Anxiety on the Eve of an Epic Baltic Adventure

On the cusp of an epic seven week journey into the unknown, Sea opens up about his deeper feelings on Life Right Now.

I’m writing from the Paralelni Polis / Bitcoin cafe in Prague. Recently arrived on a train from Decin, a couple of meetings in the evening, and then a midnight bus to Krakow.

Tonight, I embark on seven week trip, starting with my first visits through the Baltic countries of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Then, anything could happen. Russia. Budapest. Anywhere I’m invited to along the way.

Seven weeks! That’s nearly as long as my time in India earlier this year, which felt like a lifetime unto itself.

There are only two things ahead in the world I have locked in to my calendar. Two solitary commitments in my entire life.

The first, is a bank meeting in Estonia – the purpose of this trip – by the end of August.

The second, perhaps my highlight of the entire year, is the David August concert at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg on September 21.

It’s been so pleasantly calm and peaceful living and working from Decin in the Czech Republic. Enjoying weekend trips away.

Anything can happen, and spontaneity could take me anywhere.

Once again, the peace and calm is about to move aside for constant travel, infinite Hello’s and Goodbye’s, and many, many hours on buses and trains. Much contemplation.

A Simple Dream: Building A Home

I admit, I am exhausted. 14 months of travel has drained me. Having no home to return to is highly unsettling.

20 years ago I was living on the streets, in and around Toronto, Canada.

Today, I’m a more glorified version of homeless, a different mindset and impetus in life, but much in common.

With all this travel comes much time to think, and elevated introspection. Coupled with my many hours of meditation each week: I have thought a lot.

I am in the process of constructing a dream, perhaps my ultimate dream: A home of my own.

One that I can build over many years and decades. My own garden, plants and pets. A studio with an inspiring view. Close to, if not within, nature, ideally by the sea. Living under the rules and emotions of nobody else. No threatened eviction because of late rent, or personal disputes.

My own home!

These trips around the world the past five years inch me closer to what I want, what I know I want. Trial and error, an unprecedented breadth of comparison and living experience.

After this summer, the goal is finding the means to buy a van. Convert a van into a livable, comfortable home, and workable studio. My own home, one to accompany me.

With that, I can explore more places, coming closer to the time and the place where this present journey concludes, and the new one begins.

In the meantime, I travel, I work, I live, open to opportunities that present themselves.

Seasoned Travelers Get Scared Too!

I am about as nervous about this coming voyage as I have been at any point over the 14 months of my current world travels.

Perhaps since the first five weeks of this trip, starting in Europe June 2017, or when I took the plunge to live in Korea for 3 months late last year.

That deep sting of financial worry; the mysterious unknown. The inherent lessened momentum and routine for completing work. Exhaustion.

How am I going to pull this off?!

I don’t know how I’m going to afford this journey. Virtually all my Australian work leads have dried up, and my EU business hasn’t officially launched. I’m living off leverage and fumes.

I’ve survived off roughly €120 / AUD$200 per week the entire 14 months. Each week depleting my bank account to $0, and starting again, week by week.

The past four months, between friends in Cologne, Berlin, Decin and a few stops, I have essentially lived rent free. A few nights here and there booking accommodation in London, Brighton, Copenhagen and Prague.

Now, my trip will require accommodation almost every night of the way. Perhaps a few evenings at friends. As many night buses as I can accommodate. My tent in case of absolute emergency (or, conversely, if any glorious camping opportunities arise).

Over the course of my book, Plan Sea, I demonstrate how I pull off these spectacular adventures on such a minimal budget. And, this is the very final leg of the story.

So, it’s all going to work out in the end. It has to work out!

The Road to Tallinn

The whole purpose of this trip is work. Last month I registered my new EU business, Nomadical, the travel, writing and digital nomad wing of my life.

In reality, all I have to do is personally visit an LHV bank in Tallinn, Estonia, to open a new business bank account.

Instead of flying in and out, I sculpted an epic journey there, and back!

As my maternal great grandparent ancestry includes Lithuanian and Polish roots, this is my first opportunity to visit these countries.

I’ll be working on the road 5-6 days a week, drumming up attention for our new start up initiative, Nomadic.Cloud – web hosting for digital nomads. I’m compiling contacts and useful resources for other nomadic types who visit any of the places I’m stopping through.

When it’s all over, my book is pretty much wrapped up, we will have launched our Beta, and, no doubt, experienced new magic, people and places, along the way.

When the Journey Ends…

After it all, I hope to remain somewhere solitary for a little while. Maybe a month, maybe through the end of the year. One day soon, I hope for longer.

I’ve thought about basing myself in the UK, and connecting with old friends. I’m curious about cities like Budapest, or others I’m about to visit for the first time.

Perhaps I’ll meet somebody special I like along the way, who lives in a cool place I legitimately dig. I’m open minded to anything and everything.

The freedom and flexibility of my life means I can do that, if and when the right opportunity comes along.

But, one cannot force it. Remain on our path. And take whatever happens as it comes.

For that, irrespective of how much or how little I earn, there is no price one can put on this freedom. Perhaps that is the beauty in the emotion I feel right now. This is my life. This is how it is.

More stories to come… the Adventures of Sea Pilot continue.

Next stop: Krakow, Poland.

The Epic Baltic Adventure

This is how the trip looks now, but it is intentionally open to accommodate any opportunities and experiences that arise along the way. One night bus and day at a time

08.08.18 – Prague, Czech

09.08.18 – Krakow, Poland

13.08.18 – Warsaw, Poland

14.08.18 – Gdansk, Poland

17.08.18 – Vilnius, Lithuania

24.08.18 – Riga, Latvia

27.08.18 – Tallinn, Estonia

——- FROM HERE, ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN! ——–

03.09.18 – St. Petersburg, Russia

06.09.18 – Moscow, Russia

12.09.18 – Budapest, Hungary

18.09.18 – TBD – Prague? Decin? Leipzig ?

20.09.18 – Hamburg, Germany

More from the incredible Maribou State here…