146 Beds in 4 Years: The Side of Digital Nomad Life Nobody Shows You

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.

📸 Welcome to Bangkok!

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. 🌅

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 😂

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.

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.

📸 Exploring Lumphini Park back in 2023

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.

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.

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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. 💌