Notes of Nomads

Crossing Cultures, Pushing Boundaries

Who are the nomads?

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Hey there, nomad!

This is Jess and Hai, life addicts who encourage personal growth through travel and new experiences. We believe that travel can be transformative, restorative and life-changing, and we want to help you do more of it.

We first started travelling together in 2006 and since then have travelled to more than 50 countries across 6 continents. We’ve done long-term backpacking, short getaways, cruises, hostels to luxury hotels, camping to glamping – all in the name of new experiences. Currently we are based in Tokyo, Japan.

Trans-Mongolian Beijing to Ulaanbaatar
On the Trans-Mongolian from China to Mongolia.

We travel to constantly challenge ourselves and our own assumptions, and we hope that by sharing our first-hand experiences we can change some stereotypes along the way – about the destinations we visit, the various types of travel we do and, as an international married couple, about culture and race too.

When we use the word “nomad” we don’t necessarily mean a perpetual traveller without a home base (although there’s nothing wrong with that either). What we mean by the term nomad at its very core is a sense of freedom and being able to forge our own paths; reducing the things that hold us back from the places we want to go and the things we want to achieve.

Trail from 4th-5th Station, Mt. Fuji, Japan
Mt. Fuji, Japan.

Too often we are told that we can “have it all” – and all we have to do is create a balanced lifestyle where we allocate time to jobs and family and hobbies, and have vacations too. Let me tell you, it’s one of the biggest illusions out here – this sense that such a perfectly balanced life exists. Forget trying to do things in even measure. You have to prioritise that kind of lifestyle in order to have it and you have to sacrifice something in order to achieve it.

When you switch your thinking to one where you prioritize instead of trying to do everything on a never-ending list, a very powerful change occurs within. You start to feel empowered – you simplify your list to reflect your core values and it gives you the starting point for achieving the things that matter most. You decide what you need to sacrifice and then start re-planning your days to include more of the things that help you achieve your dreams and happiness, and less about the things that get in the way of that.

If you’re on the verge of a life change, we know it can be daunting, but we are here to listen and we want to help you on the path to achieving a life full of quality experiences that make you smile at yourself and think, “I really did that.”

To help get you started, we’ve created a useful PDF that’s designed to help you identify your goals and start getting on the road to achieving them. Subscribers to our newsletter can download it for free.

Subscribe here

We thought we’d use also this opportunity to answer some of your frequently asked questions.

Where are you from?

I'm from country Victoria, Australia; a child of Dutch migrants. I grew up surrounded by lots of space and animals, and the familiar smell of a wood fire. It's probably why I still feel a strong connection to the great outdoors, despite having become accustomed to city living. I was always curious about life outside of what I knew and dove into the world of books to show it to me – in old National Geographics and encyclopedia sets (remember those!) we picked up at garage sales. It still humbles me to think that I have now visited many of those places I daydreamed about and even been featured by the likes of National Geographic and Lonely Planet.

As for Hai, he was born in a small town called Tra Vinh in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. His family fled post-war Vietnam in the early 1980s when he was two years old. It was a perilous journey by land and boat, and one that he still doesn't know too many details of. What he does know is he and his family stayed in a refugee camp in Malaysia for six months, then spent one month in Singapore to await a flight to Australia. Their first two years in Australia were spent in Perth and that's where he has my first memories, of starting kindergarten. They then relocated to Melbourne, where his family continues to live today.

The two of us started travelling together in 2006 and are now based in Tokyo, Japan.

Where did you meet?

We met at our part-time jobs in Melbourne. I moved to the city for university and we both worked at a department store there. Despite working closely together for 2 years, we didn’t start dating until after Hai left for another job. We left on our first trip together 6 months later, a six and a half month round-the-world backpacking trip, and the first big test for our relationship. We landed back in Australia engaged.

How long have you been married?

We got married in 2008 in Melbourne, Australia. We also had a wedding ceremony with our Japanese friends on our first wedding anniversary in Okinawa, Japan.

Melbourne wedding
Our Melbourne wedding.

Our wedding anniversary (November 22nd) is actually a very auspicious day for marriage in Japan. The date can be written as 一一二二 (literally 11/22). However, if you read the characters in a different way (kanji can have various different readings), then it reads as いい夫婦 (ii fuufu), meaning “good married couple”.

Okinawa Wedding, Japan
Our Japanese wedding.

How do you pronounce Hai’s name?

It’s pronounced ‘hi’, as in the greeting. It’s always a cause for confusion in Japan as ‘hai’ is the word for ‘yes’. But the actual meaning of his name originates from the Chinese character for the ocean. It’s also ‘shark’ in German and Finnish, which he seems to prefer. ;)

Who writes the blog?

As you may have noticed from the use of the word ‘I’ throughout this page, I (that’s Jess) am the one behind the words. Hai is a photographer and he is the one behind the camera. You can see his work on this blog as well as on our Instagram account.

We are also the Instagramers Japan Instameet Managers for Japan, which is basically just a fancy way of saying we organize photography meet-ups in Japan (mostly in Tokyo since that is where we are based), where anyone is welcome to join us in exploring a new spot and taking some fun photos along the way. Meet-ups are monthly and you can find the details on our Facebook events page.

