NuNomad Location Independent Living, Lifestyle Design, Independent Travel

by Ricardo

I was recently watching The Last Lecture – Fulfilling Your Childhood Dreams (for those of you not familiar with Randy Pausch, a professor of computer science, he died on July 25, 2008 of pancreatic cancer) and was reminded of how many times people comment to me about how they wish they could become a nu nomad, but usually won’t take any real step to changing the life they’re not very happy with. (if you’d like to see the lecture yourself it’s here below.  Please be aware it is over one hour but worth watching when you have time)

Case-in-point, my recent trip to the islands. I just returned from one of my frequent escapes from my Bangkok studio (my current home base), to one of the tropical islands in the southern most part of Thailand’s Andaman Sea. (Note the picture of me studiously checking for client emails in this iconic island pose which has become a stereotype of us nomads.) Anyway, the point I’m bringing forth today is not that one can and should work when and where they want (that point has now become obvious) but of the personal investment—the implementation of your dreams—that is required to go from current life to beach living or UNESCO Heritage Sites conqueror—or whichever life you choose.

Let me illustrate that a bit more. Invariably people will ask me (just as they did during my little island trip)—and usually once the chit-chat of current weather, music and minor topics are exhausted—

“So, what is it you do back home?” (It’s funny that most people still think, in this day and age, that if you are in a holiday location that you’re a tourist waiting to return to the grind of employment in your home country.)

“Oh,” I’ll reply more offhandedly than pridefully, “I’m what’s called a nu nomad. I do my work over the Internet, so I’m actually both working and enjoying this lovely beach.”

And you know what they’ll say, at least 80% of the time?

“Wow. That’s, like, perfect. You get to travel, not go home, and get paid too, huh.”

Then they’ll say… (That’s right, you guessed it) “I WISH I COULD DO THAT.”

…And I wish I had a dollar for every time someone has said that.

“Well, you can!” I tell them.

And sometimes when they actually seem like they really want information, I offer up the Nu Nomad website address and tell them that I’ve co-authored a book on location-independent living.

“Yeah, but what could I do?” they often counter. Along with: “If working in a hammock with a coconut drink opposite your trackball is so easy, everyone would be doing it, right?”

“I never said it was easy,” I remind them. “Ya gotta pay your dues first.”

At this point, the conversation usually ends like a fallen bag of bananas. Why? Because (I’ve found) most people traveling are singularly focused on fun. Even the trustfundarians (trust fund people) whose travels rarely end are not taking a moment of time to ponder their next step. Do they want to hear that, in most cases, to become location-independent (with a constant income stream) one will need to return home (because that’s the place where they are most likely to obtain the resources and education required to further their life) for a few years to hone their vocational abilities? That they will need to develop a career that is mobile (think: work-at-home employment or ownership of a sustainable business) with an exit plan to nomad the world? That they will have to prove themselves to a skeptical client base or employer that they are a reliable, motivated, focused and cost-effective alternative to the person hired on-site? That they will most likely have to, at first, do some comp (complimentary) and/or discounted work to prove themselves? No. For many, strategic planning such as this seems like too much work or the reward too far down the road.

However! (Yes, there is light at this little tunnel of mine) For those who desire a location-independent life, who are exhausted of the staid life of work: go home, pay bills, and work; of cold winters and no vacation funds (you get the picture), then it is likely to happen if you do the due diligence. How? Well, very basically, here’s how:

1. Envision it: What is it you want to do or be and where would you like to do it?

2. Plan it out: What will it take to happen. How long? (Think timelines and strategic plan. More on this at, 6 Stages to Successfully Design Your Lifestyle )

3. Prepare for it: Make your vocation mobile, or learn a new one. Develop your initial client base (or secure an employer), get your gear set, and travel requirements squared away.

4. Do it: Yes, actually follow through on your dreams. The video above about following your dreams is inspirational and a joy to watch. No, it will not show you how to be location independent (that’s what our book: “the Nu Nomad” is for). It will remind you that dreams, like time, are precious and that fulfilling your dreams (childhood or current) is more often than not, within your reach. Living as a nu nomad is not something that simply happens—even if you have a fat bank account already. It’s something that you plan for and earn. And we’d love to help you realize this goal!

For those of you actively looking for location independent work, we invite you to visit our Job Board page.