I was unofficially declared a digital nomad this year by boarding the [Nomad Cruise]. I have said many times in the past few months that I would become a digital nomad. There was always a future tense in that statement. Although the definition of a digital nomad implies that the subject periodically changes their place of residence, across countries and continents, and I do not yet meet this parameter, since Thailand is my first stop, I am already daring to call myself a digital nomad.
So, you have achieved it! I have become what I wanted to be.
So I think there is a reason to reflect a little on how a man can become a digital nomad. Or anything else. Because actually, becoming anything has exactly the same steps as my journey.
When the idea for this post was born, it was just a faint spark. Now, however, the light of realization shines around it, and this summary was born.
I will outline two scenarios, I hope at least one of them will be useful to you!
First scenario: with lists and to-dos
It can be very easy to bring transformation in our lives. At first there is the technical, practical approach. You need a few lists. If you can tick off a lot of things on them, then the fun can begin.
For example, I am thinking of lists like these:
A list of absolutely important things:
- Coverage of living expenses (adequate income)
- Safety
- Quality of life
- Weather
- Healthcare situation
- Stable internet connection
- Entertainment opportunities
- English or other language skills
- Size of nomadic community
- Attitude towards foreigners
If you can say 10 yeses here, then you can start and we are ready!
The list, lists can of course be longer. Twenty points instead of ten. Or 100. You compile it for yourself based on your nature and needs, look for the answers and that’s how you get to the starting field.
Such a dry, technical scenario is not my world, at least it certainly hasn’t been in the last 10 months…
Second scenario: with soul
Instead of making and executing simple to-do lists, I think the commitment behind the lifestyle, the mental preparation, is very important. If you feel mentally prepared, then it is worth making sure that this feeling is real.
It is worth examining the feelings behind the preparedness. I think it is easy to skip the question, for example, “Are you afraid of loneliness?” Not thinking about it is an option. Then you can also quickly say “Of course not!” But maybe it is more expedient to sit down and think about it for a while. To twist this question a little to the right, a little to the left. Because if this question is missed and, say, in London, as a pizza delivery man, the issue of unmanageable loneliness hits you a few months after your departure, then returning home and ending the trip can almost be postponed.
My regular readers have read about quite a few of these questions. So far, I have written 134 posts, of which 61 (46%) are labeled “Personal Stories”. In addition, 65 (49%) articles deal with the topic of preparation and implementation. I tried to maintain this balance. But the ratio between the two pages perhaps shows that I did not neglect the examination of my own commitment.
This article wants to be a bit of a recipe. One method out of many. One path out of endless many. What worked for me. If anyone finds a little guidance or help in it, I am happy to read and hear feedback about it!
For a long time, I thought that the most important factor behind the transformation of my life was “The decision”.
Today, I believe that a progressive change becomes real when we are ready for it. The post “A Dream for a Dream” is about this. Any desire, dream, or idea can come into our lives if we are not ready for change. We have to get there so that we have the opportunity to embark on a different path. This means that we have to move from planning and dreaming to the preparation stage. Perhaps a free spirit is needed to finally dare to take action instead of endlessly listing pro and con arguments.
Freedom does not mean that you throw everything away, that you cut all the ropes from yourself. You cut the ropes that hinder your flight. A bird can fly with a ring on its leg, and a dog can twist with a name tag around its neck. But first you have to open the cage, or take off the leash…
The “Motto of the blog” shows how I felt when I started the preparation phase: “The ink is drying on my canvas, I’m painting my fate again, I’m painting it again, with colors and life”. It marked the beginning of a very fruitful period when I made “The decision”. I wrote about that incredibly exciting tsunami of feelings driven by flow in my article “Synchronicity, coincidences, flow”.
In the preparation phase, I was “Preparing my environment”, “assessing “My toolkit” and “Starting specific tasks” happened very quickly. My friends and loved ones packed me a large batch of “Ash-baked scone”. I was constantly moving forward, measuring my progress, as can be read in the “Where am I today with my plans?” writing. “Setting a target date” was an important step. I made the second serious decision last year, when I realized that “Nomad Cruise 14 – I’m going on a cruise” was waiting for me.
At that time, I was already thinking “About my loneliness”. I assessed that “My sweet suffering” would also be my traveling companions. At that time, I clarified to myself that “I live a minimalist life”, meaning that it is unlikely that I will find the new lifestyle uncomfortable. Especially since “The gastronomic revolution eluded me”. If necessary, I will be able to eat insects.
I could say that I acted instinctively, but that wouldn’t be the truth. Rather, with the help of my programmer, IT and project manager perspective, I broke down the tasks in front of me into small steps. I set the goal by defining for myself, “Who are digital nomads?”. After all, that’s what I wanted to become.
I accepted that the preparation for the successful implementation of such a change would take at least half a year. I assessed what tools I still needed, which I wrote about in the post “My 3+1 helper in the next period”. I also conducted an examination regarding my age, because I thought it would be good to know “How do I start a new life at 50?” So that it wouldn’t turn out that I’m too old for this dream. I could have looked for another…
I thought “About my fears – Simon Sinek”. I thought about this even further and wrote my post “Fear II.” This is a very important element of preparation. Fear can turn many people off the path, because taking a step into the unknown, leaving the comfort zone, creates fears. And my opinion about this remains that it’s okay to be afraid, as long as fear doesn’t guide you. I draw the map!
