The nomad life is appealing. Living in a city for a brief time, then picking up and moving again whenever the fancy strikes. Having someone to cook and clean up while you focus on the other things you enjoy.
There was a news item recently about a couple who lived for 22 years in a TravelLodge. While I would prefer to move around more than that, it shows that hotel living is a sound concept. In fact, a few generations back, when home ownership was more rare than it is now, it was common for people to live in a boarding house or hotel for extended periods of time. Now in our connected age of affordable travel and communications technology, the main obstacle is a feeling of rootlessness. But I don’t think this has to be a real barrier. It is at least possible to make an anonymous space feel like home.
I see people camping out in public places all the time: from comfy library chairs and study rooms, to Starbucks, and chain bookstores. Grab your gear and your headphones and you can pop into your personal bubble whenever you like. Watch your video, listen to your audio, read and rove where you will. In Japan, the government is concerned about people who live a transient lifestyle, but who may not be classically homeless. The concern seems to be that many people sleep, eat, and bathe in Internet cafes while living without a proper residence. Are they worried about this as a negative indicator of the economy or are they concerned about an increasing number of people who prefer to live between places?
The nomad lifestyle is made possible by technology and trends in business to provide more service. Just as it has become commonplace to eat food in a restaurant rather than at home, there are opportunities in providing facilities for sleeping and bathing outside the hotel setting. Many 24 hour businesses like gyms, truck stops and Japanese Internet cafes already provide facilities for their customers to shower and look to their personal hygiene. It would not be surprising to see new businesses popping up to provide the barest essentials of shelter and personal hygiene in a very low cost package. There may be many creative solutions to the problems of life that do not require owning a house or maintaining a permanent address.