Digital Nomads - Preview
Digital Nomads - Preview
Digital Nomads - Preview
www.digitalnomadbook.com
2016 Esther Jacobs & Andr Gussekloo
Cover design
By Levro; Sergey Myshkovskiy (Kyiv, Ukraine), s.myshkovski@gmail.
com, via 99designs.com
Photo Esther: by www.eefphotography.com
Photo Andr: Henco Jonker
Interior design
Marieke Rinzema & Nina Roepers, Fuig text and design,
The Netherlands; mariekerinzema@gmail.com
Authors
Esther Jacobs: www.estherjacobs.info
Andr Gussekloo: www.andregussekloo.com
Editor
Almondie Shampine, www.almondieshampine.com
Publisher
Self-published; printing on demand via Amazons www.createspace.
com
Copyleft
Ideas and inspiration need to be shared. Anything you like in this
book may therefore be used, copied and shared, as long as you men-
tion this book or www.digitalnomadbook.com as your source.
2
Disclaimer
The authors are not responsible for misfortunes resulting from
reading this book: jet lags, culture shock, broken relationships, lost
jobs, spent pensions, etc. We do like to take credit for new friends,
broadened worldviews, increased happiness, and the like. Also, we
will gladly accept shares in successful digital nomad startups result-
ing from this book
Sources
The information in this book is mainly based on our own experiences
and tips from other digital nomads. Contributions and quotes are
properly credited. Some of the more in-depth research was done
via internet. Where possible we mention the source. Getting to the
original source was sometimes difficult, because the same informa-
tion appears on various sites and blogs. So if you feel we might have
used original information from your website or blog and failed to
correctly mention its source, please let us know (as detailed as pos-
sible), and well update and give proper credit.
3
Table of contents
LIVE 24
5
WORK 172
7
PLAY 240
9
digital nomad stories
Daniela Ramos (1994) is a blogger and copywriter 96
from Mexico. She has lived in the US and the UK
and writes mainly in English. By camping, staying
with friends, and hitchhiking, she manages to cut
costs and visit many countries per year.
11
Introduction by Chris Guillebeau
Sure, there have always been traders and nomadsjust look at the
merchants of Libya or China from centuries ago. But those mer-
chants didnt have MacBooks. They traveled and traded only with
people they met along the way. If they wanted to journey long dis-
tances, it required a great deal of time and money.
12
Thats how this book will help you. Its designed to be accessible and
practical. You can read it in a day, but it can be your guide for a com-
plete lifestyle change.
What does this mean for you? It means its your turn to join the club.
If youve been looking in from the outside, eager to choose your own
adventure, you now have two important tasks to complete. The first
task is to turn the page. The second task is to begin packing your
bags.
Chris Guillebeau
Portland, Oregon
USA
Chrisguillebeau.com
Once in a while it really hits people that they dont have to experi-
ence the world in the way they have been told to.
Alan Keightley
13
Welcome to the future!
Not too long ago, companies needed their employees in one loca-
tion to enable full-scale industrial production. But today, theyve
begun to understand that as long as employees deliver results, their
physical location and work hours dont matter.
My grandparents, who were born and raised in the Soviet Union, had a
very simple idea of success. They wanted to find one job, and do it for
the rest of their lives. For them, this was ideal because it allowed them
to stay firmly inside their comfort zones. They wanted life to be uncom-
plicated and predictable: go to the office at 9 am, make sure you look
like youre busy all day, stay under the radar, and leave at 5 pm. Two
generations and a few decades later, much has changed. I hate simple
and predictable; I dislike offices; I dont want to stay under the radar;
and I love being outside my comfort zone.
Jacob Laukaitis
People are much happier when they spend their time doing things
theyre passionate about while living where they want. As a digital
nomad, you can do just that. If you like to play golf, you can travel
from one famous golf course to another. If youre into sailing, you
can charter a yacht in Turkey and sail to Croatia with your friends.
14
Dutch nomad Pieter Levels figured
out how important factors like
travel time, expenses, cost
of living, Wi-Fi, safety, cli-
mate and entertainment
are when deciding on your
next destination. He created
NomadList.com, which is an
overview of the best cities to
live and work remotely, as well
as the chat community #nomads
(hashtagnomads.com) and Nomad-
Forum.io. Pieter is pioneering the new
lifestyle. He only communicates through Twitter (professing that
email is dead), and he has very specific ideas on how remote work
and digital nomads will evolve in the next 20 years.
Pieter Levels predictions for 2035:
60% of the working population will be freelancing; there will be
far less people in corporate jobs.
