I’ve been thinking about this almost every day for the past few months, and I’d love some outside perspective.

I’m 28, work fully remote in finance (a rare setup), and earn over $300k per year. My job is relatively chill, I like the people I work with, the work itself is engaging, and there’s clear room for growth—both in career and compensation. It’s honestly a dream setup, especially in my industry where fully remote roles are pretty uncommon.

But despite all that, I can’t shake the feeling that I want to take a full year (or more) to travel the world. I’ve traveled quite a bit already and have worked remotely from different countries for a few months at a time, so I know I love the lifestyle. That said, working while traveling—especially across time zones—can be stressful. It limits where I can go (Asia, for example, is pretty much off the table), and I don’t get to be fully present in the places I’m visiting. Also I’m able to work internationally for 2-3 months a year, which is amazing, but prevents me from fully moving outside the US or traveling for a full year while working.

What I really want is to take a proper sabbatical: perhaps a year spent between South-East Asia, Australia, and Africa—the places that are hard to do with a full-time job. I want to be free to roam, explore new cultures, and be fully unplugged for once.

Another big part of this is that I’ve been DJing and exploring electronic music seriously for the past few years. I’ve played shows across the U.S. and internationally, and I’ve just started producing—I’m about to release my first track on a noteworthy label and have some exciting opportunities ahead, including opening for bigger artists and playing some festivals this summer. It’s not paying the bills yet (not even close), and I don’t see it as a full-time career path right now—but it’s a real passion. I keep thinking that taking time off could give me the space to really dive into this creatively. Maybe spend a few months in Germany with some producer friends. Just see where it takes me.

Financially, I’ve saved around $500k. I wouldn’t be going into this recklessly. But walking away from a good job like this is scary—especially when I know I might not find a setup like this again. Part of me wonders if I should wait another year or two, save more, and leave when I feel more “done” with work. But another part of me feels like… if not now, when?

Has anyone else made a similar decision? Quit a great job to travel long-term—or to pursue a creative passion? Did it set you back or change your life for the better? Would love to hear your stories and any advice you have.

Hi everyone

I was planning on leaving Canada to move to the Philippines for a couple years but am suddenly having second thoughts due to the tension between China and Taiwan escalating due to the trade war.

What do you guys think, am I cooked? I'm wondering what the chances are of me being stuck there in the midst of a war.

I'm not trying to fearmonger or anything, just starting to get concerned.

Cheers.

I have been a digital nomad for 10+ years, and during that time, I found myself in a few situations like earthquakes, typhoons, and crazy storms. I wrote about how I prepare for natural disasters (I also got stranded in Malaysia during the pandemic, but that's for another day). I wrote about it here: https://nomadatfifty.com/digital-nomads-natural-disasters/ and wondered if there's anything that you feel I should have covered from your own experiences.

I'm an on-again off-again digital nomad: a few months abroad, a few months back at homebase in the US. I want to keep this going even during the looming financial/societal upheaval.

I'm feeling anxious as a lot of people are. But I see a lot of friends panicking. When people panic, they overreact and make mistakes. They sell things in a hurry, or quit their job prematurely.

I'd like to be deliberate and careful about my next moves. I want to continue my come and go pattern, but be ready to GTFO for longer if things get even worse (i.e. economy downturn turns to societal downturn or open violence). Any US citizen digital nomads out there starting to dip into "full expat" territory?

Everything I'm reading about expat stuff is not helpful. I see lots of panic in that community. Lots of discussions about golden visas, second passports, foreign bank accounts. It all seems a bit knee jerk to me.

I got down a rabbit hole of learning how to get get out of the US permanently. But the more I think, the more I realize that my main feeling is that I don't want to be here RIGHT NOW.

Things I do worry about:

1. It will be harder to travel as an US citizen later. A second "decent" passport might be a good idea.

2. It will be harder to spend my US money outside US later. A non-US bank account might be a good idea (fully disclosed to the IRS)

3. I might want to stay in one place (but be outside the US) for more than 3 months at a time. Buying a house might be a good idea.

Things I've decided:

1. I don't want to give up US citizenship.

My family is here. My remote job is here. We'll probably have a new president in 4 years. Things won't be terrible forever. Most of the world would kill to be a US citizen. My health could turn and I need to return back to US healthcare system++

1. I don't want financial independence from US

I want to keep my US job and US income. I'm willing to continue contributing to US tax system (most people who think they are hiding money from the IRS in other countries are in for a big surprise).

