Farewell to the Global Nomad Life
An amazing view of Penang from the top of Penang Hill, one of the most beautiful places on the island
And “Hello” to life on an island in the Malacca Strait
With 2025 now in full swing, we find ourselves in a most unexpected position, one that we would not have anticipated when we took off from Austin, Texas over eighteen months ago with only six suitcases and a red tutu. Our intentions were always to embrace the “global nomad” life from day one. Referencing our own initial blog post:
We are global nomads on a journey to see this grand world that is our home… We sold/gave away all of our earthly possessions except for what fit in six suitcases, retired from our careers, said goodbye to our precious family and friends, closed down our home in Austin and stepped into this new season of being "global nomads" - traveling the world, staying in one country for 1-3 months then moving on to another country. We plan to live like this for as long as we can, but we're also seeking the place where we will eventually settle.
Let’s focus on that last sentence: We plan to live like this for as long as we can, but we're also seeking the place where we will eventually settle. We’re only in our mid-60s and there’s a lot of travel left in us. We only launched a year and half ago. We have the stamina and the passion to continue our global nomad journey for years to come.
However, things have changed in a big way for us. We have pivoted to the island of Penang, Malaysia, as our home for the next few years. Our perspective has shifted from seeing Penang merely as a “base” from where we can continue to travel and seek the place where we may settle, to actually being the very place where we should settle, at least for the near-term.
Our original plan for “slow-poratory” (slow exploration) travel called for keeping a keen eye out for countries we could one day see ourselves settling in as home. Our criteria centered on:
Pathways to strong community and relationship building
Affordable housing with capacity for hospitality
Top-notch health care at a fraction of the cost of U.S. healthcare
Cultural diversity in a society that’s also welcoming to immigrants
Political landscape characterized by mutuality and rejection of extremes
Efficient, high-quality systems of public transportation
A clear path to legal permanent residency and/or dual citizenship
Based on our earlier research, we were inclined to see western or southern Europe as our long-term landing place. High on our list were Germany, France, Portugal, Italy and Cyprus.
Our travels last summer in Europe were an eye-opener. The posts we added to this blog last summer focused on the highlights and joys we experienced during our time in Europe. While we did have a wonderful time there, we saw that Europe was not the place for us. We realized we love South and Southeast Asia and feel more at home there than in Europe. Perhaps another blog at another time may explain.
Our return to Malaysia by last summer’s end, followed by two more trips to Indonesia in the fall, then a cruise (Royal Caribbean's “Spectrum of the Seas”) from Hong Kong to Japan at the start of the new year, and finally another trip to Singapore recently have all provided ample time for us to reach the following conclusion: We have landed in the very place we are looking to settle and call home for the time being.
The first five criteria on our list above are all fulfilled here in Penang. Number six on the list is a non-issue, having purchased a car. We’re getting around on the island just beautifully. Only number seven on the list, - a path to permanent residency, - cannot be met for us in Malaysia. But we can travel in and out of Malaysia on a 90-day tourist visa, which keeps us visiting new destinations as well as returning to familiar places such as Indonesia.
We’re thankful for our home in Malaysia, a gorgeous country, similar to Indonesia with its gracious cultural temperament. We think Penang holds all the best of Malaysia within its 115 square miles and 800,000 residents. English is an official language here and most of what we love most about Penang has already been written about in this blog. Please revisit our posts of Sept. 8, Sept. 9, Sept. 11, Oct. 13 and Nov. 6 (all in 2023).
We have also moved from our first home here in Penang (described in our blog post of June 28, 2024) to a beautiful new “sanctuary” home nestled on a hillside surrounded by mountains and dense jungle with a view to the ocean. With four times the space of our previous place, our new ‘Harbour House’ is a quiet retreat soaked in beauty, with multiple guest rooms and living areas, two outdoor balconies and a spacious kitchen for hanging out as well. We give thanks everyday as we marvel that we get to live here!
In our first few months, we’ve had several overnight guests from other countries staying here from a few days to a few weeks. One dream that we’ve had for years has come true with our new home, that is, the ability to provide a place of rest and refreshment to friends and family from across the world. If you’re still reading this, consider yourself invited to Penang!
We’re thankful for the many friends, new and old, that we have here in Penang. Connecting the dots between so many people from so many backgrounds and life trajectories is humbling. We are living far from a retirement of “sitting around watching the grass grow”. We love staying engaged in the rhythm of a purpose-filled island life.
We had all our immediate family members here with us for the Christmas holidays, which hadn’t happened for at least seven years! Oldest daughter Emily, her husband, and their daughter Mercy flew in from Delhi, India, while youngest daughter Jessie came from Texas. Laughs and late-night board games coupled with breakfasts on the balcony filled the latter part of December and on into the new year. We miss them all, of course, but are looking forward to seeing each of them again this year at various points. Our second granddaughter is due to arrive in May, so a return to Delhi is definitely on the calendar!
Melanie recently underwent surgery at one of the island’s many hospitals to reconstruct her left foot. This is a “redo” surgery, with the first attempt to repair her foot two and a half years ago in Austin badly failing. Her new orthopedic surgeon here in Penang is amazing. The 3.5-hour operation was successful and she is well on her way down the long road to recovery. Penang is an international medical tourism destination, and we are full of gratitude as we reap the benefits of excellent and affordable healthcare services here.
Melanie should be able to travel again in a couple of months, just in time to reload a fresh tourist visa for Malaysia on our passports. We are heading back to Vietnam to see two areas we’ve heard much about: Da Nang and Hoi An.
Passage to India will follow in late May for the birth of Emily and Franklin’s second daughter. We will probably remain in Delhi for a month, then return to Penang for a few weeks before flying to the United States to catch up with friends and family in person. We imagine ourselves back in Malaysia by September, only to return to the U.S. in November and closing out 2025 in Texas and Virginia.
In summary, we have pivoted to a new paradigm for living life overseas. Our beautiful home in this peaceful, vibrant community in southeast Asia still provides opportunities to see the world as well as extended time in the States. It is no longer the “six suitcases” plan, with or without the red tutu, but it is the plan that fits best for the immediate future. Again, we would love to host you here!
Please let us help you think through and plan in that direction. Seriously! Maybe you’ve been dreaming of a vacation in southeast Asia and need a “jumping off point” to abundant cultural treasures in nearby countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc. Or, maybe you just want to settle into the island life of a peaceful, multicultural society with the most delicious, affordable cuisine on the planet.
Perhaps you need a medical procedure or want to take advantage of a battery of high-quality, comprehensive health screenings for a mere fraction of the cost of what you’re used to paying. Whatever your motivation, please reach out to us. Even if we’re traveling outside Malaysia when you’re available, you’re welcome to come and enjoy our verdant “Harbour House”. Melodious tropical birds, adorable, mischievous monkeys, and sea eagles soaring high overhead are waiting to greet you right off our balconies.
Dusky Leaf Monkeys are our favorites. We love watching them play in the forest behind our condo. This video was taken up at The Habitat at Penang Hill, one of our favorite places on the island.
