That’s not what happens. At least, that’s not what happened to me.

The changes travel brought into my life were subtle. Progressive. Almost invisible while they were happening. I only really noticed them when I looked back.

The best way I can explain it is with your iPhone camera.

When you’ve never traveled, you see the world through a very narrow, zoomed-in lens. Think x8 zoom. You can see clearly, but only a tiny section of what’s actually in front of you. You’re missing enormous amounts of context.

Each time you travel, you zoom out a little. x4. x2. x1.

You start to see what was always there, just outside your frame. And slowly, you build a picture of the world that’s actually close to what the world looks like.

Here’s what I mean. These are four photos I took of my apartment wall this week.

Same wall. Same photos. Completely different picture depending on where you’re standing.

That’s what travel does to your worldview.

I know this because I started from about as zoomed-in as it gets.

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Where I started

I grew up in a village of 1,500 people in the south of France, near Perpignan. Everyone knew everyone. Ways of thinking, ways of living, they were all more or less the same.

There was some diversity around me, mostly due to the proximity to the Spanish border. People from Spain, Portugal, North Africa. But the message I absorbed from the adults around me wasn’t about tolerance or curiosity. It was closer to: “this is the right way to live. Everything else is wrong.”

And more specific things on top of that. Don’t trust Arabs and Muslims, they’re bad people. Don’t bring a girl home from there, or you’re out.

The TV news wasn’t much better. It never said anything directly, but the images they chose told their own story. Whenever something bad happened, the faces shown were always the same. The brain connects dots quickly.

As a good kid who listened to the adults... I believed all of it.

My first small zoom out was going to university in Toulouse. Bigger city, more people, slightly more variety. But the overall environment was still familiar enough that it didn’t shift much in me.

The first real shift came in Australia.

Sydney, 2010

I was 22. I spent six months there doing an internship - a new language in practice (my English was pretty rough), a new culture, a completely different way of life. I lived with people from Brazil, the Netherlands, England, Germany. I worked alongside Australians, Spanish, Bangladeshi.

And I quickly met Rosie. She’d grown up very differently from me. Her parents traveled. She’d been exposed to a lot, in good ways and in harder ways too. She was already zoomed out in ways I couldn’t yet see.

I remember walking around the city and seeing people with really eccentric looks, or people doing tai-chi in the park, and my immediate reaction was basically: what is wrong with you. Why are you so weird? Why are you doing that in public? You’re not supposed to do that.

Rosie would look at me and ask, genuinely: “Why do you care? Why does it bother you?”

I didn’t have an answer. The only thing I had was “it’s weird. It’s not normal.”

Which, of course, is not an answer at all.

But here’s what that moment actually was: it was the first time I became aware that I had a problem. I couldn’t justify my reactions. I had no real argument. Just a reflex, inherited from somewhere, that I’d never once questioned.

That awareness was the first step.

The second step happened on its own, slowly, just through being there. After a few weeks, I stopped noticing the eccentric people. They were just part of life. People expressing themselves, happy, not bothering anyone. The discomfort faded not through a conscious decision, but through exposure. Through being around it long enough that it stopped being strange.

No single moment I can point to. Just a gradual, quiet shift. And I think that’s actually how most real change works, not one big epiphany, but a slow accumulation of new normal.

I became less judgmental. More tolerant. More aware that the way people lived back home wasn’t the only valid way. Their beliefs weren’t capital-T Truths. They were just one way of seeing things, shaped by one particular place and time.

First zoom out. More of the picture.

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Indonesia, 2016

Six years later, Rosie and I went to Indonesia for our honeymoon. One of the largest Muslim-majority countries in the world.

Remember what I said earlier, about the messages I grew up with. That was the context I was bringing into that trip.

In Borneo, we spent four days with a local guide named Febri. She was, at the time, one of the only female guides on the island. Her father had been a guide, so she’d grown up in the rainforest. She could spot a spider or a crocodile from insane distances, in near darkness. The jungle was just her home.

She also wore a hijab. And I’ll be honest: when I first saw her, some old reflexes kicked in. Things I wasn’t proud of but couldn’t pretend weren’t there.

Four days later, every single one of those reflexes was gone.

Febri was just a young woman with a life she loved and dreams she was building. She was about to get married. She was excited about having kids. She talked about the wildlife and her island with a kind of passion and knowledge I’ve rarely seen in anyone. There was something genuinely beautiful about how connected she was to her world.

Yes, she had different beliefs, different cultural references. Some things that were completely normal for her still feel foreign to me. But I understood, really understood, that those differences didn’t make either of us better or worse. Just different.

I asked a lot of questions. She answered all of them. Four days of conversation that I can still recall in vivid detail, ten years later. Because the differences were exactly what made it so rich.

Another zoom out. More context. More of the picture.

It’s not a destination

I want to be clear about something: I’m not fully “cured.” I still carry beliefs I haven’t shed yet. Some about myself, some about others. There are corners of my thinking I haven’t cleaned out and probably won’t for a long time, maybe ever.

But that’s the point. This isn’t a process with a finish line. It’s just an ongoing expansion, zoom out, see more, understand more, repeat.

All the traveling I’ve done since has only continued that. Without those trips, without the people I met along the way, I’d still be the stubborn, close-minded guy from a 1,500-person village in the south of France. Certain he already knew how the world worked.

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You don’t need a plane ticket

Here’s what I want to say to anyone thinking: “that’s nice Jeremie, but I can’t afford to fly to Australia or Indonesia.”

The flights aren’t the point.

What changed me wasn’t the miles. It was the exposure to people and perspectives I hadn’t encountered before. The discomfort of being in an unfamiliar environment and having to sit with it long enough for it to feel normal.

That can happen in your own city if you’re intentional about it. A different neighborhood. A different community. A conversation with someone whose life looks nothing like yours. The exposure is what matters, not the passport stamp.

And one caveat for those who do travel: going to a resort where 90% of the guests speak your language and the staff are trained to make everything feel familiar, that’s a vacation, not an expansion. Nothing wrong with it, but don’t expect it to zoom you out. You haven’t really left your bubble, you’ve just moved it somewhere warmer.

The real shift comes from contact. From letting something genuinely different in.

That’s true whether you do it by boarding a plane, walking into an unfamiliar room, or simply deciding to have a real conversation with someone who sees the world differently from you. Sometimes that person is a guide in a rainforest. Sometimes it’s a coach asking you questions you’ve never thought to ask yourself.

Either way, the zoom out is available to you.

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J

I’ve been to 30 countries in my lifetime. During the past four years of full-time travel, I visited 18 of them. That might not sound like much when you remember there are roughly 200 countries in the world. But a quick Google search reminded me that only 1-3% of the global population gets to visit 30 countries in their lifetime. I hit that milestone by age 38.

I’m saying this because social media makes it seem like everyone is traveling everywhere all the time. Instagram and YouTube are filled with digital nomads hopping from Bali to Barcelona to Buenos Aires. But the reality is, full-time travel is still something only a tiny fraction of people get to experience.

I was lucky enough to do it. Lucky to be healthy, to have savings, to have a partner willing to take the leap with me. And I’m deeply grateful for all of it.

But here’s the thing: this experience gave me way more than passport stamps and photographs.

It changed me. Taught me things about myself - some great, some less comfortable to admit. Developed skills I didn’t expect to need. Shattered illusions I didn’t know I was carrying.

This is my attempt to reflect on what four years of full-time travel actually taught me, now that this chapter is closing.

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What I Was Running Toward

When Rosie and I made the decision to leave Miami and travel full-time in 2020, I wasn’t running away from a bad life. Far from it. I was doing well. Comfortable. Safe.

But comfortable had become boring. Days and weeks blurred together in an endless loop. Same routines, same patterns, same hamster wheel turning underneath me.

I had done enough inner work to know that this couldn’t be it. That the point of life wasn’t to work, repeat the same weeks on autopilot, and wait until 65 to finally live. That seemed like a deeply unmemorable way to spend the one life I get.

We were in our 30s. No kids. Healthy. We had savings. It felt like now or never.

What I was chasing was freedom. Freedom to be where I wanted, when I wanted. To work on my own terms. To talk to clients on my schedule. To actually live and experience life to the fullest while creating unforgettable memories along the way.

And I did it.

I lived. I experienced. I felt.

There’s absolutely no way I could regret this decision.

The Skills Nobody Talks About

We didn’t travel to “collect countries” like Pokémon. We went slowly, stayed in places for weeks or months at a time, really settled into the rhythm of each location.

But even traveling this way, moving constantly for four years taught me some unexpected skills.

I became ridiculously adaptable.

I’m a control freak. Ask Rosie, she’ll confirm this immediately. I love being in control, need it in some ways.

But traveling has a way of reminding you that you don’t actually control much. Especially when you’re traveling on a budget.

You’re at the mercy of transportation companies running on “local time.” Weather that doesn’t care about your plans. Visa rules that change without warning. Available accommodations. Wifi quality. Banking systems that don’t make sense.

When your environment changes constantly, you’re dealing with so many moving parts that things just cannot go according to plan. It’s not a question of if something will go sideways, it’s when.

Nothing terrible ever happened to us. But there were constant inconveniences, small frustrations, unexpected changes.

And when you have little to no influence over what’s happening, the only thing you can control is your reaction. How you adapt. How you adjust. How you keep moving forward despite the chaos.

I learned to go with the flow in ways that would’ve been impossible for me before.

I got really good at settling quickly.

My brain and nervous system learned to adapt to new environments almost instantly. I could walk into a new accommodation, unpack my packing cubes, set up a little workspace, and boom - I was home again.

I didn’t need days to adjust. I didn’t need to “get comfortable” before I could be productive or present.

This is an underrated strength that translates directly to business. Whether you’re starting a new job and need to get up to speed fast, or you’re an entrepreneur diving into a new project - the ability to settle quickly and operate effectively in unfamiliar territory is incredibly valuable.

I became a decision-making machine.

Most people don’t realize how much work and time it takes to travel full-time.

Planning a two-week vacation once a year can feel exhausting. Now imagine doing that 52 times a year, non-stop.

Accommodations. Transportation between cities. Visas. SIM cards. Currencies. Health insurance. There’s always something to research, compare, book, coordinate.

I spent hours browsing Airbnb and Booking.com. Hours reading blog posts trying to figure out how to get from Point A to Point B without spending a fortune. Rosie spent hours on YouTube and Instagram looking for things to do, tours to book, places to see.

It never stopped. There was no break from it.

It was time-consuming and mentally draining.

But it’s a skill I developed over time. At this point, it wouldn’t scare me to become a travel planner tomorrow if I had to. I know I can handle the complexity. I know the tricks.

(And honestly, it’s probably more fun spending someone else’s money.)

I learned to be okay with very little.

When you have to carry all your stuff on your shoulders - literally, not figuratively - you realize very quickly what actually matters.

I learned to detach from material possessions. They’re just tools. They can all be replaced.

When you travel, things break. Things get lost. Things get left behind in random guesthouses in countries you’ll never return to.

That’s just what happens. You replace what you need and move on. Getting upset won’t help or bring anything back.

We traveled on a budget. We didn’t book fancy accommodations. Our non-negotiables were: private room (no dorms), quiet, good internet, safe area.

Sometimes things worked out great.

Other times, you end up with a massive cockroach in your bed at 2am. (Ask Rosie, she still remembers that one vividly.)

When you’re moving constantly and can’t afford luxury, there will be surprises. Discomfort. Long, uncomfortable journeys. Rock-hard beds. Places you don’t particularly like but you’re stuck in for another week.

I learned to be okay being uncomfortable. And most of the time, it really was okay.

I always reminded myself that these things don’t matter in the grand scheme of life.

I realized I’m happy with very little.

Rosie always jokes: “You could live in a shithole and be fine.”

She’s not entirely wrong.

I’ve learned to separate my happiness from the material things around me. As long as I’m healthy, and the people I love are healthy - everything else is negotiable.

