I’m just an itty bitty, teeny tiny inch past my mid-twenties (Eek! …And I thought I’d be 17 forever. So much for that…) and I live out of a suitcase and I don’t have a permanent address—and a lot of people tell me (even if sometimes it’s only with their eyes) that that makes me a little crazy. And well frankly, they’re right. I am a little crazy. Hell, I’m probably more than a little crazy. But regardless, I’m crazy, and happily so.

A little crazy and proud of it!

I fought for a long time to “reform” myself of my “here, there, and everywhere” lifestyle, always Kung Fu-ing myself (…because that just sounds cooler than saying “beating myself up”) for not settling into the infamous “9 to 5,” salaried job. But long ago (as in 5-some odd years …And yes, that seems like a long time ago to my “spry, youthful-not-nearing-thirty self.” …Did I mention I was in denial about my age?) I sat down with myself and had a little face-to-face pow-wow. All said and done, we (I) walked out the room a little scratched up and teary eyed and definitely a bit scared and uncertain, but the battle was settled. Change of plans. From that point on, I was going to embrace my life out of a suitcase, no more fighting it. (Cue Mel Gibson. “Freedom!”)

(By the way, just for the record, I did not actually scratch myself. Pretty sure that would’ve taken me from crazy status to just plain psychopath.)

…Now this of course could devolve into a long ol’ story about my transition after making the decision to accept my nomadic side and all the good, bad, and ugly that followed, but that’s not the point of this post. The point is…

Apparently I’m not the only crazy person out there!

…And ok, I did actually already know that. I mean really, I just walk down the street (especially in San Francisco) and I end up feeling relatively normal in comparison to my fellow passersby. But among my peers and friends (and their Facebook pages) I feel a bit like a funky monkey. They have houses. I have a car and a sleeping bag. They have a salaried job. I have a MacBook, a blog, and a collection of freelance work projects. They have 2 weeks vacation. I have total travel freedom. (Muhaha!) So yes, I feel like an oddball, but given all that being an oddball includes, I am totally okie dokie artichokie with that…

Sherry Ott, co-founder of Meet, Plan, Go, and Spencer Spellman, a freelance travel writer and blogger, were two of the "crazy" panelists at the Meet, Plan, Go event in San Francisco.

And on Tuesday night, I found a little bit of crazy-people heaven on Earth. Tuesday night was the Meet, Plan, Go nationwide event and I attended the San Francisco portion. The event was packed with fellow travel junkies living (or eager to live) the same way I do. When I told people I ran my life out of a suitcase the response was, “Awesome!” Versus the typical, “You do what?” followed by a look of “bless her heart” (and a $5 bill from time to time. Not that I’m particularly complaining about the free money part…).

Even the panelists (Sarah and Morgan Smith, Kristen Zibell, Spencer Spellman, and Sherry Ott) spent their time up front ranting and raving about the joys of being considered “crazy” by most people’s standards and living and loving the travel life. (I don’t know what it is, but there’s something very comforting about a person with a mic telling you that the way you are is a-ok. …Wow, do I sound the like perfect cult victim or what?!…) And sitting there listening to fellow crazies share their stories, I couldn’t help but grin a bit, realizing that for the first time in a long time I felt right at “home,” surrounded by people who understood and shared my lifestyle.

Of course, regardless of whether or not Meet, Plan, Go ever gave two thumbs up to my kooky lifestyle, I would’ve been/still am crazy, living and treasuring my life out of a suitcase. But I can’t lie–it was a welcomed treat on Tuesday night to meet and hang out with some equally loco-minded travelers and to be reminded that I’m not alone in this wackiness of mine.

So it looks like crazy may be more in style than I thought. And I’ve found my peeps, my crazy, funky monkey, oddball, travel-hungry peeps. Finally!