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Iโve been traveling for over a year, and Iโve been working on 3 month contracts in locations abroad to sustain travel. I wanted to see what the community was like as far as digital nomads go. Are you trading your skills for $$$? and if so, how are you doing it?
(Iโve also wanted to try this, but havenโt been to successful.)
I think what many people are looking for is something where you can work a few months and than go off-grid / travel, โฆ with little working needed.
I invested many years and now I am at that point. I would work say 2-3 month to set up something (and invest 20-30000 USD in cash) that than would work for me and make money for a few years. That concept works for me now for maybe 10 years, itโs just getting better for me, the more of those โprofit centersโ I am setting up. (But one already allows an OK standard of living)
I know, it sounds like a dream that canโt be true, right?
Hmm, how can I describe it without it sounding fishy but also not revealing too much 
?
Me and 2 partners developed that business concept. It does require that that โinvestorโ has โa good passportโ, like a European one. Of course there is a lot of work to do to keep the business working, but we outsourced that (thatโs why I know nice places on Cebu island and around there 
)
Anyway, long story short. There are ways โฆ
PS: It is not really an internet business
Working remote is a great way to travel and live somewhere else while earning a U.S. Wage.
However, I honestly think freelancing is betterโฆif you have time to work on your own business on the side.
EVERYONE gets sick of their boss, or working for a company no matter how great it is eventually.
I recommend:
or
I had 1 stream of income when I started, now I have six. I write them in my income reports every month and recomend anyone to have their own streams of income of their own.
Freelance sucks, remote is the future.
Here is why:
On contrary:
Many online agencies will empathize short-term freelancing, instead of long-term remote contracts, which lead you nowhere. So, know what you want, be picky, donโt let yourself get into never ending carousel of quick engagements.
As for me, I went from getting myself through university with freelancing, to full-time remote work on startups and now Iโm with toptal, which got me into nomadic lifestyle in the first place.
I think youโre messing the terms in your head, youโre comparing apples with cars, I guess your point was remote contract work vs remote freelance work, because remote can be freelance and freelance can be on-site too. Either way, those options are not mutually excluding, you can have your long-term contract with a business and at the same time land small gigs here and there.
I am rather surprised by your dismissal of freelance work. What I do, as a freelancer, bears little resemblance to your description, and I would never trade it for being employed by someone. I relish my freedom, I work as much or as little as i want to - I only accept the jobs that I want, and I take the time for myself that I want.
Thank you @jonmyers for sharing. I learnt a lot from your posts. When you first went to Vietnam, what sort of apartment building/accommodation are you looking for? It sure sounds like apartments may be a better place to meet people than guest-houses. Did you rent a room in an apartment building? How did you select the neighbourhood? Thanks for your help!
Hey @DoRiS83
Iโm difficult. Iโm not a hostel person at all. I did the hostel thing a few times when I was younger and living and India, but I prefer to have a personal space, which I can control, have peace and quiet in and so on.
Thus, when I first arrived in Saigon, I rented a furnished apartment, initially for a 3 month term, which is very common here. I found it easily. A nice Ikea shabby chic place, which was about $650/ $700 month.
I didnโt know a soul in Saigon before I arrived. Back then, there was no DC presence here, and not much of a โnomadโ scene per se. That doofus NomadicMattโs article on Saigon kept me away. In retrospect the article was childish, immature and entitled. Should have known better.
My plan was just to do a visa run from Thailand to Saigon and bounce back to Thailand to figure out a new home base.
Iโm not a huge Thailand fan. I like it. I donโt love it. Sort of the way I like San Francisco, but find it an annoying mismanaged city, but I love NYC. Personal preferences.
So, with not knowing a soul in Saigon, I began to dig around on Twitter - and just tweet at people who were based in Saigon before I arrived, who were interested in Startups and Design.
I got lucky from that - contacted some expat entrepreneurs on Twitter, I hit a happy hour with them the day I arrived - and next thing I know - I just got sucked in and connected in a matter of another day or so.