1 out of 3 freelancers will be digital nomads. It will be more com-
mon to find jobs that you can do from wherever you want. As a
result, people will not only be able to work from home or while
traveling, but also from small villages if they prefer that lifestyle.
Depending on your definition, there will be about 1 billion digital
nomads. A real remote generation.
Internet speed will increase up to 6G. This will make speed basi-
cally irrelevant.
Big cities are going to claim more power. (They might even intro-
duce city tax...) Cities are going to compete to attract digital
nomads, for example by offering green cities, fast internet, and
other perks.
The price of flights will drop dramatically and new planes will be
much faster. It will be super cheap and will only take a couple of
hours to fly anywhere.
15
Due to these lifestyle changes, marriage rates will continue to
drop, and there will be fewer house ownerships and mortgages.
More connected people worldwide and more traveling would
also mean more international friendships, more online dating,
and mixed race relationships.
Children wont need to go to school (because they can learn
online), resulting in an increase in homeschooling.
Universities will offer more online courses, combined with on-
site working sessions.
Basically, we are still at the start of a work revolution, but the digital
nomad era is already taking shape. The pioneers of this lifestyle are
no longer seen as outcasts, but are admired and copied. More and
more people consider these pioneers role models, paving the road
for the next generation.
16
With the publication of Timothy Ferrisss The
4-Hour Workweek, in 2009, it became cool to
Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New
Rich. His bestseller is sometimes nicknamed
the digital nomad bible.
So, if youve ever dreamed of exploring the world, this is the time
to do it. It wont require sacrificing your career, on the contrary; it
might even boost it!
17
What is a digital nomad?
The first digital nomad was probably writer Steve Roberts, who
started his journey through the United States in 1983. During his
eight-year road trip, Roberts equipped his recumbent bicycle with
more and more gadgets: a radio connection, a mobile telephone, a
battery, a computer, and a keyboard that consisted of four keys on
At the time, digital nomads werent called as such. Instead, the term
technomad was used by Roberts and those he inspired. Even today,
there are still self-proclaimed technomads, most of whom are US
citizens and drive around the Americas in RVs or campervans.
manner. Such workers typically work remotelyfrom home, coffee
shops, public libraries, and even recreational vehiclesto accomplish
tasks and goals that traditionally took place in a single, stationary
workplace.
Wikipedia (bit.ly/wiki-dn)
18
As you can see, its hard to draw the line between a settled and a
nomadic life. And its equally hard to decide when someone is digi-
tal enough to be deemed a digital nomad. Thats why we wont
spend too much energy on defining what a digital nomad is. Instead,
we propose that anyone may call himself or herself a digital nomad.
Thats right you too. Now lets get to work, shall we?
19
About this book
This book is an example of what digital nomads can do. We, Andr
and Esther, had never met when we decided to write this book. It
was completed in different parts of the world, in different time
zones, and with only two real life meetings.
20
We got to know each other a bit through occasional Skype sessions.
Andr was mainly in the Canary Islands, because his son Diego was
born there, about halfway through the book. Esther commuted
between a rural farm in Mallorca and different friends houses in
Amsterdam at first and then cruised to South America on the first
nomadcruise (more info on page 273).
21
We first met for real in Barcelona (a bit weird, because wed
already been working together for a few months). During the first
DNX Global Conference in Berlin, we had some time to really work
together, interview other nomads, and finally sync our Scrivener and
Dropbox files (which got hopelessly messed up again afterwards,
because Esther was rarely in a place with fast internet). So, we can
assure you that during the writing of this book, we experienced all
digital nomad problems (see page 161) firsthand.
We divided this book into three parts trying to fit all information
and tips about the digital nomad lifestyle in: LIVE, WORK, and PLAY.
LIVE
How to make it possible. Commitment. Habits required to become a
digital nomad. How do you prepare for life on the road? Strategically
design your international life. Minimize to the max.
WORK
How to finance your life. Purpose. Whats it like to work remotely?
What kind of jobs can you do? How can you increase your productiv-
ity to gain more freedom?
PLAY
How to enjoy. What to do with your new-found freedom. Where to
go. How to meet other digital nomads. Mini retirements, workations
and repositioning cruises. Giving back, sharing. What is it that you
really live and work for? How to link LIVE, WORK and PLAY and put
it all together.
22
Most topics are specific to (aspiring) digital nomads, but many tips
are also interesting for more sedentary readers or couch nomads.
For example, by minimizing your expenses, possessions, and work,
you can create more time, energy, and freedom, which you can then
spend any way and any place you like, even at home.
