Description
Why work from home when you can work anywhere?
Not all who wander are lost! Digital Nomads For Dummies answers all your questions about living and working away from home, short term or long term. Become a globetrotter or just trot around your home country, with the help of experienced digital nomad Kristin Wilson. Millions of people have already embraced the lifestyle, moving around as the spirit takes them, exploring new places while holding down a job and building a fantastic career. Learn the tricks of building a nomad mindset, keeping your income flowing, creating a relocation plan, and enjoying the wonders of the world around you.
- Learn what digital nomadism is and whether it's the right lifestyle for you
- Uncover tips and ideas for keeping travel fun while holding down a 9-to-5
- Travel solo or with a family, internationally or within your home country
- Create a plan so you can keep growing in your career, no matter where you are
If you’re ready to put the office life behind you and the open road in front of you, check out Digital Nomads For Dummiesand get your adventure started!
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
About This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 3
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: Getting Started as a Digital Nomad 5
Chapter 1: Getting a Taste of the Digital Nomad Lifestyle 7
Defining the Digital Nomad 9
Seeing Who’s Adopting the Nomad Lifestyle 11
Generations: Z, Millennials, X, Baby Boomers 11
People from many parts of the world 12
Meandering men and wandering women 13
Folks at every career stage 13
Employees from an assortment of industries 13
The have-lots-of-money, the have-some-money, and the have-little-money sets 14
Why roam? 14
Why now? 15
Busting Common Myths and Assumptions 17
Nomading isn’t a job 18
Age is just a number 18
No tech skills necessary 19
Nomads aren’t backpackers 19
Nomads aren’t travel bloggers 20
Nomads aren’t tourists, either 20
Nomads aren’t always traveling 20
Traveling is more affordable than you think 21
Deciding Whether the Digital Nomad Lifestyle Is Right for You 21
Exploring the potential benefits 21
Recognizing the potential drawbacks 23
Chapter 2: Seeing Yourself as a Digital Nomad 25
Defining Your Passion and Purpose: Establishing Your Why 26
Envisioning Your Future as a Digital Nomad 27
Full-time nomads 28
Part-time nomads 28
Expats and settlers 29
Your type of nomad 30
Evaluating Solo versus Group Travel 30
Traveling with Kids 31
Discussing Your Vision with Family, Friends, and Colleagues 34
Breaking the news that you’re pursuing your wanderlust 35
Addressing common concerns 36
Facing the Fear of Failure as a Nomad 37
Fear of failure is healthy (and normal) 38
When in doubt, start small 39
Picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and regrouping 40
Chapter 3: Setting a Realistic Budget 41
Considering Expenses and Income Needs When You’re a Nomad 41
Calculating Your Cost of Living 42
Analyzing Digital Nomad Switching Costs 45
Time-related costs 46
Money-related costs 47
Creating a Digital Nomad Budget 48
Pre-departure budget 48
Monthly cost-of-living budget 48
Chapter 4: Keeping or Quitting Your Day Job 51
Deciding Whether You Should Keep or Quit Your Job 52
Evaluating the pros and cons of keeping your job 52
Considering the pros and cons of quitting 54
Approaching Your Boss About Becoming a Digital Nomad 55
Gathering your research 55
Preparing your case 57
Presenting your case 57
Negotiating rebuttals 58
Knowing when to walk away 58
Part 2: Making Money as a Digital Nomad 61
Chapter 5: Have Laptop, Will Travel (and Work, of Course) 63
Previewing the Routes to Becoming a Digital Nomad 64
Becoming a remote employee 65
Freelancing your way to freedom 67
Becoming an online business owner 69
Earning passive income 70
Combining multiple income streams 71
Considering Popular Digital Nomad Jobs 72
Accounting and finance 72
Affiliate marketing 73
Blogging and writing 73
Coaching, consulting, and teaching 75
Computer and information technology 76
Creating a personal brand as an influencer 77
Creative and design work 78
Customer service and virtual assistance 79
Digital marketing 80
Dropshipping and ecommerce 80
Medical and health 81
Project management 81
Sales 82
Social media management 82
Using Online Platforms to Find Work 83
Navigating the top remote jobs boards 83
Exploring remote jobs forums and Slack communities 86
Checking out Facebook groups 87
Attending virtual job fairs 87
Reaching Out to Real People 88
Going old school with cold outreach 88
Leveraging LinkedIn 89
Attracting employers through social media and content 89
Networking at conferences and events 90
Chapter 6: Creating Your Own Remote Job 93
