[Guest Post] My Midlife Digital Nomad Resources
I asked a client to share her experience in this guest blog post. I hope you enjoy it. ~ Linda
My partner and I started a trip around the world December 2019 and have been living out of backpacks since. In the last nine months, we’ve visited Mexico, Guatemala, Columbia, Panama and Brazil. We spent four months in São Paulo during the COVID shutdown, and in June we resumed our travels, adding Turkey and Croatia to our list.
We currently live very well on $150 a day — one third less than in Los Angeles, our previous home — and we’re seeing the world at a very unique time in history with very few tourists. All the while, I’m managing an online consulting business.
Linda asked me to share some tips that might help others interested in downsizing and hitting the road.
Why We Are Traveling Abroad
My partner and I decided to start this journey after he got laid off. At age 66, he didn’t see his career continuing at another company as big changes were evident in his industry. We decided to downsize by selling his five-bedroom house, our cars, and most of our household belongings to pursue our dream of exploring the world together. And, to be honest, we couldn’t agree on where to move.
Earning a Living on the Road
Before we decided to make this life-changing trip, I started a side hustle. I put this new business on hold when we decided to leave the U.S., but while stuck in Brazil during the COVID shutdown, I had time to work on it. I focused my efforts on marketing and growing my email list.
In a typical week, I spend 5-10 hours on:
• Providing tips and advice on LinkedIn
• Writing educational blog posts for my website
• Giving master classes to industry organizations
The results of these efforts quickly brought me some income.
My business is mostly turnkey, though I do spend additional time each week on account management and mentoring. This work is flexible and easily scheduled around our travel and touring. I love staying connected to real-world challenges while having otherworldly experiences, and the income is truly welcome.
Our Invaluable Resources for World Travel
For anyone considering selling it all and becoming a digital nomad, here are some ‘must have’ resources:
Essential Personal Sites and Apps
Communication and Documentation
• Traveling Mailbox: provides a U.S. address and collects and scans our mail.
• Google Voice: retains your U.S. cell number, transcribes voice messages and forwards texts.
• WhatsApp: invaluable for keeping in touch with friends and family members.
• Airalo eSim card: provides cell service the minute you step off the plane in a new country. No need to find a retailer and buy a sim-card chip in each country. Available online and easy to top up for additional coverage.
• Google Translate: translate a menu or speak into it to communicate with your Portuguese dentist.
• Trail Wallet: calculates exchange rates and tracks expenses for budgeting.
• Google Photos: photo collections that can be shared with family and friends.
• Google Maps: find everything, from best espresso bars to favorite Thai restaurants near you.
Travel, Tours and Trip Insurance
• Airbnb: we use it almost exclusively for lodging.
• Booking.com: hotels, when we need them.
• Google Flights, Skyscanner, Hopper: for the best deals on flights.
• Uber (where available): gives the exact fee (taxi prices can vary) and breaks through the language barrier that can make it difficult to communicate addresses.
• World Nomads Insurance: medical and trip insurance.
• Airbnb Experiences: activities designed and led by inspiring locals. They go beyond typical tours or classes by immersing guests in a host’s unique world.
• Travel Off Path: COVID-related travel information.
• Facebook Groups: search digital nomads and travel groups where you plan to travel.
• Online local news: to gather pandemic-related updates and closings.
Essential Business Sites and Apps for Digital Nomads
• Calendly: makes scheduling business calls and Zoom meetings in any time zone a breeze.
• Zoom: for online face-to-face business meetings (and 50-person virtual birthday parties!).
• Squarespace: our travel and business blog websites.
• Express VPN: like a security vault for your computer and phone, keeping your information safe on insecure networks.
Inspirational Travel Books, Blogs and Movies for Midlife World Travelers
Most of our inspiration and advice has come from friends and family who were more than happy to share their travel “best ofs.” And there are numerous travel blogs written for 20-somethings that can be adapted for people of a certain age. Of course, all these were written pre-pandemic, so we’re in somewhat uncharted territory as tourists in 2020. That said, here are a few resources that inspired us.
Books That Got Us Off the Couch and Out the Door
• Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term Travel, by Rolf Potts: our No. 1 source of inspiration, it reinforced our “why.”
• 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, by Patricia Schultz: helps formulate iconic travel destinations.
• Where to Go When, Lonely Planet: essential knowledge of where the weather is best off-season.
Movies, Shows and Series to Help You Determine Where to Eat
• Somebody Feed Phil: food and culture.
• Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and Parts Unknown: Food, restaurants and people.
• Netflix; search for location-appropriate documentaries.
Apps and Podcasts
• Rick Steves’ Europe: downloadable maps and audible tour guides.
• Chris Christensen’s The Amateur Traveler: blog and podcast for travel planning.
Blogs
• The Unconventional Route: off-the-beaten-path travel tips.
• Nomadic Matt: money-saving tips.
• Culture Trip: makes planning fun and easy with award-winning travel stories, insider city guides and handpicked hotels in the coolest neighborhoods.
It’s an interesting time to think about working abroad as new opportunities arise daily from countries seeking to attract digital nomads. Have you ever pictured yourself working from a Caribbean beach instead of your bedroom office? Check out Expert Vagabond's website for the best visa packages.
Have we regretted traveling during such a tumultuous year? Not once. Traveling during this time has been a singular gift. Though we are somewhat limited in the countries we can visit, we feel lucky to be where we are and to have had some truly extraordinary experiences along the way.
Of course, we could always return to the U.S. — if only we could decide where to live.
If you’d like to follow our travel adventures or my business blog, here are the sites:
~ Kelly Fore Dixon
Split, Croatia (for the moment)