You can read everything in the order presented, but you can also
pick and choose the parts that are relevant to you right now, and
come back to the rest later.
January 2016
PS: The world is our playground; lets take good care of her!
23
LIVE
To travel
is to live
Hans Christian Andersen
25
25
Eight reasons to become a digital nomad
Why would you become a digital nomad? We have all been asked this
question when we declared our location-independence. Your par-
ents, your boss, or your best friend; they all wonder why you would
want to trade your comfortable life back home for a succession of
unknowns.
The less they have traveled themselves, the more likely they are to
resist and question your new lifestyle. Some will project their fears
onto your situation. This can be frustrating, but there is no way you
can change their mind, just like they cant change yours. Youve got
your reasons for your decision and theyve got their reasons to be
insecure. Whether its for your or their sake, weve compiled a list of
eight common motives:
arent the sure-fire investment they used to be. Divorce rates surge.
Pensions and life-long jobs arent safe or guaranteed anymore. A
career is no longer the ultimate goal in life. Lack of freedom is mak-
ing us unhappy and restless. No wonder why more and more people
wake up and question the status quo. We are the first to admit that
digital nomad life may not provide all the answers, but it sure makes
a lot more sense to follow your own bliss than someone elses.
Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving
through traffic in a car that you are still paying for - in order to get to
the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you
leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.
Ellen Degeneres
26
2) Live cheaper
How does living in a villa with a swimming pool sound? How much
healthier would you eat if you didnt have to cook your own meals or
live on fast-food? How much time could you free up if someone else
washed and ironed your laundry and did your cleaning? Would you be
more fit if you could afford a personal trainer? Chances are, there is
a cheaper place on the planet than the country you are currently in.
Since the cost of living is lower, you can choose to work less. Or you
can work as much as you did back home and save up for your travels.
Another possibility is to indeed live a lot more luxuriously than you
were used to. Many nomads who chose to work from Thailand report
eating out all the time and taking daily foot massages; this is only
one of the many destinations where your dollar or euro stretches
further than back home.
to escape the local climate from time to time. You dont have to be
a snowboarder to appreciate the snow or a surfer to stick to tropical
beaches. When your work makes you location-independent, you get
to escape the smog, traffic, heat or cold, and travel to wherever you
feel best. And when the weather (or your mood) changes, you just
pack up and go again.
One thing is sure about my future travel plans: avoiding the winter, fol-
lowing the sun, and spending as much time as possible at the beach, is
what makes me happy.
Vera Ruttkowski
27
4) Work from inspiring locations
You can work from anywhere, as long as you can find an internet
connection. You are not bound to your rental apartment (or villa,
for that matter), but you can choose any location that best matches
your state of mind or activities. For informal brainstorming sessions,
go to a busy coffee shop. For fast Wi-Fi, hire a desk at a coworking
office. For maximum concentration, visit the local library. You could
even work poolside if you wanted to although it wont take long
before you find out that pools and beaches make for photogenic,
rather than productive, workplaces.
28
7) Grow!
Self-development is one of the beneficial side effects of traveling.
When you leave your trusted environment, you open yourself up
to new experiences. Some will be great; others will be challenging.
These challenges are what make you grow as a person. Learning new
languages, meeting people from different cultures, and visiting or
living in remote places, will give you new tools. Having to manage
yourself workwise, deal with distractions, find focus amidst chaos,
decide where to go, when and with whom to go, will shape your
character. Warning: you will never be the same and you can never go
back to who you were before.
29
The measure
of intelligence
is the ability
to change.
Albert Einstein
30
TEST: Are you a digital nomad?
The digital nomad lifestyle may sound cool and exclusive, but in fact
anyone could live like this thats one of the reasons we wrote this
book. At its most basic level, all you need in order to be location-
independent is a laptop and a way to make money on the internet.
But thats not all. Your attitude may be your most important asset.
Take the test. Do you have what it takes to be a digital nomad?
31
Score your test
* This question does not earn any points. Many nomads travel with
kids. Having a family does NOT prevent you from traveling (see page
145).
32
Test results
So, where do you stand? How do you score on the nomad scale?
33
digital nomad stories
In the past 5-10 years, my needs changed. I did not want to be on the
road so much, or travel so fast anymore. Instead of trying to see it all,
I preferred to stay longer in one place, to feel at home there, rather
than be a visitor. I alternated among a few locations I had grown fond
of: my home near Amsterdam, my fathers place in Miami, my ex-boy-
friends house on the Caribbean island of Curacao, and a small farm
we were restoring in the heart of Mallorca. Still I was restless and was
not able to stay in one place for more than six weeks at a time.