I knew right then I I loved Saigon, went back to Thailand, packed my shit up and headed back to Saigon as fast as I could.
Those initial contacts helped me find my first apartment and the rest is history.
In general, if youโre proactive and enthusiastic when you visit places, I canโt see it being hard getting connected or finding housing.
I hear this โproblemโ being throw around all the time.
I find it to be BS.
I got the bright idea I wanted to live in Krabi, Thailand for 6 months, where I was at before Saigon - and again, I didnโt really know a soul there. I had no clue how to even begin searching for housing.
So, I walked a strip in front of the beach in an adjacent beach town called Nopparatara my first day there. I saw a nice Italian restaurant there and I saw what looked like a nice young couple who appeared to have experience in the town based on the way I observed them interact with their local Thai staff.
I went in to the restaurant. Ordered food, and then proceeded to order the most expensive bottle of wine they had on the menu.
I then asked them for 3 glasses total and invited them to sit down and join me for the wine, which they did.
That bottle turned into another and another.
The guy asked me what I was doing in the town and I told him I was looking for accommodations.
He told me to come back the next day at 2PM and he took me around until I found a house for rent.
The house, a beautiful small house - $320/ month.
I got to be good friends with them, and other members of the Italian community based in Aonang/ Krabi.
The main thing is this - - - -
Keep your antenna up. Keep your radar on at all times. Observe others.
Be a fearless opener.
And be prepared to be kind and generous in the beginning. Have an abundance mindset, not the penny pinching, bullshit backpacker mentality that perpetuates the cycle of scarcity.
Rarely has that bitten me in the ass and rarely have I been taken advantage of going through the world that way.
-j
Hi @jonmyers,
Thank you so much for your explanation. I canโt wait to hit the roads and try some of your advice myself.
With Gratitude,
Doris
I broke off from the UX agency/consultancy life and co-founded my own shop with a couple partners, got a few years under our belt to establish a client base and stability, then got on a plane. When I need to, I travel to the US for face time, but otherwise I do the same thing I was doing in my office, just from wherever I am. I make myself available during US business hours in general, particularly when it comes to client meetings, but Iโve always worked strange hours so thatโs just pay for the course with me and my partners know it.
I graduated from a dev bootcamp style program in October and got a job as a web developer for a company that lets me work remote.
Are you a skilled writer?
I write about design for blogs such as Designmodo, Smashing Magazine and Sitepoint. Pros:
The first 4 years I made money either going back home and working for the summer and saving up.
Then I started teaching Scuba Diving. Then I wrote a book. Hereโs a mega post where I documented what I did for the first 5 years and how I made money: How I afford my life of travel.
Now I write monthly income reports on my blog.
I lead product & UI/UX design at a tech company in San Francisco (remote obviously). Like @nambrot mentioned, itโs great being paid a US salary traveling through countries with a much lower cost of living. I do work a lot though, so I generally stay in each city for 2-3 months.
This is so smart. I wish I would have done that before I left. But looks like itโs a massive growing trend with a lot of startups.
I am a part-time employee for a US company. This is the time to take advantage of the immense salary situation in the US while spending it elsewhere. If you are a dev, I believe its the way to do it
You need a skill or an asset.
If you have a skill, you must have a presence and way of broadcasting the availability of your skill (known speaker from conferences, twitter, blog, personal network, etcโฆ) to a broader audience.
I have a niche design studio focused on UX/ UI. This is how I have earned over the years. All relationship/ wom driven.
For selling your skill - you have to do everything possible to remove the perceived flake factor from being a mobile entrepreneur.
That means having a process from start to finish of managing your customers. That means not flaking out and drawing attention to the time differences. That means when you talk to your customer you do the math of the time differences and only speak in terms of their time zone - not yours.
Donโt be like these fools constantly broadcasting the luxuries of the road with pictures of your coconut and laptop as you work at the beach.
In many cases, if your customer base is in the west, theyโre probably freezing their asses off in a blizzard (as is the case in NYC at the moment) - and this whole charade simply breeds jealousy and contempt. Why open yourself up to it?
