I spent more than two years plotting my (first) escape, and I remember how careful I was about who I told. My immediate family and a few very close friends knew, but I was wary to let news spread too far, lest it get back to my employer. I was nowhere near ready to quit my job, so I didn’t want them to know what I was up to! (In fact, I changed jobs in the middle of my planning, which was an even more crucial moment for no one to find out.)

In order to keep my plans a secret, I had a password-protected blog where I could talk about my plans (luckily this was in the days before Facebook and Twitter, so it was much easier to keep things to yourself), or I just talked to my few confidants about it in person or on the phone.

I was lucky that the people I’d chosen to tell were all very supportive of my nomad dreams. And I was so obsessed about it, I would have practically burst if I hadn’t had someone to tell!

Talking about your dreams is especially important as you begin to take steps to make a plan and turn those dreams into reality. Letting people know what you’re up to can help keep you accountable, in case you get overwhelmed or freaked out and stop moving forward with your plan. (It can be a little embarrassing when someone says, “Hey, I thought you were leaving the country?” and you’ve done nothing to make it happen!)

But it’s equally important to be choosy about who you tell. If you know your aunt and your best friend from high school are going to knock down all your crazy ideas with lots of logical-to-them arguments, you might want to find someone else to talk to. They’ll probably find out what you’re up to eventually, but while you’re in the planning stages, you’ll be much better off not talking too much with people who will take the wind out of your sails.

Instead, share your dreams and plans with the people who get it, who have resources to share, and who will help keep you on track so your Nomadtopia actually becomes a reality.

How about you? Have you told many people about your Nomadtopia dreams and plans? Why or why not?

If you’re having trouble finding supportive people to share your Nomadtopia with, I invite you to join the amazing crew of people in the Nomadtopia Collective! When everyone around you tells you you’re crazy, come and talk to us instead.