How Being a Nomad Saved My Life is the true story of Debra Dickinson and her journey through navigating a grim traumatic brain injury diagnosis, where she was told she wouldn’t make it to 2016, to thriving and living life on her own terms while being on the road as a full-time nomad. She gives you glimpses into her life: the ups and downs, the hardships and scary moments on the path she has taken to live authentically in every way possible while on the road. As you listen to her experiences, you’ll be inspired to find your own truth and to never give up, no matter what.

From the foreword by Linda May of Nomadland:

When Debra and I first met, our friend Bob sent her to LaVonne (a fellow nomad) and me, our initial reaction was, “REALLY? We haven’t been out here that long and he feels like we can mentor someone?” We were blown away and then began to think, “Wow! Maybe we do know what we are doing. Maybe we do have something to give to another woman out here.” When Debra first opened up her van, we never said it, but LaVonne and I gave each other a look—we saw that there was only an air mattress and knew that wouldn’t last too long, and that there was a wall of shelves that wasn't too convenient—I thought, “Oh, she does need help and that it’s okay. Things will evolve—she’s here.” Then over time, her van became a thing of beauty, so convenient and everything in place. So right from the beginning, I knew she was determined and that she’d find her way.

The community that Debra has built as a nomad is one of the most fascinating things about her. She has to keep to herself and not have a lot of excitement because of her traumatic brain injury (TBI) and it made me wonder, “How did someone hobbled by those parameters get so many friends, do everything that she does and still be able to help so many people?” And Debra has helped a lot of people. That’s just what she does and who she is—even if she just met you 5 minutes ago, she’d be right there to help and do whatever it took. Debra is a helping hand to anyone who needs one.

And, Debra is so open that you feel like you know her immediately and see right away that she never gives up, ever. If there’s something she wants to do or accomplish and she’s not able to do it one way, she figures out a new direction and/or way around so she can accomplish any goal. She never lets her shortcomings be an excuse.

Everybody that knows her knows these things. I’m just stating the obvious.

Debra’s life is an inspiration to people. Some people may think things like “I don’t have enough money” or “I’m not good looking enough”—and these are tiny excuses to not reach their goals and dreams. I see Debra work with her TBI, even when she has to stop and rest and heal again, but it doesn’t stop her from going forward. There was a time she came to visit me, she got stuck and was sick, but she still had things to do. Debra gave herself the time to heal and took care of what was immediately on her plate—step by step. Her strength and determination is amazing to witness.

Debra and I care about each other tremendously, and I have such deep respect for her going against authorities that think they know better than her—but here she is—and still alive. Had she followed their recommendations that might not be the case. Even though she has a TBI, she still trusts her intuition, and I think that is something that people can learn to do by watching her. Because some of you reading this may think that you are not the expert on yourself, but you are.