Further, that drives down the perceived value of your services because you are perceived as just, vacationing.
If you are in asset mode - that takes a lot longer, and asset in this case as hodar describes could be a real scalable startup, passive income business, etcโฆ
Thanks a million for the honest feedback โ I appreciate it. How were you able to secure your first clients? Are you doing any type of outsourcing at the moment or is it all in house?
I have a fairly established personal network and donโt look for customers. I havenโt in a long time.
Thus, everything is word of mouth. Sometimes Twitter, oddly enough. But, mostly just word of mouth. People I know and have spent time with or who I have helped for free in the past.
Also, donโt overlook opportunities in the places you adopt to live.
Iโm based in HCMC, Vietnam.
I have a homebase here, a home office, which I can bring customers to, etcโฆ
Somehow, out of the ether, through a combination of some press mentions on Virgin, and my personal network I have built over the last three years here, I have secured LOTS of consulting/ design work in Southeast Asia. Mainly, linked to being in Vietnam.
In fact, the volume of business here for me, has now eclipsed my work in the west. I command the same fees here and more, and they have the budgets to afford me.
Iโll easily do mid-six figures here this year as a lone wolf. If I really hustle, I think I can double that number. My pipeline keeps growing in this region, and if I actually hung out a shingle like a legitimate design studio, yes, I could double numbers easily.
The main reason that is coming in though is - for one, I am not at a beach with a vacation vibe or out in a province. Real work is here. Real investment is here and most of the work I am doing is related to banking, insurance, venture capital and telecom.
Secondly, I am not transient here.
I have a home I rent with a proper office inside. I have a base.
I can have my customers here come over, whiteboard and work with me in my office/ design studio.
On the outsourcing side.
No, I canโt do that - what Iโm doing you canโt outsource. It would be a nightmare for me to try and manage all logistics.
What I am doing with some customers here nowโฆ
I have them hire, pay and manage dedicated staff to support me and the project.
I train the staff, do the knowledge transfer, and they can pay me a retainer to check in, watch and further train the resources who will take over for me.
Iโm not worried they can fully take over. They are paying for me, and when the next big projects come up - they bring me in.
Beats me trying to hire, train and manage staff.
Mostly though, it keeps my bandwidth open for more projects and keeps me focused on the fun stuff, which for me is - โ - design.
holy cow, mid-six figures easily? When you say you can double easily, does that mean you nearly reach seven-figures? Sorry if Iโm so narrowly focused on this, but I have never seen this kind of income with contracting outside startup exits or big co money. Iโd love to know whether you have any tips for someone getting started on that
Yes it is very possible.
And, I am just a small fry. Total, poorly marketed small potatoes I am with an online presence that needs serious attention.
I have done a lot of higher level consulting over the years, and it is possible to get to numbers at that level.
Although not exclusively, I have done a lot of consulting work with large government contractors, governments, finance, biotechnology and directly with VC firms.
All referral based. I have never approached any of these firms.
I simply have a network and people in that network who think of me in a certain way.
I intentionally love and go after - expensive big problems.
Unsexy verticals.
As I mentioned elsewhere here, you have to filter your craft/ offering, ex., through the filter of business strategy, and tie that to business defensibility and results.
So, while I come in to a business in the capacity of a โdesignerโ - what they really are after is - how I dig into their business, the thinking around that and the strategy of how I shape the offering.
Thus, it comes down to one thing - positioning.
Thatโs how I position myself.
They can work with a big, expensive dying agency and their B and C players who donโt get it (or care as much) or they can get a specialist.
I come in as the specialist.
When a prospect approaches me, I have a process from start to finish - so they know exactly what they are getting, how we work together and the value of it.
In terms of how to get those connections and build that network, I wish I had a more non-evasive answer.
I honestly donโt have a great answer to that question.
It just happens for me.
But, if I had to boil it down it comes down to one thing:
Relationships
I make relationships fast.
