5 Tips Digital Nomads Wish They Knew Sooner

Hello travel family! I’m eager to share my 5 tips digital nomads wish they knew sooner with you. For 18 months starting in January 2017 I hit the road as a digital nomad. Some of this time was with a group of remote workers, some alone and other parts with friends. I did a couple laps around the marble throughout 28 countries all while working California hours in every global timezone. As California is one of latest zones, this meant starting work in the afternoon, evening or even at midnight. This took extreme diligence, built my self confidence and made me an even more passionate traveler. To not pause travel for work was a huge life goal of mine I was able to accomplish in my early 30s.

In 2017 the work remote lifestyle was just getting started and Covid had not made it a craze yet. We learned a lot by trial and error and by networking with others working in this way. I am excited to give you these 5 tips digital nomads wish they knew sooner, as I wish I knew them sooner. If you plan to be on the road for 1 year or more, these are even more useful.

1) Car Back Home

I strongly believe the less that weighs you down back home the longer you will stay on the road. You guessed it, your car back home weighs a lot. Preparing for this lifestyle abroad takes a tremendous amount of preparation, so why not make it count! Set yourself up for longterm success, YOLO vibes. Maybe you have a lucky situation with your car where you it wont be a money pit. Can it stay safe or can you rent/lend it to someone you trust? If you do not have a luxury like that, I suggest getting rid of it. Car payments, staying current with the DMV, non-use car insurance and parking costs all add up quickly.

Depending on your remote job, income can change, so an extra couple hundred dollars a month can go very far. As we all know traveling comes with unexpected twist and turns. The extra cash from selling your car back home will be a bonus for emergencies. One of my favorite teachings from my time on the road was learning minimalism. If you can practice non-attachment and letting go before your first flight; bravo~ you are doing deep work.

*For tips on booking affordable flights, make sure you read our flight hacks article here.

2) Travel Visas

Your passport is your ticket around the world and it also depicts what kind if travel visas you may need. I wish passion was enough for entry, but we must also research the visa requirements for our citizenship per country we plan to enter. Visa laws do change, so it is best to research when you start planning your trips and before booking flights. The good news is many visa applications can now be processed online and some are available upon entry. Visa processing averages 2-4 weeks and once issued you can print them out to take with you. Not all third party travel visa sites are created equal, we really like Sherpa.

As this lifestyle continues to grow, many places are making it easier to spend extended time in their countries as a digital nomad. This does not mean you will be on track for residency or citizenship, but you can find a comfy home away from home or perhaps be allowed to get a bank account in that country. If your ears perked up reading this, find out more info here. I’m always surprised when even seasoned travelers do not know the Schengen visa rules for traveling around most of western Europe. Be sure to read up on those before planning your trip.

3) Learning a New Language

Chances are if you are an avid traveler you have dreams of learning a new language, or a few! If you are anything like me, I am the most inspired and open to new experiences when traveling. I relish in using every moment of everyday and I require much less downtime than I do at home. This has led to me getting my master’s degree on the road with a distance learning program and becoming very conversational in Spanish. Two things I would have been ‘too busy’ to do in California.

Learning a new language opens the door to a wider circle of friends and conversations. You can communicate with people from different backgrounds, forging meaningful relationships and expand your social and even work networks. Enhancing my Spanish speaking has led to an even deeper connection when I travel in Latin America and Spain. Seven weeks of Spanish lessons in Cusco, Peru starting at Inka’ School Spanish Lessons was a game changer for me and I wish I had done it sooner!

4) Digital Nomad Group

Continuing on with my 5 tips digital nomads wish they knew sooner. I am someone who deeply loves solo travel, even before my grand journey started in 2017. However, I am so glad I started my voyage with a digital nomad group. I didn’t know how valuable this would be so I really want to express to you that it made my experience 100 times more meaningful. I call buddies from this period of my life my ‘travel friends’ and we still voyage together, share trip itineraries and remain close.

Most of these digital nomad groups provide a place to live, co-working space and transportation between countries. Itineraries range from a few months to a year plus. Within a country they will likely house you in one city which is very grounding and necessary when traveling for so long. From that location you are free to take flights, day trips and roadtrips and many fun outings are planned for the group. The digital nomad companies that have been around the longest have vetted the accommodations, wifi speeds and safety of the city before your arrival. Their locations are alluring and somewhat affordable places to live. I highly recommend you check out Remote Year, Hackers Paradise, and Wifi Tribe as these companies have been around for many years. For more country specific digital nomad information check out the well curated website- Nomad List.

5) The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE)

Good news is, if you are American and commit to being abroad for over 330 days during any 12-month period, you can qualify for the foreign earned income exclusion (FEIE). The FEIE applies to foreign-earned income, which typically includes wages, salaries, professional fees, and self-employment income. It does not include income earned from U.S. government sources or income earned while physically present in the United States.

If you qualify for the FEIE, you can exclude the allowable amount from your foreign-earned income when calculating your U.S. federal income tax. For example, if your foreign-earned income is $130,000 and the maximum exclusion is $112,000, you would only be taxed on $18,000 for that tax year. Please note, the maximum exclusion amount is adjusted annually for inflation.

It is best to consult with a tax professional who specializes in international taxation to ensure you meet all the requirements. I feel this bit of advise is gold as you may take less trips back to the USA in 12 months. Or even if you want to come back, you may stay on the road longer to qualify for this awesome benefit!

Bon Voyage 👋 

I hope you enjoyed reading my 5 tips digital nomads wish they knew sooner. We are incredibly passionate about helping and inspiring others to get on the road. We know it can be scary and intimidating and we are here to help. Please ask us any questions you may have about becoming a digital nomad or planning your next trip!

Adios amigos,

<3 Rach

PS ~ Now that you are hitting the road, make sure you read our affordable flight hacks article here!