How to become a digital nomad with no experience
Introduction
Becoming a Digital Nomad is great but it does not simply happen out of thin air. There are some steps that you will have to take before you land in your destination. The sooner you start with this process, the better. There are some things on this checklist that you will need to start months in advance before you go on your journey. I hope that this checklist helps you and if you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out to me via email.
The Checklist
Do I really want to do this?
First, you need to ask yourself if you really want to do this. There are both positives and negatives in being a digital nomad. I am going to list some pros and cons of being a digital nomad. If you know that you cannot cope with these cons, then perhaps being a digital nomad is not for you.
Cons:
Stress. Do you cope well with stress? Traveling is innately stressful. Booking accommodations, finding SIM cards, learning how to navigate the public transport system, and having a language gap are a few of the many stressors that come with being a digital nomad.
Lack of Stability. Your travels will take you to various places. Just when you have finally figured out a particular destination and grown comfortable there, it will be time to move onto the next destination. You will not have a place to call your own. You will truly be a nomad, wandering from one place to the next.
Loneliness. If you are a sociable person, then you may struggle to cope with the loneliness that comes with being a digital nomad. It is not how social media portrays it. Sometimes travel is incredibly lonely. You can go weeks and months without making a meaningful connection with someone. You have to be ok with your own company.
Fomo. Life goes on when you leave. Friends will meet up without you, birthday parties will still happen, and those fun events that you loved attending so much will still take place without you. You have to consider what you are leaving behind, and if it is worth it to you personally to embark on this journey.
Work/Life Balance. You are not going on permanent vacation. There have been many weeks where I work 12+ hours a day for 6 days a week. If you are a freelancer/entrepreneur sometimes you have to hustle and grind for clients and work. Weeks can go by and all you did was eat, sleep, and work.
How others perceive you. Those closest to you might condemn your decision to become a digital nomad. They will not understand why you are doing this no matter how hard you try to explain it. This can be painful, but over time they will most likely start to acceptt your decision.
Pros:
Full time travel. You know how when you were a kid and time seemed to stretch on for forever? Time does that when you travel. You are experiencing so many new things that the days, weeks, and months feel longer. Travel truly is amazing and time spent traveling is just more meaningful. You get to see all of the places you dreamed of seeing, meet new people, learn new languages, and encounter new cultures.
Work from wherever you want. Tired of waking up and driving to work 5 days a week? Well the good news is, that you will no longer have to do that. Lazy and want to work from home for the day? Totally fine! Want to work at a nice coffee shop? Go for it! Want to work at a co-working space and meet other like minded travelers? No Problem!
Experience new cultures. One of the coolest things about travel is experiencing an entirely new culture. You quickly learn that there is no such thing as a perfect country and that each country does amazing things that you can begin to implement in your own life. For example, I got this from the Mediterranean Europeans, taking a couple hours off around lunch time to go to a cafe to drink some coffee, and clear my mind before returning back to work. This has been a game changer for my productivity and overall happiness.
Personal growth. You will grow as a person in more ways than you expect. You will come back a completely different person. Travel does a good job of teaching you what is important and what is not. You will also quickly discover what you are truly passionate about. Your life will be redirected to a route that brings you the most satisfaction and personal happiness if you allow it.
Meeting new people. You will create a global network that spans across the entire world. You will meet Koreans and Ukrainians in a hostel in Venice. You will meet Brazilians in Spain who invite you into their home and make you feel like family. You will meet a Greek woman in Edinburgh who invites you to her house to cook you a traditional Greek meal. You will meet a family from Cyprus who befriends you and looks out for you while you are there. Whether they are in your life for a short time or a long time, these people you meet will make a positive difference in your life and teach you many valuable lessons.
There are many more pros and cons that I could list. These are just a few to get you thinking. I would encourage you to make your own pros and cons list before deciding to become a digital nomad. If your cons outweigh your pros, you might want to reconsider becoming a digital nomad.
2. Get your money straight
You must have a way to generate income. Depending on where you go, the cost of living could be higher than where you currently are. If that is the case, you will need to save up some money before you go just to be safe. One of the worst things that can happen to you is running out of money and not having a way back home. There are plenty of remote job websites that you can start applying at.