Yes, a nicer bed would be nicer. A better kitchen, a prettier view - sure, all of that would be nicer.

But those things aren’t reasons to be unhappy. They’re not reasons to ruin my day.

I put myself in these situations. These are proper first-world problems.

I’m just grateful to have a bed, a shelter, and food every day.

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When the Environment Broke Me

There’s one country that really got under my skin during our journey. One place that pushed me past my limits in ways I didn’t expect.

India.

Let me be clear: this isn’t a judgment on Indian people or their culture. This is just my honest experience of what I saw, observed, and how it affected me.

We went to northern India for six weeks. It was four weeks too long.

We had everything pre-booked, so we stuck to our plans even though we weren’t enjoying it. We didn’t want to lose the money. That was a mistake - and a lesson - because we were both pretty miserable there.

India is the strangest country I’ve ever been to. Maybe the most beautiful, some of my favorite photographs came from there. The food was incredible, hands down my favorite cuisine from all the countries we visited. In private settings, Indian people were lovely. We had wonderful conversations with our hosts.

But in the streets? Chaos. Carnage.

Every single one of my buttons was being pushed constantly. My senses were overstimulated non-stop.

The main issue was dealing with people in public spaces. We couldn’t visit anywhere without being asked hundreds of times to take photos. It’s fun two or three times - but at some point, it gets exhausting when you can’t enjoy the sights anymore because you’ve become the attraction.

Constant staring. Aggressive eye contact that felt invasive.

Everywhere we went, it felt like a “me first” mentality. Which doesn’t work in the most populated country in the world. It’s not sustainable when everyone operates that way.

All of this turned me into... honestly, a bit of a dick.

I was rude. Selfish in response to what felt like selfishness directed at me. Impolite. I told people to fuck off when they wouldn’t stop what felt like harassment.

It was weird seeing myself change in real time.

For the last ten days, we basically stopped going out. We just waited to leave.

This is one of the very few times the environment had a real, noticeable impact on my behavior. Even Rosie pointed it out, and she knows me better than anyone.

What triggered me wasn’t just discomfort. It was that my personal space was being invaded constantly. People coming too close. Always demanding attention. Tuk-tuks reversing into me on the street.

My bubble wasn’t protected anymore.

I felt fine in our accommodations or in quiet places. But the moment things got busy, people invaded my safe space in ways that didn’t happen anywhere else we’d been.

It was scary watching myself react this way. I was aware of it happening. I could see myself getting dysregulated, my buttons being pressed, and I just... flipped. Immediately. I couldn’t help it.

It’s a strange experience, seeing yourself be affected and changed in real time, knowing it’s happening but being unable to stop it.

What I Learned About Myself (That I Wasn’t Expecting)

Four years of constant movement, new environments, and minimal external structure revealed some truths about who I actually am.

Some of them were surprising. Some were uncomfortable.

I am a lone wolf.

I know a lot of digital nomads talk about how lonely full-time travel can be. And I’m sure it is, for them.

Obviously, I didn’t do this alone. I shared the entire adventure with Rosie. But even with her by my side, I never felt like I needed to meet other people.

I actually had to force myself to be intentional about talking to people, making small talk, being social. Because left to my own devices, I could easily go weeks doing my own thing without interacting with anyone outside of Rosie.

I think I’ve always been this way. Even as a kid, I spent a lot of time alone - playing in my house, cycling through nature by myself. I wasn’t out with the other kids my age much.

But this experience reminded me of it. Clarified it.

I don’t need to physically see my friends or family. I don’t need to hang out with people every weekend. I’m happy doing my thing on my own.

I didn’t miss people.

This is going to sound bad, but it’s the truth: I didn’t really miss my family or friends.

I’m happy staying in touch online. Texting. Video calls. It doesn’t mean I don’t care about them or love them. I absolutely do.

But I don’t need physical presence.

It’s interesting because most people would describe me as an extrovert, and I’d agree. I can be a social butterfly when I want to be.

But I can also easily spend a week in “my cave” not talking to anyone in real life and be completely content.

I genuinely like spending time with myself.

This might seem obvious given everything I just said, but it’s worth stating clearly: I enjoy my own company.

I don’t get bored being alone. I don’t feel lonely in solitude.

I’m comfortable in my own head, with my own thoughts, doing my own thing.

That’s a gift, and traveling full-time helped me recognize it as one.

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What Traveling Didn’t Fix

Here’s something people don’t talk about enough: traveling doesn’t solve your problems.

I’m still the same person I was when I left Miami.

Maybe more expanded. More aware. But fundamentally the same.

I still like being in control. I still like being right about things. Those shortcomings didn’t disappear just because I changed locations every few weeks.

I didn’t run away from the trauma of losing a child. That grief is still present. I still use it as a driver, honestly, as a reminder to live life to the fullest because I’m lucky to be alive.

But the loss itself? Still there. Still real. Still painful when it surfaces.

Traveling doesn’t fix people’s problems like it does in movies or books.

The idea that you can “find yourself” by going somewhere else is mostly bullshit.

You take yourself with you wherever you go. Your patterns. Your wounds. Your tendencies.

What travel can do is give you space to see those things more clearly. To bump up against your edges. To notice what comes up when the familiar structures are stripped away.

But the work of actually dealing with those things? That’s still on you.

What I’m Taking With Me

So here I am. Four years later. Settled in Bangkok with Rosie and our stuffed dog Siam.

This chapter is closing - not because I wanted it to end, but because Rosie needed stability and I love her more than I love traveling. We compromised. We found a city we both love, where we both believe we can thrive and have the quality of life that matters to us.

And honestly? I’m seeing this as an opportunity.

Now I have time to focus on my business without the constant distraction of planning the next move. I have time to write this newsletter. No more excuses.

But more than that - here’s what I’m actually taking with me from these four years:

Proof that I can design life on my own terms.

I had a crazy dream. A completely unconventional idea that most people would’ve talked themselves out of: quit everything, leave the comfortable life behind, and travel the world full-time.

And I actually did it.

Not only did I do it, it was awesome.

I deconstructed the script I’d been handed about how life is “supposed” to look. I rebuilt it my way. I proved to myself that it’s possible to live differently, to question the narrative, to choose discomfort over regret.

That freedom isn’t just location-based anymore. It’s a mindset. A framework I can apply to anything: my business, my relationships, my decisions.

I know now that conforming isn’t the only option. The drift of society is strong, the current pulls hard toward the “normal” path. But you can swim against it. It takes work. It takes courage. It takes being willing to look weird to people who don’t get it.

But it’s absolutely possible.

Permission to keep choosing differently.

I gave myself permission to live unconventionally once, and it worked.

That permission doesn’t expire just because I’m settling down in one place now.

I’m taking that courage, that willingness to question everything, that ability to prioritize living over waiting - into this next chapter.

The location changed. The daily rhythms will change.

But the approach to life? That stays the same.

I don’t want to wait until I’m 65 to finally live. I want to live every single day, during my prime years, while I’m healthy and capable and present.

I had this crazy idea. This dream that seemed unrealistic.

And I went for it.

So here’s what I want to leave you with:

Give yourself permission to dream. And then give yourself permission to actually execute on those dreams.

Don’t be one of those people who says “I wish I had tried.”

Try it. Go for it.

The script you’ve been handed - about how life should look, what success means, when you’re allowed to enjoy yourself - it’s not the only way.

You can rewrite it.

You can jump into the driver’s seat of your own life, set up your own roadmap, and start exploring.

It takes work to go against the tide. The drift of society is strong, and swimming against it is exhausting sometimes.

But I promise you, it’s worth it.

I’m living proof that it’s possible. That a regular person, not born rich, not exceptionally talented, can be part of the 1% who gets to experience something extraordinary.

Not because I’m special.

But because I gave myself permission to want something different, and then I did the work to make it happen.

You can too.

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If you want to see just how much logistical chaos went into making this dream a reality, check out my post ‘146 Beds in 4 Years: The Side of Digital Nomad Life Nobody Shows You’ where I break down the actual numbers behind four years of constant movement.

This is my first Behind The Posts newsletter I’m sending as a not-anymore Digital Nomad! Which makes me what… a Digital Sedentary 🤷‍♂️?

Every month, I’ll share a more personal look at what’s been going on: where we’ve been, what I’ve been working on, and a few things I’ve discovered or enjoyed along the way. ✨

This isn’t just a travel diary or work recap, it’s a chance to go deeper into the real-life moments behind the posts. Sometimes there are wins, sometimes challenges, but I always try to share something honest, useful, or thought-provoking from what I’ve experienced.

I’ll also include a few of my favorites from the month: books, podcasts, articles, or tools that stood out and might inspire you too.

This post is just for paid subscribers, thank you so much for your support! 💛

I’m keeping these monthly updates behind the paywall for two reasons. First, they’re a lot more personal, it’s a real look into my life, and having it just for paid subscribers makes it feel a bit more protected and private. Second, these take me quite a bit of time to put together. I want them to be complete, thoughtful, and fun, with stories, photos, and things I’ve enjoyed throughout the month. Your support helps me make the time to create something meaningful here. 🙏🏼

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January 1st to January 31st: Thailand 🇹🇭

It’s been a while since I spent an entire month in a single country 😅

I’m curious to see how these posts evolve this year now that I have more of a regular life.

We had a relaxing day on January 1st.

On January 2nd, I went to get a DEXA scan - a quick, non-invasive test that gives you information on your body: bone density, muscle mass, fat, etc. I did this because for the first time in a while, I’ll have uninterrupted gym access and more control over my diet. The nerd in me was curious to get baseline data, then check again in a year to see the changes from regular workouts.

I went to a private clinic in Bangkok… it looked like a luxury hotel. The place was stunning, the staff was incredible. I felt like a king.

What was supposed to be “it’ll be fun to get data” turned into “wow I’m glad I did it”. I’ll keep it short… my muscle mass and bone density are super low. To the point where, with no changes to my lifestyle, I could end up with osteoporosis and other nasty stuff when I get older.

The doctor told me: go lift some weights, pay attention to your nutrition… and come back in 12 months!

Ok doc 👌

I got home and spent hours on Claude (my favorite AI assistant) creating a plan of action for 2026. Now I go to the gym 4 times a week minimum and eat like a monster to grow those muscles! I had the intention to look after my body anyway… but now it’s a necessity. Future-me will hopefully thank me for that!

On January 4th, we signed our rental contract and moved in the next day 🥳. We’ll be in our new home for at least 18 months (probably longer).

The next 2 weeks felt like chaos to me.

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Happy New Year! I wish you all the best for this new year. The main thing I wish you is to be healthy… both mentally and physically. As I’m getting older growing up, I realize more and more that this is the most important thing, because when this is fine, the rest usually comes along 🙏

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being a subscriber to Beyond Ordinary. I’m grateful for all my free and paid subscribers ♥️

Fun fact I read yesterday: we are now closer to 2050 than we are to 2000 🤯

Every month, I’ll share a more personal look at what’s been going on: where we’ve been, what I’ve been working on, and a few things I’ve discovered or enjoyed along the way. ✨

This isn’t just a travel diary or work recap, it’s a chance to go deeper into the real-life moments behind the posts. Sometimes there are wins, sometimes challenges, but I always try to share something honest, useful, or thought-provoking from what I’ve experienced.

I’ll also include a few of my favorites from the month: books, podcasts, articles, or tools that stood out and might inspire you too.

This post is just for paid subscribers, thank you so much for your support! 💛

I’m keeping these monthly updates behind the paywall for two reasons. First, they’re a lot more personal, it’s a real look into my life, and having it just for paid subscribers makes it feel a bit more protected and private. Second, these take me quite a bit of time to put together. I want them to be complete, thoughtful, and fun, with stories, photos, and things I’ve enjoyed throughout the month. Your support helps me make the time to create something meaningful here. 🙏🏼

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Note: This is going to be a little shorter than usual. I spent most of December at my parents in France, and when I’m there, I don’t do much and don’t take many pictures 😅

December 1st to December 8th: Thailand 🇹🇭

Our last week in Bangkok was fairly uneventful.

