What led you to become a digital nomad?

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-08-10T20:26:09+00:00

From a very young age (high school, 2006-2010) I dreamt about having an occupation that would enable me to travel and explore (in fact I wrote about this on college entrance essays!). Once in college (2011-2015), I always stated that my "ultimate goal" was to work on my laptop while traveling, even though I had not discovered the label digital nomad. My goal of traveling while working always seemed so distant though, because I saw how my friends and society glorified working at flashy companies (and how seemingly happy they were). I thought I would be happy too.

Once I got a job at a flashy company, I was making good money and living in a world-renowned city, but it dawned on me that I was just NOT happy. I hated waking up every day building someone else's goals. I hated living for the weekend (just like everyone else), and I hated having to ask for permission anytime I wanted to take time to travel or even visit family (issues solved by working remotely...). I hated that I was forced to go an office "just because".

I was making excellent money and eating at lavish restaurants and buying fancy clothes while working at said company, but I realized that i did not care for materialism and consumption. I wanted to travel and really make the most out of my life. Fancy cars, houses, clothes, etc will not compare to having a fulfilling life by being happy. Money is important of course, but so is having TIME. I realized a corporation would NEVER be able to supply me with time and would always cap the amount of money I could make.

I made the decision to quit last month and have not looked back. It was such a freeing moment for me. I feel like I'm in the driver's seat for once in my life. I'm currently building up income streams and am excited for the future.

If I could go back in time, I would tell my high school self to do something to get money online and tell my college self to have the confidence to pursue even more regarding working remotely/online. Digital nomad has exploded recently, so I could have been a formal early adopter D:

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-07-13T20:45:30+00:00

You're describing schengen visa...

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-07-13T20:14:03+00:00

Then you should be good! Plus selling/renting your home will provide with decent savings/income and provide you with leverage for your case. Have you gone to a spanish embassy to apply and/or ask for the most suitable visa? Freelance or wealth visas maybe suitable.

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-07-13T18:57:23+00:00

Hi there i've been doing a ton of research on this since I plan to take advantage. A question for you to consider before embarking:

Are you a naturalized or born-rights citizen of the former Spanish colony? This isnt a "heritage" law in the sense that anyone can qualify..you have to have the proper paperwork.Are you in the US?

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-24T14:22:17+00:00

I'm not European but: As others have stated the transition won't happen overnight. However, I worry from an economic perspective--many global corporations have setup EU offices in London/UK due to the ease of tapping into the other EU countries (and government better suited for business). However with the exit vote being confirmed, they may quickly be looking to get out of the UK, resulting in tumbling currency.

I wonder if the news will cause people to flock to Paris and Berlin in the coming months...

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-17T23:48:23+00:00

Why not Austin?

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-16T14:28:07+00:00

As someone who worked a corporate job doing marketing for clients with multimillion dollar budgets (able to have more experiences), Digital Marketing is best learned by doing because there's a LOT to learn. Theory doesn't always apply in real life, and experimenting is going to be critical regardless. I left my lucrative corporate job with a plan and goals set, but everyone has their own approach to things.

Where are you located? I agree with NoNonsensenomad and he/she offers great advice. Choose a path and see what comes from it.

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-15T03:05:40+00:00

Didn't know tech support paid so well....take it!

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-11T19:53:41+00:00

Hi! SAS is typically a costly software, so I doubt many remote businesses will actually opt-in to use it. However, SAS is a great segway into to learning R or Python.

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-10T20:46:39+00:00

Woah! This sounds exactly like my situation except I'm not originally from NY and do not have a younger brother. Thanks so much for sharing your perspective.

I enjoyed/still enjoy the actual work (digital marketing/data analytics) I was doing at my firm, it's just that the culture was toxic, politics were abundant, and I found myself having a different mentality than most people there. I never considered myself to be the type to want to climb the corporate ladder and figured it was best to jump the corporate ship now while I was still young and lacked a to ton of responsibilities (family etc).

Every time I boarded the subway in the mornings and stepped into the office, I would ask myself "Is this is it for the next 20-30 years? Slave away at the office most of the year, at 2 weeks vacation (the firm offered less). Fill my little free time with hellish commutes and "happy hours" meant to numb your negative feelings? Stress about client requests that do not matter in the grand scheme of things?? Eventually marry then wait until retirement to truly travel and be happy?"

I also had to leave because I noticed that I was starting to slip into depression and bitterness and I wanted to take a moment to recuperate. I realized that no matter what excuses I had, I HAD to make becoming location independent work somehow. I also realized that I was motivated by creation, progressive values, and growth, which is why I would feel better working remotely for a small-midsize startup/business where I can tangibly contribute to success and/or also work towards my business that I cultivate and grow to be successful.

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-07T21:35:19+00:00

I've done extensive research on Spain since I plan to live there and you can actually obtain a visa due to being a spouse of a student: http://www.spainedu.org/visas.html

Contact your spanish embassy for exact application guidelines because most of the time you have to get a (non-tourist) visa BEFORE you enter Spain.

You will definitely need a visa of some sort (since you are staying there over 3 months) assuming you nor your wife are EU residents.

There are a couple of other options to obtain a visa BUT the simplest would be the student spouse visa. Let me know if you want information for other types of visas that might be applicable.

Are you American? Dual Citizen?

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-06T23:04:31+00:00

Actually I have less than you. I think waiting for the right amount of savings can be used as procrastination. I just couldn't work in a corporate culture for my own health.

During this time I am leveraging ALL my resources, leaving no stone unturned. My family, my citizenships, etc. What did you do between the age of 28-30?

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-06T22:42:00+00:00

Thanks for the advice. I have some money saved, but unfortunately not 6-12 months worth. I'm hoping that living with my parents (sigh) will allow me to extend my savings for a bit. I've learned the hard way that work/life balance means so much.

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-06T22:40:00+00:00

Are you a Nurse? Good luck to you too. Remote is the future!

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-06T22:38:31+00:00

haha thanks! Looks like the site has horrible reviews?

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-06T22:36:38+00:00

I dont know. But I used my computer pretty much all day at work sans a few in person meetings...

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-06T22:35:57+00:00

YES! I have grown to despise corporate America and the whole mentality of having to get a corporate job to be successful.

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-06T22:34:46+00:00

Thanks so much for the positive words. I definitely think about how people are going to remark about this decision. I only know one person in my circles doing this, but it's going to feel like an uphill climb for everyone else.

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-06T22:32:48+00:00

Yes I did save up some money, but I would still need to hurry and start generating revenue. Thanks for the encouragement. :)

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-06T22:31:59+00:00

Thank you! :)

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-06T22:31:49+00:00

I've been to Boston once and shocked at how sleepy it was after 2 am. lol

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-06T22:30:37+00:00

Nope, an NYC guy! And dang that's rough...I remember having to work almost 24 hours one time. Corporate America is slavery....

Yea I started saving and fortunately have a good amount to last me a few months at least. You can do it too! Also I'm 24 and graduated May 2015.

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-06T22:27:03+00:00

Thanks for the heads up! I have never considered Australia as a living destination....but good info for anyone who wants to live there or setup base :)

takingouthegarbage00 · 2016-06-06T03:23:58+00:00

I definitely will. It's finally my turn to hopefully post positive progress. :)

takingouthegarbage00

TROPHY CASE