Bristol woman becomes digital nomad after escaping fire in her flat

A businesswoman who lost her home and worldly possessions in a fire decided to turn it into opportunity – and become a digital nomad travelling the world.

 

Nicole Maidment counts herself lucky to have escaped her flat in Clifton, Bristol, alongside her son and grandson, as fire ravaged through the building within minutes.

 

And the mum-of-four has now lived in half a dozen countries across three continents while making a living as a Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner at Purpleminds– helping people deal with issues ranging from phobias to addictions.

 

Nicky, who had lived in the flat for over 10 years, said: “It was a horrific experience which nobody wants to go through. But the most important thing is we all got out safely and unhurt.

 

“You’d have thought I’d have been devastated but I took it as a kick up the backside to get out and live life. I realised I didn’t need ‘stuff’ and it freed me to go on an adventure.”

 

Lucky to be alive

 

Nicky’s eldest son, Ross, happened to be visiting from Italy, as well as her grandson, Chino, from her eldest daughter, when the fire broke out.

 

By chance, Ross came back early because he had a toothache. He had heard a click in the boiler cupboard – and found it to be ablaze when he opened the door.

 

Nicky said: “I was in my bedroom when Ross came flying round saying ‘get out now, there’s a fire’. He had grabbed the fire extinguisher but couldn’t put it out as it was electrical.

 

“I grabbed a coat and ran out, alerting neighbours on the way down – while Ross did so on the way up – and called the fire service. Chino had been in the shower and had ran out with a towel wrapped around him.

 

“We watched in horror as the windows turned black and the ceiling came down. Three fire engines arrived shortly after and the road was closed off.

 

“It was scary. If we had been asleep or if Ross hadn’t come home when he did, we wouldn’t have known about it or made it out in time. We’re lucky to be alive.”

 

She managed to salvage some family heirlooms, such as old photos, after the fire which escaped smoke damage as they were in storage, under the bed.

 

 

Starting again in lockdown

 

The fire took place in February 2020 because of an electrical fault– just a month before the UK went into the first national lockdown.

 

Nicky went to live with her daughter for several weeks, while she made arrangements to move into a flat she had previously been renting out in Filton, Bristol.

 

She bought a second-hand sofa, was given a TV, and put a mattress on the floor of her new lodgings.

 

But Nicky had previously downsized when a relationship broke down nearly 30 years ago and had to make ends meet as a single mother.

 

And she considers herself lucky as she had support from family and friends – otherwise she may have become homeless while waiting months for the insurance to pay out.

 

 

She said: “I lost pretty much everything and had to start again. It wasn’t the most pleasant experience spending lockdown in a bare apartment.

 

“I had only just paid-off the sofa, which was then burnt, so that was slightly annoying. But

at the end of the day, I’d just lost stuff, which can be replaced.

 

“I’d lived in a big house in the past but I was miserable because of my circumstances and my mindset. It’s more important to have a sense of purpose, joy and be with people you love.”

 

Co living with up to 20 people

 

When lockdown ended and Nicky felt it was safe to travel, she made arrangements to move to Malta, where she had been born while her father served in the armed forces.

 

 

She said: “I didn’t have anything to lose and was confident it would work out. I decided on Malta first, as it was familiar to me with fond memories.”

 

She signed up for a co-living arrangement, in a house with up to 20 other people, mostly aged in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

 

Nicky, 65, who was a registered childminder and has five grandchildren, said: “I’m a very sociable person and I’m used to having a lot of people round, including family friends.

 

“I liked that there was a ready-made ‘tribe’ when I arrived, but I also had my own space. The other lodgers were all a lot younger than I was but it didn’t make a difference except I didn’t go to nightclubs with them – because I’ve never been fond of clubs anyway.”

 

She has since gone on to live in Australia, Bali, Thailand, Italy and Austria, where she can work online.

 

Viewpoint

 

Nicky, who has been practising NLP for 25 years and trained with celebrity practitioners such as Paul McKenna, said: “We can’t always control what happens in life, but we can control how we perceive it and how we act on it.”

 

A friend introduced her to the technique, which believes patterns can be changed to achieve goals and treat problems such as anxiety, when a longterm relationship ended and she was on the verge of suicide.

 

Nicky has since used it to tackle many of her demons – from public speaking to chocolate cravings.

 

And she set up Purpleminds NLP 15 years ago to help people deal with issues ranging from insomnia to weight loss to depression and much more.

 

NLP was developed by Richard Bandler and linguistics expert John Grinder, who said there was a connection between the neurological processes, language and behavioural patterns learned through experience.

 

· For more information, visit www.purplemindsnlp.com

 

Read more of our Business News from Bristol and beyond at https://directlocalbristol.co.uk/bristol-business