Digital Nomad Journey: Broken Open and Called Home

When I last wrote, I had just stepped into a "flurry of activity." Looking back, that was a massive understatement.

Since July 2025, my life has undergone a radical deconstruction as I prepared to begin for my digital nomad journey. If you had asked me two years ago if I’d ever leave the U.S., the answer would have been a firm "No."

But the landscape of my life shifted.

I saw my son move to Germany and be embraced by our tight-knit community that had his new life "ready" for him before he even arrived.

Meanwhile, I was in a big house in California, working ten hours a day on content that didn't feel right, staring down a healthcare system I didn't want to navigate as I aged.

I realized I wanted a different quality of life: one defined by community and freedom.

So, I made a choice: I surrendered. I explicitly gave God permission to break my heart, since I knew He would piece it back together more beautifully.

The image that stayed with me was Kintsugi:

the Japanese art where a craftsman repairs the cracks of a broken vessel with gold lacquer, making it stronger and more beautiful for having been broken.

And so, the hard work of breaking began.

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The Hard Work of Letting Go: Starting My Digital Nomad Journey

On Ash Wednesday, I sat at a 6:00 AM service sobbing over the little and big breaks in my heart. It was then that the alignment dawned on me: my departure was perfectly in step with the season of Lent. Once again, I found my life mirrored in my church’s sermon series on the book of Lamentations.

There was certainly plenty of lamenting during that final stretch after returning from Germany. I can honestly say it was the physically and emotionally hardest time of my life.

I had to clear out twenty-seven years of roots. It wasn’t just 'stuff'; it was nearly three decades of life, including my children’s entire childhood stored in the garage.

But even in the middle of that weight, it was also a season of provision.

After all, Easter Sunday was coming.

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Lessons from the "Chocolate Goose"

This process forced me to confront a lifelong habit: the "Scarcity Mindset." 

As a child, I saved a chocolate goose for years because I felt that once I ate it, it would be gone forever. Unsurprisingly, years later, I had to throw it away because it was no longer edible.

The chocolate goose haunted me as I found myself throwing away expired items and, most painfully, pouring out bottles of wine I had "saved" for decades but never enjoyed.

This forced me to confront my understanding of stewardship. I realized we aren't called to bury our treasures, but to actually use them, whether that means enjoying them ourselves or sharing them with others. It is a biblical concept I’ve known for years, yet it was never so 'in my face' than during this time. I saw how easily I’d fallen into the trap of merely storing things rather than using and enjoying them for a life well-lived.

It’s a lesson I am finally embracing.

A Tapestry of #SoulMoments

Even in the midst of heartbreak, a constant series of provisions made it clear that this digital nomad journey was the right path for me.

The weeks leading up to my departure were filled with a "farewell tour" of lunches, coffee chats, and walks along the levy. These goodbyes were heavy, but they were also a beautiful reminder of the community I’ve built. Old groups and new friends alike stepped up in ways that left me breathless:

• The God-sent Neighbor: One special person was with me most days, making the impossible task of emptying the house possible with lots of humor and prayers.

• Finding New Homes: Many of my dear friends offered new homes for a lot of things, and most of my furniture found new homes with veterans and families less fortunate. I even got a picture of the new owner of my kids’ bassinet; a church friend’s sister who unexpectedly welcomed another child into their life.

• The Rescue Team: Several new and old friends stepped up to help me sell items I simply didn't have the time or the skills to handle myself.

• The Car: I had never sold a car before and was incredibly nervous about the unknowns. A dear friend walked me through every step of the process, and thanks to that guidance, the perfect and very kind new owner showed up, I got to use my car until almost the last day, and the handoff was seamless.

• The Provisions of Timing: My house sold in just 7 days, and Escrow closed on the day I already had a flight booked to North Carolina: the day after Easter, which I got to celebrate with yet another wonderful church friend.

  
  

The Lesson of the Stairs

On my last night in a completely empty house, after having packed for days, I stood at the top of the stairs with my very last heavy bag and realized there was no way I’d get it down. The emotions of emptying a house by myself, a home where I started out 26 years earlier pregnant with my first son, completely took over.

Like Peter in Matthew 14:30-31, I began to "sink" when I saw the wind and the waves. My waves were just stairs, but I was sinking emotionally. In that raw moment, I couldn't even cry out, “Lord, save me!” A sobbing phone call to a friend later, my brain finally won over my emotions: the painters the next day would be perfectly happy to take the bag down for me.

It was a stark reminder of how quickly emotions can cloud our faith, and a lesson that will stay with me.

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The Bridge to the New: North Carolina

I’ve now been in North Carolina with a dear friend for nearly three weeks. Far from just resting, it has been a busy time of tying up the last loose items of my U.S. life while getting ready for the next chapter.

Even so, I have enjoyed some wonderful beach time and got to experience the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We hiked breathtaking waterfalls, took in stunning views from the Blue Ridge Parkway, and enjoyed a wide variety of art galleries and wonderful food.

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As much as I’ve enjoyed this time in the mountains and at the beach, the next chapter is calling. With that final sunrise I’m leaving North Carolina full of gratitude and ready to step into all that’s coming next.

What’s Ahead for My Digital Nomad Journey

• In May I’ll be in Augsburg, Germany, celebrating several friends’ birthdays, including my son’s (the first time in four years I've been with him for it!).

• From June to mid-September is my Scandinavian adventure. Thanks to the "Heja Livet!" FB community, my itinerary has been reshaped by local connections through Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. I’ll be traveling slowly by train, bus, and ferry, starting in Bergen, north to Stryn and Lom, then over to Sweden (Tänndalen, Gotland, Stockholm, Gothenburg), and then Denmark.

• After a couple weeks back in Augsburg, I'll spend October in Greece with a friend.

At least, that’s the plan for now. I am stepping into this next chapter open to everything life has in store for me.

Eventually, my digital nomad life will lead to another chapter: settling back in my hometown of Augsburg. I don’t know yet when that time will come, so for now, I am simply embracing the road and enjoying every moment of it.

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With gratitude,

❤️ Renate

from Carolina Beach 🇺🇸