A friend of mine, a yacht delivery captain, recently sailed from Norfolk to The Abacos.  On the same day he completed the delivery, he hopped on a plane from Marsh Harbor to Miami, drove to West Palm to have lunch with an old friend, then continued driving for another 4.5 hours to visit my dog, Lizzy, whom he loves.  He grilled steak for both of us, arranged the flight for his next crew, and drove back south to Ft. Lauderdale the next day, this time with me as a stowaway.  Well, he drove my car…On the way, he stopped at the Palm Coast dunes to have lunch at the Java Point Restaurant with a friend’s friend and her daughter (me still shadowing), which he had arranged sometime while cooking, playing with Lizzy dog, tracking down his lost driver’s license, dealing with rental cars and business partners, and catching up with loved ones on all available electronic devices.

He surveyed and provisioned the new boat before the crew arrived a day later – oh, well, I helped, but mostly was just tagging along –, and then around 2:30 A.M. he rolled off his bunk to go and pick the “boys” up at the airport (their flight was 5 hours late).  Less than 10 hours later, captain and crew were heading for St. Martin.

This is only a summary of my friend’s last week schedule. He is a true nomad.  Qualified.

I took the 4.5 hour drive from Ft. Lauderdale to home (Jax) and tried to enjoy it.  I was listening to the CD of love songs I put together 6 years ago for the wedding ceremony of my failed marriage.  I had time to hear 48 out of 50 tunes before I picked Lizzy up at the dog camp where she stayed while I was gone.

One question kept coming back throughout the ride home:  How do nomads manage their love life?

The multitude of further questions that sprouted from this basic inquiry is quite noteworthy.  Here’s the shortlist:

• Do nomads (with unpredictable or altogether non-existent schedule) have to give up lasting love relationships for the love of freedom?
• Does a true partner of a nomad have to be a nomad also?
• Can wireless communication replace intimacy even temporarily?
• Is freedom more important than love and partnership (or do the concepts of love and freedom rule each other out)?
• Can “having sex” ever feel like being loved? Is this question even relevant enough to matter for nomads?  Is this question gender-specific?

As a wannabe nomad yet forever romantic, I think all these spontaneous questions need further investigation, and I am definitely up for the quest.

For now, let me fly the red flag:

Continuous off-the-grid adventures are extremely attractive for many people when dreaming.

Beware of the downside when doing!

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