I donโt give a shit about social conventions.
I approach every single person around me with the same level of respect.
From the person sweeping the street to the suits in the ivory towers.
Respect.
Acknowledgement of their presence.
And, on the flip side with those in power.
There is a tendency towards pedestal thinking - putting powerful, important people on a pedestal above you.
I donโt give a flying fuck about that shit either. lol
Just be real, be direct and do not compromise your position.
Approach powerful people with respect and assume you are on the same level.
Donโt be a kiss ass. Donโt be a worshiper.
And be willing to walk away.
So with that - - - - you wanna know how I cracked the code to business in Vietnam?
I told a guy in a stairwell he had nice shoes one day.
Thatโs it.
I notice people around me.
I acknowledge them and I assign ZERO intentionality to the outcome of acknowledgment.
When I first arrived in Vietnam 3 years ago, I noticed a guy in my apartment building I would always pass who was well dressed, I liked his fashion sense and just got a good vibe from him.
So, one day I said to him โIโm not gay, but you are one handsomely dressed guy. Love your shoes. Seems like we should know each other. Whatโs your storyโ.
And with that, the guy became a loose acquaintance of mine.
Turns out he is a successful, well-connected entrepreneur in Vietnam.
Thenโฆ
He is always in situations where he has met business owners, decision makers in companies who need design services.
Guess who he recommends.
Me.
To this day, he has referred me 100s of thousands in business.
I never ever even asked for referrals. I never do.
I have hounded him to try and pay some kind of referral fee for the gesture and he flat out refuses. Guy barely will let me buy him a drink for the gesture.
Iโve done his referrals right and that has snowballed into more referrals and relationships with those whom he has referred, which go off onto other vectors.
So, if there is one lesson, Iโd say - it is to plant yourself always in the action, in some way. Donโt be out in the sticks. Always be in the center of whatever city you are in. Set yourself up for serendipity. Engineer that serendipity by getting out of the house.
You have to be present and be open to fearlessly opening conversations with those around you.
WATCH where you plant yourself as well.
If you plant yourself around a bunch of backpackers drinking dollar beers, itโs likely that will be the depth of your network.
Backpackers sipping on dollar beers.
Oscillate in and out of many scenes. Not just one.
And donโt be a weirdo just opening conversations to get something. Never have an agenda other than curiosity about the other person.
Let it happen naturally.
You can never have too many friends.
โ
Iโm out of time now, but reply to this and remind me - and Iโll tell you how I raised venture capital and became buddies with a mayor all by giving away 1000โs of dollars of free tacos and beer to strangers.
There are many unconventional ways to put yourself out there, and more importantly help others connect.
Cheers, hope that helps.
-j
Holw cow, thanks again for such an insightful answer. Iโm currently with my family who is all in Hanoi, so I can certainly testify to the sticking-to-people-you-trust mentality, I guess I never have actually seen it play out that well for โknowledgeโ workers like us (more for friends of the party etc.)
HI @mattlock, Iโve been doing my own thing for 5 years now and the income sources changed over time (Started with adsense niche sites), in the last 3 years i created a really consistent income with a few ecommerce sites and some service type sites (Example video creation), I have a remote team that takes care of most of the work while I manage where all is going and work on side projects like trimpics.com .
Currently living in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
Hello Everyone
I'm planning to stay in Seville for 6 weeks for mid January - end of February. Do you any recommandations for a coliving or a place to live in?
Thanks ๐
Any suggestions for seamlessly receiving SMS Verifications from US financial institutions and other sites while traveling internationally continuously? Wonโt keep my US Verizon account due to cost and currently plan to use local sims at each destination (T-Mobile and Project Fi are NOT an option as they terminate for continuous roaming). In summation, I wonโt have a US mobile account.
Unless Iโm missing something, which is very possible, this appears to be the single most complex issue Iโve encountered in my preparations, and one that no one addresses. I would greatly appreciate any possible solution that works 100% of the time. Canโt afford surprises in this regard. Many Thanks! Jack.
