No Direction Home brings deep and sincere reflections about nomadism

This newsletter turns six months old very proud of its 422 subscribers

Thank you for joining No Direction Home in the past six months. I am a 32-year-old Brazilian journalist who quit my job at the end of 2022, left a stable home, and ended a long-term relationship to become a nomad and work remotely. In this newsletter, I aim to bring deep and sincere reflections on the dilemmas, challenges, and positive aspects of this lifestyle.

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Reasons you should read No Direction Home

Much of the content you see on social media about nomadism shows happy people going through the hero's journey. I rarely post on my social media, and I am not that concerned about the image I project. Apart from friends and colleagues, most of the 422 subscribers probably don't know who I am, what I do, or where I am. They became subscribers voluntarily through a friend's suggestion, LinkedIn, or Substack's recommendation system.

I sincerely believe this makes my content more spontaneous. I don't have the pressure of likes, advertisers, or satisfying an audience. I'm not afraid of being canceled. I don't want to be an influencer or a coach. Perhaps naively, I believe in the power of text, words, and Substack for a less artificial form of communication than on social media.

In some editions, I am enthusiastic; in others, less so. The nomadic life is not just about hardships, nor is it only about adventure. Is my state of mind evident in each text, or is it imperceptible? That doesn't make a difference.

I feel comfortable trying to write the best edition each time. I sometimes fail miserably due to the rush of life or not developing the theme in the best possible way.

But I fulfill my goal: to show, through texts that bring some reflection, what it's like to live a life with unprecedented geographic, territorial, and displacement freedom, to inspire you to have more flexibility in your lives.

Of course, freedom is relative—I can't, today, live in New York, London, or Paris for more than a week, with my income in Brazilian Reais. But there are dozens, maybe more than a hundred, cities that attract me where I can live whenever I want.

I would love to see more nomads out there, and it would be an honor one day to find out that someone dared to experience this life because of No Direction Home. But if the readers tell me that I made them make a small change in their routine that positively impacted their quality of life, it will have been worth it.

Your feedback over these six months has been valuable. I haven't been able to put all of them into practice yet, but I will. Each message I receive motivates me intensely. In fact, I'll make the request again: if you would like to make any suggestions, criticism, or compliment for this newsletter, please feel free to leave them in the comments (or reply to this email).

I have been a journalist for over 12 years, and this is one of my most fulfilling moments. Having over 250 readers, on average, per text is a huge responsibility and a great pleasure. I still have big plans for No Direction Home. I want it to become a reference in real nomadism, without filters, aiming to explore the misfortunes and pleasures of a life without a home.

If you enjoy my content, you can help me by sharing it with your friends or upgrading to a paid subscription. Currently, I can't offer any extra extras for paid subscribers (that will be done in the future), but the revenue will be used to pay for collaborations with nomads who bring a different and more in-depth perspective than mine on certain topics.

Thank you very much.
Mateus Camillo

Sunset in Porto Alegre, July, 2023. Photo: Mateus Camillo/No Direction Home