Soon enough, I’ll embark on a journey. I have had a dream of becoming a digital nomad for a few years, so I have committed to making it happen. I’ve got just under a year until I actually leave my home country and start on this new journey. I wanted to have some time to adjust and prepare for such a massive lifestyle change. By the time I leave, I would have been out of traditional employment for just over a year and a half.
I’m currently just approaching the halfway mark. Having had some time, I wanted to write about some things that have really helped me transition into a remote lifestyle.
Figuring Out Finances
Of course, this comes at the top of the list. It’s no good flying halfway across the world just to end up flat broke in some dingy hostel halfway across the world! Finding work that I am in control of has been the single biggest shift I have made. Nowadays, there are so many online platforms that pay you by the hour, with zero minimum commitment and no upper limit. This is the dream. Although job security is often non-existent with such platforms, they make up for it in flexibility. Want to have a 2 week long action packed adventure? Go for it! Need a bit of extra money for your flight to your next destination? Just work a few more hours. As long as you save, and have a nice cushion to fall back on just in case, this is a great opportunity. It’s desirable to have multiple sources of income too. Have a skill like web development (or really anything somebody would pay for)? Why not try to find some customers? More streams can’t hurt! One of the main reasons I wanted to have such a long transition period was to find out how I could actually make money without a normal job. I’m happy to report it’s definitely possible. It’s been a while for me now, and I'm still here!
A Portable Setup
To be able to work from anywhere, I need to be able to focus anywhere, and for that, I need to be comfortable anywhere. I wanted a remote setup that had to tick a few boxes. Firstly, I wanted the setup to be as minimal as possible. This means no extra keyboard or mouse (not that I use a mouse anyways), just my laptop. I bought and external monitor and a small stand for it. I use the screens in a vertical layout, which keeps my neck position neutral while allowing me to use my laptop’s keyboard. It works great. Another big issue is power. Even if you have a great charging block (I managed to get one with universal sockets and 165W charging), sometimes you just don’t have access to a socket! I got a massive Anker portable charger which can charge my MacBook 1.5x times. This way I can get a whole days work done without a socket, really great in a pinch. Because of these things, I can squeeze in a couple of hours no matter where I am!
Finally, Practice
It’s all well and good having a nice setup, but you need to be able to use it. Even though I have not left the UK yet, I am taking the time to practice working in different places. Coffee shops, public libraries, and even some unexpected places like art galleries. If you keep your eyes open, you can find lots of suitable places no matter where you are. Now, I feel comfortable scouting a location, setting up and locking in anywhere I am.
Because of these proactive steps, I feel super confident in my ability to work on the road, the first, and arguably most important step of being a digital nomad!