I also consider it important to walk my path as lightly as possible and without unnecessary mental burdens. That’s why I told myself, “Forgive yourself, Soma!”. Even if I didn’t care much about what I was taking with me, I worked a lot on what I didn’t want to take with me.
It is worth clarifying the direction of the journey several times. I did this when I wrote in verse that I “I want it!” the new life. In addition to self-examination, I looked at “My thoughts in the mirror”. With many conversations and research, I also tried to look at myself through the eyes of others. I think this doesn’t hurt either, especially if you have an encouraging, friendly environment like mine. I don’t think any of my friends have tried to dissuade me from continuing the journey.
I looked back a few times, and I dealt with this in two articles. I wondered if I was “Butterfly or phoenix – a look back I.” There is a saying that says don’t look back, that’s not where we are going! I don’t always agree with this. That’s why I sometimes stop and look at where I came from. I also used this kind of motivation in my article “In the footsteps of time – a look back II.”
The “Point of no return” has come on my path. It is especially important to recognize this point in advance. Before this point, I had told several friends that I was aware that everything I had done up to this point could be thrown away at any time and we could do as if none of this had ever happened. But I knew that there would come a step that, once taken, there would be no going back. So “I quit”.
I had to come to terms with the fact that “My roots” were not very strong, that my pursuit of “Home, sweet home” had not been successful in my life. With these writings, I proved to myself that I was not afraid that homesickness would hold me back or that it might pull me back later.
Since this change is not only about me, but also affects my environment, I had to seriously assess whether I could take this step. After all, “Freedom, selfish freedom” means giving up quite a few things. I also strengthened myself in the fact that I have the courage to take this path (this was emphasized by many others), and that I would not be “A cowardly prisoner”.
I started preparing early so that the “Week of closures” would not come unexpectedly. I considered what “The art of saying goodbye” means and at the same time I thought about the ways of “Staying in touch”.
I assured myself that “I love what I do”. “A new world” awaited me, so I didn’t neglect the things of the physical world either.
I was at “Premium bank guidance”, where “The deck of cards” was formed during “The Bank Job”. In addition to “Finding a job”, I thought “About my resume and its uselessness”. I got over “My first job application” and the first rejection when I found out that “I will not be a member of Nomad Cruise”. As a way of building my own brand, I made my long-delayed “30-second pie” and collected “My references”.
In the article “Getting ready with my tools”, I made an inventory of what tools I have and what I need to get. This is how I came up with “My new phone”, or my “International driving license”
I also took stock of the skills I needed for work and everyday life. I thought about the need for “Languages, language learning”. I revived routines that I had learned and applied long ago, but are still necessary now, such as the skills of “Time management, habit tracking”.
I started with “Health Preparation”, went through “The vaccines” topic. I looked at my options while searching for the right “Insurance survival package for digital nomads”.
Then of course there was the very important question of where I was going. Several people asked why [Thailand]. Simply because this country appealed to me first. And also because it didn’t matter much to think about where I was going, since I would move on after a few months anyway. So I started working on the “Visa to Thailand” question quite early. As the “Apartment for rent in Thailand” task also came up. As part of my preparation for the country, I also looked at “The downsides of life in Thailand” and assured myself that the shadows would not fall on me. With the above knowledge and decisions, relatively quickly “I bought my plane ticket”
Because I am brave and self-identical, I wrote “Self-knowledge and self-identity in my eyes”. I have already felt so much calling within me that I have written a few posts that do not necessarily contain the questions I need to answer, but that might help others on their journey. Maybe this is the area of freely chosen spices in my recipe. After all, it makes sense to think about “Trial trip – should I or shouldn’t I?” or “Who am I and who do I want to be?” We can also find some things to do in the chaotic lines of “The final practical steps”. I still shape “What will I live on?” to this day, and I feel that I am on the right track with this too. That is why I do not have the storm of “What if…? – Anxiety vs. planning”.
I reached the “Last hours” spent at home. At that point, I could already calculate “How much does it cost to switch to nomadic life?” And fortunately, by then it was also clear to me where my path was leading. “On the way to my subconscious” I already understood that I was following “In search of something lost” that had always been inside me. That’s how I dared to say that I love “To be blessed by providence.”
I am increasingly certain that this blessing will take me to a place where I can ask in friendship with the world and myself, “Tell me more, oh, sweet God!” And if I ask, it will be given. The result of this may be that, walking the path of the “Peaceful Warrior,” “I trust the flow and let the Spirit guide me.,” when the “Om” adresses me.
Perhaps this is how it happened that “I set off and arrived”…
Do you want to be a digital nomad?
At a university, a professor asked his students: “If there are four birds on a tree and three of them decided to fly away, how many are left on the tree?”
Everyone answered, “One.”
They were surprised when one student disagreed and said, “Four birds remain.” This caught everyone’s attention.
The professor asked him: “How so?”
He replied: “You said they decided to fly, but you didn’t say they actually flew. Making a decision doesn’t mean taking action.”
And indeed, that was the correct answer.
This story reflects the lives of some people — they have many slogans and catchy words, and they shine in gatherings and among friends, but in reality, their lives don’t reflect those words.
Many people talk, but only a few act..!
Making a (decision) is one thing…
Taking (action) is something else entirely.
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