Being a nomad is not the same as being a drifter. A nomad has a connection to a way of life that includes a sense of community and tradition even if people are not always together or on a particular piece of land. A drifter is an individual who's defined by being unattached and floating in the wind and currents.
The online Oxford Dictionary defines nomad as, "a member of a people having no permanent abode, and who travel from place to place to find fresh pasture for their livestock... a person who does not stay long in the same place; a wanderer." Its origin comes from the "late 16th century: from French nomade, via Latin from Greek nomas, nomad-'roaming in search of pasture', from the base of nemein 'to pasture'" (http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/nomad?region=us). Its definition of a drifter is "1 a person who is continually moving from place to place, without any fixed home or job. 2 a fishing boat equipped with a drift net." (http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/drifter?region=us)
Such a true observation! When I was in Mongolia, I was surprised to find that nomads aren't always searching for new pastures, they tend to return to the same few places in different seasons, knowing that in summer this spot provides nourishment for their horses, and in winter a different spot provides shelter, etc. But they return year after year to those general locations (assuming they continue to provide their seasonal needs). Their wandering is back to many familiar spots, steeped in tradition and family. Sometimes I think of it more like summer homes, providing a familiar change of pace.
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