Speaking of social media, if you use it and would like to connect there, this is where you can find us:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

YouTube Channel

Thank you for taking the time to stop by, we're so glad to have you onboard. Come say hi in the comments or one of our social channels  – we'd love to know about you, your goals and any suggestions for content that would help you achieve them.

Happy adventuring!

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Comments

  3. Hi came across your blog while I was just browsing the Internet. We (my husband, 4 year old daughter and I) are planning a trip to Japan and I am going to be scouring your blog to plan my trip! Thank you for all the work you have done to help first time visitors to Japan like me! :)

    Reply

  4. Hi Jessica and Hai, I stumbled upon your blog through Agness and Cez from eTramping. I love the story how your relationship started as it reminds me how my boyfriend and I became a couple. He always says that I planned everything but in fact it was also coincidence. I haven’t been to Japan yet, but I travelled extensively across China and ten other Asian countries (plus to more than 30 countries in Europe, the Americas, Australia & Oceania). I also saw your YouTube video about the Wife Carrying World Championship in Finland and it is absolutely entertaining although it must have been very uncomfortable for both of you. :)

    Reply

    • Hi Vanessa, thank you for stopping by! Ah, those men thinking everything is about them, right? ;)

      Glad that the video was entertaining! Haha It really was so uncomfortable! But we are glad that we did it and had some laughs along the way.

      It’s always great to connect with a fellow nomad. Hope that you stop by Japan soon. Let us know when you do! :)

      Reply

  5. Hi Jess, This is Mr. Tan from FHSC. Do you remember me? I have often ask about you from your dad. You are certainly seeing the world and speaking several languages.

    Reply

    • Hi Mr. Tan! Of course I remember you! Many thanks for stopping by our blog. I probably don’t speak as many languages as you think. My Dad tends to exaggerate my “fluency” haha

      Reply

  7. Ich habe bis jetzt sehr wenige Reiseberichte über meinen Trip nach Nepal und zurück per Autostopp geschrieben. Ich bin dran. Ernst

    Reply

  8. Ein wunderbarer Reiseblog. Ich werde bei Dir lesen müssen, weil ich 1964/65 15 Monate by hitchhiking 18 Countrys im nahen und fernen Osten bereiste. Liebe Grüsse Ernst

    Reply

    • Thank you Ernst! That sounds like an absolutely epic adventure! I wish there were such things as blogs in the 1960s – I would have loved to read about your trip! Have you written anything about it subsequently?

      Reply

    • Hi Cristin! I’m not sure how I only saw this comment now??!! But just wanted to say a belated thank you so much! We really appreciate the nomination and always love to connect with other bloggers. Just read about your unfortunate bad luck in Thailand. Hope things are looking up! Sending our best wishes from Amsterdam. Keep smiling :)

      Reply

    • Hi Hannah, congrats on receiving the award! Thanks so much for the nomination and your kind words about Notes of Nomads. We really appreciate it. Where are you headed in Asia?

      Reply

  13. Hey guys! The blog is amazing:) I will definitely be following along on your amazing journey. Hopefully we will run into each other again! Keep me updated!! Oh, and I would love to see more of Hai’s pictures as well. All the best!

    Reply

    • Thanks, Kaity! It was really nice to meet you and we’ll definitely be following your adventures on your blog too! It’s really great!

      We are currently in Vietnam and loving it. Just a heads up: be prepared for a bit of a wait for the visa on-arrival – probably at least an hour or so unless you get lucky. But you’ll get it eventually in any case.

      Good luck with your travels and keep in touch! Hope to bump into you somewhere!

      Reply

    • Thanks so much, Bridgekeeper! It’s always great to have readers with varied travel experiences to share! So sorry that your comment wasn’t automatically applied to the new site. You must have posted just after we imported everything. But very glad to have found it and heading over to your site now :)

      Reply

  15. Very nice description! I love travelling and have a special connection with Tokyo; was born there :)!

    It’s a very nice website you have here, and I look forward to following your journey.

    I am looking forward to making my own move out of the corporate world and become a nomad. Your journey provides inspiration at every step :).

    Thanks.

    Reply

    • Thanks so much, Utsav! It’s so nice to have special connections all around the world, isn’t it! Tokyo is one of our favorite places. Do you have plans to visit soon?

      So glad to hear that you are seeking the life you want. Everybody’s journey is different but it’s so nice to share experiences and gain inspiration from each other.

      Do stop by again to let us know how you are going. Looking forward to hearing about your new adventures and nomadic way of life :)

      Reply

    • Thanks so much for the nomination, Jodi! Really appreciate it! Congratulations on your awards! Always enjoy reading your posts and seeing where you are in the world and what you have been up to! All the best and happy 2013!

      Reply

  19. Hello fellow blogger,

    I was nominated for a Liebster Award by Andrea (http://adventurousandrea.com). Well, now, I nominate you!

    The Rules:
    1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
    2. Answer the 11 questions the person giving the award has set for you.
    3. Create 11 questions for the people you will be giving the award to.
    4. Choose 11 people to award and send them a link to your post. Go to their page and tell them.
    5. No tag backs.

