Homesick Nomad: Settling into an Untethered Life

 

Homesick Nomad: Settling into an Untethered Life 

By Brianna Madia

After finishing The Road to Tender Hearts on my drive home to Florida, I started Homesick Nomad: Settling into an Untethered Life by Brianna Madia. A round trip to my mom’s is about 20 hours, which usually means I can fit in two audiobooks. Brianna narrates this one herself, and listening to it felt like catching up with a friend.

I’ve followed Brianna and her adventurous, dog-filled life online for years…maybe close to ten. Because of social media, I thought I knew a lot about her story, but this book reveals the deeper layers behind what people see on the surface.

Homesick Nomad explores love, loss, identity, and what it means to remain true to yourself even when the world, and the internet, tries to tear you apart.

There’s a heaviness throughout the book, especially as Brianna navigates grief and the devastating impact of online bullying. But woven through that pain is resilience, growth, and moments of clarity that linger long after the chapter ends. Watching her confront her fears and slowly reclaim herself was deeply inspiring.

Seeing her journey come full circle, from heartbreak and divorce to finding love again, I personally felt inspired by her resilience to opening herself up to finding love again after all she had been through.

The book is packed with lessons about choosing the life that feels right for you, even when it doesn’t look like anyone else’s. One chapter that especially stood out to me focused on the choice not to have children. Why is that still something people judge so harshly? And for some people, it’s not even a choice. That part felt honest, vulnerable, and important.

I have a keychain that says, “Don’t let the bastards get you down,” and honestly, that sentiment fits this book perfectly. We get one life. Not one life approved by strangers. Just one life

Choose wisely. Live freely. Just live.

The online bullying Brianna endured was unbelievable. I was especially happy to hear about Selena, a woman who stepped in to help Brianna uncover the people behind the anonymous harassment and hold them accountable. Hearing that brought such a sense of justice and relief.

One quote that really stayed with me was:

“When someone wants to help you, it doesn’t always mean that they think you’re incapable. It might just mean that they love you.”

And maybe that’s the thread running through this entire story: that surviving isn’t just about enduring pain alone. It’s about finding the courage to keep choosing yourself and letting yourself be loved anyway.