Both Rosie and I were feeling a little strange… not motivated to work much, waiting to go home for the holidays, waiting to be in our new apartment… we were in limbo… between phases… waiting for the next one to start.

We attended another Meetup on Saturday the 6th (with the same group of people we met in November). That was super nice.

I wasn’t in the mood to socialize going into it… but I enjoyed exploring some unknown areas of the city. We went to a few temples, a mosque, a church, and wandered in the narrow streets of Bangkok.

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We moved to Bangkok. 🥳

Not for a few months. Not just another stop on the backpacking circuit. We got a 5-year visa. We’re apartment hunting for a 1-year lease. This could be our home for a while.

And before you think this is another “digital nomad life didn’t work out” story... it’s not. This is something else entirely.

See, the Instagram version of nomad life makes it look like a binary choice: either you’re living the dream, or you quit and go back to your 9-5. But the reality? It’s way more nuanced than that.

After 4 years of full-time nomadic life, my wife Rosie needed to settle. Her nervous system was fried. She was exhausted from the constant movement, the lack of routine, the endless packing and unpacking.

Me? I could have kept going forever. I thrive in the chaos. But marriage is about compromise, and this city we both love became our middle ground.

This isn’t about the nomad life “failing” us. It’s about showing you what nobody talks about when they’re posting sunset photos from Bali. 🌅

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The Numbers They Don’t Show You

Let me give you some context about what those 4 years actually looked like:

54 flights ✈️
80 road trips (mostly buses and long taxi rides)
31 trains 🚂
5 ferries
146 different beds (that’s a new bed every 10 days on average)
18 countries 🌏

In 2023 alone, we slept in 45 different beds. That’s moving every 8 days, for an entire year.

And you know what? Those numbers don’t even capture the half of it.

The Logistics Nobody Mentions

Here’s what your favorite travel influencers aren’t telling you about nomadic life:

Every single time you move, you need to figure out:

• How long can we legally stay in this country?

• Do we need a visa beforehand or can we get one on arrival?

• What vaccines do we need?

• Do we need proof of an outbound ticket to enter?

• Where’s the accommodation with solid internet, private space, a kitchen, in a safe area, and within budget?

• How do we get from point A to point B?

• Where’s the closest laundromat? Supermarket? Pharmacy? ATM?

• How does this apartment work? Where’s the food? Is this neighborhood safe?

New country means new language, new currency, sometimes new apps just to take a taxi. Do we need a local SIM card?

And then there’s the big stuff: tax residency when you don’t stay anywhere long enough to be a resident. Filling out forms that ask where you live when you don’t really live anywhere. Managing work across different time zones.

I have spent hours organizing logistics. Thank god I’m a nerd who enjoys paperwork 😂

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But here’s the thing most people miss: we’re not tourists. We can’t explore like we’re on vacation. We need time to work. We need days where we do absolutely nothing but watch TV. We need to manage our budget because this isn’t a 2-week splurge, it’s our actual life.

Finding that balance between exploring, working, and just living normally? That’s the part nobody prepares you for.

The Same Life, Two Different Experiences

All those logistics I just described? I actually enjoyed them. Rosie didn’t.

I’ve written before about how we experience this lifestyle differently, but it’s worth repeating because it’s the core truth people miss:

The constant movement I found energizing, she found draining. My nervous system thrives on chaos and unpredictability. Hers was constantly on high alert, which over time became exhausting. I don’t miss stability, I never really valued it to begin with. She desperately needed it back, especially with her ADHD making routines so important for her wellbeing.

Neither of us is wrong. We’re just different people living the same life.

She’d been asking for a base for over a year. This summer, she really crashed. We had to make a decision.

What Changed (And What Didn’t)

Year 1 of nomadic life was an experiment.
Year 4 is confirmation that this is how I want to live my life.

I’ve grown so much. I see the world differently now, not as “this is my country” with boundaries, but as one connected place full of potential. I’m more open, more respectful after being exposed to so many cultures. I’m a better entrepreneur. And it reinforces my core belief: live life now and enjoy it.

The work side? That took time to figure out.

At first, we tried to do it all. Explore all day like tourists, then work at night. That crashed and burned fast.

We learned that without making work a priority, without blocking time for it like it’s a meeting we can’t cancel, the business doesn’t work. And without the business, this lifestyle doesn’t work.

Now we have dedicated work slots. We don’t cancel them to see another temple. It’s non-negotiable.

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Why Bangkok (And Why It’s Not Giving Up)

So why Thailand? Why Bangkok specifically?

We first came here in February 2023. Loved it instantly. We’ve been back 3 more times since then.

There’s something about this city that works for both of us. We found neighborhoods away from the tourist chaos where life feels peaceful and local. The quality of life we can get here is incredible.

We’re currently apartment hunting for a 1-year lease, and for €800 ($930) a month, we can get a spacious 2-bedroom condo with a swimming pool and gym, near public transport that takes us to the heart of Bangkok in 20 minutes. That would be completely out of reach in any European or American big city.

The best food here comes from street vendors. They’ve mastered the art of pad thai and crispy pork. 🍜 There’s this local spot we love, managed by a couple who don’t speak English. Communication is a fun challenge, and they’re so nice. We’ve been going there since last year, and when we came back this time they recognized us and were so happy to see us. I’ve never seen any other westerners there. The second time we went, they offered us two fresh coconuts while we were waiting in line. 🥥 Now we’re trying to order in Thai, which they find hilarious, and they’ve started teaching us more words each time.

Those small connections make this feel like home.

Rosie feels safe here doing things by herself. The DTV visa gives us flexibility and options.

And here’s the thing: I’m not giving up the dream. I’m a kid from a small town in southern France who wasn’t destined for any of this. Now I’m living in Bangkok. That’s insane.

This year will be about seeing Asia differently. Immersing myself in Thai culture and Buddhism, which I love. Focusing on my business in a way I couldn’t while moving every week. Building something that creates even more freedom for the future.

We’ll still travel. Just differently. Shorter trips around Asia without carrying everything we own. The backpacking era is over, but the adventure isn’t.

What I’d Tell My 2021 Self

If I could tell my 2021 self anything before boarding that one-way ticket to Peru, it would be this:

Enjoy those moments to the fullest. Say yes to more experiences. And talk to more people.

That last one surprised me. When you’re constantly moving and everyone around you is constantly moving, it’s easy to not make the effort. But when we do connect with people—other travelers, locals, anyone—it’s always fun even if it doesn’t last. Those brief connections add so much richness to the experience.

It’s not always rainbows and unicorns, but it’s worth it. You’ll experience things most people from where you grew up will never get to experience.

But it’s also not as glamorous as it looks online. We’re not financially fortunate enough to make it luxurious. You make it work with what you have.

Every lifestyle has trade-offs. This one included.

The key is being self-aware enough to know when something isn’t working anymore versus just a rough patch. We knew it was time for a change because Rosie had been tired for a long time, across different countries and paces. It wasn’t situational. It was real.

And sustainability? That’s personal. What’s sustainable for me isn’t sustainable for Rosie. What works for a couple in their 20s might not work for us in our late 30s. There’s no universal answer.

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What’s Next

We’re settling in Bangkok. Getting our own place with a 1-year lease. Two bedrooms so we each have a workspace. A gym and pool for routine. A kitchen with an air dryer and a blender so we can cook our own food.

I’m excited about having my own workspace with my nerdy One Piece figurines. Getting a standing desk. Actually sticking to a fitness program for a full year and seeing what happens. 💪

Rosie’s excited about choosing her own towels, decorating our space, having a routine that works with her ADHD, and being able to fly home to see her family every few months.

This is what marriage looks like. Compromise. Finding solutions where we’re both happy.

And honestly? This feels like evolution, not limitation.

These past 4 years have been incredible. I didn’t have a passport until I was 22. My family didn’t pass me the travel bug. I come from a village of 1,500 people. We weren’t wealthy. I wasn’t destined to experience what only a very small percentage of people actually get a chance to live.

I don’t know if I’ll backpack this hard again, it depends on Rosie (I’d love to explore South America more intensely one day). But right now, I’m deeply grateful I created this chance to do it at all.

Freedom isn’t just about having no home base. Freedom is having options and choosing what serves you best in each season of life. It’s also about building the self-awareness to know what you actually need, not what you think you should want, and having the courage to design your life around that truth.

Right now, Bangkok serves us both. And that’s enough.

If you’re living nomadically or thinking about it, I’d love to hear from you. How has your vision of the lifestyle changed over time? What surprises you about the reality versus the dream? Hit reply and let me know. 💌

They talk about chasing freedom but finding emptiness. About running from problems instead of toward dreams. About realizing that family and roots matter more than they thought.

And here’s the thing, I get it. These are real experiences. Valid feelings. I’m not here to invalidate anyone’s journey.

But I’m also sitting here reading these posts thinking... am I the weird one?

Because I don’t feel any of that. At all.

The Trend I’m Noticing

One nomad I follow, , recently wrote something that really stuck with me:

“When I was younger, freedom felt like the ultimate prize. No boss. No routine. No limits. I wanted to wake up wherever I wished, open my laptop when inspiration arrived, and feel the world move around me without resistance.”

He goes on to say that freedom, when achieved, became “an empty stage.” That he wasn’t living free, he was running from himself. That every new country was just another place to set up the same internal anxieties.

His conclusion?

“True freedom begins the moment you stop running away from something and start moving toward something.”

It’s a powerful piece. Really well-written. And I think for a lot of people, it hits home.

But when I read it, my first thought was: “That’s not my experience at all.”

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My Journey Started Differently

Maybe the difference is in how I got here.

My first escape, the real one, wasn’t the nomadic lifestyle. It was moving to Miami at the end of 2017 after Rosie and I experienced infant loss. I was clearly running away then. Away from the apartment where we’d prepared for him. Away from the environment. Away from people who were pregnant at the same time we were.

Miami was where we healed.

And that’s where something shifted for me. I started to see that I didn’t have to follow the traditional path everyone expected from me. I could run toward something. Toward my own dreams. Toward a life I designed.

When I embarked on the nomadic journey in 2021, I wasn’t escaping anymore. I was chasing freedom, but a very specific kind of freedom. The freedom to build the life of my dreams. To be in charge of my own choices.

Why I Made That Promise

In 2017, after we lost our son, I made a promise to myself and to him: I would live the best life I could possibly live.

Being exposed to death at 30 years old made me realize how fragile life is. Shit happens. Life doesn’t always work the way we plan.

For me, it was a massive wake-up call.

I decided to stop postponing happiness to some future date. I decided to stop living life on someone else’s terms.

That’s what’s been driving me since then. That’s my WHY.

And I think that makes all the difference.

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The Polarization of Nomading

What I find interesting is how nomadism seems to become a love-it-or-hate-it thing after a while.

Most people only see the positives when they get started because it feels magical. But after a few months or years, that’s where people tend to “pick a side.”

They either love it: their body responds well, they find their rhythm, it becomes a real lifestyle.

Or they get disregulated to the point where it becomes unhealthy. Or they simply miss home and family and their old lives too much.

It’s hard to be somewhere in the middle.

In a previous newsletter Rosie and I collaborated on, we talked about how we’ve shared the exact same life for years, but our experiences and feelings are completely different.

Rosie’s been experiencing travel fatigue and burnout. She misses having her own space, her own soap, her own bedsheets. The constant packing and unpacking, the new environments every week, the never-ending stimulation: it’s been draining her nervous system.

And me? I’m thriving.

Why It Works For Me

I’ve spent a lot of time in my head thinking about this. Questioning it. Because when most people seem to be getting tired, and I’m not... am I missing something obvious?

But here’s what I’ve realized:

This lifestyle fills my cup.

It’s not an escape anymore, this is my normal life. It fulfills me in ways that a settled life never did.

I’ve learned that I get bored when I’m not challenged. This lifestyle - the travel combined with being self-employed - creates constant challenges that keep me stimulated. I’m always at the edge of my comfort zone, which encourages me to keep growing and expanding.

