Michaël Louis

Born in the north of France, I’m a native Ch’ti, and proud of it! However, from an early age, I wanted to see if the grass was greener elsewhere.

As chance would have it

When I was 12, my drama teacher Bruno organised a slide show of his travels. Mexico, Rajasthan, and other wonders of the world flashed before my astonished eyes. That’s when I knew I wanted to travel the world!

On my 18th birthday, at 12:30 sharp – the time of my birth – I grabbed my globe and changed course. Just like in the movies, I closed my eyes and spun it around. Fortunately, after a first unsuccessful attempt, my finger landed on Cuba, rather than at the bottom of the Ocean.

A little memorable anecdote: my plane took off on September 11, 2001, the day the WTC towers collapsed. Just my luck! Suffice it to say that my mother was less than enchanted by the idea of letting her son take off against the backdrop of a political catastrophe. She even speculated that Fidel Castro might have been involved! My flight finally took off seven hours late, and I was bursting with anticipation at the thought of sailing off to new horizons.

That’s when I knew I didn’t want a life that was all mapped out for me.

Nomadism, my natural choice

Unlike most people, I’ve always been a nomad at heart. I escaped the usual path of a boring fixed job, followed by burnout and the acute realisation that I needed to change my life.

Guided by my thirst to discover new cultures, my life was moving far beyond my comfort zone, but never, ever, did I want to fall into a regular monotonous routine.

Meeting new people

I’ve always loved the values of digital nomadism, even before I identified with the lifestyle. Freedom, open-mindedness, respect for others, and sustainability…

These were the core concepts I never wavered from. They have enabled me to learn several foreign languages, make friends in every corner of the world, and collect a lifetime of travel anecdotes, each more memorable than the last.

Taking my time

Today, I no longer collect destinations like pins. Maybe it’s age, you’ll say – or a rejection of the influencers who travel the world in three weeks with the sole aim of posting photos on social media.

It’s also for this reason that I’m involved in the spread of “slomadism”, which advocates nomadism with full awareness – an endorsement of slow and minimalist living. No more running around, or jumping from one plane to another… But rather settling down in a country to live an enriching and meaningful experience.

Taking my time

For my part, I’m taking more and more pleasure in staying in one place for a long time, marvelling at the simple beauty of everyday life, and the encounters along the way that determine my dreams, adventures, and travels. It’s also for this reason that I’m involved in the spread of “slomadism”, which advocates nomadism with full awareness – an endorsement of slow and minimalist living.

No more running around, or jumping from one plane to another… But rather settling down in a country to live an enriching and meaningful experience.