Backpack Digital

S3E9: Paul Kortman - ‘Why You Should Never Trust Google Maps’

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Many people share the same dream - the yearning to sell everything you own, buy an RV, and just drive. Just live, just be, and enjoy the freedom that comes with that nomadic lifestyle. Hayden lived that way as a child, and Paul Kortman lives that way now. He and his family of six live in an RV, traveling around America and Mexico, making Paul a veritable fountain of knowledge and wisdom when it comes to RV-ing. Paul visits Hayden to discuss his digital nomad lifestyle, how he decided not to settle and why he thinks nobody else should have to, and what the benefits of his nomadic lifestyle are. Paul also talks about how important it is to find a balance with those you travel with, and answers a few crucial questions one might have if they were thinking about becoming location independent. 

Paul also shares his story, titled “Why You Should Never Trust Google Maps,” which takes place in Mexico in his RV and features a 57-foot-long rig, a steep slope that might be a bit more than Paul and his RV can chew, and a Google Map that has no concept of just how impossible it will be for this rig to follow its directions. Becoming location independent is not an easy task, but Paul offers some helpful advice and ways of tackling the difficulties of his life. Though it was a long road to get to where he is now, Paul knows that making the decision not to settle was the best decision he and his family ever could have made. 

  • 0:43 - Hayden discusses the motor home he and his family traveled in when he was young, and how that led to a dream many people have had - where you can sell everything you own, buy an RV, and just driving, living, being, and the freedom that comes with it. 
  • 2:46 - Hayden introduces Paul Kortman, an avid RV-er who travels around America and Mexico with his family of six in an RV. Paul discusses maintaining positivity in your travels. 
  • 6:02 - Paul and Hayden talk about Paul’s digital nomad lifestyle and how he manages this with his family of six. Paul discusses how he makes hard decisions in this life and how he gets the word out that nobody has to compromise or settle in their lives. He decided not to settle, and it was the best decision he and his wife ever made. 
  • 16:02 - Paul mentions the benefits of his nomadic lifestyle, and how the travel bug is in his family’s blood. He also talks about starting a home base in the next couple of years, that he would then travel from, combining the best of both worlds and doing what they most want to do. 
  • 20:32 - Paul starts telling his Mexican RV story, titled “Why You Should Never Trust Google Maps.” Once Paul and his family got their RV, they decided to travel for their first camping trip. They spent six months driving their RV, which was so large that they could barely fit in highway lanes, with their minivan and trailer pulling behind them. They traveled for six months this way, eventually ending up in Mexico, through the use of Google Maps.

    • Get in Touch with Hayden on Instagram: @backpackdigital

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    Backpack DigitalBy Hayden Lee
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