At the same time, I look after myself. I meditate daily. I question why I’m doing this. I don’t want to be delusional.

I check in regularly on how things are actually going. Last year, after 5 months in Mexico and 1 month in Costa Rica, instead of going to South America like we’d planned, we went back to Asia to slow down. I wanted to focus on work. I pay attention to how my business is doing, how my relationship with Rosie is doing, and how I feel. If this lifestyle stops working or stops suiting me, I’ll adjust.

The point isn’t to be attached to a specific destination or plan. It’s to have freedom and options.

But there are also some practical factors that make my experience different from many nomads:

I’m not alone. I’m doing this with Rosie, who’s not just my wife but also my best friend. We love spending 24/7 together and sharing these moments. A lot of people start the digital nomad journey solo, especially young adults who meet people in dorms but don’t build strong connections. That loneliness can wear you down over time.

I’m also a bit of a lone wolf. I love my family and friends, but I don’t feel the need to see them often. I’m fine with online exchanges. It doesn’t mean I don’t love them, I just don’t miss them enough to stop living this lifestyle.

Another factor Rosie pointed out: I’m a man, so I don’t go through a hormonal cycle every 28 days. I’ve heard other women mention this too, the monthly energy fluctuations make it harder to sustain intense travel rhythms. It’s a biological reality that probably gives me an advantage I don’t even think about.

Beyond these practical factors, there’s something else I’ve realized:

This doesn’t feel radical to me anymore. It just feels normal.

Another writer I follow, , put it perfectly:

“What was once radical has become normal: remote work and nomadism are part of the global mainstream, and more people see the world as connected nodes rather than fixed nations. The movement has succeeded so completely that ‘nomad’ as a label is dissolving into everyday reality.”

That resonates deeply with me. The label “nomad” sounds like someone living a sedentary life describing themselves as “sedentary.” You wouldn’t say that, right? Because it feels normal to you. It’s part of your identity.

That’s how I feel about this lifestyle. It’s my everyday reality.

The truth is, to live my best life, I personally need to have options. That’s what freedom means to me.

I’m responsible for designing my life. Important life decisions aren’t dictated by a mortgage, a house, or a job. Rosie and I stripped away all that, so we’re in charge.

And this sense of freedom? It’s amazing.

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The Reality Check

Now, don’t get me wrong, we’re not at the ultimate place yet.

We’d love to earn more money to expand our options. At the moment, we can’t afford to live anywhere we want, or fly back to see family as often as we’d like.

But we’re working hard to get there without sacrificing what we already have.

For example, earlier this year when I wasn’t making any money, I thought about getting a job. My WHY - living my best life, having freedom, pursuing joy and happiness - stopped me from considering this as Plan A.

So I started working on what else I could do. That led me to my current coaching, consulting, and web design work. And I’m so glad I did.

The Settlement Decision

Here’s what’s interesting: Rosie and I are settling in Bangkok next year. We’re getting a home base.

But not because I need it. Because she does.

And that’s actually another expression of freedom for me.

I’m now in a place where I have options. I’m fully in charge of my decisions. And you know what? Marriage is about compromise.

I love my wife. I love this lifestyle because we do it together. If she needs a change, then we need to change something so we’re both happy.

The settlement in Asia is a compromise we’re both happy with. I’m not giving up my freedom, I’m choosing commitment over endless optionality. And that choice? That’s powerful.

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Nothing Is Black or White

These days, everything gets polarized. You’re left or right. Black or white. Blue or red. For or against. Right or wrong.

It feels like there isn’t space for nuances anymore.

But life is more complex than that. We’re more complex than that.

Everything falls on a spectrum, not just two faces of a coin.

Nomadism is the same way.

Some people use it to run from themselves. Others use it to run toward their dreams. Some find emptiness. Others find fulfillment.

We all have our own reasons, our own ways of living it.

What I Want You to Take Away

If you’re nomading and loving it, don’t let other people’s experiences make you question yours.

If you’re nomading and struggling, don’t feel like you have to push through just because someone else is thriving.

Your experience is valid. Mine is too.

The point isn’t to convince anyone that nomading is the answer. It’s not for everyone. Hell, it’s not even for my wife anymore, at least not in the way we’ve been doing it.

But it works for me. It might work for you. Or it might not.

What matters is that you’re honest with yourself about why you’re doing it. Are you running from something? Or toward something?

Are you living this life because it fills your cup? Or because you think you’re supposed to?

Because at the end of the day, freedom isn’t about endless travel or constant novelty.

Freedom is about having options. About being in charge of your choices. About designing a life that’s actually yours.

And if that means settling down? That’s freedom too.

If it means keeping moving? Also freedom.

The key is knowing the difference, and being honest about what you need.

What’s your take? Are you nomading, settled, or somewhere in between? I’d love to hear your perspective.

This isn’t just a travel diary or work recap, it’s a chance to go deeper into the real-life moments behind the posts. Sometimes there are wins, sometimes challenges, but I always try to share something honest, useful, or thought-provoking from what I’ve experienced.

I’ll also include a few of my favorites from the month: books, podcasts, articles, or tools that stood out and might inspire you too.

This post is just for paid subscribers, thank you so much for your support! 💛

I’m keeping these monthly updates behind the paywall for two reasons. First, they’re a lot more personal, it’s a real look into my life, and having it just for paid subscribers makes it feel a bit more protected and private. Second, these take me quite a bit of time to put together. I want them to be complete, thoughtful, and fun, with stories, photos, and things I’ve enjoyed throughout the month. Your support helps me make the time to create something meaningful here. 🙏🏼

This month was not as exciting as usual since we didn’t travel much. We spent the majority of our time with family.

When we do, I barely take pictures and focus on quality time with them. So this one might be a little boring 😅

September 1st to September 3rd: France 🇫🇷

The first day of September was not restful. I attended a funeral of a relative I’d known my entire life, then drove 3+ hours to visit some family who live somewhere in Provence (where we lived from 2012 to 2017 before moving to Miami).

We spent an afternoon in Aix-en-Provence, a city we lived in for 1 year and that we both love.

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In case you're new here, let me give you a very brief summary: we lived a conventional life until 2021. In May, we left our home (in Miami at the time), and since then we've been home-free. We've lived with family, friends... but most of the time in Airbnbs and hotels.

I love this lifestyle, so much. I love the freedom I have. I love being out of my comfort zone on a regular basis, discovering new countries and exploring new cultures. But here's the thing: while I'm loving it, Rosie is experiencing burnout and something called "travel weary."

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Despite living this entire adventure together... our experiences are completely different. Today, I invited my wife Rosie to share her side of the story, and we'll talk about what we're doing to fix this situation in a way that works for both of us. I want to show you another side of the digital nomad life that fewer people talk about.

When Reality Hits Different

Me: So Rosie, I want to ask you... when did you first realize that we wanted different things from this whole nomad lifestyle? Like, when did it click for you that maybe our needs were starting to diverge?

Rosie: I don't have a specific date or time, honestly. I think 2023 was our best year. We traveled through Asia and saw so much, and it was still exciting and fun for both of us. Early 2024 we went to Mexico & Costa Rica, which was kind of the same, we moved pretty much every week and saw a lot of Mexico (17 cities!) which I'm so grateful for.

But then mid-2024 you wanted to focus on work and I started to lose momentum, so from July, we slowed down considerably. We spent several weeks in Thailand and Malaysia. Although for you this was really slowing down, it wasn't enough for me. Spending 4, 6 or even 8 weeks somewhere was still being on the move and on the go for me.

I think I really hit a wall in 2025. We went back to speedy traveling, visiting multiple cities in 5 months across Germany, Serbia, Montenegro & Bosnia. And finally now in August 2025, I want and need a home. I've been talking about it for a while, but we couldn't figure out where we wanted to be, do we buy or rent, which continent & country.

But I feel like I have completely burned out. So I don't think there was a specific date and time when I realized it. I've just been slowly listening to my gut and my body about what I want and need. I'm excited for next year to actually have a home base for 12 months.

Me: That's interesting because when you say "burned out," I think I was seeing the signs but maybe not understanding them fully. I've seen the changes in your behaviors, motivation, excitement. For me, slowing down to 4 or 6 weeks felt like a huge compromise, but it seems like it's still too much for you.

It's been interesting to observe this change in you, but also hard. On one side I'm worried because you're often tired even though we rest... I struggled to understand it for a while.

Also it can be frustrating sometimes because I feel like I could be doing more, but I don't want to leave you behind. I want to share things with you, it's more fun. I only started doing things (especially when they involved climbing mountains) on my own a few weeks ago.

But we've reached the point where I finally understand a change is needed, it's very obvious you cannot carry on as we've been doing. It's interesting how we've been affected very differently by all the movement.

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The Invisible Weight of Constant Motion

Me: Speaking of which, I'm curious: what's one aspect of nomad life that affects you completely differently than it affects me? Because I feel like we're living the same life but experiencing it in totally different ways.

Rosie: So many things! I can give you a list:

First, the packing and unpacking every week. You seem to just throw everything in your bag and you're done. For me, it's this whole mental load of figuring out what I need, what fits, reorganizing everything.

Me: Yes, packing is a totally different experience for us! It takes me 30 minutes, I only unpack what's necessary when your bag tends to explode. Things go back in the same place every time so it's just easy. Also my way of packing makes it easy for me to access essentials when we stay somewhere for 1 or 2 nights, so I don't need to unpack at all, where you always have to pretty much empty your bag.

Rosie: Exactly! And that's just the packing. Then there's being in a new house every week 🏠, figuring out where plugs are, how does this work, where is this thing. And being in a new city every week: where's the grocery store, what's the language, what's the money, what is there to see and do, what do we prioritize, what do we skip, is it safe, can we go in this neighborhood, what's the culture here...

The actual moving around is even more exhausting. The constant traveling ✈️: buses, coaches, ferries, trains, planes, boats, taxis, trams, tuktuks... it's a lot.

And here's something you might not realize: the fact that I film most things for my YouTube channel, which I know is my choice, but it means when we go out and visit something, I'm also working. I'm commenting on what we're seeing, getting the good angles and videos, thinking about transitions and how the video will plan out. So visiting for me is a double whammy, it's visiting the thing for myself for fun but also filming it for work.

Me: Thank you for sharing this. This is an aspect of YouTube and documenting your travel that I don't think many people realize. People see a 30-minute video, but it's countless hours of work and mental space for you.

Rosie: Exactly! And here's the thing, a few days ago, a friend mentioned that I might be suffering from "travel weary." When I looked up the symptoms, it was bang on. Travel fatigue is this total exhaustion caused by too many days or weeks of constantly being "on alert" while you travel. It shows up as just not caring about travel activities that usually excite you, and a lack of motivation to enjoy local culture. That's exactly how I feel.

What people don't realize is that my nervous system is constantly out of whack. Even when we "slow travel" (your definition of it), there's still too much stimulus for my nervous system. It's like being in constant fight-or-flight mode, even during "relaxing" moments. It's not just feeling tired, it's complete physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. Even if I sleep well, I still feel exhausted. The only time I feel like I truly rest is when I go back home to visit family, that's when I can finally switch off.

And then there's not having friends or family around us. I miss not having girlfriends I can go shopping with, or couple friends to have dinner together, or friends to have a picnic on the beach like we did in Miami. I miss connection with other people. Because we travel so often, we don't meet people, and if we do, it's for 1 or 2 nights then we never speak again. I find it hard to keep up with my friends back home, I prefer to see people in person.

This one will sound silly, but I miss having the little luxuries in life ✨. Like I miss choosing what scent my hand wash is, having my own towels, cotton bedding (not the cheap polyester we've slept on for 3 years), or having living plants in the house, or being able to bulk buy things... like squash or cereals.