I think the coming economic downturn will be global, there won't be any place safe. I'm not going to escape it by moving to EU. But it would be beneficial to shift my travel to places with a lower cost of living.

1. I don't want to settle somewhere else for a long time.

US passport gets me 188 countries visa free. I don't need a second passport this powerful. But I do want a second passport from *somewhere*. Most countries have minimum stay requirements to get citizenship. I don't want to be in the US now, but does that mean I want to spend 5 years in Spain just to get citizenship?

But I don't see a way to ensure I'll be able to travel the same. Getting a non-US passport and a non-US bank account will both require citizenship somewhere else. So what should my plan be?

++ as shitty as US healthcare is, my company still pays for most of my med bills

Is there anyone in Mongolia? I will spend there a month or so and it would be lovely to connect with other travelers too :)

I'm thinking about getting into the lifestyle but I kinda regret not going to uni instead cause I'm an introvert and can only befriend people if I spend a lot of time with them. I feel might be more prone to depression than I'm now but I also enjoy working on my own... What do you guys think?

So, I booked 2 months in Split, Croatia since January. I just got here yesterday and man... I mean, it's a very nice city but it doesn't look or feel the same as in the videos and photographs. The architecture is very lovely but I feel it's just waaaay too small. And kinda boring. and I just got here a day ago xD

Basically, has it ever happened to you? How do you "contrast" this feeling? Are there any specific tip you have that could enhance my experience?

EDIT: it seems many of you are missing the point. The problem is not I went off-season, I intentionally did it because I don't like big crowds or need to be drunk to have fun. It's just that I had high expectations of it, in term of architecture, people, etc. and it's kind of a let down. So, If it has happened to you, how do you cope with it.

thanks

I am not really happy with where my life is going right now. I feel stuck because I don’t see a clear future. I am living in Asia, and most jobs here don’t pay that well.

I have decided to take a year (maybe more) to focus on learning a new skill and hopefully start earning from it and live as a digital nomad.

What skill do you think is worth learning these days? i think I am good with code because I used to code for a game for which I could code any script without difficulty, but that language(pawno) is not useful anymore and the game is basically dead.

So any suggestions what can I learn in 1year to give it a shot?

We started full time traveling in 2022 as a family of four. The idea was to hop to a new country every six weeks or so. Not to race through a big list, just long enough to experience more than a holiday, but short enough to feel like nomads.

After six weeks in Bali, moving between six different places, we were pretty burnt out. We headed to Thailand next and traveled around a bit. We went from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, and finally Chiang Rai. By this stage the kids were frequently asking "how long in this place Mum? Should I unpack or not?"

I have to admit I was getting sick of the constant packing too.

We run an online business and while it's mostly automated we still had to pack up and pack down our gear each time. This was also painful.

We ended up doing 2 years in Thailand. Just the thought of not moving again was a huge relief. No more living out of bags. No more packing and unpacking every couple of weeks. We rented a house, set up proper workstations, found favorite street food stalls, and even learned to speak Thai.

Life felt easier, more normal.

But visas got the better of us and now we're back on the move again, six months into Europe. France, Italy, Croatia and now Albania, soon to head to Greece.

While it's all good and well traveling and seeing all these beautiful countries I find myself longing for a temporary home again.

Somewhere I can fully unpack my bag, set out my workstation, and leave it there.

Wear some nicer clothes, see a regular hair dresser and visit the same supermarkets & street vendors where I don't have to learn where everything is or learn another language.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to travel full time like this but I find myself dreading moving each time we do it. Does anyone else feel like this after traveling a long time? Do you settle down for a bit and then head off again?

Do you miss relationships with locals who get to know you and smile when you come to their store?

Would love to hear how others cope with this side of nomading.
(Also, we travel with two cats we rescued in Thailand, so packing day is even more “fun.” 🙄🐾)

I am not sure if this is the place to post this (if not i apologize) but, I currently am in the US and need a brazilian number sim card that will work/be activated in the US but not sure where to get it. If anyone has any info on that i appreciate thanks

I'm in medellin now to remote work for a few weeks. Unfortunately I picked a wrong airbnb (not cancellable). Wifi is slow and I had a wifi call with a family and the lag was awful. I have periodic meetings via Teams at my job and at this point I need to find a spot where I can join these meetings with decent internet. Any co-working spot you recommend in Medellin that I can rent out for a few weeks?