Turning a Traditional Job into a Remote Job 94
Finding examples in your field 95
Mapping your job 96
Analyzing Your Skills and Expertise 97
What you think you’re good at 98
What other people think you’re good at 99
What people pay you for 99
Bridging a skills gap 100
Evaluating Your Passions 101
Leveraging what you love to do 101
Finding the limits of your passion’s potential 102
Designing a New Job 103
Giving This Remote Thing a Try and Telling the World What You Do 104
Communicating your core offer 104
Updating social media profiles 105
Finding Your First Clients 106
Your personal network 106
Posting on online platforms 106
Gathering Proof of Concept 107
Collecting case studies 107
Getting testimonials and referrals 108
Chapter 7: Adopting Best Practices for Success 109
Creating Your Work-From-Home Plan 110
Maximizing your peak hours of the day 110
Mixing up your work environment 112
Exploring Co-Working Spaces and Alternate Workspaces 114
Choosing a co-working space (what to look for) 114
Booking shared and remote offices abroad 115
Ensuring Smooth Cross-Border Communication 117
Finding your communication style 117
Becoming an expert in converting times across time zones 119
Collaborating on Remote Teams 120
Clarifying communication expectations 121
Remaining accessible (or not) 122
Staying visible and bonding with your remote team members 122
Sourcing Contractors and Virtual Assistants 124
Deciding whether you need support 124
Knowing where to find contractors and administrative help 125
Choosing Between Remote Work Tools 126
Part 3: Traveling and Living Abroad as a Digital Nomad 129
Chapter 8: Choosing a Destination 131
Dreaming of the Ideal Destination 131
Considering Key Factors 133
Border control 134
Climate and seasonality 134
Cost of living 136
Safety and security 136
Bucket list 136
Community 137
Lifestyle 137
Work environment 138
Scoping Out Regions of the World 138
Africa 139
Asia 140
Caribbean and North Atlantic 141
Central and South America 141
Middle East 142
North America 142
Europe 143
Oceania 145
Deciding Where to Go and When 146
Chapter 9: Creating Your Digital Nomad Relocation Plan 149
Finding Your Travel Flow 150
Batching your travel 150
Planning your travel in advance 152
Getting Your Finances in Order 153
Updating your banking services 153
Accessing your money with money transfer apps 154
Getting paid remotely 155
Applying for travel rewards cards 156
Accounting for Taxes at Home and Abroad 157
Deciding What to Do with Your Stuff 158
What can you trash? 159
What can you sell? 159
What to do with your house 160
What to do with your car 160
What can you donate? 160
What should you keep? 160
Getting Your Affairs in Order 161
Checking your health 161
Getting insured 162
Changing your mailing address 162
Choosing an international phone plan 163
Bringing your Internet with you 164
Tying up loose ends 164
Applying for Travel Documents, Visas, and Permits 165
Obtaining your passport 165
Knowing if you need a visa for travel 166
Applying for visas 169
Extending your stay 170
Golden visas 172
Digital nomad visas 173
Chapter 10: Finding Housing Abroad 175
Checking Out the Different Housing Types 176
Short term: Just a few weeks or months 176
Long term: Settling in for a few months or longer 177
Private: Having the place all to yourself 178
Shared: Back to college dorm life 178
Co-living: Living in a community 179
Travel retreats: Joining a travel tribe 180
Alternative housing: Boats, treehouses, and beyond 181
House-swapping: The modern take on trading places 182
House-sitting: Taking care of someone else’s place 183
Pet-sitting: Loving someone else’s fur baby 183
Homestays 184
Planning Your Housing Search 184
Knowing what to look for in a rental property 185
Learning about a location 187
Searching for Housing 188
Short-term vacation rentals websites 188
Finding long-term housing 190
Facebook groups and forums 191
Local classifieds listings 193
Search engine strategies 193
Property management companies 194
Real estate offices 195
In-person searching 195
Reserving and Booking Your Housing 195
Negotiating the best price 196
Paying for housing 196
Avoiding scams 197
Getting your security deposit refunded 197
Chapter 11: Managing Travel Logistics 199
Making Your Adventure a Reality 199
Purchasing travel and health insurance 200
Joining travel rewards programs 200
Checking health requirements 201
Booking your flight 202
Packing your bags 204
Traveling with pets 208
Preparing for Departure and Arrival 209
Downloading Digital Nomad-Friendly Travel Apps 210
Lining Up Essential Services in Your Destination 211
Buying a SIM card 211
Exchanging money 212
Part 4: Living a Full and Healthy Life as a Digital Nomad 213
Chapter 12: Maintaining Your Health and Wellness 215
Staying Healthy on the Road 216