I miss having more clothes. I've worn a variation of the same clothes for 3 years. Even if I buy a new t-shirt or new shorts, it's still very practical and sensible and must mix and match with everything else I'm carrying. I don't have space for a cute bag or a pretty dress. I feel like I've lost my sense of style and a bit of my personality because I can't dress the way I want to.

And I really miss routine. I recently got diagnosed with ADHD, and I think the constant moving is good to keep me engaged and I'm good with change. But I'm also realizing that routine might be better for me. I love when we're in Asia and we wake up and go to the gym & pool & lay in the sun. It's such a good way to start the day, every day. Same with fitness, I feel like I can't get anywhere with it because we move all the time and I'm always exhausted. Plus, we don't always have access to a gym, and when we do, the equipment is different so I'm constantly figuring out what machines to use or how to do the same workout as last week but with completely new equipment.

Me: Yeah, that's a huge difference between us. I think for me, the constant change energizes me... I somehow thrive in this constant chaos. I completely understand and agree with the routine part though. Having a routine makes a lot of things much easier... it's much easier to practice self-care, be focused with work and develop healthy habits. Moving constantly is a real challenge to build habits!

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Designing a Different Future

Me: If you could wave a magic wand and redesign how we do this nomad thing to fit where you're at right now... what would that actually look like?

Rosie: My ideal setup would be a home base but still traveling. We're planning on moving to Bangkok at the start of 2026 for a year (fingers crossed 🤞 our visas get approved), so I think having my own space will be good, a place to decorate, to unpack, to call my own. Somewhere with a gym and pool so I can have some routine in my day, some time to work out, relax, and be in the sun.

I want to learn, do courses, read books. I'd love to travel once a month for 5-10 days to a new place or a favorite place. I see us going to Korea, Japan, Philippines, back to Vietnam, different parts of Thailand, Hong Kong, China... there are so many places we can visit, but maybe we go for a week and then go back home to our place. We'd pack only a small hand luggage bag.

I see us having a place with 2 bedrooms. One bedroom to rest and sleep, the other as an office with 2 desks. I want a walking pad so I can walk while I watch trash TV like Love is Blind and Love Island 📺. And then I'd love to go home every 2 or 3 months to see my parents.

I also think that with this lifestyle, I'd still film fun travel vlogs, but I'd have way more time to focus on business. There are so many courses I want to take, things I want to achieve, but I spend so much time exploring somewhere new, packing & unpacking, napping because I'm tired from travel. So I look forward to having more time & energy.

Me: It sounds like you're ready to embrace another form of traveling. No more full-time backpacking and more shorter trips nearby which won't disrupt your routines so much.

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Advice for Other Nomad Couples

Me: This might be a tough one, but... if someone came to you and said "my partner wants to travel way more than I do", like, they're in our exact situation, what would you tell them?

Rosie: I think marriage is about compromise, but I also think life is short and you need to do things that make you happy. So is there a middle ground where you're both happy?

I also think that if someone wants to travel and the other doesn't, they can do things separately. I have major FOMO when I miss out on things, but I've also realized that I can't do everything at the moment. If you want to go and do something and I don't want to, you can go alone.

I think we've become very codependent these past couple of years, we do literally everything together except pooping! 😂 But actually, it's healthy to spend time apart. I've told you that if you want to cycle across Europe, you can do it, just not with me. You'd need to find other friends to do that with.

I don't ever want to hold you back and stop you from living life. So I think there's a balance between compromise and being selfish.

Me: Compromise is the word here. We've done my ideal version of traveling a lot. Now we're going to switch to yours. What I need to get in my head is that it's not that one is better than the other, it's just a different lifestyle. What I won't get from moving around every week, I'll get somewhere else. Developing a deeper connection to a place, developing new relationships, etc.

Compromising on Bangkok was great as well. Finding a place we both love, where we feel safe, where we can have a good quality of life and where we can both find some fulfillment is important. Plus as you mention, it's a good central hub in Asia to explore surrounding countries! 🌏

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What This Means Going Forward

Here's what I'm taking away from this conversation: there's no "right" way to be a digital nomad. What works for one person, or even what worked for the same person two years ago, might not work now.

Rosie and I started this journey together, but we're evolving at different paces and in different directions. And that's okay. Actually, it's more than okay, humans are supposed to change.

The Instagram version of nomad life makes it look like everyone's loving every minute, but the reality is messier. Sometimes you need to slow down. Sometimes you need to speed up. Sometimes you need a home base. Sometimes you need to travel alone.

The key is listening to what you actually need, not what you think you should want.

This is also our reality as a married 37-year-old couple. A couple in their 20s might have a different perspective.

For us, 2026 is going to (hopefully) look different. We're taking the last 4 months of 2025 to plan next year and that home base in Bangkok, with shorter trips radiating out from there. It's not the nomad life we started with, but it might be exactly the nomad life we need now.

The plan is Bangkok for 12 months, and then... well, we don't know yet! Maybe we'll stay longer, maybe we'll move somewhere else in Thailand, maybe we'll travel at a quicker pace again, maybe we'll move back to Europe. We don't know, and that's the exciting part of life. You can make plans and they can change, and that's okay. We had the same plan in Miami, we said 1 year and let's see, we ended up staying 3 and a half years. You never know.

And maybe that's the most important lesson: your lifestyle should evolve with you, not trap you.

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What about you? If you're nomadic (or thinking about it), how has your vision of the lifestyle changed over time? Hit reply and let me know, I read every email. 💌

This isn't just a travel diary or work recap—it's a chance to go deeper into the real-life moments behind the posts. Sometimes there are wins, sometimes challenges, but I always try to share something honest, useful, or thought-provoking from what I've experienced.

I'll also include a few of my favorites from the month—books, podcasts, articles, or tools that stood out and might inspire you too.

This post is just for paid subscribers—thank you so much for your support! 💛

I'm keeping these monthly updates behind the paywall for two reasons. First, they're a lot more personal—it's a real look into my life, and having it just for paid subscribers makes it feel a bit more protected and private. Second, these take me quite a bit of time to put together. I want them to be complete, thoughtful, and fun, with stories, photos, and things I've enjoyed throughout the month. Your support helps me make the time to create something meaningful here. 🙏🏼

July 1st to July 12th: Serbia 🇷🇸

Niš

I'm picking up right where we left off last month, in Niš! We didn't do much there, honestly. We quickly explored the city center and what remains of the fortress, but it wasn't that exciting.

Something I got to discover in Serbia, though, was the design and beauty of Orthodox churches. They're very different from the "regular" churches I'm used to, and their decorations are often fascinating.

We did one very powerful visit during our time in Niš: an old Nazi concentration camp. I didn't know the Nazis had camps in Serbia, to be honest. But when I saw there was one, I wanted to go because I've never visited a concentration camp and I wanted to experience it.

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This isn’t just a travel diary or work recap—it’s a chance to go deeper into the real-life moments behind the posts. Sometimes there are wins, sometimes challenges, but I always try to share something honest, useful, or thought-provoking from what I’ve experienced.

I’ll also include a few of my favorites from the month—books, podcasts, articles, or tools that stood out and might inspire you too.

This post is just for paid subscribers—thank you so much for your support! 💛

I’m keeping these monthly updates behind the paywall for two reasons. First, they’re a lot more personal—it’s a real look into my life, and having it just for paid subscribers makes it feel a bit more protected and private. Second, these take me quite a bit of time to put together. I want them to be complete, thoughtful, and fun, with stories, photos, and things I’ve enjoyed throughout the month. Your support helps me make the time to create something meaningful here. 🙏🏼

June 1st: Germany 🇩🇪

We said goodbye to the bunnies & geckos in the north of Germany early afternoon and headed to Hamburg Airport. As usual with German trains, it was a mess to get there—connections were canceled or delayed. We ended up without seats on a packed train and had to sit on the floor for an hour 😅 This is real backpacking!

We finally got to the airport and, after a smooth check-in, boarded our flight to Belgrade at 8:30 PM.

June 1st to June 30th: Serbia 🇷🇸

We landed in Belgrade at 10:35 PM and grabbed a local Uber (Car:Go) to our apartment in the old town. After a 10-hour journey, we finally made it… country number 28! 🥳

We spent the entire month in Serbia, traveling to five different cities!

Before I start the tour, let me explain why we’re here.

Serbia wasn’t on the bucket list. This year, Rosie wanted to spend more time in Europe to visit her parents more often. But as she’s British, she can only stay in the Schengen area (sort of the EU, but not exactly) for 90 days every 180 days. That meant we had to find some non-Schengen countries to fill the gap.

Montenegro was on the list, but all flights from Hamburg went via Belgrade. So, we did some research and decided to start with Serbia before heading to Montenegro. We’ll end our trip in the region with Bosnia-Herzegovina.

I was very intrigued to come here—I vividly remember seeing news about the Kosovo war on TV in the late ’90s.

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There is no easy answer to this question, as there isn’t a defined path to becoming nomadic.

However, I put together this ultimate guide to show you how to become a digital nomad. I tried to cover as many scenarios as possible… there are probably more options, but most are subsets of the ones presented here.

Before I dive in, I’ll say that a lot depends on your passport. The truth is that depending on where you’re from, more or fewer doors (countries) will be open and easily available to you.

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Before focusing on the HOW, I want to clarify the WHAT.

What is a digital nomad? I think a lot of people make it more complicated than it is, and also romanticize it way too much.

A digital nomad is a person who makes money online and has some level of location independence.

It is actually that simple.

Being a digital nomad means you are not tied to a specific place to earn money; therefore, you can move around. Some move frequently and far away, others less often and stay closer to home.. But that’s just a matter of personal preference and logistics… the concept stays the same.

A digital nomad is not someone on vacation. Most nomads live a pretty regular life, but in various locations throughout the year.

I wrote a post about the 10 biggest misconceptions about digital nomads that might help you understand and see if this is for you or not.

This is important because once you understand the definition and what it is (and is not), it’s much easier to think about how to make it happen (even though it might not be easy to actually do it!).

As the definition states, there are 2 core components to becoming (and being) a digital nomad:

• 💰 Money: you need some sort of income to sustain your living.

• 🌍 Location: you need some logistics in place to travel around.

I’m going to break down those 2 elements, listing the options available to most of us. This will give you all the information you need to get started on your journey and make a plan to get there!

💰 Money

I’m starting with money because it enables the lifestyle. Without a sustainable source of money, it’s tough (any lifestyle is tough without money anyway).

Note: I’m assuming digital nomads work to earn money. I won’t cover the scenario of living from investments and full passive incomes… because at that point you’re not really a digital nomad anymore but just a traveler.

So, how to make money? That’s the million-dollar question, right?

I don’t know any magic formula, and I haven’t seen money growing anywhere that I could easily pick up.

In our world, most of us need to work to make money.

Option 1: Remote job 👩‍💻

A lot of people think digital nomads are all freelancers, entrepreneurs, or day-trader/crypto bros… but actually many nomads are remote employees.

To be nomadic, you need a remote job.

Those were non-existent a few decades ago, but the rise of technology and internet enabled the opportunity for some lucky ones to work from the comfort of their home or any other connected location.

Here are some examples of jobs that can be done remotely:

• Creative & Design: Designer, Video Editor, Animator, Illustrator, Photographer, UX/UI Specialist, Creative Director, Content Creator

• Writing & Content: Copywriter, Content Writer, Editor, Proofreader, Blogger, Ghostwriter

• Marketing & Communications: Social Media Manager, Digital Marketer, SEO Specialist, Email Marketer, Community Manager, Marketing Strategist

• Tech & Development: Developer, Data Analyst, QA Tester, IT Support, Tech Consultant

• Business & Admin: Virtual Assistant, Project Manager, Operations Manager, Customer Support, Sales Rep, Account Manager

• Education & Coaching: Online Educator, Language Tutor, Coach (life, business, health), Course Creator

• Finance & Legal: Bookkeeper, Accountant, Financial Consultant, Admin Assistant, Legal Consultant

As you can see, the range is pretty broad, and I’m probably forgetting plenty.