Here are some tips as it relates to Finances:
Build a resume. There are many templates out there, just make sure you choose the one appropriate for the jobs you're applying to. If you are applying to tech jobs, then it is not wise to apply with an artsy resume. Make sure to do some research on the perfect resume. If you do not have the right keywords and layout, then your resume will be tossed in the trash.
Start applying for jobs. On average you will have to send your resume out to 30-50 companies before you get a response. Do not get disheartened, keep grinding and you will be rewarded. There are plenty of working nomad jobs out there. Rejection can be hard, but keep putting your resume out there. There are also numerous working nomads who are established and are looking to hire other working nomads to their team. Go to Facebook and search for working nomads groups and you will find working nomad job opportunities.
Do not quit your current job. Only quit your job when you definitively have another one. Maybe you can discuss with your boss about making your position into a fully remote one.
Create a savings account. This can serve as an emergency fund, travel fund, or both. I would say $5,000 - 10,000 is a good starting point. The more the better.
Create a budget. Whether you use the 50-30-20 (50% on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings) or something else, it is still important to have a budget. You need to know how much you can spend on lodging, food, fun, and any other category in a given month. Calculate your expenses and make sure that it does not exceed your earnings. We all want to stay in nice Airbnb’s, eat at fancy restaurants, and go to all of the activities but sometimes that is not feasible based on your budget. Your digital nomad salary could potentially be less than what you currently make. You might need to adjust your spending habits.
Try not to leave with debt. Erase it before you go if possible. It is just another payment nipping away at your money.
3. Cut off commitments
Quit your current job. This can be one of the most difficult steps. Being factual and giving my “why” made the conversation with my boss extremely easy. Maybe just maybe, you can convince your boss to turn your roll into a remote one.
End your housing arrangement. If you are renting, then you will need to terminate your lease and inform your landlord. If you own a house, you can either rent it out when you leave or sell it and use the money towards your travels.
Cancel memberships and subscriptions. Gym memberships, golf memberships, club memberships, magazines, delivery services, will all need to be canceled, unless you do not mind paying for something that you will not be using for quite some time.
4. Get rid of unnecessary stuff
Sell as many things as possible. The more items you sell the more money you make. The more money you make the more stability you have when traveling. Perhaps you have the money and would rather donate your belongings. That is perfectly fine, and I would encourage you to do that, if you have a strong financial situation.
Store what you do not want to get rid of. If you are concerned with your stuff getting molded or destroyed by heat then consider a temperature controlled storage unit. We pay around $65 USD a month to store our stuff in a temperature controlled unit. If you can find someone who is willing to store your stuff at their place, then that would be optimal.
5. Forward your mail
You will have to change your address and forward your mail to either a friend or family member. If it is important you can pay your friends/family to mail it to you wherever you are in the world.
6. Choose where you want to go
I wanted to learn Spanish and also be able to travel throughout Europe, so I chose Spain. Figure out where you want to go by making a pros and cons list. This will help you narrow down your locations. Chances are you will travel to multiple places, so having a long list can be beneficial.
Some things to consider before you purchase your tickets:
Visa options. If you want to get a residency visa then you will need to fill out a bunch of paperwork. If you go this route, you might want to consider hiring a visa lawyer to make sure you do everything correctly or you will have to start over when denied. If you are just going on a travelers visa you will need to know how long you can legally stay in the country. Additionally, you might want to consider going on a student visa, most countries will let you work on student visa. Lastly, some countries have digital nomad visas specifically designed for digital nomads. Make sure to research what kind of visa you want. Just be aware that student and residency visas can take a couple months to get all of the necessary paperwork. Begins this process well in advance!
Do they have a good expat community? It is awesome to meet locals but it can be challenging. The locals have grown up together and have tight-knit bonds, and chances are they are not looking to add new people into their friend group who will only be there for a short time. The best option you will have of making friends is through the expat community. Make sure to check facebook groups and see if there is an active expat community there. Building a digital nomad community will contribute greatly to your overall happiness.
What is the internet quality like? If you are working remotely, then you will need great internet. You are dependent on the speed of the internet to make money, so make sure that it is fast!
Where will you stay? I stay in Airbnb’s for a month at a time to get the monthly discounted rate. You can easily put in your budget and dates on Airbnb and it will give you options for your area of choice. I usually look at more than a few areas to make sure that I am getting the best Airbnb at the best price. If I am going on shorter trips then I will seek out hostels so that I can easily make friends at the new location. Sometimes you will find people online who are willing to do shorter leases on apartments for a much cheaper price, but this will depend on your location. Additionally, you can find house sitting and pet sitting opportunities at super nice houses and apartments. These can range from a few days to a month or more. This is a great way to save money.
