
I went full nomad and it almost broke me - NicoJuicy
https://hackernoon.com/i-went-full-nomad-and-it-almost-broke-me-2a02c5e8f138?source=rss----3a8144eabfe3---4
======
CPLX
I think this is an interesting topic but that article is basically
incomprehensible. It could have benefitted greatly from a little more of the
"first this happened, then this happened" approach rather than being an
impressionistic onslaught of feelings and vagueness.

~~~
RubenSandwich
This type of writing/speak is the equivalent of the classic interview
response: "My biggest weakness is that I'm such a hard worker." It doesn't
feel honest.

I wonder if that is because the author is a founding member of digital nomad
community/agency, honestly I have no idea exactly what it does because the
website is super vauge, so to question the lifestyle is to question his
livelihood.

~~~
goldenkey
You hit it on the nail. The article is actually somewhat of an advertisement.
The author is signaling about his "master status" as an exemplar of this
iconiclastic lifestyle. He needs to do this to sell his self-help books,
tutorials, advice, etc. He also needs to gain the credibility so he is invited
for talks for those mostly marketing based "Hacker Cons" where a bunch of semi
believable tinkerers tell their stories about how they did something so
special and mold breaking. And I don't mean technical conferences we all love.
I mean the bullshit ones.

~~~
applebeesam
Hahaha no plans to be th next Tony Robbins just yet but I'll let you know when
I start my cult ;)

~~~
goldenkey
Hahahaha, good one! I actually really love B. K. Robbins - he is my favorite
motivational sneaker! The way he speaks is so deliciously appetizing!

------
grecy
I'm full nomad right now - driving my Jeep around Africa for 2 years -
something like 80,000 miles through 30 countries over 2 years. [1]

I'm absolutely loving it. I will never go back to full time 9-5 5 days a week.
At this point, I don't even consider it life.

Previously I drove Alaska to Argentina - 16 countries over 2 years and 40,000
miles. I also loved every second of that! [2]

[1] [http://theroadchoseme.com/africa-expedition-
overview](http://theroadchoseme.com/africa-expedition-overview)

[2] [http://theroadchoseme.com/expedition-
overview](http://theroadchoseme.com/expedition-overview)

~~~
TeeWEE
Driving alone around in Africa is what you consider life? I know working 9-5
is not a good life. However working on something you love, in an environment
with friends and family and fun, is a good life i.m.h.o. I always have the
feeling nomads always need to shout of the roofs of "how much better their
life is". However I do think, what you are doing is super cool. However seeing
it as "this is the only life thats worth living" is a bit extreme.

~~~
overcast
Honestly, it sounds more like just an advertisement for their "lifestyle
blog". Just like everyone and their mother is vegan now, and has to make sure
you know it every second of the day.

~~~
goldenkey
"Look I'm worldly - I'm traveling the world!"

"Look, I'm a founder! I put a web app up!"

"Sign up for my newletter, my blog, my instagram, my X, Y, Z so you can find
out how to make the same ad revenue I do, off of people just like you! You
don't have to be you forever..you can take advantage of the yous and become
one of the mes!"

/s

~~~
overcast
Not sure if you're trying to instigate, but I agree that there is just too
much marketing noise, and I wish everyone would just shut up.

------
Kluny
I was hoping to find out what a "magnitude 8" burnout actually looks like, but
I didn't get it from this article.

What made his mentor ask if he was okay? What does low energy mean for this
guy? What came between the realization and the recovery?

For me it was burying myself in social media, reading books, and binging
pirated TV shows. I had a pattern of beating myself up internally for not
going out and making friends, taking on or finishing projects, or even doing
basic tasks like laundry and cooking. When the voice of self abuse started -
usually the moment after my partner left the room, but sometimes even before
that - I'd whip out my phone instantly to quieten it. Many days I'd sit at the
kitchen table for five or six hours, scrolling feeds and watching shows,
waiting for my partner to come home and give me enough motivation to pretend
to be human for a while.