What I want to show here is that you don’t need to have a super techy job to work remotely. You need some sort of basic tech knowledge to work online… but it’s not a privilege reserved only for developers or content creators.

So you have 2 options here:

• If you have a job that could be done remotely, talk with your employer about going remote. It might require some negotiation and compromises, but if you don’t ask, you won’t get anything. Be strategic; if your employer is not enthusiastic about the idea, show them that you can deliver by having a “test” period working from home for 60 days. Once you have proof that you can do your job as efficiently as you did from the office (or even better), have another chat.

• If your current job cannot be done remotely at all (for whatever reason—position not suited or employer doesn’t want to), or if you don’t have a job… then look for a new job. We saw a rise of remote job listings in 2020/2021; since then many companies have reinstated some return-to-office mandates… but there are still plenty of opportunities out there. I’ll be honest, there is a lot of competition as well, as you might be competing with a global market instead of a local pool. But with patience, perseverance, and dedication, you can do it. I won’t teach you how to get a job, but start by updating your CV and applying!

✅ PRO: Stable and secure income, massively reducing stress levels. Allows planning ahead.

❌ CON: You might be limited geographically by time zones or company rules.

Option 2: Self-employed/freelancer/business owner 🚀

If for whatever reason option 1 is not available for you, then you’ll have to make money yourself.

The range of difficulty and feasibility will vary greatly here based on your skillset, your risk tolerance, your determination to make this work, and plenty of other factors.

Depending on where you start, it might take time to generate a sustainable living income… so this option might have to start and be developed while you have a job until it generates enough cash. Otherwise, you’d need to have savings.

Creating a business entity is fairly easy these days; it usually only takes a few clicks and costs a couple hundred $/€/£.

You can freelance and find gigs for clients.

You can create your own product (physical or digital) or service and sell it.

There is a range of options here. What you can do is purely based on what you can do and/or are willing to learn.

The sky is the limit (along with your mindset, your patience, risk tolerance, motivation, etc 😉).

✅ PRO: Complete freedom over your schedule.

❌ CON: Financial instability, stress, and potentially longer hours.

Option 3: Hybrid 🧩

I’m offering a third option here, maybe a less discussed option, but I think it’s underestimated: the hybrid model.

You could have a part-time job while developing your own thing. This is a nice in-between between options 1 and 2 and can offer some financial stability while giving you enough time to work on your business.

If you have a job, you could negotiate to go part-time with your employer. Or you can look for a part-time job.

Don’t underestimate this option. This is the route I wish I would have taken and that I still consider sometimes.

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🌍 Location

This is the lifestyle part. Now that you have secured (or are in the process of securing) your income, it’s time to design a lifestyle around it.

Now that you have untied your job/income from a physical location, you get to think about what you want, what’s possible for you, and plan!

And once again here, there are way more options than you might think.

We’ve all seen those Instagram posts of digital nomads living in Bali or Thailand, somewhere by the beach, hopping around every week from one magical place to another.

That’s one of many ways you can live your life.

I will list 3 lifestyle options below. The 3 of them can be applied to whichever traveling range you can and want to do. It doesn’t matter if you want to stay within your country, continent, or planet… the theory I describe still applies.

Option 1: Classic Nomad 🌴

I’ll start with the classic option that I mentioned—bouncing around every few weeks.

I think most people—especially travelers or couples—start here because it feels exciting and adventurous.

Based on your level of freedom, you book an Airbnb or hotel for a few days or a couple of weeks, so you have enough time to explore the area, then you move on to the next place on your list.

✅ PRO: It’s fun, exciting, and thrilling.

❌ CON: It can get tiring after a while. It requires discipline to manage work and sightseeing effectively.

You might not have time to see everything if you have to work full-time (hello, FOMO! 👋🏼).

You can easily get trapped in what I call tourist-mode, where you forget you are living your regular life instead of being on vacation… and you might end up spending as much as tourists do, which may not be sustainable for too long.

Option 2: Slowmad 🐢

Next is what we call “Slowmad.”

That means traveling slowly. Slowmads usually stay in places for at least a month, if not more.

The idea is that you still get to live in different places throughout the year, but you take it more slowly so that while you are somewhere, you have a sense of stability and routine for long enough before having to pack your bags again.

✅ PRO: When you land somewhere, you have time to unpack your bag, settle in your new location, create a routine, and get a different perspective on the place than if you were staying there for only a week. If you have a lot of work, it gives you more time to see the area.

It’s probably easier to manage a budget.

❌ CON: You will see fewer places, which can feel frustrating at times because your bucket list is extra long (hello again, FOMO!).

Option 3: Hybrid / Home Base 🏡✈️

Again, I’m offering a less discussed option here.

The goal of this lifestyle is not travel, travel, travel. I see the goal as having the freedom to travel, which is slightly different.

Both options 1 and 2 imply traveling non-stop.

According to your situation (home, finances, etc.), a hybrid option might be something to consider.

If you can afford it, why not keep your home so you have a base to return to whenever you want, and alternate between being home for a while and taking long trips away? I mention being able to afford it because it’s a more expensive solution, as you still have to endure the cost of your home base while you travel, which can be complicated.

But if you can rent it out, Airbnb it, or something else, that could be something to consider.

✅ PRO: You get the best of both worlds. You still have stability whenever you want it, and you can escape your regular life and environment to explore the world.

❌ CON: Not as affordable as full-time travel.

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Logistics 🧳📋

Ok, so by now we have established:

• How you will make money “online” without being tied to one single physical location.

• A way to travel that suits your desires and needs.

Now, time to plan!

There are many aspects to take into account when planning to take your first digital nomad trip. Some are obvious, some less so.

There are also more options available to you than you might think.

Here are a few important considerations:

• From a work and tax perspective, make sure that whatever you do is compliant. Some jobs require you to be in your country; otherwise, they cannot insure you, for example. This can be a complex topic. Discuss it with your company and HR department before you start planning, so you know what to expect. If you work for yourself, discuss with your accountant or an expert about taxes because you are about to enter a very grey area of “I live nowhere, so technically I’m not a resident anywhere—so where do I pay taxes?”

• Still regarding work, make sure you have everything in order to manage timezones. It’s not always easy to schedule calls when you are 12 hours ahead of your clients. Think about this when planning your trips.

• Healthcare: If you have a job, learn about the policies when you work from abroad. If you work for yourself, make sure you have some sort of coverage (I personally use SafetyWing).

• Check with your local mobile operator if roaming is included in your contract. If not, look for a local SIM card upon arrival or use an eSIM app like Airalo.

• Banking: Tell your bank you’ll be traveling so they don’t freeze your card as soon as you make a payment in an “exotic” country. Look for internationally-friendly banks (I personally use N26 and Revolut a lot, and Wise for transfers).

• Before going to a country, research the visa requirements. Some countries require you to apply before going; some have visa exemptions and just stamp your passport on arrival. Talking about passports, make sure yours is valid for a while, as most countries require at least 6 months validity before expiration. Also, make sure you are not infringing any local working laws (remote online work is still a grey area, so it’s usually fine to just say you’re a tourist traveling, but I wanted to mention it).

• This lifestyle can be lonely. While freedom is amazing, you’re away from friends and family, sometimes in unfamiliar and uncomfortable environments. It can feel isolating (especially if you travel solo). Seek out connections: stay in shared accommodations, work from coworking spaces, and use apps like Meetup or NomadList to meet people.

Something else I want to talk about is thinking outside the box a little. 📦✨

When embracing this lifestyle and traveling, most people think: I need to make money so I can pay for accommodation, food, and everything else.

True. But depending on which scenario you picked, you might not be financially able to travel much yet.

However, there are ways around it and a few things to consider:

• Traveling might cost you less than living in your home country. For example: when I lived in Miami, I was spending probably $3K a month on just basic living things. In Southeast Asia, my wife and I lived for less than $2K a month (while having a better quality of life). Take that into account when you calculate how much you need to earn.

• If you have a home base, you might be able to rent it or Airbnb it, as I mentioned. But you could also do house swapping, where you exchange houses with someone else for an agreed period (so they live in your house while you live in theirs). This way, your house is maintained, and you get free accommodation somewhere!

• If you are willing, you can exchange your time for accommodation and sometimes even food. There are a few ways to do so:

  • House/pet sitting: You look after someone’s house and pet while they go away. There are many listings all over the world, from one night to many months. Great way to live like a local somewhere and get free accommodation. I personally use TrustedHouseSitters.

  • Volunteering: Hostels are always looking for volunteers; in exchange, they offer free nights. But there are also websites listing opportunities where you do some work (farming, fruit picking, teaching English, social media work, etc.) for a few hours a day in exchange for accommodation and sometimes even food. I have used Worldpackers in the past and had a good experience.

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So there you have it—the ultimate guide on how to become a digital nomad! 🚀🌍

I’ve shared everything that I know about it, and I hope it will help you achieve your goal of becoming a digital nomad.

I personally find this lifestyle fantastic. It lets you see the world and develop yourself as a person. I’m extremely grateful for having the privilege to live this way.

Now it’s your turn: assess your current situation, pick which options are most appropriate for you, start planning, and most importantly, start taking action to make your dream come true! 🎉

I often get people asking me, “How can I become a digital nomad?”

I might write something in-depth about this at some point (it’s not that easy—there’s no magic path to get there).

But today, I thought I’d start by focusing on what a digital nomad actually is and the misconceptions attached to the label. There are a lot of clichés, often negative ones. Some are true, some couldn’t be further from reality… and, as with most things in life, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

People love to overcomplicate what it means to be a digital nomad. But at its core, digital nomadism is actually pretty simple—once you strip away the myths.

Let’s dive in.

10 Biggest Clichés and Misconceptions About Digital Nomads

I asked ChatGPT to list the most common clichés and misconceptions about digital nomads. Here’s my take on each one.

1. Digital Nomads Are Always on Vacation

Good start 😡 This one is complete BS.

Most digital nomads work the equivalent of a full-time job, if not more. Some even have actual full-time jobs! Freelancers and entrepreneurs have to hustle just like everyone else… plus, they deal with time zones, unstable WiFi, and balancing work with constant travel.

The biggest reason for this misconception? Social media.

Nomads rarely post pictures of themselves working 8-hour days in a hotel room or taking a 12-hour overnight train while trying to meet deadlines. They only share the highlights:

• 🏝️ A beach day.

• 🍹 A sunset cocktail.

• ✈️ A cool new destination.

That’s what people see, and they assume that’s the whole story.

Another reason? Flexible schedules. I often work late at night or on weekends. That way, I can enjoy quiet, sunny weekday afternoons outside when I want to. This can make it look like I’m always “on vacation,” but I’m really just optimizing my time differently.

This is why I openly share both the pros and cons of this lifestyle.

2. It’s a Low-Cost, Carefree Lifestyle

The real answer? It depends.

Like any lifestyle, it can be whatever you want it to be.

Some nomads (like me) have limited incomes while trying to grow their businesses, so they live in low-cost countries to stretch their money further. Others have high incomes and live a luxurious lifestyle.

I think this cliché comes from the fact that most nomads start out as young freelancers or entrepreneurs with limited money. But as more people embrace digital nomadism—including high earners and families—this perception will change.

And by the way, living in a low-cost country doesn’t mean living poorly! You can get way more for your money in some places compared to the US or Europe.

For example, when Rosie and I go out for sushi in Europe or the US, it typically costs €80-100. In Bangkok? €20 max—and by that point, I can’t even move because I’ve eaten so much 🤣.

3. Anyone Can Do It With a Laptop

No, not everyone can do it. That’s for sure.

It depends on your skills, profession, risk tolerance, and financial situation.

But I will say this: this lifestyle is more accessible than most people think.

At its core, all you need is:

1. ✅ A job that doesn’t require you to be in a specific location.

2. ✅ Enough income to sustain yourself.

That’s it. It’s really that simple.

4. It’s Only for Freelancers or Entrepreneurs

Definitely not.

While the movement started with freelancers and entrepreneurs, remote work has opened the door for employees to join the lifestyle.

