Working Nomad

Since, it was my idea to open up the blog to other Working Nomad forum members, I thought I should get around to making my first post here.

I think I first came across the Working Nomad website from the Lonely Planet travel forum and I joined on the 19th of April, 2006.  I only know this because it is listed in your profile on the forum.  It is amazing how time flies!  At the time I was working in a regular IT job in Japan.  I had already started blogging and building my own websites around 2005.

I was getting stressed from my job and I hated having to show up to work every day.  Seeing Webby’s blog gave me inspiration to pack it all in and quit my job and travel full-time.  I had always had dreams of making a big overland trip through Asia, where I would travel everywhere by buses and boats without catching any planes.  After checking the blog and forum daily from my job, I quit my job in December 2006.

I think my family didn’t realize I would be away traveling for so long.  They still don’t really get how I can make money online, even after many explanations!

I spent about six months in Beijing last year for the Olympics and this year I have lived mostly in Indonesia.  I am now living in Bali where I am working on a website for Bali expats.

Well I think I should say thank you to Webby for starting this website.  I like the great community in the forum and the mix of travel and making money online information.

Why not? If you are already living in Florida or in the States for that matter Southern Florida as a destination may not be as appealing to you, as someone living in the UK. If you coming from Europe like I did the idea of winters in the sun and all those other attractive things we see on the TV may make Miami’s South Beach look like paradise. If you live in a cold northern climate South Florida could definitely be described as somewhat exotic and attractive when faced with another harsh winter.

For all those setting out on their first nomadic venture with the tight budget that normally accompanies one’s first attempt at making a living from the web whilst traveling, South Florida may not be the best of choices, on the other hand if you’re a seasoned nomad. And you have a better sense of your likely monthly earnings staying consistent and been more than just enough to just scrape by, Florida has a lot to offer to the working nomad.

Contrary to your first probable reaction the United States is not an expensive destination add to that you could throw in Safe, Cheap Flights, Fast Internet, Easy to find accommodation, I nearly forgot the electric hardly ever goes down and we have a wonderful climate year-round.

I was first introduced to this website back in 2006. I had already made a start and had a small website that was just sitting there and doing nothing I had all the ideas but was doing nothing with them, traveling has always been something high on my list and the idea that I could travel and support myself from the web was already on my mind. Not knowing where to start I did the next best thing and typed something like “travel and work” in to Google and found this website intrigued, I dug a little deeper. Here was a guy doing exactly what I had been thinking about. I quickly found his first post and started to read, a few hours later I was up to date with all the old posts. I was hooked instantly.

I need to say here and now webby.  Thank you!

Three years on, I’m still stuck in Florida, but have a decent residual income each month from the web. I could also say stuck in Florida by choice, I could leave tomorrow and hop on over to Asia or any other Country I choose. At present though I have a multitude of reasons to stay here, the most important is that after careful consideration, I realized South Florida is an excellent destination / home base for a working nomad.

This is my first post on here, and as you can see I will be focusing on why you may want to consider South Florida as a destination where you can hunker down for a few months and do some serious work on your websites. I will cover topics like Visa’s, Accommodation and the different local areas and what they have to offer. I will also touch on some of my own experiences as they relate to building a truly residual income from the web.

It has been a  while since I have updated the site but to be honest not too much has been going on. I have in fact been living in Bristol for nearly 7 months now and in that time have only been abroad once to Madrid for a weekend.

Apart from a stint in Auckland this is the longest I have stayed anywhere for a few years and I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t happy being where I am. I have forged some great friendships in a relatively short space of time and this alone makes the thought of leaving difficult.

Having said all that I do believe I will always have itchy feet and I am still fascinated by people that travel for long periods or live nomadic lives. It must be in my blood.

It was only driving home from the Gower on Sunday that I heard about cheap flights from my local airport to Cancun, Mexico and I pretty much decided to book there and then. I am avoiding Cancun itself and will be moving around the Yucatan and maybe Belize for just two weeks before heading home. It will only be a short trip but it should quench my desire to roam.

