Welcome to an inspiring journey into the childfree life with Jordan Logan Morris. Nestled in the picturesque mountains of Virginia, Jordan’s narrative defies the predictable script of marriage and parenthood.
In this exclusive interview, we venture into the remarkable odyssey of her childfree choice. From her early epiphany in a community steeped in tradition to her audacious leap to Romania, Jordan’s story is a resounding testament to the liberation, purpose, and limitless horizons that the childfree path can unveil.
I grew up in a small mountainside town in Virginia, nestled in a scenic valley surrounded by countryside farms. The population is less than 20,000, and I grew up being exposed to the politics and expectations you would find in any isolated southern town. Go to church, get married, raise a family.
Meaning, my decision to be childfree is not one that is widely accepted where I come from. My hometown is full of relatively conservative Christians who don’t buck the system.
To my great fortune, however, I was raised as an only child by a forward-thinking single mom, and it is because of my mom that I am who I am today—not only in my values and skills, but also in my ability to raise my voice, to appreciate diversity, and to embrace openminded topics.
My mom is my biggest cheerleader in life, even in the childfree arena. She never once doubted that I knew what I wanted for myself and has unconditionally provided love and support throughout every step of my journey, from the personal choice to not have children to the bigger leaps like my decision to move abroad. I can always turn to her for any and everything. She regularly gives me the strength to be myself, unapologetically.
As a result, I’ve never felt too much pressure to have kids, because that unwavering support from my mom has sort of fueled me and given me the courage to face any negative words other people throw at me. I do get the feeling that some of my extended family may expect me to have kids, but frankly I don’t care about their opinions, nor do I care about the opinions of complete strangers. I am satisfied and fulfilled in my life without children and it’s not something I need outside validation for in order to feel happy and secure in my decision. Thankfully, most of the people close to me understand and support my choice.
I consider myself incredibly blessed now to share my life with my partner, Andrei, who tirelessly uplifts me and has never once thought I was “weird” for being childfree (because he is, too!) He is my quirky person and I am his. We are always building layers upon layers of purpose in our life together whether it’s caring for our cats, serving our community together, seeking to advance our understanding of the world, navigating the realm of entrepreneurship, or exploring and traveling to new places hand-in-hand.
The Benefits of Being Childfree—Let Me Count the Ways!
I think my personal favorite benefit of being childfree is just the complete sense of liberation that you are responsible only for your own happiness in life, and because of that, you are free to manifest that in whatever form you want in order to create purpose. I have a great sense of purpose, and it’s a huge part of my life to practice gratitude for all that I am and all that I have in this life.
“My life is not defined in any way by my potential to be a mother—it is defined by my potential to be simply human.”
One of the most significant ways I’ve taken advantage of being childfree is when I quit my job and moved abroad to Romania in 2020. I made it happen in only 3 months of planning (during the pandemic, to boot), and I’ve never looked back. I now live my best life alongside my Romanian partner, Andrei, thriving more than I ever have in my 30 years, and I’m excited for what’s to come in the future. I never would have been able to accomplish any of this with kids, nor would I have had the savings to take such a big leap of faith. We travel as much as we can, soaking up new cultures, cuisines, scenery, and more. Our most recent adventure was a 3-week road trip through the Balkans over the summer.
I also love that being childfree affords me the extra time to invest in my hobbies and things I enjoy. One of those activities is volunteering. I’m deeply involved in the cause for human rights, feminism, and mental health advocacy. I have notably invested countless hours of my time into helping Ukrainian refugees, mainly women and children, as they fled the war into Romania. I’ve worn many hats for this cause: from assisting with humanitarian aid resources to simply cooking meals and giving shelter, to teaching English and helping refugees apply for asylum. For me, it is some of the most important work I’ve ever done in my life and I never would have been able to contribute so much of my time to helping refugees if I’d had kids.
I also help to run a chapter of Girl Gone International in Romania, which is geared toward providing a safe space, encouragement, support, and a sense of belonging for female travelers and female expats living abroad. This group is truly my passion and I adore helping women who are now walking in the shoes I once wore when I first moved abroad.
While I have many, many reasons for being childfree, perhaps the biggest one is that I value my personal time, freedom, and sense of purpose above the idea of bringing children into the world.
“I have this one precious life, and I’m going to make it as impactful, authentic, intentional, and adventurous as I can.”
My legacy will be the multitude of ways in which I have helped or touched the lives of others. I’ve never felt that maternal instinct, but I’m happy being the eccentric auntie who comes home to spoil everyone once a year.
Why Growing Old Without Kids Doesn’t Worry Me
One of the main reasons why I’m not worried about growing old without kids is because I was raised as an only child. I learned early on that it’s me, myself, and I when it comes to most things in life, and relying on others only gets me so far. I’ve always been a very independent individual.
Don’t get me wrong, I love all the relationships in my life and I value my friends and family deeply, but I don’t expect any of them to take care of me when I’m older. I will cross that bridge when I get to it and rely on the systems in place to help people in need rather than constantly lean on loved ones for support.
I certainly would never even consider bringing a child into the world for the sake of being by my side when I’m old.
“Children are not an insurance policy.”
Even my own mother stresses to me that she doesn’t want me to alter my life just to care for her if she ever needs it. She wants me to enjoy my life to the fullest and has been clear that she didn’t birth me into the world for that purpose. (Now, would I actually take care of my mom? Of course I would, she’s my angel walking on earth. That’s another story, though.)
Jordan’s Journey: From Crafting Words to Building Brands
After studying English at university and holding a 5-year career in digital marketing, I pivoted into the world of entrepreneurship in 2020. I used to maintain many freelance writing clients on the side over the years when I was still working in corporate but knew I needed to pursue something I’m passionate about outside of the 9-5 office job full time. I always wanted to be a writer, but I have a lot of expertise in marketing/branding, so I felt it made sense to come to the crossroads of what I love and what I’m good at to create a new career. Thus, I launched my small business, Library Mouse Creative Co. after moving to Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and have now been in business for 3 years focusing primarily on copywriting and brand strategy.
A lot of people ask me, “Where did the name of your business come from?” It’s inspired by not only my obvious love of books and reading but also pays a small homage to my home here in Romania. In the Romanian language, the word for a “bookworm” is “șoarece de biblioteca,” which literally translates to: “library mouse.” So, the name was born out of that combination, and it stuck.
I love working with a variety of clients in tons of different niches all over the world. I have had clients on 6 of the 7 continents which I think is pretty darn cool. The diversity really keeps things intriguing, and I enjoy getting to know my clients on a personal level, learning about their “why”…their values, their passions, their culture, all of it. Most of the people I work with are small business creatives with unique ideas making a valuable impact on their community or the world…and I just genuinely love that, because it’s what I strive to do as well.
Feel free to contact Jorie at librarymousemedia@gmail.com or on socials:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/librarymousecopyco
IG: https://www.instagram.com/librarymousecopy.co
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-logan-morris/
