Ten Years A Nomad by Matt Kepnes

Ten Years A Nomad: A Traveler’s Journey Home by Matt Kepnes is a travel memoir published in 2019.

In Ten Years a Nomad, Nomadic Matt shares how a simple vacation turned into a decade-long journey across the world. Once living a conventional life with a steady job at a Boston hospital, Matt felt the creeping dissatisfaction of a routine that didn’t feel his own. When his boss warned him that his vacation days were about to expire, he booked a trip to Costa Rica — just something to recharge him for another year of work.

Over 3,000 nights, 90+ countries, 1,000 hostels, and a million miles later, Matt was building a new way of life. From that first hostel in Costa Rica to the back of a pickup truck in Thailand, he discovered that travel wasn’t an escape from life, but a way to truly live it.

Enjoy!

Stepping Out the Door
Taking the Leap
The Pressures of Home
The Planning
The Start
Finding Your Kindred Spirits
Life as an Expat
Love on the Road
Burning Out & Coming Home
Going Back Out
You Can Only “Run Away” So Long
The Light
Home

Stepping Out the Door

“He who is outside his door has the hardest part of his journey behind him” – Flemish Proverb
Change doesn’t happen all at once — it’s slow, intentional, and often uncomfortable
Americans often have a narrow view of the world shaped by media and fear
Travel shatters routine and forces personal growth
The unknown makes room for reinvention; no one knows who you are on the road
Matt started out fearful but quickly gained confidence — hiking volcanoes, hitchhiking — realizing he could be whoever he wanted
Travel allows you to discard excuses and embrace your ideal self

Taking the Leap

Office life was bearable until Matt knew there was something more
A spontaneous trip to Thailand reinforced that scams and discomfort are signs of pushing limits
Matt sought “off-the-guidebook” moments to really live, not just work
America teaches work = worth; elsewhere, people live for living
Travel changes not just your view of the world, but your view of home
Thailand taught Matt that boredom and unhappiness weren’t permanent — they were cues to go
Travel became part of his identity — a nomad, not a vacationer

The Pressures of Home

Approval from loved ones is powerful — and its absence, painful
Boss was understanding, but parents freaked out; friends were indifferent
People can’t process what doesn’t fit into their mental “scripts” like college or vacation
The world is often painted as dangerous — especially in American media
Long-term travel still feels “crazy” to many, despite growing remote work and digital nomadism
Comfort zones are cozy but can trap you in “just happy enough”
Real strength is pushing past societal norms, expectations, and even love, to find your path

The Planning

Plans will fall apart — but planning is still essential
Planning clarifies your priorities and builds excitement
Budgeting and financial discipline are key to long-term travel success
The goal isn’t rigid structure, but a rough sketch — like a few lines in a portrait
Flexibility is freedom. Don’t recreate the 9-to-5 on the road
Matt learned this through his first Europe trip — from Prague to Athens — and grew more confident going “off-script”
Travel teaches adaptability as much as exploration

The Start

No amount of planning removes fear
Solo travel is scary — and exhilarating
It teaches self-reliance: you realize what kind of life you want and who you want in it
Hostel life can become a routine of its own — drinking, partying — but you can choose better
Everyone on the road shares the same fears and joys
Matt was scared on arrival in Prague, but quickly found his footing — it was easier than expected

Finding Your Kindred Spirits

Travel removes all filters — age, job, background — and bonds people in the present
Friendships compress and deepen quickly, like at summer camps
No judgments, no status — just connection
Back home, we stay in homogenous circles. On the road, we seek friends over familiarity
Matt found deep friendships at La Tomatina, Thai islands, and more — they expanded his world and self

Life as an Expat

Living abroad is not the same as being a tourist
Locals aren’t props — they live real lives. Integration takes time and respect
Slowing down helps avoid tunnel vision of guidebooks and tourist tips
Matt lived in Bangkok for 8 months teaching English and saving money
Staying put revealed a deeper layer of cultural understanding and self-discovery
First impressions can be wrong — every place deserves a second chance

Love on the Road

Travel naturally creates space for romance — you’re often your best self
Matt had relationships across destinations but often chose work over connection
Life moves fast on the road; so do relationships
Some love stories can work, but require someone to shift life directions
There’s beauty in impermanence and power in shared experience
Solo travel has value, but sharing it brings deeper fulfillment

Burning Out & Coming Home

Travel isn’t all excitement — routine creeps in, even abroad
Burnout is real, and going home is always an option
Listen to your inner voice — there’s no shame in returning
Coming home feels surreal: nothing changes, but you do
Matt struggled with burnout and post-trip depression — it’s part of the journey
Burnout can’t be “solved” — only managed. Rest, recharge, and recalibrate

Going Back Out

Change is constant; sometimes you return home, but the road calls again
Friends and family might not understand who you’ve become
People often assume long-term travelers are running from life — but many are running toward meaning
There’s nothing wrong with settling if it’s your conscious choice
Travel isn’t about replicating old memories — it’s about new intentions and experiences
You can revisit a place, but let it be new again

You Can Only “Run Away” So Long

Time always travels with you — you evolve slowly, not in a single moment
Matt grappled with aging, shifting identity, and the urge to return to Boston
Sometimes life pulls you back — a friend’s death, burnout, reality
Slowing down is hard but necessary
Travel doesn’t erase life’s challenges — it reframes them

The Light

In 2015, Matt found unexpected love and considered settlin
His work (blog, business) began to overwhelm him; anxiety followed
Panic attacks, stress, and the “busy trap” pushed him to reevaluate everything
Took time offline and remembered the freedom he once felt
Realized he needed to reclaim joy and presence in his life

Home

After 10 years, Matt was ready to stop moving
Settling wasn’t a failure — it was growth
Timing didn’t align with Charlotte, his partner — but change is okay
He became the person he wanted to be on that first trip
“Wherever you go, there you are” – Jon Kabat-Zinn
Home is what you make it. Stillness can be just as adventurous
Travel is a mindset: discovery, openness, and wonder can exist anywhere
Life doesn’t fit in a box — live on your own terms

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Table of Contents