While writing this blog post, overlooking Kuala Lumpur, I am struck by how much life has changed since I escaped my office job to travel and work remotely as a Digital Nomad.  

It has not felt like ten years since I walked down the steps of the plane into the heat and humidity of Thailand. My head was a mix of emotions, and I doubted whether the right decision was made to leave a well-paid, secure job to follow my dreams. 

There was also excitement and nervous anticipation of traveling alone, with no idea what the future looked like.

After spending ten years living in cities like Seoul, Tokyo, Prague, Kuala Lumpur, and Barcelona for 30-90 days, now is an excellent opportunity to reflect and share my lessons from being a Digital Nomad for 10 years. 

Life Begins Outside of the Comfort Zone

Neale Donald Walsch spoke wise words when he said life begins at the end of your comfort zone.   

After living in my comfort zone for over two decades, it took a life-changing decision to realize I was stuck inside.

When looking back, it feels like a programming script automated my life. I commuted to work, worked for 7.5 hours in an office, commuted home, ate junk food, played computer games, went to bed, and then repeated. 

Without realizing it, we are brainwashed into living how society expects. Leave school, college, or university.

Start working, find a partner, buy a house, get married, have kids, settle down, and plan for retirement. 

You can only move out of your comfort zone by acting and changing your life. Sure, this results in more complex challenges and increased stress levels, but it means you are living life outside of your comfort zone. Living your best life is never easy.  

Answer yes or no to these simple questions: 

• Do you spend the week counting down to Friday? 
• Do you feel you’re living on automation? 
• Do you have no goals or aspirations in life? 

If you have answered “Yes!” to any of these questions, you are living life in your comfort zone. It’s time to think about the future.

Slow is the Best Way to Travel

Throughout my travels, I have encountered many digital nomads who spent only a few days in each destination. This is not enough time to truly experience any place.

My preferred amount of time was a month, and my favorite locations to stay were away from the tourist hotspots and city center as the prices and noise levels were lower. 

For a month, you can immerse yourself in the local culture and get a good glimpse of what life is like living there from a foreign perspective.  You also need to consider that you will be working, so not every day will be full of exploring and adventure.

Most successful Digital Nomads work up to 8-10 hours a day, so you need to be in a place with reliable, fast internet to get work done and continue earning income. 

You also need to consider your budget. Visiting tourist attractions and dining out every day will be expensive over a long period.

If you’re thinking about being a digital nomad in your 50s, you will need to save money for your retirement and healthcare, so it is surprising how your expenses add up. 

When you travel frequently, the cost drastically increases: You will need to book more flights, trains, and other forms of transport.

Creating Work-Life Balance is Essential 

Routine and work-life balance go hand in hand, and it took me a few months to realize this. It’s a fine balance between working and being able to explore the place you’re living in.

If you don’t have time to have adventures, what is the point of being a Digital Nomad? 

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your routine.

Consider the time zone you have to work in and base yourself in a country where you can work when you’re the most productive and have plenty of time to exercise, explore, and dine out.  

I have worked with US and UK companies for the past 10 years. My most productive time of day is in the evening.

During the day, I want to get out and explore, meet new friends, hang out in coffee shops, and have fun adventures. In the evening, I want to get my head down and work to continue living this lifestyle.  This meant living in Asia enabled me to achieve precisely this. 

While I spent much time in Europe, this was a little restrictive because the time zone was close to London, GMT. I would have to work mid-afternoon and into the early evening, which didn’t give me as much time to explore the places I lived in. 

• Take time to figure out when you are the most productive because we are all different.
• Look at the timezone in which your employer, clients, or customers are online and expect you to be available.   
• Don’t feel your work routine must be strict; it can be flexible.

Tailor it to your lifestyle and the work that you have to complete. 

Be Prepared for Worst-Case Scenarios 

When you’re stuck in your comfort zone, life is pretty straightforward. 

The less can be said of living the Digital Nomad lifestyle. Issues often happen out of your control, and rather than hide from tackling them, I advise you to hit them head-on.  

What kind of issues am I talking about? 

Many issues can occur when you live in a new country every 30-90 days. Flights can be canceled, you can be taken ill, or you can be a victim of a crime or a scam, just to name a few. You need to be prepared for the worst-case scenarios to tackle them quickly. 

Here are a few issues and how I dealt with them.

• Lost or stolen debit card:  If your debit card is lost or stolen, always have a backup debit card with internet banking so you can quickly transfer money into it. If your main card is lost or stolen, you won’t be stranded abroad without any money. 

• Unreliable Internet: If the WiFi is unreliable, have a backup so you can continue working. When you arrive at your destination, purchase an e-SIM or a local SIM card. 

• Emergency Fund: Ensure tyou continue to top up an emergency fund, which is a savings account, which means when events occur, you can cover the cost from the fund.This could include medical care or medication, canceled flights, or last-minute canceled accommodation bookings. 

• Backup Plan: Extreme weather, natural disasters, and other adverse events can occur at any time, so always have a backup plan in case you have to change at the last minute.

• Plan Ahead: Always make sure you plan ahead before booking travel and accommodation for your next destination. What’s the weather like at the time of year you’re traveling. Familiarize yourself with the destination: What type of scams occur, what is the situation with ATMs, etc. 

These are just a few issues you can expect when living a Digital Nomad lifestyle, so planning for worst-case scenarios is vital. 

We’re 1,200 words into this blog post, and I could write a book about what I learned from ten years as a Digital Nomad, but it’s time to head out and explore Kuala Lumpur more.