After graduating from college in 2017, I wanted more than anything to be a digital nomad. I had an online business at the time and was location-independent.
This was an inconceivable luxury at the time.
Remote work is much more common now, but in 2017, it felt surreal to earn a decent income without a daily commute. I felt that if I didn't embark on this journey, I was wasting the opportunity of a lifetime.
Asia was at the top of my list - with its kind locals, affordability, unbeatable food and safety, plus gorgeous places to visit.
So, like many do, I started off in Bangkok.
Let me tell you - Landing in Bangkok with my life packed in a suitcase was probably the most euphoric moment of my life.
Suddenly, I could go anywhere. And destinations that once took me 15 hours to reach were just an hour or two away.
But I was working. I couldn't just go on 3-5 day trips and keep hopping around. So I stayed in each place for at least 2 weeks, sometimes 4!
I don't want this to get too long, so I'll skip the many pleasantries from this wonderful trip.
But after 6–8 months of doing this, I began to feel mentally exhausted, more so than physically.
Maybe I was naive at the time, but there were a lot of things I hadn't foreseen.
The whole process of adapting to a new place, finding a gym, a phone plan, a favorite coffee shop to work from, maybe even making friends…
Only to then leave and start over was, to say the least, exhausting.
And that's assuming everything went smoothly in terms of finding a reasonable place, avoiding sickness, etc.
I ended up extending my stays in hopes of mitigating this, which helped in some ways but made goodbyes harder, especially if I'd formed a bond with someone. And longer-term stays often meant higher risk of booking somewhere I didn’t like for longer, as well as monthly visa runs and possible entry denials.
I initially thought this would be my life for a while, but after just over a year, I happily returned home.
During this time as a "nomad", I was torn between travel and work. I felt like I wasn't truly working nor truly traveling.
And I realize that's the whole point of it. But it didn't work for me.
Instead, I felt like I wasn't fully committed to neither my work nor my travels.
I much prefer having a place to call home where I spend the vast majority of my time, knowing exactly what to expect, for better or for worse. It also allows me to be more productive and creative, without the drain of constantly adjusting to new settings.
And when I do travel, it's purely for leisure, without the mix of work.
Many nomads I've chatted with over the years felt the same. Most returned home, some settled elsewhere as a base, but few continued the true nomadic life.
And while I don’t regret it in any way, as I would still be dreaming of it to this day if I hadn’t done it, it just wasn’t for me.
I felt this could be helpful as so many of us are now working remotely.
My New Video
Had a blast working on this, and I am glad you guys also liked it so much. :)
Monthly Picks
A handful of new finds that I think are worth sharing.
App - Eagle - Hard to overemphasize how crucial this app has been for my workflow. I spoke about it in my latest video at minute 13:00. I can’t recommend it enough if you’re a creative of any kind.
Newsletter - Maybe it’s because I’m nearing my 30s, but I'm starting to care slightly more about how I dress (even though I'm in a black T-shirt in all my videos), I’ve been reading WellBuiltStyle for a while now, and I’ve picked up plenty of inspiration, which I actually save using Eagle!
That's all I found worthy of sharing.
Thanks for reading :)