Puma Love Newsletter

Puma Love Newsletter

How to Be a Nomad

A Code of Conduct

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Puma Love
Jul 11, 2025
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Ever since my home burned down in 2019, over six years ago now, I have not had a place to call my own. I have been very nomadic. I have lived as far north as West Virgina, as far south as the Caribbean, and numerous places in between — like St. Pete, FL, New Orleans, LA, and Asheville, NC. I have lived in modest places, and I have lived in grand places. I have thrived in comfortable places, and I have survived in much less than comfortable places. I have spent most of these last six years in a teardrop camper that I named One Love, but I have also spent many, many months in the spare rooms and studio apartments of other people’s homes. I am so grateful to all of the people who have hosted me over the years. Thank you to my friends! My gratitude in tremendous!

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When you’re couch surfing, guest-room crashing, or parking a teardrop camper on someone else’s land, you need a code to live by in order to keep everyone happy, including yourself. Sometimes, everyone ain’t gonna be happy, regardless of your code. But having a code helps. Here are a set of rules I have compiled over the years to help myself navigate a world in which I do not own property. I hope they help you as much as they have helped me. Much like the Gambler by Kenny Rogers, you gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, know when to run. I have certainly done my share of running away from more than a couple of places.

One Love parked at Spiral Mountain Farm, where I have lived for the last three years during the warm seasons.

Without further adieu, the Nomad’s Code of Conduct I have compiled is just beyond this paywall. Yes, I have a paywall, because I would like to build a tiny house someday, and that will cost money. Tremendous gratitude to my subscribers!

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