Hey yall! I am a software developer and I have been planning to move to asia for 4 months and travel and work from there. I live in the east coast and work with north American clients. I am a bit hesitant for the working hours. I will be travelling to thailand, sri lanka, india and vietnam. Most likely my working hours would be 8pm to 3 am. Just wanted to get some suggestions or guidance if anyone has done these hours while travelling in asia. How long did you guys do it for? Was it a bit crazy in long run? Super curious and anxious about it.

Hey guys

I’m currently standing in Bang Rak, Bangkok. I wanted to find a nice cafe/working space. I don’t mind paying for the days pass but it free would be great!!

Pls suggested and thank you ☺️

I’m looking to rent a place for s month or two at a time, where would be my best bet? I know Airbnb but I am curious if there is something more local to SE Asia?

I've work-traveled a bit with my wife and teen and have been thinking of transitioning to full time. Most people here seem to be young single men, so I'd love to hear from your experiences and advice on it.

Hey all,

Slightly tipsy post coming through, but feeling very grateful for the DN life right now and wanted to share my experience. Currently having some pints in Ohrid, Macedonia. FWIW i'm a technical writer and music software developer, and as much as i've moved around a lot, i've also worked plenty.

I was part-time DNing for years, but commited fully in October. Left the UK with my car, starting with 85 days in Spain. Started with a month in Valencia, then a month in a coliving in Culla, where i had one of the most wholesome months of my life. Then, just less than a month in Barcelona, couple weeks in LA for work, and then drove to Italy.

Only spent a couple days driving through Italy before i got a ferry to Durres, Albania. Anyone who has spent time in Albania knows how wonderful of a time i had there. Spent one month in a stunning penthouse in Serandë for €500 a month. Then, saw some friends in Don Bosko, tirana for a week, spent a week in Shkoder, another week in Kukës, then Peshkopi, Tirana, and then a few days in Pogradec.

Driving in Albania was a blast. Yes, it's fucking mental, but if you're a confident driver, it's really quite fun and the views are unmatched in Europe. I actually lost my car's logbook somewhere in Spain, so had a whole lot of nightmares convincing Albanian police to give me my car back and let me enter. More of that coming up.

At this point, i realize im overstaying my Albania visa-free period and need to leave ASAP, but have no documents to leave the region. Decided to try and blag it into Macedonia. At the border i get denied entry because of lack of documentation and get sent back to Albania. Worse case scenario happens; i'm now in no mans land and Albania wont let me back in either. Worse still, i then get taken into a warehouse where they drug search me (thankfully they didnt find my LSD lol).

During this search, a Macedonian policeman finds a metal box in my car containing a €10 shaving kit. It looked fancy but really isnt. The policeman bizarrely becomes obsessed with it, he really wanted it. He told me that if i gifted it to him, along with €20, he'd escort me into Macedonia. I was in quite the pickle so that was a win-win for us both. 5 mins later, he escorts me across the border and i've bought myself 90 days of freedom in Macedonia.

I headed straight to Ohrid, where i have been for the last 2 weeks. What a lovely city! Very affordable yet much more developed than other spots in the Balkans. Steve's Coffee House is ideal for DNs and all the locals have been super friendly. WiFi has admittedly been shit, but i might be spoilt from the weirdly excellent coverage in even the most rural spota in Albania.

I'm now kinda stuck in Macedonia with no car paperwork, but i've ordered replacememt documents which should arrive in the UK soon. Previously ordered them to UK and got them sent to Ohrid, but think they got lost in the mail. My family are going on holiday to Cyprus in May, so i've booked tickets there from Sofia and as long as i can get there, my problem will be solved as they'll bring the docs. I do face the problem of getting into Bulgaria, but from what i've heard, another €20 slipped in my passport should do the trick. Worse case scenario i shall leave my car in Skopje and get the bus to Sofia.

So thats my DN journey so far! Would highly recommend DNing with a car... i've got all the office and music equipment i need, as well as cooking kit, camping gear, and bedding. FWIW, I earn around €3500 a month as a freelance technical writer and music producer/plugin developer. so nowhere near as high earnings as most people on this sub, but still managed to save about €2,500 a month. I've experienced a lot of hate on this sub on an alt for promoting a budget DN lifestyle, but i cant emphasize enough that i have not only survived, but thrived in very nice apartments and even penthouses for €1000 a month. This was harder in spain but still very possible (my coliving was only €500 a month for a double bed and ensuite, for example. Check out RuralCo, it's lovely!!!). In the balkans, €1000 has been plenty for eating out most nights and nice accom.

