How To Be A Digital Nomad
Did you know that some people work from their computers and travel all over the world, while they make money? How amazing is that! Did you also know that you too can travel the world and work from your computer? HOW AMAZING IS THAT! Anything is possible and if it is your dream to travel and work and live the dream life, then you can do it. To help give you some inspiration on how to make a digital nomad, I asked some of my digital nomad friends to tell us how and why they became a digital nomad.
There is a lot of great information and inspiration in this post so let’s dive into it!
Say hello to Nisha!
Who are you?
My name is Nisha, I’m a 27-year-old Los Angeles native. I graduated in 2009 from Washington University in St. Louis with two majors in Economics and International Studies, but I don’t use either of these! My minor was in Writing, which I DO use in my current profession – copyediting and content writing.
Follow Nisha’s journey here!
Say hello to Yoko!
Who are you?
I am Yoko Lu. I was born in Japan, grew up in Canada, and my background is Chinese, but I don’t speak Chinese – I consider myself Canadian. I am currently a student who is exploring herself and seeking a belonging destination where I want to live and work. If there are other opportunities coming along the way, I am willing to accept. I love to challenge myself and work on projects that help the world. This is also why I want to travel – to see the world in my own eyes and help the less fortunate. I love outdoor activities while also engaging in intellectual conversations where I cannot stop talking when I am highly concentrated and go deep into the topic. I am always willing to learn new knowledge and skills and broaden my world perspectives.
How did you become a digital nomad?
I did not know what to do after my undergraduate studies in Canada so I went to Japan to see what I can do there. At this point of life (and now I am still the same), I did not want to work professionally in my field just yet – I wanted to explore the opportunities and broaden my scope and challenges. However, during my living and working in Japan, I realized that Japan was not for me nor the IT industry since I am not from this industry and I disliked the particular skill itself within IT (not that I do not like IT, but just IT infrastructure that I hate). What happened was that I did not learn anything new and I had too much free time at work. I decided to see what is there to do online – and thus, I became interested into becoming a digital nomad. I am travel blogger – I am writing it on and off, while also looking for other remote jobs.
What is your favourite county that you’ve travelled to?
It is very difficult for me to pick a favourite country because I like all countries for each of their uniqueness and each strengths and weaknesses. I like to go deep and seek truth of each place. So far, I like Bosnia because people there are very inviting and nice to strangers and travellers, especially when most of them speak English. They are always willing to help each other. Why I pick Bosnia specifically? Because I like to go to places where not many people visit and I really want to grasp the situations of people living in the country as well as its nature.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a digital nomad?
Depending on what one wants to do as a digital nomad, I would recommend to explore samples online and grasp what is out there and how it can be unique from others so that whatever project one wants to do stands out of the rest. Online networking is great too – you can ask anyone for advice and most of the time, they will be willing to give you advice. For my part, as a travel blogger, I would say I would travel and talk to people without any hesitancy – especially to locals, and write up unique stories about the local life – as my intention is not to spread my word to the readers of my blog, I also want to inspire others how they can change the world and think from different perspectives.
Follow Yoko’s journey here!
Say hello to Bhaggawent!
Who are you?
My name is Bhaggawent Kaur. I am from Malaysia and have been traveling for the last 1.7 years (Currently taking a pitstop in Colombia). Traveling around the world is a childhood dream. I love the freedom that comes with traveling, the accelerated growth from moving places, immersing myself in new cultures, learning new languages (currently learning Spanish), meeting people of all walks of life and learning of their journey in life.
I love dancing, i love painting and making jewelry, reading, and I love the beach.
How did you become a digital nomad?
Traveling around the world has been a big dream of mine, but at the same time I didn’t want to be attached to a certain company. I was just done working for companies. So I packed my bags in Dec 2016 to move to the US with my then long term boyfriend. When I was there, finding a job was near impossible when employers would find out I am Malaysian and would need to fund me for a work visa.
So as a last resort, I reached out to my network of people I’ve connected throughout the years and from that I found 2 of my clients that I work with to date.
I do social media, sales and marketing.
What is your favourite county that you’ve travelled to?
It’s hard to pick a favorite, as each country and each place within a country is different and has taught me something new about myself and added value to my life.
But if I have to really pick here’s my top 5 that I can see myself living in for a longer term or making it home: San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua – it’s a beach town and I’m a water person. The vibe of San Juan Del Sur, compared to many other beach towns, is simply different. Most beach towns are expensive and just filled with tourist. Finding a spot to yourself is hard. San Juan was a place I could do both – immerse myself in tourism and also find a spot to be with myself and to interact with the amazing Nica’s
Panama City, Panama – I come from a city, and I hate it. But for some reason, Panama City stole my heart. There are 2 parts to Panama City – The main booming development of high rises – a mini New York City, and Casco Viejo (Old town Panama) where you can find cozy cafes, more local tiendas, observe the locals activities and even see Imbera women walking around with their indigenous costumes! It’s a beautiful mix between preservation of culture and development.
Also, Panama City is located by the water – perfection!
Bali, Indonesia – this may be many people’s choice of living when you’re a nomad as it’s cheap etc, but I love Bali for the culture. There is a certain energy that is well preserved within the Balinese culture that is enchanting. It teaches us to slow down, breathe, relax, and everything will be alright.
San Cristobal de Las Casas, Mexico – High up in the mountainous terrains of Mexico, you would find beautiful San Cristobal. This is my go to place for end of the year reflections. It’s cheap, it’s cozy, it has everything you need including a wine bar with $1 wine for you to warm up from the cold.
Guanajuato, Mexico – Culture. I felt like I was transported into a whole new country when I lived here for 1 month. The music, the people, the 5 pesos tamales, the markets, can’t ask for more.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a digital nomad?
Mindset is important. With mindset comes Discipline and Habit building – this is where you will have to learn to juggle between working and wanting to explore and move places all the time. You need to constantly be growing yourself as a person. Read books on personal development. Connect with like-minded people. Learn how to Budget. <<soo important!! Lastly, have courage to take that leap of faith.
Hope you are feeling Inspired! If you have more questions about digital nomads, message me now!
Love you,