One day, when I went to get a new passport in the city hall in my
hometown of Amstelveen, they refused to extend my passport.
Apparently, there is a law that states you are only allowed to reg-
ister in the Netherlands if you stay at least four months per year
at one address. According to the government, I traveled too much.
I was told that I could no longer use my address as my official resi-
dence. But it is my own house! I objected. This is the only fixed-
base that I have; I dont live anywhere else. My protests went all
34
the way to the Minister of Internal Affairs, and later to the national
media. But the rule was applied strictly. We are sorry, this is the law.
The system is just not fit for mobile citizens like you, was the final
comment of the Dutch Government.
That was the last push I needed to truly become a global citizen or
digital nomad, however you want to call it. I rented out my house to
expats (providing me with a modest income), registered a company
on the British Virgin Islands (no taxes, so no need to keep track of
expenses), and decided to focus on my opportunities instead of the
limitations.
www.estherjacobs.info
35
Design your own international
master plan & six flag theory
Are you not completely happy with:
Your current work/life balance?
The mentality of the people around you?
The climate at your location?
The politics of your country?
The price level in your country?
The tax climate of your government?
The traffic?
The work ethics?
The amount of freedom or privacy you feel?
The (lack of) adventure in your life?
Then why dont you choose the countries or locations that fit best
with your ideals? It doesnt have to be just one country or city; you
can mix and match as you please, since your new life as a digital
nomad is based on complete freedom. Literally anything is possible.
Your life will definitely become more interesting, and possibly even
cheaper. But in order for this to work long term, you need a smart
strategy.
36
The Flag Theory calls to arrange different facets of your life to fall
under the jurisdiction of separate countries or flags. Most countries
treat foreigners far better than their own citizens. PTs (Perpetual
Travelers, Permanent Tourists or even Previous Taxpayers) struc-
ture their paperwork in a way that all governments regard them as
tourist or traveler. The idea behind the original Three Flags Theory
by Harry Schultz, the Five Flags Theory by W.G. Hill, and the more
recent Six Flags Theory by Bye Bye Big Brother, is that smart, free-
dom-seeking individuals should not be bound in their allegiances to
just one government.
- ALBERT EINSTEIN
Asset haven (where you keep your money): a money manage-
ment or offshore banking center, ideally somewhere with low
taxation of savings, interest, and capital gains.
Playgrounds (where you spend your money): live like a tourist in
countries with low consumption tax, VAT, and low cost-of-living
in general.
Electronic haven in cyberspace: a virtual country where your
servers and websites are located. Ideally somewhere safe, with
low regulation.
37
which can sometimes get so tiring and difficult that stepping out of
the system seems the only option.
38
Emergency by Neil Strauss
Learn to be self-sufficient and survive with-
out the system. Ive started to look at the
world through apocalypse eyes. As the eco-
nomic downturn, continuing climate change,
and the prevailing terrorist threat prove that
the dangers facing our world loom larger
than ever, Strauss decides hes had enough.
But rather than watch helplessly, he decides
to do something about it. Soon, he is inves-
tigating ways of getting second citizenship
on the island of St. Kitts, protecting his assets offshore, and making
friends with an elite group of billionaires who are thinking exactly
the same thing.
With the same quick wit, and eye for cultural trends that marked
The Game, The Dirt, and How to Make Love Like a Porn Star, Emer-
gency traces Neils white-knuckled journey through todays heart of
darkness, as he sets out to move his life offshore, test his skills in
the wild, and remake himself as a gun-toting, plane-flying, govern-
ment-defying survivor. Its a tale of paranoid fantasies and crippling
doubts, of shady lawyers and dangerous cult leaders, of billionaire
gun nuts and survivalist superheroes, of weirdos, heroes, and ordi-
nary citizens going off the grid. Its one mans story of a dangerous
worldand how to stay alive in it.
bit.ly/neil-emergency
39
It may sound difficult, complicated, or expensive to design your own
international master plan, but it is not. In the next chapters well give
you some ideas and guidelines.
Most people dont want or need to become full-fledged PTs. Pick
and choose what feels good to you, what fits your situation best.
Just remember, every person, situation, and country is different, so
interpret the information in your own way. You may even decide it
makes more sense to stay registered in your own country and keep
things the way they are. At least youll have an idea of the alterna-
tives. Also, we recommend you invest in an international tax con-
sultant to make sure youre playing by the rules. And definitely get
good legal advice, because laws differ a lot between countries and
they change constantly. Usually its good to keep things as simple as
possible.
40
Want to read more?