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Welcome to Our Nomadic Life!
We’re Maddie and Cullen, and we met during the covid lockdowns in 2020, and quickly began traveling together. We have been some sort of nomads ever since we met 4 years ago, and have been all over the United States and 20+ countries since then. We decided to put a heavy emphasis on enjoying our weekdays, which wasn’t exactly possible in New England during the winter. So we left, and embraced the nomadic lifestyle! We worked and traveled the west coast of the US, various places in the south, and still took around a month of vacation outside of the US. In June of 2023, we quit our jobs all together. Since then, we’ve traveled to Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and Central America. Now we work on our travel blog and I (Cullen) do some IT consulting every now and then. Right now, we are mostly living off savings, but we are hoping that one day our travel blog supports us!
How to Balance Stability and a Desire for Adventure
Jobs bring a huge sense of stability to your life, whether you’re a digital nomad or not. However, typical 9-5 jobs can hold you back from living your true nomadic lifestyle. Maddie’s job allowed her to work remotely, but only within the US. Our desire for adventure outside the confines of the US is what led us to quit our jobs and travel full-time, while still attempting to make a livable income online.
What We Wish We Knew Before Becoming Nomads
The biggest thing we wish we did before becoming digital nomads and later full-time travelers is to really educate ourselves on personal finance. Start budgeting, see how much you spend every month living at home, and then compare it to what you could be spending elsewhere, maybe even in your dream destination! If you’re spending $150 on a night out, could that support you for a whole week in Nicaragua? Now, will a night you may not remember or a week in a tropical paradise make you happier? Once you answer that, budget accordingly. Another thing we wish we did was apply for more travel credit cards, which have helped us a lot during our travels!
Read our article on the best travel credit cards that let us travel cheap!
Key Traits of Digital Nomads
There are a few key personality traits that have helped us out as digital nomads. The first is going with the flow, and being adaptable to whatever situation arises. There are going to be times when the Wi-Fi goes out for a few days, weather poses a risk to your travels, and the biggest one—transportation delays. The best thing you can do in these situations is adapt and react accordingly! The next thing, which is fairly similar, is dealing with stress. Work can be stressful, and planning your travel (like where you’re going to stay that night), can push you over the edge. Planning a few days or weeks in advance can definitely help mitigate stress! Overall, if you are easy-going, can adapt to far-from-ideal situations, and manage stress well, you’ll make the perfect digital nomad!
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
Safety Wing’s Nomad Insurance is how we travel knowing that if something bad were to happen to us, we’d be protected. They cover medical assistance if you get sick or get into an accident which gives us peace of mind while on the road. In addition to medical benefits, they also cover lost baggage, travel delays, and even evacuation from political and environmental dangers! They have additional add-on coverage for extreme adventure activities, electronics theft, and US coverage. This is a must-have for every long-term traveler!
Community and Connection on the Road
The best thing about traveling is meeting people who have very similar interests and goals as you do. Making connections with people is typically shorter-term than you might be used to, but we’ve definitely found some lifelong friends along the way! Co-working spaces, all-inclusive group trips, and multi-day trips can be a great way to meet new people and make lasting friendships. There are various Facebook groups and websites like NomadList and Meetup also foster a sense of community on the road, whether it’s online or in person.
Our View on Planning Ahead
Some nomads plan months in advance, while others don’t know where they’re staying on any given night. We are absolutely more of planners, although our plans change over time and we don’t generally book places more than a week or two in advance. Either method works, but we choose to plan ahead so we don’t miss out on a cool accommodation or activity. This also saves us money and takes the stress out of planning last-minute.
That’s a Wrap!
We enjoy our lives as nomads, and while it’s not for everybody, living and traveling in other countries is a privilege that every one who is able to should experience. The cuisines, the people, the adventures, and the natural and man-made beauty is far-stretched across this wonderful planet. Nomads can range from 18 year-olds to retirees, and there really isn’t any “perfect time” to become a nomad. Whatever your calling is, we hope you’ve enjoyed our story on our experience as nomads!