I am not great at making long term plans, preferring to do things on impulse, so it is impossible to say where I will be next year. I am already planning on being away for some of the UK winter but it will be in shorter bursts as I want to keep my flat on in Bristol. I hope to visit Bali and also looking at Latin America where I hope to develop my Spanish.

Work is still ticking along and I have a couple of people who work for me now on a casual basis. I will continue to be involved in websites while it provides me with an income.

I am slowly learning that living in the moment is the way forward.

The world is a big place and your office can be pretty much anywhere you want it to be. Here are five locations that I have been to that I can heartedly recommend based on my own experience.

1. Bali, Indonesia

Beautiful Bali…somewhere very close to my heart. For the technomad who enjoys wild nights, great surfing thats all on a budget then few places can match the Island of Bali. Friendly locals, usually friendly package tourists and the full diverse range of travellers make this place an ideal base.

Staying in resort can work out very cheap, as can renting a villa if you are planning on staying long term. Eating out is cheap and good quality as is the nightlife which suits all tastes.

Internet access; well if Bali has a minus point then this could be it. The 3G infrastructure is creaking at times and occasional power and broadband outages can hinder productivity.

+ cheap, great climate for most of the year, outdoor activities, lots of other solo travelers, friendly locals, anything goes appeal

- indonesian visas, corruption, terrorism target, unreliable internet, long way from Europe/North America

2. Phuket, Thailand

Phuket is the queen of Thai tourism and the destination for many overseas package holiday sun seekers. This is not all bad as with package tourism comes modern development and infrastructure.

Phuket is blessed with great beaches, wild nightlife, anything goes attitiude and modern facilities such as hospitals, good roads and familiar things from home.

Internet access is good and while Phuket might not be the cheapest destination in the land of smiles, it is still affordable, particularly since the Tsunami and other issues Thailand has had to face recently.

+ good infrastructure, many expats, good food and nightlife, decent broadband

- still very much a package destination so the solo technomad might find it hard to meet like minded folk, short visas

3. Goa, India

The jewel of the Indian crown or an ex-hippy, increasingly upmarket tourist trap? Whatever your opinion of Goa, it still rates as a great location to hang out with your laptop.

Internet access is pretty good and improving in India, and Goa is no exception. Accommodation is plentiful and longer term apartments are pretty straight forward to rent. Food is excellent and beer is cheap.

There is an interesting mix of other travellers, from hippies who are still living in the 20th century to the modern backpacker armed with an ipod and crisp Lonely Planet.

+ Still cheap, although not compared to the rest of India, easy access from Asia and Europe, lots of places to stay, many expats, fairly modern facilities, good internet

- Becoming expensive, not entirely safe these days, long wet season

4. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The capital of Malaysia might not strike you as a somewhere to hang out with your ibook but there is plenty to keep you otherwise occupied and most importantly you have access to the whole of Asia being at the hub of Air Asia.

Free wifi is everywhere, well everywhere you can buy coffee anyway and is fast for the region. Malaysians are friendly and this nation is pretty progressive and young which can make for a stimulating environment to work in.

It is not that cheap for hotels, hostels etc but if you plan to stay a while then apartments are good value and there are generous visa lengths help too.

+ lots of free wifi, friendly locals, lots of expats, nice climate, still cheap by western standards, excellent base to get around and see the rest of the region

- very expensive for beer and short term accommodation, can be humid, not near to a decent beach, terrible traffic and pollution

5. San Diego, CA

Yes this might seem a bit random after the other four Asian destination but I believe the Southern most city of California has big potential as a nomad destination. It’s almost as much about the location as the city itself, being right next to Mexico gives you great opportunities to escape once in a while.

San Diego is blessed with a great climate and had lots of outdoor activities to get you away from the keyboard. Wifi is available everywhere and is always fast and often free.

Accommodation is affordable by US standard and there are one or two great hostels in the city which are good for meeting other folks.

+ visa length available, access to Mexico, affordable by US standards, bohemian coolness in many beachside suburbs

- expensive by world standards, not much of an adventure for US citizens

Look out for my next technomad location list, where I will be featuring such places as Buenos Airies, Auckland, Sydney, Manilla. If you have any ideas for the next list then please leave your ideas.