    Reply

  22. I loved your site, I am so jealous of the places you’ve been and how beautiful are Hai’s pictures! Keep up!

    I will quit work right after posting this message and start running on the street to some place I haven’t been yet.

    Reply

    • Hahaha Well, you might not have to quit quite so drastically. You can probably give them two weeks notice ;) But certainly, go out and explore – even if it’s just your own city for now. You’d be surprised at all the interesting places that are right on your doorstep if you dare to look. Go walking down a different street just for the sake of not having been there before, try new places, talk to new people. We often live in familiar cities with blinkers on – it’s harder to open our eyes up to them when we think we know the place or we can go out and do these things that other people talk about anytime we want – then we often don’t experience them at all. Try thinking of where you live in the eyes of a visitor. It really changes your perspective on things. Happy running :)

      Reply

  23. I’ve traveled just enough to realize I could spend my whole life traveling. You live the dream of many. I hope to be able to follow in similar footsteps one day. Great blog.

    Reply

    • You’ve been bitten by the travel bug too? :) It’s my belief that we can make anything happen if we really want it to. So if traveling more is your dream, all you have to do is start taking steps towards it and we’d love to read your travel stories when you do make it a reality. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting – much appreciated. Happy travels :)

      Reply

  24. Dear Jessica,
    I hope you will excuse my english, I am coming from belgian land of the cohocolate and kingdom of the 800 biers. Your site as awaikening me, travel … that my dream, I made a few and always like a tourist but also as an interrogation how can I survive here ? Can you tell us a little bit more about “how to live when you travel so long. I mean when you decide to stop in a country was it a serious plan, your employer, an opportunity to make business ? How do you do to leave to make money to eat, give us some tips. Tell us more about your live :-)
    you guys rocks :-)

    Reply

    • Hi Gerard, thanks so much for your comment. Sure, we’d be happy to share some tips. We are actually just about to start planning a new trip and will be documenting this process on the blog. If you can hang on just a little while longer, we’ll be sharing our entire planning and decision-making processes with you. I hope that will give you some insight into how we go about long and sustained travel. Of course, if there is anything you want to know that we don’t cover, please feel free to ask. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and check out our blog. It’s much appreciated. Happy travels :)

      Reply

    • Thanks so much! Yes, it’s interesting to think about letting go of a strong sense of nationhood, especially if we have grown up in an environment where this is a big part of our identities. We like to think of ourselves as “world citizens” – wherever we are is home :)

      Reply

  27. Jessica, you HAVE to go to Ecuador, my home country. Then you will tell me… I don’t know if you have been there, but in this little paradise you can go from the beaches, to the snow mountains to the jungle or Galapagos. Everything in just one spot! We are blessed!

    Reply

    • Hi Adriana, yes, we definitely have to! Ecuador is on our list for sure. Once we start planning, I’d love to know your recommendations on the best things to see and do. I’m sure it will be a long list but we’re up for the challenge! Thanks so much for stopping by our blog and commenting! Much appreciated!

      Reply

  28. LOL! Just realized we have kindred “about” sentences. You said: “To say I love to write is an understatement.” I said:…”and simply claiming that I love to write would be an understatement.” : )

    Reply

    • Thank you, Bob. I have been to Malaysia but haven’t written about it yet. I was working with a women’s NGO there. It’s an amazing country and hope to go back. I’m sure you’ll have lots of great recommendations of places to visit when we do! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! Much appreciated :)

      Reply

      • You did? Hope you had a great time. Oh yes, do come again. I’ll let you the great places, some of them I have yet been to, but definitely great nonetheless.

        Reply

    • Thank you, Letizia! It seems I was commenting on your blog at the same time you were commenting here :) Really like your blog and I’m looking forward to reading more :)

      Reply

  33. The WordPress Freshly Pressed site took me to your blog entry on bungy jumping in Japan. That entry led me to your other blog entries. I totally enjoyed reading them. You have such a great website and all your travel experiences are so inspiring. That’s what ‘living’ is truly about: being able to experience and see the world. :)

    Reply

    • Thank you so much! So glad that you like our site! We can only hope that by sharing some of our experiences others will feel inspired to go out there and create their own. Thanks so much for taking the time to check out our blog and comment. We hope you’ll stick around and join us on our upcoming adventures :)

      Reply

  35. Awesome blog! In the future where would you like to live and what’s been your favorite residence so far? Its amazing how many different countries you’ve lived in!!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much! Favorite residence so far? Definitely Japan! In the future, who knows? We’re planning to travel around more soon so we hope you’ll join us for the ride! Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment on our blog! :)

      Reply

    • Thanks so much, Elena! I love your blog and your take on love, life and travel. Please keep sharing your experiences. I always look forward to reading your posts :)

      Reply

  39. Amazing insight & Pics U make a good team. U shd marry each other Oh that’s right, U already married, silly me to 4get Sissie

    Reply

  41. Both of you are an inspiration. Jess.. Stories are always interstiing to read and Hai your photograpy is always capture “a moment in time”. Keep up the good work!

    June De Guzman

    Reply

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