I spent a good amount of time in late 2021 & 2022 homeless. Well, not technically— 99% of the time I did have a place to stay and a bed to sleep in. But I have fully embodied the live-out-of-a-suitcase, go-anywhere lifestyle. Here's something I've learned.

The promise of smooth linen, effortless Uber rides, and familiar places to go to erase the sort of struggles that give meaning to life. I don’t mean that these are evil.

Making life more comfortable for oneself and one’s family is generally worth aspiring to; the world is full of unavoidable misfortune, and sometimes all you want is some comfort to cope with the misery of life. Nevertheless, I tend to be in favor of effort over comfort.

Plants grown in a greenhouse are, in most cases, more fragile than plants grown in the wild. The greenhouse shields them from the stressors of headwinds, rainstorms, fluctuating temperatures, animals, and insects.

Wild plants, being exposed to all these adversarial conditions, are strong enough to even grow on cliffs of rocks.

I’ve gone through plenty of stressful experiences during my nomad life. I was locked out of my Airbnb (twice). Neither of times the host responded to my messages, so I had to find locksmiths/another place to stay. There were times when I got scammed at night, had no cash left to take any transportation, and Uber wasn't available. There were times when I fainted while trying to buy painkillers at a grocery store…

Don’t shy away from hardships and difficulties. They made me more compassionate about the suffering of others and taught me to be grateful for whatever I have.

Real toughness is navigating discomfort to make the best decision you can.

―Steve Magness