More companies than ever are fully remote, with teams spread across different time zones. Even though some companies are pushing return-to-office policies, I believe the global trend will continue toward remote work.

Of course, employees have more constraints than self-employed nomads (like fixed schedules and security considerations), but it’s more possible than ever before.

5. They’re All Young, Single, and Carefree

This was probably true at some point, but it’s changing fast.

I’m 37 and married—not exactly a fresh-out-of-college backpacker.

Recently, I got a message on BlueSky from a dad who said:

“Today is our first day of nomading! Starting with Greece and then we’ll see. Doing it with two kids is different, but still very cool.”

If you have the financial means and a job that allows travel, you can make it work.

The biggest factors? Risk tolerance and willingness to step outside your comfort zone—not age or relationship status.

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6. They Live in Hostels and Work From Cafés

Some do, some don’t—there are no rules here.

It depends on age, finances, work setup, and personal preference.

Personally, I rarely stay in hostels. They tend to be noisy and full of young people partying. I would have enjoyed that in my 20s—not so much now. I prefer privacy and quiet.

Some nomads rent luxury Airbnbs. Others prefer co-living spaces. Some work from cafés all the time, while others go to coworking spaces or just work from their accommodation.

Luckily, there are options for everyone.

7. They Don’t Pay Taxes

I wish 😅. But unfortunately, I do.

I pay U.S. taxes because my business is based there. I also pay French taxes since I earn income there.

Taxes are a major headache for digital nomads. Since many of us don’t stay in one country long enough to be official residents, it can get complicated fast.

Most government systems are outdated when it comes to nomads. Until policies catch up, we just have to navigate the system as best we can.

For example, even though I file as a French tax resident, I technically don’t stay in France long enough to qualify. But… there’s no better alternative at the moment.

8. They Have No Stability or Routine

This is an interesting one.

I actually feel very stable. Stability doesn’t have to mean staying in one place forever.

For me, stability comes from within, not from a fixed location.

Now, routines? That can be trickier. It depends on how fast you travel.

When we move every few days or weeks, it’s hard to maintain a routine. But when we stay somewhere for a couple of months, it’s much easier to settle into a rhythm.

That said, after years of doing this, I’ve learned to create a routine anywhere. My typical day looks something like this:

• ☀️ Mornings: Free time (gym, swimming, exploring, or just relaxing).

• 💻 Afternoons: Work from 2 PM to 6 PM.

• 🍽️ Evenings: Unwind, eat dinner, relax.

• ⌨️ Late Nights: Work again from 8:30 PM to 11 PM.

Of course, this shifts depending on the location, but I’ve found a rhythm that works for me.

9. It’s Just an Escape From “Real Life”

What even is “real life”? 🤔

Society has conditioned us to believe that a stable job, a mortgage, and a fixed location equal “real life.” But that’s just one version of life.

Who decided that my life is any less real because I don’t have a permanent home? Because I move often?

I’d argue that I’m actually more present in my life than most people. I’m not stuck in autopilot, just going through the motions.

In fact, I’d bet that I’m happier than 80% of people living the so-called “real life.”

Real life isn’t about following the traditional script—it’s about creating a life that feels meaningful to you.

10. The Lifestyle Is Always Glamorous

When you look at digital nomads on Instagram (including my wife Rosie 😆), it does seem magical. They’re always posting stunning destinations, tropical beaches, and dreamy work setups.

But remember: social media is a highlight reel.

Most nomads don’t share:

• 📌 Their basic, unimpressive hotel/Airbnb rooms.

• 📌 The 8-hour workdays inside a café.

• 📌 The 12-hour overnight bus rides with no sleep.

The reality? Yes, it’s fun. I get to live in places where people vacation, and that’s awesome. But it’s still life. There are highs and lows—just like anywhere else.

Did You Know?

Before I wrap up, let’s take a step back—where did the whole ‘digital nomad’ concept even come from?

The term “digital nomad” was coined by Tsugio Makimoto and David Manners in their 1997 book Digital Nomad.

However, earlier mentions of the phrase can be found in publications from the early 1990s. Some sources (see Wikipedia here) indicate that the term was already in use in tech and futurist circles discussing how emerging mobile technology would reshape work and lifestyle.

Makimoto and Manners’ book helped shape the modern idea of digital nomadism, predicting the rise of remote work, freelancing, and location-independent lifestyles—all enabled by the internet.

The 1997 book Digital Nomad by Tsugio Makimoto and David Manners used the term to describe how technology allows for a return of societies to a nomadic lifestyle. Makimoto and Manners identified an emerging “digital nomad” lifestyle freed by technology “from the constraints of geography and distance.”

I haven’t read the book, but making predictions like this in 1997—a full decade before the iPhone launched—is pretty impressive. (I don’t think I even had internet at home back in ‘97 😅).

Final Thoughts

I hope this gives you a realistic look at what digital nomadism is and isn’t.

Of course, this is just my perspective. If you ask a 20-year-old backpacker, a high-earning entrepreneur, or a family of four, you’ll get very different answers!

At the end of the day, digital nomadism isn’t a one-size-fits-all lifestyle—it’s whatever you make it. And as the world shifts, the definition will keep evolving, too. The important thing? Finding what actually works for you.

And last thing before I go, I highly recommend this article: A Brief History of Digital Nomads—an excerpt from the book Global Natives.

💬 I’m curious. If you’re a digital nomad (or thinking about becoming one), what’s the biggest assumption people make about your lifestyle?

I love living a nomadic lifestyle and being my own boss. While the second part can be tough when you’re in the building phase, the journey is worth it—special lives require special efforts. 💪

There’s one thing I find a real pain in the ass though—navigating administrations and feeling like the world isn’t built for nomads and global citizens like me.

Disclaimer: Some points I’ve thought about deeply, others I haven’t. I’m not an expert—just sharing my thoughts and feelings.

Visas

I don’t find navigating visas too annoying, honestly. Most countries make it pretty straightforward, and when you move often, visa durations usually aren’t a huge problem.

But on a global level, I do wonder—what if visas didn’t exist? What if we could come and go as we pleased and stay as long as we wanted? Would it really cause chaos? 🤔 Are first-world countries worried about waves of migrants? Maybe I’m missing something, but I find it interesting to think about.

Being Married to Someone from a Different Country

The main way visas annoy me is when it comes to marriage. I’m French, Rosie is English, and with our nomadic lifestyle, we can’t easily spend extended time in each other’s countries.

The UK is generous—I can stay for six months (long enough for me! 😂). But Rosie’s limited to 90 days in the Schengen area, which complicates things. For example, if I needed to stay in France to take care of someone, we’d have to plan and strategize to be together.

To let Rosie stay longer, we’d have to apply for French residency. But since we don’t actually live there, it’s a logistical nightmare. I just find it crazy that after 15 years together, there aren’t simpler systems to allow couples to be together, no matter where they’re from.

Rigid Administrations

Between international marriage and living a nomadic lifestyle, dealing with paperwork can be super frustrating—especially in France.

Here are two examples:

• In 2013/2014, we wanted to buy an apartment in France. We qualified for a 0% interest mortgage (amazing, right?). But our application was denied because one required document—though translated by a certified translator—was from England and didn’t look like the French version. Denied. We had to take a more expensive traditional mortgage instead. 🤦‍♂️

• Recently, I asked a lawyer how Rosie could get a French passport to rejoin the EU (super practical for us). One requirement? Proof we’ve been living together. From 2015 to 2021, no problem—but since then, we’ve lived with family, friends, or in Airbnbs. No shared utility bills, no lease contracts, and Airbnb reservations are only in one name. The lawyer wasn’t convinced these could count as proof.

It’s maddening how inflexible systems are. Most administrative processes were designed when people rarely moved, lived in their hometowns, and married their neighbors. The world’s changed, but systems haven’t caught up.

You “Need” a Home Address

This one really gets me. 😤 In today’s world, you have to “live” somewhere. A home address is required for so many things:

• Opening a bank account

• Getting investment accounts

• Buying a non-tourist SIM card

• Signing up for health or travel insurance

• Running a business and processing payments

Even renewing your passport requires a home address.

Why can’t we detach these things? Why can’t we just be “residents of the world”? In our digital age, why not use something like a universal email or phone-based system? Or maybe something decentralized like a crypto wallet?

Right now, I use my parents’ address in France. Technically, I’m a French resident—but truthfully, I don’t spend enough time there to qualify. But there’s no ideal alternative to keep my accounts and taxes sorted. On top of that, I pay taxes in the US as a non-resident. It’s a mess.

What I’d Love to See

These experiences got me thinking—what if there were a way to simplify these processes for people like us? A system designed for the modern, global citizen, rather than one rooted in outdated national frameworks.

🌍 I’d love to live in a world where we can apply for a ‘global citizen’ number.

This number would connect to:

• My passport

• A digital address or wallet

• The place(s) I pay taxes

With this, we could have a ‘global’ payment system.

Note: The closest thing we have to this right now is crypto and stablecoins like USDC or USDT. They’re decentralized and practical because they’re pegged to fiat currency, but unfortunately, they’re not widely supported yet.

💡 Marriages could also be registered to this number. Using blockchain technology (secure and unalterable), we could track details over time—shared expenses, time spent together in the same countries, etc. A smart contract could eventually confirm the legitimacy of the marriage, allowing couples to live anywhere together—especially when settling down.

🗳️ Imagine how such a system could revolutionize voting. With a tokenized and fraud-proof voting mechanism, participating in elections would be seamless, secure, and accessible for everyone, no matter where they are in the world.

The more I think about this, the more I believe blockchain could make it possible. The real challenge wouldn’t be the tech—it’d be getting countries to agree on and legitimize it globally.

Of course, security and privacy would need to be top priorities. Blockchain has strong foundations in these areas, offering a secure and decentralized solution. Still, the biggest hurdle would likely be getting countries to agree—balancing control, collaboration, and financial interests. 🌐

The potential is there, but it requires bold thinking and global cooperation.

We live in a connected world, yet outdated systems continue to limit us. Isn’t it time to build something that truly reflects how we live today? What would your ideal system for global citizens look like?

💻 I never planned to work remotely. But one unexpected month in Panama turned my work life upside down—and into something I never imagined.

🌍 My Unexpected Start in Remote Work

Since I started working in September 2011 until 2015, I had never once worked from home. It wasn’t even an option. There was a clear boundary between work and home, and honestly, I never questioned it.

Between 2015 and 2017, I started doing a few hours from home here and there—usually on top of office hours. I was very invested in my job and loved it, so spending an evening catching up wasn’t a big deal.

In 2017, I worked from home for a few days during a traumatic personal event. To be honest, I was in such a bad mental state that I barely remember how I felt about it.

Things really took a turn in 2018. In December 2017, I moved to Miami for work. By February, we were dealing with some visa-related administrative work that required me to leave the U.S. temporarily. To stay within the same time zone and keep working, my wife Rosie and I went to Panama for a little over a month.

Suddenly, we were living the digital nomad life with zero preparation! 🌟

💼 The Benefits and Challenges of Remote Work (In a Foreign Country)

This new adventure came with its challenges:

• Where do we go and stay?

• How do we explore Panama while sticking to office hours?

• Is the internet reliable enough to work effectively?

• And… will my rusty Spanish be enough to get by? 😅

When you’ve never worked remotely, these questions can feel overwhelming. Back then, I wasn’t in touch with remote work or digital nomad culture, so I didn’t know where to find resources or advice. It was intimidating, but we had no choice but to figure it out. And we did!

Rosie organized the itinerary like a pro. We stayed in three different places in Panama City, took a few days off to visit the stunning San Blas Islands, and even explored Bocas del Toro. While I worked during the day, Rosie found meaningful ways to spend her time, like volunteering at an orphanage and taking Spanish classes.

The result?