We are hoping to become nomads soon and have booked an AirBnB in September in Goa for our first destination. We are considering what would be the best option for accommodation after that. We are trying to decide between co-living spaces, hostels, or Airbnbs.
What are your experiences of accommodation in terms of the following: reliable wifi, social aspect, pricing, cleanliness, cooking facilities?
Iโm a big believer in co-living but Iโm finding hard to find all the options available in different cities.
I have found the major players like Roam, The Collective, and WeLive but havenโt found many others.
Has anyone seen a list or should I start making one?
What is your ergonomic set-up while traveling?
I personally have an external keyboard, and am currently exploring getting a laptop stand, some lumbar support, and a trackball-mouse.
What do you use? How are you balancing health / portability?
Iโm looking to spend 1-3 months in Alicante or Valencia this fall and would like to take a Spanish class there.
Hi,
My name is Nick,currently living in Australia and looking at moving to Shikoku next year to live for a couple of years.My wife is Japanese,but I dont speak much though I have lived in Tokyo for some years previously.
Any advice on best areas to look at would be greatly appreciated ,
Thanks in advance
Nick
Iโm looking for a monthly rental in Barcelona. Iโm only planning to stay 1 or 2 months.
Thanks!
Heya!
I have to be in Dubai by end of the month to finish the formation of my company and residency etc. Iโve stayed at hotels earlier, but that sounds pretty impractical considering I will be living there nearly for a month.
Anyone got any tips about renting a short-stay apartment for a month? Maybe even a few leads?
What about living in Dubai? I will be working hard, but I donโt want to be bored out of my mind. Places I can hang out, things I can do?
Please share
Hi nomads, Iโm in Hawaii for a couple months and wondered what the best co-working or co-living spaces were on the islands and why? Preferably near surf spots and also easy to meet some other DNs.
Hey all,
I am planning to move over to South America next year, and in preparation I want to start learning Spanish.
I have started working with Duolingo, but would love to hear some advice from others in the community as to resources (apps, podcasts etc) that will help with this? Does anyone else have any suggestion as to what worked for you?
I am under no illusion that an app or podcast will probably not make me speak the language particularly well, but it will at least place me in a better position than if I made no effort to learn the language.
Once I am between native speakers and have more opportunity to practice I am sure I will improve a lot, but for now I am looking into getting a bit of a jumpstart.
Thanks 
Iโd like to get into conversations with other agency owners with employees, or even create a mastermind group and share experiences around questions like:
Anyone interested? Thanks!
I really thought this had already been asked on here but couldnโt find anything specific. Apologies if it has been asked before and a link would be greatly appreciated. Iโm a US citizen and if I have a residence permit for one Western European country that states I only have to live in the country for 6 months out of the year can I live in another European country for the other 6 months. I plan on EU country hoping every other 6 months to avoid becoming a resident of more than one country.
Is anyone doing this now?
This is something Iโve not really seen addressed anywhere much but, when you are staying somewhere medium term, say 1-6 months, what you do about cooking? I figure anything shorter than that and you can make do, while over 6 months you arenโt going to mind stocking a kitchen so much. But, for that medium term period, it feels like a waste to spend too much on pantry supplies and equipment but too long to get by on basics.
Anyway, Iโd love to know what other people in regards to cooking. Do you eat out for all your meals, have a few โgo toโ dishes that you can cook anywhere with minimal equipment (mine would be omelettes) or do you adjust to the local cuisine?
Admin edit: Fixed title for spelling & compliance with guidelines.
Hi everybody,
We are at the beginning of a very interesting journey to eventually establish work spaces and accommodation in Panama.
But before we start, weโd love to figure out how Panama is perceived by you, US time zone and currency are any advantages ? Would you prefer more urbanic or beachfront locations ?
All feedback will be highly appreciated.
Cheers =)
Toying with the idea of renting a house with other nomads in Las Palmas between Oct 15th - Dec 18th. If youโre interested, please PM me with your email address, budget and dates.