I kept thinking, how can I be stressed? All I'm doing is sitting in the
kitchen. There's no stress here.

But I was living in someone else's house in a country where I had few friends
and didn't speak the language. I had just started a new, remote job which was
mentally demanding, and had no one, not even co-workers, to talk to about it.
I stopped stopped doing my two healthiest activities - writing and cycling -
except on rare occasions.

I got to the point where I left the relationship, and went home- though I
didn't want to- because I couldn't recognize myself at all anymore and didn't
know how to get back to myself except by returning to the last place where I
felt like a human. I'm two months into recovery now and have only just gotten
to the point where I can sleep through the night, sometimes.

That's what it looked like for me. Hope it helps someone else realize what
that feeling is. It took me way too long to recognize it, and by then it was
too late.

------
jondubois
I've been a nomad for almost 2 years now changing countries often (about 10
different ones) while working remotely for various companies with a dependent
spouse and practically no savings.

It's stressful because changing countries always turns out to be a lot more
expensive than it seems, also changing companies as well is difficult; it's
mostly contracting so sometimes they don't pay on time. Remote work is also
draining because the boundary between your work and personal life is blurred.

Also, one time I had to leave a hotel without checking out because I knew that
I couldn't afford the bill on a Sunday because my international payment was
delayed and due to arrive during business hours on Monday; I had to check out
over the phone the next day. The worst part was that in the process the client
I was working for probably figured out that I was broke.

You need a really high income in order to do it and ideally if you have
partner they should be able to find remote work as well (it's not always
possible depending on the profession).

After 1 year, it's really not fun at all but I guess it builds your character;
it pushes you to the edge of your abilities and gives you confidence that you
can survive anything in any environment. Initially I did it because I wanted
to travel but eventually it just became an effective career-optimization
strategy. If you're willing to relocate absolutely anywhere, a lot of
opportunities open up to you and you become better at identifying good ones.

~~~
SirFatty
I'm shocked that living in hotels requires a high income. Shocked.

~~~
jondubois
Usually I do AirBnb which is much cheaper but on rare occasions hotels are the
best options.

If I plan to stay 6 months+, I will get a lease, but it's sometimes tricky
depending on the country.

------
empath75
I went backpacking for 3 months a while back, in the developing world and
while the freedom is exhilirating, it does get boring and lonely from time to
time.

It’s easy to make friends while traveling, but they are very surface level
friendships and when you inevitably split up and go your separate ways, it’s
sort of heartbreaking because you’re alone and have to start over again.

Not to mention that you’re essentially homeless, which has its own nagging
feeling of insecurity.

Long term travel definitely worth doing, but I’m not sure I would want to do
it again.

~~~
taneq
Yeah, I'm the same. I'm glad I did the backpacking thing but it starts to do
my head in after a while. I need my own "home base". Maybe with a big enough
RV it'd be OK.

------
mark_l_watson
Not to be rude, but moving once a month seems crazy to me.

I thought that most countries give a six month visa. I would think that it
would take me a couple of weeks to get settled: finding a place to stay,
getting used to foraging for food and getting used to new types of food.
Arranging good Internet connectivity. Also, moving every month would be
expensive.

EDIT: also, staying places 4-6 months would provide more opportunity for
longer lasting friendships.

~~~
monort
There are almost no countries, that allow tourist visa for six months. Work
visa usually requires a local sponsor. World is not adapted to idea of
nomadism.

~~~
gexla
The Philippines allows you to extend up to a year (longer if you jump through
some hoops). That's multiple extensions, but you don't have to leave the
country until you approach the 1 year point. After that, you can come right
back.

------
ryannevius
IMHO, there's a big difference between (a) working as a "digital nomad" and
(b) trying to make an income while vacationing all over the place. I have had
great success with the former, which allows you to save money with longer
stays in each location. The latter means you're wasting more time moving (both
planning your next move and physically traveling), are paying tourist rates
often (for everything).

------
globcal
I love the nomad lifestyle, in the US being a nomad was easy especially if you
have a big vehicle (I had a bus) because once you pass the suspect screens
that the police implement to get a green light in their system you are no
longer harassed. Here in South America it is different most foreigners are
treated very well backpacking or with a vehicle, if you know the language and
present yourself well. It is very hard to be broken if you have all your wits,
desire, motivation and determination, a person can go indefinitely with a
laptop and a backpack without ever stopping or until you complicate it.