Being insured 216
Practicing good hygiene 216
Using protection 217
Drinking the water (or not) 217
Minimizing jet lag 218
Maintaining Your Physical Health 219
Eating healthy 219
Sleeping well 220
Exercising your way around the world 221
Getting sufficient sunshine and vitamin D 222
Reducing your alcohol intake 223
Maintaining Your Mental Health 223
Staying mindful 224
Embracing human connection 224
Talking it out 224
Taking time off for rest and self-care 224
Cheering yourself up 225
Comparing and Contrasting Health and Medical Insurance 226
International emergency travel medical insurance 226
International health insurance 228
Local tourist insurance for foreigners 230
Keeping your home country health insurance 231
Travel medical and health insurance for seniors 232
Best practices for purchasing insurance 232
Navigating Healthcare Systems in Foreign Lands 233
Finding medical care abroad 233
Chapter 13: Finding a Productivity and Work Life Balance 235
Achieving Peak Productivity as a Digital Nomad 235
Determining how much to work 236
Planning your remote workday and daily routine 237
Designating a workspace 238
Optimizing your productivity 239
Avoiding common productivity mistakes 240
Establishing a Healthy Work-Life Balance 241
Avoiding and recovering from remote work burnout 242
Combining work sprints with sabbaticals 244
Chapter 14: Meeting People and Making Friends 247
Meeting People In Real Life 247
Daily life abroad 248
Finding local events and things to do 248
Joining expat organizations 249
Meeting fellow travelers 250
Volunteering 251
Meeting the locals 251
Meeting People on the Job 253
Networking abroad 253
Finding a mentor 254
Cold contacting people 254
Joining a mastermind 254
Growing your own network 255
Meeting people through content creation 256
Becoming a Part of the Digital Nomad Community 256
Digital nomad conferences and events 257
Digital nomad Facebook groups 258
Digital nomad membership sites and forums 259
Virtual summits 259
Co-living arrangements 259
Dating as a Digital Nomad 260
Dating as a “settler” 260
Dating as a perpetual traveler 261
Staying Connected with Friends and Family 263
Chapter 15: Adapting to Life in a Foreign Country 265
Getting Settled In-Country 265
First things, first 266
Scoping out the neighborhood 266
Getting around 267
Receiving mail 268
Finding Internet anywhere 268
Riding the Cultural Adaptation Curve 269
Coping with culture shock 269
Learning a new language 272
Handling homesickness and loneliness 274
Ensuring Your Personal Safety and Security 275
Taking precautions 276
Planning for emergencies 278
Chapter 16: Succeeding Long Term in the Digital Nomad Lifestyle 281
Improving Your Odds of Success 281
Measuring what success means to you 282
Understanding why some digital nomads fail 283
Brushing up on the secrets to success 285
Developing Your Digital Nomad Exit Strategy 287
Remaining nomadic 288
Settling abroad 288
Returning home and experiencing reverse culture shock 288
Predicting Digital Nomad Migration Patterns and the Future of Work 290
Part 5: The Part of Tens 293
Chapter 17: Ten Tips for Success as a Digital Nomad 295
Getting Clarity on Why You Want to Become a Digital Nomad 295
Having a Reliable Source of Income 296
Taking Action on Your Career and Personal Goals 296
Achieving Work-Life Balance 297
Traveling at a Sustainable Pace 297
Creating a Daily Routine 297
Staying Open-Minded and Maintaining a Flexible and Resilient Attitude 298
Integrating with New Cultures 298
Finding a Community and Relying on Your Support System 299
Being Honest with Yourself and Reflecting Regularly 299
Chapter 18: Avoiding Ten Common Mistakes New Digital Nomads Make 301
Lacking Clarity on Goals and Your Why 302
Planning Too Much or Not Enough 302
Failing to Budget Accurately 303
Spending Too Much Time SightSeeing and Socializing 303
Traveling Too Fast 304
Struggling to Adjust to Different Cultures 304
Remaining Close-Minded and Inflexible 305
Being Unable to Cope with Occasional Loneliness 305
Inconsistent Daily Habits and Routines 306
Putting Others’ Opinions Ahead of Your Own 306
Chapter 19: More Than Ten Popular Destinations for Work and Play 307
Argentina 308
Bulgaria 308
Canary Islands, Spain 309
Croatia 309
Indonesia 309
Mexico 310
Portugal 310
Taiwan 311
Thailand 311
Van Life 312
Vietnam 312
United Arab Emirates 313
United States of America 313
Chapter 20: Ten (or So) Digital Nomad Visas 315
Bahamas BEATS 316
Belize Work Where You Vacation 316
Croatia Digital Nomad Visa 316
Cyprus Digital Nomad Visa 317
Estonia Digital Nomad Visa 317
Greece Digital Nomad Visa 317
Hungary White Card 318
Iceland Remote Work Visa 318
Malta Nomad Residence Permit 318
Mauritius Premium Visa 319
Romania Digital Nomad Visa 319
Index 321