Hi guys,
Iโve been traveling for awhile now and lately Iโve been dreaming of heading back to Canada for the 2016/17 winter season (Dec-Mar?). Namely of spending a ski season in Nelson, BC, a mountain town I lived in a few years ago.
Nelson, BC is known for the most amazing powder. The small resort at Whitewater is very accessible (about 20 minutes outside of town) and in close proximity to slack and backcountry skiing. Nelson is also located near the Powder Highway and is accessible to a lot of other well known powder spots.
Have you ever dreamed of being a โski bumโ for a season? Of skiing in the morning and working in the afternoon? Of attempting a co living experiment with other working, professional type nomads who share your passion and lifestyle?
What I know about co living I have learned from research around co working and it seems like the next logical step (to me). Have you heard of 20Mission in San Francisco? Or one of the other co living proposals in this forum? The experiment part is to see who would commit and what amazing projects and ideas might come out of such a space. In my experience, when I travel, there is something missing out of the places I stay. Either I get lonely or distracted by holiday makers and other travellers. I sometimes struggle to find a work space where I feel productive as well as engaged and would like to explore this as a solution. Work AND ski everyday? Be creative and productive where I live? Sounds pretty close to living the dream to me.
Some extras about Nelson:
Think white winter. Silence, snow covered trees and streets. Fireplace.
There are hot springs close by.
This is no ordinary small town, thereโs a very diverse population.
This town is an organic, clean living mecca, or the opposite if thatโs what you seek.
There are many opportunities to engage in the community, be it volunteering, participating in clubs or groups.
Thinking about it, I would put down three requirements;
Desire to ski
Working nomad
Long(ish) term stay (eg: a month?)
The idea is to rent a house with a group of committed individuals and see what happens. Will a type of community be fostered and emerge? How can we co-create it?
If I have piqued your interested and you want to join me, learn more or keep in touch, let me know. This post is meant to give me an idea of whether there is any interest in this idea.
Iโm building a longer-term base in Calcutta, India, and was wondering what digital nomads would think of renting a room here, or what theyโd consider a fair rent.
Quick overview:
Newly renovated, ground floor, in a nice residential neighborhood (Salt Lake), a ten minute walk to the City Center mall. Restaurants, pharmacies, public transportation, etc are all within a five minute walk.
Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom, fancy shower stall, nice patio with hammocks and bean bags. AC in the study and bedrooms.
The study has high speed internet access with redundant internet lines (the main line is an actual physical DSL connection, not cellular, extremely reliable, goes down for a few hours maybe once every three years), extra network storage if you need to backup or dump large files, and there are a couple of raspberry pis around if youโre a techie and want to make something while youโre bored.
New paint, new tiles, new electrical wiring, granite bookshelves; the entire apartment was rebuilt (everything from the floor tiles up) this month.
The downside, of course, is that Calcutta is very far off the digital nomad path Assuming anyoneโs interested in seeing this side of the country, what would a reasonable rent be for someone sharing the apartment with me in a private bedroom? I suspect I could make the place work at $250/month.
What else would you like included or available as an option? Food (Iโd normally recommend against this; food in Calcutta is cheap and amazing), tours, travel in this part of India, other stuff I havenโt thought of yet?
Thanks! All ideas welcome. Iโve been toying with the idea of making this a space more friendly to digital nomads since I started the renovation, so I figured itโs time to start vetting the idea.
I currently live in California, and work remotely for a company in Philly. I am considering moving to CZ but keep my job here, get paid here, and pay taxes here. I am dual citizen of USA and Poland (EU member), so I know that residency wonโt be a problem, but I am interested in paying taxes. If my company keeps paying me to my account in USA, and taxes in California, do I have to pay taxes is CZ as well? This company doesnโt have a post in CZ.
My husband and I have residency in the state of Tennessee in the USA and my in-laws collect our mail for us there. We only pass through Tennessee about once a year.
Does anyone know what happens if weโre called to jury duty? Is traveling a legit excuse to get out of it?
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