We had a great time! It wasn’t perfect, but for a first experience, nothing major went wrong, and we discovered an amazing country. 🌴✨

🛠 Practical Tips for Working Remotely While Traveling

If you’re planning to work remotely in a new place, here’s what I’ve learned:

1. 🗓 Plan, plan, plan.

This isn’t a vacation—you need dedicated work hours. Research coworking spaces, cafés with free Wi-Fi, and accommodations with reliable internet. Ideally, have multiple options.

pp2. 🔍 Read reviews.

Before booking anything, dive into Airbnb, Google, and Reddit reviews. Hosts might not always be honest, so rely on other travelers’ feedback. This takes time but saves headaches later.

3. 🤝 Make a plan with your travel partner.

If you’re traveling with someone, agree on how you’ll spend your time. One person working full-time while the other wants to explore can create tension. For example, while I worked, Rosie kept herself busy with volunteering and classes, so we both had fulfilling days.

4. ⏱ Be disciplined with your work schedule.

Whether you set your own hours or follow a fixed schedule, staying focused is key. Distractions will be everywhere—especially in a new place. Self-discipline is your best friend.

5. ⛔ Accept you won’t see everything.

You’re not a tourist—you’re working remotely. It’s unrealistic to expect you’ll experience every sight or activity while maintaining a full workload. And that’s okay.

🧐 Reflection

As much as I love planning, this first remote work experience was something I stumbled into. I didn’t realize at the time that it would be the start of a lifestyle I’d embrace full-time for years.

But most importantly, this experience showed me that it’s possible to work remotely, deliver what’s expected, and still have a good time. It was a confidence boost I didn’t know I needed—and proof that the remote work lifestyle could work for me. 🌟

💬 What About You?

Have you ever thought about working remotely? What excites you about it—or what scares you? If you’re already doing it, what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your perspective!

When my wife and I started our digital nomad journey in December 2022 in Vietnam, we were excited to explore new places. We planned our stays in each country carefully, optimizing for visa durations and the cities we wanted to visit.

For an entire year, we moved every 5 to 7 days. We did the same in Mexico and Costa Rica this year, with some exceptions. For tourists, spending that long in one place might feel excessive. But for us, it’s not a vacation—we’re living abroad full-time while working. We need time to work and enjoy “normal moments,” so we can’t move as fast as someone on holiday.

I’ve loved moving every week—it’s been the best time! We’ve seen incredible places in so many countries across Asia and Central America.

However, we realized this pace isn’t sustainable in the long run (especially for Rosie, who needs more rest and downtime than I do—and hates packing, which isn’t ideal when everything you own fits in a backpack 😂). That’s why we decided to slow down for the second half of 2024, revisiting familiar places to just live life. We spent two months in Bangkok, six weeks in Kuala Lumpur, and now we’re in Malacca for six weeks. People often laugh when I say this, but we’re living a pretty normal life—just in different places.

It feels like we’re transitioning from digital nomads to slowmads. We still live nomadically, but at a slower pace, moving every month or two instead of every week.

I’m not sure when—or if—we’ll settle down, but this feels like the next step in our journey. It will likely become a hybrid: traveling quickly for 2-3 months to explore new regions, followed by slower stays in places where we feel more at ease. Eventually, we’d like to establish a home base so we don’t have to carry everything we own all the time. Right now, the stuff we don’t travel with stays at either my parents’ or Rosie’s parents’ house, which isn’t always ideal or practical.

From what I’ve read, this seems like a natural evolution for many digital nomads.

Personally, I still have a strong desire to explore new countries, like South America or Europe. But I’ve also come to appreciate spending one or two months in a city I know, just to connect with the culture, people, and traditions on a deeper level. There are things you simply can’t experience in just a week—like discovering an insanely good bakery in Kuala Lumpur that makes bread as good as in France. Staying longer offers a different perspective. I’ve also realized that revisiting places for a longer stay can shift my impressions. For example, I loved Kuala Lumpur during my first week last year, but this time, after a few weeks, I felt ready to leave.

The reason I’m sharing this is to highlight that there are many ways to travel—no single “right” way. The amount of time you spend in a place depends on what works best for you. If you’re thinking about living a nomadic lifestyle, don’t feel discouraged by what others say or do. Everyone finds their own rhythm. And when there’s a will, there’s a way.

🏠 What is home for you? I’ve been pondering this question a lot lately 🤔. Since becoming ‘house-free’ in May 2021, I’ve lived in 14 different countries, staying with family, friends, and mostly in Airbnbs and hotel rooms.

So, what does “home” mean these days, and where is it?

I’m not quite sure 🤷‍♂️.

My ‘technical’ residence is still registered at my parents’ house in France, but it doesn’t feel like home anymore. Being away from my childhood place and the country for so long, I’ve lost my connection to it—and to most of the people there. The experiences I’ve had have changed me so profoundly that I find I no longer relate to the life and mentality back ‘home.’ There are a few people I still keep in touch with, but that’s about it.

Honestly, I don’t feel like my country is my home anymore. There are worse places to live, certainly, but I don’t resonate with the general mentality anymore. So, returning to France isn’t something I eagerly anticipate, except to see the few people I miss.

So if my childhood town and country don’t feel like home, and I don’t have a permanent residence, where is home?

And beyond the where, what even is home? Again, I find myself uncertain. If we look beyond the physical aspect (the building itself), what makes a place feel like home?

Perhaps it’s about a feeling—of safety, happiness, or peace of mind? A place where we can drop our masks, let down our guard, and freely be ourselves?

If that’s the case, then home for me is wherever I am with my wife. It might sound cheesy, but the specifics of the place—the looks, the geographic location—don’t matter. Wherever we are together, living happily, even if just for a day, a week, or a month, that feels like home to me, at least for now.

🗺️ Is the concept of nationality outdated in our hyper-connected world? 💥

I’m typing this from above the Atlantic Ocean, 12 km up, flying at 1000 km/h, while watching a live feed from a camera beneath the plane… When you take a step back, it’s clear we live in an insane world! What exists now would have been unimaginable just 100 years ago. They would have never believed it.

Over the past century, our lives and societies have undergone massive changes, accelerating even more in the last 30 years. Yet, I often feel that many things are now lagging behind. Thanks to technology, we live in a world of almost endless possibilities, and some embrace these possibilities more than others. However, our regulations and administrations seem not to keep pace.

As a nomad, I frequently encounter roadblocks because "the world isn't ready" for people who live like me. Nearly everything requires you to state a country of residence... but why do we need to be tied to a location for everything? We hardly use mail anymore; in a digital world, a physical residence seems obsolete.

I don’t really feel like a French resident anymore, nor do I feel a resident of any particular place. Yet, there's no box to check for that. An individual must reside somewhere to get anything—a phone number, a bank account—and a company has to be registered in a country and pay taxes there. But what if I live nowhere or everywhere? What if all my business and revenue are online, coming from around the globe? Paying taxes in a specific country no longer makes sense when I don’t use any of the services funded by that tax money.

I can't wait for all this to be heavily disrupted somehow. Could someone create an online country? Could the world agree on a global passport or citizenship?

I’m not sure what the solution is; it seems like an impossible task, especially as it involves governments that are famously slow, self-centered, and short-term in their thinking. But I’m confident it will happen eventually.

Being a digital nomad isn’t the same as being a tourist, and here’s why that matters. Let me explain.

When you visit a new country, especially a popular destination, there’s a natural temptation to see all the landmarks and do all the main attractions. It’s common to find yourself among tourists who seem to be making the most of their trips—dining out, visiting cafes and bars, and soaking in all the sights.

However, this isn’t sustainable for a digital nomad.

A digital nomad can’t live the same lifestyle as a tourist who’s there for just two weeks. You can’t keep up the same pace or afford the same expenses without risking burnout.

Why? Because after a while, you’ll find it’s not just physically exhausting, but financially unsustainable too. If you’re working while traveling, you can’t afford to spend as much time exploring as someone who is completely off.

It can be hard and sometimes frustrating, especially if you, like me, aren’t in a financial position to spend without thinking. Would I like to try all the trendy restaurants? Absolutely. Would I like to do all the local activities? Sure. But if I did, I wouldn’t have the time or energy to focus on my business, and my bank account would suffer significantly.

So my advice, especially for new digital nomads: don’t fall into the trap of living like a tourist. You are not just visiting; you are living your life abroad, in beautiful places where others vacation, but you are not on vacation.

It took me a few months to realize and accept this, but since then, the journey has become much more enjoyable, and I can see myself doing this for a long time.

"You must have a lot of money!" You won't believe how often I hear variations of that 😂

Today, I want to debunk the myth that you need to be wealthy to travel the world because, in reality, it's often quite the opposite!

Frequently, when we meet people and share that we've been traveling for months/years with no set return date, they automatically assume we're financially well-off, exploring different parts of the world 🤑 Just recently, someone suggested we were globe-trotting on our parents' bank accounts! Madam, we're both 36 years old; we're not relying on our parents anymore 😅 Though maybe we still look 20!

We're backpackers 🎒, and we travel on a budget. No fancy hotels, no extravagant restaurants, etc. We opt for basic, affordable accommodations (averaging around 20€ a night), and we often enjoy street food or eat where the locals do (averaging about 2.5€ per meal per person). To be transparent, after each country, we create a YouTube video (my wife Rosie documents all our travels on her channel) that provides a detailed breakdown of our expenses. Feel free to check it out for all the details.

We do have some savings as a safety net for unexpected stuff, but we try not to dip into them to fund our travels. We live within our means and spend what we earn each month. At the moment, we're pretty much breaking even on average.

⚠️ But here's the key point I want to emphasize: one of the primary reasons we travel is that it's actually more cost-effective than living in Europe for us. Currently, we're spending an average of 1500€ per month. In Europe, that would translate into an extremely frugal lifestyle. Instead, we've chosen to go where our money stretches the furthest: South East Asia. Here, with 1500€ a month, we eat out every day, explore amazing places weekly, and have the freedom to move to another fantastic location whenever we desire.

Additionally, since neither of us has a stable job with a fixed contract, it would be challenging to secure rental accommodations or impossible to obtain a mortgage. To pursue our dreams, a nomadic lifestyle is the ideal choice for us until our businesses grow to provide greater financial stability, making us more socially acceptable in society's eyes.

Can you be productive while working as a digital nomad from exotic places?

I believe so. There isn't a simple yes or no answer to this question. From my experience, it requires discipline and commitment. It can be very easy to get caught up in the novelty and excitement each place offers and spend all your time sightseeing or on vacation, especially when you're in a touristy location and everyone else around you is on holiday—it becomes very tempting to do the same.

When working while traveling, you need to constantly remind yourself that you're not on vacation. You might be in a beautiful place with lots to see, but you need to get your priorities straight. You need to be disciplined enough to tell yourself, 'I will get X, Y, and Z done before I visit this attraction.' You might even need to accept that you won't see everything if work demands more of your attention.

What helps is having a clear vision, something to work towards—a 'Why.' It helps you stay focused when your mind starts to wander.

At the moment, I probably work an average of 6 hours a day, 7 days a week. Around 3 or 4 hours in the afternoon and 2 or 3 hours at night. It's a nice balance, and it gives me time to enjoy the place I'm in. In the afternoon, I enjoy working from a cafe or a co-working space, and at night, from our accommodation. I've also automated many aspects of my business, which means that if I need or want to, I can work fewer hours, and things will still run smoothly (if you want help with this, I can help 😉).

I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all solution to this. Some people need stability and structure to work efficiently, while others can handle constant change, and that's perfectly fine. Too often in our society, we try to find 'the method' that will work for everyone. But I don't believe it exists. We are all unique beings with different needs, personalities, and preferences. 'The system' may want us all to fit into the same box and follow the same path, but there are alternative ways to do things, to live life, and to work. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa, and that's okay. It doesn't mean one method is better than the other.

✅ Be realistic and have enough self-awareness to know if you'll be disciplined enough to work from a 'vacation place.'
✅ Have a clear 'Why,' as it will help you stay focused.
✅ Don't deceive yourself; otherwise, you'll quickly fall short.