We’re two retired first responders who sold everything, grabbed our dog Django, and set out to live our dream. Nomads and Nimble Shadow is our journey — the highs, lows, and life lessons of living full-time on the road or in Central America and finding a slower, more intentional way to live.
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What happens when two retired police lieutenants trade sirens, freeway traffic, and 30-year careers for giant frogs, venomous snakes, and jungle living?
In this episode of Nomads and Nimble Shadow, Shawn and Kendra look back on 10 months of nomadic life in Costa Rica—and the adventures, frustrations, and unexpected discoveries that come with it.
From the wild jungles of Puerto Viejo to the familiar potholes of Atenas, Shawn shares why 30 days on the Caribbean coast nearly pushed him over the edge. We're talking sinks without water, exploding trash cans, fast-growing jungle vines, and the infamous "suicide showers" held together with duct tape and blind faith.
Meanwhile, the ongoing challenge is keeping Django, their shy-pooping adventure dog, safe from deadly vipers, solving the never-ending mystery of the missing Wander Box camper, and figuring out who you are when you're no longer wearing a badge.
And just when you think things couldn't get any stranger, Shawn reveals his deepest nerd obsession: a 20-year love affair with leather-bound notebooks and an upcoming pilgrimage to a 12-story stationery store in Japan.
It's jungle chaos, retirement revelations, questionable plumbing, and a whole lot of laughs as Shawn and Kendra discover that leaving their old lives behind was just the beginning of the adventure.
22 Sept 2026
Ep47 - Coast to Coast, Heart to Heart
"We don't make it work—it just works."
Long-distance relationships and blended families aresupposed to be hard work, but Sarah (California), John (Massachusetts), and 12-year-old Harper are rewriting the rulebook. In this episode, we sit down with the trio to explore how 3,000 miles of separation can feel completely effortless. From bi-weekly flights and natural co-parenting harmony to surviving wild Costa Rican adventures (and Kendra coming to Shawn’s rescue with a giant red-winged grasshopper!), discover what happens when you stop trying to force a relationship and just let it click.
10 Sept 2026
EP46 - Jaguars not included...
Welcome back to the show, where we’ve officially swapped instant gratification for Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast—a place operating in a total time-machine gear where everyday convenience vanishes, and true tropical adventure begins. In this episode, we’re joined by our self-proclaimed "Marriott girl" friend Christina as we navigate 4:00 AM Howler monkey alarm clocks that sound like Jurassic Park T-Rexes, rainstorms that roar like freight trains on tin roofs, and a panicky taxi driver who spent an entire hour trying to convince us we were driving straight to our demise. We also recap a local cacao tour featuring spicy chocolate and share our experience at a famous wildlife rescue sanctuary—only to hit the ultimate plot twist right at the front gate when our guide greets us with, "Welcome... we have no jaguars here"! So grab a seat by the indoor koi pond, check your entitlement at the door, and tune in for a witty, wild look at what happens when you slow down and let the jungle take over.
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