 5-10 hours/week. I can truly make my own hours, and I’m not tethered to my laptop as I once was.

I've taken week-long side trips and left my laptop behind. This was formerly unimaginable.

I love continuing to produce my monthly Insider’s Circle newsletter. It's creative, personal, and a way to stay connected to my most loyal readers. (I’ll link to the newsletter in the comments if you want to sign up).

Last month, 11 months in, I had a moment….a brief moment….when I finished my to-do list. As an entrepreneur there is ALWAYS something to do, so this moment was revelatory, and the first since I became an entrepreneur 30 years ago.


CONS:
I'm still earning enough money to live on, but at the current trajectory it may not last. This is not only because of my sabbatical, but also various devastating industry changes. (Silver lining: if I'd been working I still would have faced some of these losses, which would have felt demoralizing).

________

I still have no desire to return to work such as it was. I feel like I'm only now getting into a sweet rhythm of life and I have haven’t once been bored.

That said, I’m open to new career inspiration, or new iterations of my former career.
With the perspective of my sabbatical, I can pick and choose which threads I want to pull on, and where to put my energy in ways that are the most fruitful and nurturing.

But for now, I'm gonna keep the sabbatical going.

1 month ago | [YT] | 133

Nora Dunn (The Professional Hobo)

One of the reasons why Peru is one of my fav countries, is the food.

Peruvian food is amazing!

Example: I’ve had ceviche in many countries, but nothing equals Peruvian ceviche, partly because they use special peppers and other ingredients that make it uniquely Peruvian.

And also, there are so many amazing fresh tropical fruits and veg to geek out on.

And also, the presentation is almost always amazing.
Even the street food corn in the Andes - called choclo - is both practically and aesthetically served in a fresh piece of husk, with a chunk of cheese and a flavourful green herby huacatay sauce to die for.

And ALSO, the portions are huge. My partner and I have somewhat insatiable appetites, but we learned to order one appetizer and one main between us…so we would also have room to share a dessert ;-)

And ALSO!!!, it’s super cost effective! I believe our most expensive meal at a nice restaurant was less than $50 USD - for two people, all-in. (And that was before we learned to order modestly - lol)

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3 4 5

2 months ago | [YT] | 59

Nora Dunn (The Professional Hobo)

I recently spent a month in Peru, where I used to live, 10 years ago.

My reasons for returning to a place can vary; it could be to revisit old haunts, or to create new ones.
To see how a place has changed, or to continue exploring where I left off, or to create an entirely new narrative.

My reasons for returning to Peru after 10 years away was a combo of these factors.

I based myself in Peru for 2 years, 2014-2016. In that time, my life transformed. (I'll link to that story in the comments).

In fact, I was in the process of applying for Peruvian residency, with ideas that my chapter as a traveling digital nomad was done.

Things didn't shake out that way, and my departure from Peru was pretty heartbreaking.

But with the passage of time and a dose of hindsight, I realized it was time to return to Peru and re-write the narrative.

And I did.

I saw how some things changed, and how other things didn’t.
I revisited old sites (and saw them with new eyes by virtue of being with my partner who hadn't visited Peru before).
I also visited new sites and created new memories.

Emotionally, I wasn't blindsided by seeing the house where I used to live (which has since been somewhat tragically abandoned and is falling into disrepair) and remembering the life I once had.

In fact, the passage of time has allowed me to integrate everything I learned and to become somebody more well-rounded, balanced, wise, and fun-loving.
I am proud of the person I have become since I lived in Peru, and I am thankful for my Peruvian life chapter as the catalyst for who I am today.


While this photo dump is a couple of months late, I shared many experiences in (almost) real time through Stories! I created a highlight section of the best Peru stories on IG; check it out!

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3 4 5

2 months ago | [YT] | 74

Nora Dunn (The Professional Hobo)

Do you know - REALLY KNOW - where your stuff comes from? When I was in Peru last month, I learned more about how to trace your clothing back to its origin.
Thanks ‪@pakaapparel‬ for the education!
Here'a a special link to check them out: paka.sjv.io/4GA5jZ

4 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 7

Nora Dunn (The Professional Hobo)

Last summer in Bansko Bulgaria, I delivered a keynote about how to live the digital nomad life sustainably, without burning out. It was the culmination of lessons learned in almost 2 decades of being a digital nomad myself.

Have a look!

4 months ago | [YT] | 8

Nora Dunn (The Professional Hobo)

“Are you ok?”

Time flies.

I find myself looking at spring blossoms, on my way back to Canada after my second winter of skiing in Bansko Bulgaria.

And yet I haven’t shared anything here about the last 4 months of my life.

If you follow Stories, then you’ll be up to date as I’ve been exploring these temporary forms of storytelling.

But my overall silence here has worried a few people.

A few days ago I got this email:
“Are you okay? You haven’t posted in a while.”

Rest assured, I am great!
Better than great, even. I am living my best life.

I am on an open-ended sabbatical (8 months so far); after thoroughly burning out from producing sometimes daily content on 7+ platforms (including my website and YouTube channel), I stopped everything.

I still keep up my monthly Insider’s Circle email newsletter (head over to my website and choose a “freebie” to sign up).
So if you’re curious what I’m up to (and you want some additional perks like specially curated discounts), then please check it out!

But I also want to start doing more posts here. Not because I Must, but because It’s Fun.

Stay tuned!

6 months ago | [YT] | 145

Nora Dunn (The Professional Hobo)

For anybody wondering where I’ve been when not making videos for my channel, here you go! ⛷️

7 months ago | [YT] | 6

Nora Dunn (The Professional Hobo)

✈️ Want to learn how to plan an unforgettable trip to Europe in 2025 without breaking the bank? Join me at the DIY Trip Summit this January—completely FREE!
Get tips from yours truly and other seasoned travelers so you can start planning the trip of your dreams.
Save your spot today so you don’t miss it: noradunn--itravl.thrivecart.com/first-class/66bfbf…

9 months ago | [YT] | 27

Nora Dunn (The Professional Hobo)

I ran into ‪@GabrielTravelerVideos‬ in Doha Qatar! Totally by chance. He filmed a video of us walking along the Corniche and chatting about all things under the (desert) sun. Check it out!
https://youtu.be/VjvIncwFhxU?si=OEb54...

11 months ago | [YT] | 16

Nora Dunn (The Professional Hobo)

📈 Have you ever taken advantage of travel rewards programs or credit card points for free flights or accommodation?

Learn more about how to do it here: https://youtu.be/bsOtsTCzomg?si=Y8JJq...

1 year ago | [YT] | 42