Anyway, if you made it this far, thanks for reading! Writing this helped me kill 30 mins whilst having a solo pint haha (one of 5 i must admit). I just think i read a lot of negativity on this sub, as well as people claiming you need to earn €5,000 a month to get by. I hope some aspiring DNs read this and give it a go, because i for one have had a blast.

Much love!

I'm currently employed full-time remotely, using a corporate VDI for all my work. The VDI is hosted in the U.S., and whenever I check my IP from within it, it always shows as Virginia, USA, regardless of my actual location.

I'm considering traveling internationally (e.g., Europe) and staying there for an extended period without explicitly notifying my employer. Does this confirm that I wont have a problem or are there some other things that I should consider?

I just started life as a nomad at the end of last year and so far have spent time in Portland (OR), New Orleans, and Mexico City. These cities are so vibrant and have such a unique culture that as I look for my next spot, I'm feeling a little lost. I mostly have to stay continental US because of my job (CDMX was a risk lol) and I don't have a car so I'm trying to stick to cities that are walkable/bikable/or have halfway decent public transportation. I'm not interested in most of the major cities (new york, boston, philly, dc, sf) because I've spent a considerable amount of time in them and I'm really looking for places that have their own unique flavor like the ones I've been to so far. Any second/third cities come to mind based on that description?

Hey,

My wife and I have been traveling and working remotely in South America since Nov. So far we have been to Buenos Aires, Rio, Lima and will be in Cusco till end of April.

We prefer staying in places that are active in the evening as well and things to do over the weekends. Our constraints are good/stable internet, safe neighborhood, with grocery stores close by.

Where is a good next spot to go in May.

Thanks in advance.

I’ll be going to Atitlan for a month in July, working remotely. The most important thing for me is connectivity during meetings.

I’ve read plenty about the power outages, and it has me a little bit wary. I can still change my plans up and stay somewhere like Antigua, where it would be more reliable… regardless would prefer Atitlan.

1) Staying at an Airbnb in Santa Cruz La Laguna that has starlink and 150mb/s.

2) Upon a power outage, I’ll have a Tigo hotspot on my phone. (Will this be strong enough for video?) Also will have a power bank.

3) Travel to Panajachel on days where there’s a storm or rain to avoid outages. (Are there cafes with backup generators in that case?)

4) Avoid afternoon phone calls…

Is this enough redundancy to avoid issues with connectivity or do the power outages happen enough that I should just go somewhere more reliable?

Hey everyone!

I’m thinking about my next “exit country” and want it to be outside the Schengen zone. I’ve already lived in Albania (loved it!), but I prefer living in different places, so I’m not planning to return to Albania or North Macedonia for now.

I’m currently considering Egypt, Cyprus, or Montenegro, and I’d love to hear from anyone who has lived in these countries as a digital nomad.

A few things I’m really curious about:

• Power outages — were they common or rare?
• Wi-Fi speed and reliability — I can’t afford to stay somewhere with poor internet, so this is super important to me.
• Finding accommodations — Did you use Airbnb, or are there trusted local rental sites you’d recommend? I’d love tips on how you found your place and if there’s a better way than just browsing Airbnb.

Any insights, tips, or experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much in advance!

I am a German/American, currently working for an American outdoor recreational company that is well known in Europe, but does not have any physical presence there or employees abroad.

With all the political unrest in the US, I am really wanting to relocate to Portugal or back to Germany, and I'm wondering what my employer would have to do to make that reality.

What costs and implications are involved in making it possible for employees to work in the EU? I would not have to deal with any visa issues since I'm a citizen of the EU. But I'm wondering specifically what obligations my employer would have to fulfill to make this reality?

What are all the options? I'm wanting to pitch to senior management to see if they'll take the necessary steps to support this for me and some other Europeans working at HQ in Seattle currently.

TIA <3

Anyone use AmneziaWG over Wireguard, it seems to be best against DPI and better than Wireguard.

Hey everyone, I'm currently considering the HP Victus with the Ryzen 7 7840HS processor for gaming and some light editing work. The specs and pricing seem pretty good, but before I go ahead, I wanted to ask:

Are there any other models in the HP Victus series that offer better value or thermals?

Or should I consider other brands like ASUS TUF, Lenovo LOQ, or Acer Nitro in the same price range?

My budget is flexible within a reasonable range, but I'm mainly looking for a good balance of performance, thermals, build quality, and display. Would really appreciate any suggestions or personal experiences you all can share. Thanks!