Purchase Your Hotel Stay HERE
7. Organize your arrival
Purchase your flights. You will need to look as far in advance as possible. The closer you wait until your departure the more expensive the flights will be. You also need to consider that some countries need proof of flight continuation. They fear that you might decide to stay there for forever and therefore want to see that you have flights scheduled to leave their country. Do your research before landing in your chosen country.
Purchase Your Flight HERE
Up-to-date Passport. Your passport will not be accepted in most countries if you only have 6 months left on it. You will also need enough pages for visas and stamps. If your passport is expiring soon you will need to get a new one. Make sure you do this a few months before your departure.
Residency and taxes. Some countries will require you to pay taxes in their country if you go on a residency visa as well as paying taxes in your home country. Make sure to research the tax situation in your country so that you do not find yourself in legal problems
8. Health Checks & Insurance
Health Insurance. Depending on where you go, some countries will require you to have health insurance. You can either get insurance in their country or nomad/travel insurance. I personally use Safety Wing.
Health Care. It is a good idea to get some check ups before you leave. Go to the doctor one last time and make sure you are up-to-date on your vaccinations. Go to the Dentist and make sure that you do not have any dental problems. Think of any other health related appointments that you can make. Make sure that you do not have any serious health problems before you leave the country.
9. Set up a banking account
I personally use Charles Schwab because it waves atm and conversion fees. It also has great investment options. Outside of that I use Capital One Checking and Savings as well as my Capital One Venture Credit Card (I believe it is the best travel credit card on the market) . Lastly, I use Revolut Debit Card as it allows me to easily transfer money from one currency to another. Whatever you choose, just make sure that your bank does not charge withdrawal and conversion fees. If you are going to keep your current bank make sure to notify them that you will be traveling.
Get your Capital One Venture Card HERE
No Foreign Transaction Fees, Redeem Miles for Travel, Global Entry/TSA Pre Check Credit, Great APR
10. International Drivers License
Most places will accept your standard driver's license from your country, but there are a few exceptions. The process is simple and does not take long at all. I am an American and got mine at AAA and it took no longer than 15 minutes.
11. Packing Checklist
Consult my packing checking list to make sure you have everything you need. Click the link below.
Digital Nomad Packing List HERE
12. Get a VPN
This comes in handy when you want to watch HBO while abroad. A VPN essentially allows you to access an internet server in another country as if you were actually there. Sometimes you can run into problems and restrictions with the local internet, and a VPN will allow you to bypass those restrictions. Using a VPN also protects you from potential cyber attacks. I personally use Express VPN.
Get Express VPN HERE and Get Your 1st Month Entirely Free!
13. Sim Cards
I just use local sim cards and it has worked fine for me. The only trouble I have is when two-factor authentication steps in and sends a code to my old phone number that is no longer in service. You can change your 2-step authentication number to your parents/friends number back home, and they in turn can tell you the code. Or you can get Google Authenticator. I am still researching how to get around 2-step authentication, but it seems to be a collective problem for all digital nomads. It is best to figure this out before you leave.
14. Make copies of all important documents
It is wise to have multiple copies of all your important documents and store them in different places. If you lose your passport and have a copy of it, you can simply go to your closest embassy and get a new one by showing them your copy.
15. Networking
Consider networking with other nomads before you arrive. If you are nervous about not knowing anyone then this will help you out significantly. Go to groups on Facebook and start connecting with people who you think you will vibe with. I would encourage you to build a supportive digital nomad community.
16. Learn the Laws of the land
Do not do something stupid and get thrown in jail. Chances are the laws of where you are going will be much different than in your home country. It is better to be safe than sorry, so do your research!
17. Learn the Language
Start learning the language of where you are going. I use DuoLingo, Pimsleur, Spotify Podcasts, and language reading books. Consider purchasing some books and getting lessons online. Whatever you do, it is good to know basic terminology.
Conclusion
Becoming a digital nomad is one of the best decisions that I have made in my life. It is not all sunshine and rainbows but it definitely beats working a 9-5 and living for the weekends. For me, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. If you have any questions about the process of becoming a digital nomad, then feel free to contact me via email. I hope this checklist makes the process easy for you!