~~~
Toast_25
What part of south america are you in, if you don't mind me asking? I'm living
in south america and I'm worried about the lack of safety drug cartels cause,
making me travel less often than I'd like.

------
erik_landerholm
I would never hire anyone that “works” like this. This all reeks of bullshit,
the whole working nomad lifestyle. I know people that do it. Their definition
of work and mine are very different.

------
Elv13
Former full Digital Nomad and current sporadic Digital Nomad here (37
countries so far).

First time I "went rogue" and left everything behind was more a rejection and
"overdose" of normality. Repeating the same day over and over and little to no
variation beside the name of the source code file.

I didn't know what I was doing, but I became good at it quickly enough.

> Nomadic life is hugely variable and it’s difficult to see patterns emerging.

That's his issue. The patterns are important too. You don't press the reset
button everytime you move. It sucks, but a new city is just another city. A
country side Airbnb is just another one, a language barrier is just another
one. It removes some of the "explorator" fun, but you _have_ to treat this as
a cycle.

Another tip I learn the hard way, but early enough, was _not_ to plan ahead.
Murphy laws is part of the fun. You have to be more flexible than randomness
itself. Not knowing what's ahead __remove __the stress about the future. The
70 's punks might have been on something after all. With smartphone, you can
book [planes/hotels/buses] last minute and get discounts. Not as big as
planing months ahead, but enough to keep going (compared to full tourist
rate).

Be yourself (for whatever that means). Don't try to follow a recipe for
success or happyness. Freedom is about not following a path. That alone is the
most rewarding aspect.

Also, "it's just a job" is important to accept. It's a job to and for
yourself. The Nomad is your "job", not yourself. It's better to take a step
back and just float above it all. If you take the Nomad thing too seriously
and use it to define yourself, you are doomed.

One last thing thing that has to go is any sense of pride or ideological
ideals about the whole Nomad thing. If you see it more about a meta joke about
not liking normality, not knowing how to fix it, but trying nevertheless, then
you will be fine.

[https://xkcd.com/137/](https://xkcd.com/137/)

~~~
dlandis
How do digital nomads deal with paying income taxes (assuming they are
programming or freelancing along the way)?

~~~
Elv13
If you spend more than 6 month outside of your home base country, it gets
complicated. I did that once and wont do it again.

This year I only spent ~2 months on the road so there is no problems. From now
on, that probably will be the way to go. A real home base all year long with a
big (or 2) big Digital Nomad trips. Being "homeless" and full Nomad is a
little too much (unless you got a VR or something, but that restrict you to
North/South America)

You also have to take into account who pay the value added taxes, that's the
complicated part. When in Canada, depending on the province, one of the tax is
paid by the customer and I charge the customer the other one. When clients are
outside of the country, but I am legally working from Canada, then it's export
and it's their problem. Some there is a lot of gotcha and product categories
and trade deals. Thankfully I only work in a single field, so I don't have to
learn them all.

------
forgotmypw
Could someone please post the text of the article? I find it challenging to
read this site...

~~~
mgkimsal
many browsers have 'reader mode' \- the article was fine to read in safari's
'reader mode'.

~~~
ZenoArrow
Not all mobile browsers have this feature. I also had issues reading the site.

------
ttoinou
Maybe he should try some nomad-coliving stuff out there

~~~
talideon
You mean, a hostel? :-)

------
gfodor
I clicked on the title thinking this was a story about someone who went off
the deep end after writing too much Haskell.

~~~
mabbo
I too have not have enough coffee yet today and made the same mistake.

