Six Months Into the Experiment
Six months of travel abroad, and I think that affords for a reflection on the experiences had up to this point.
Living full-time outside of the United States was an experience, but it also came with moments of anxiousness and self-doubt. I packed up my things and discarded what couldn’t fit into a large checked bag and carry-on, leaving behind a traditional life. One I had built and been conditioned to pursue since a young age.
I come from a research background and have spent considerable amounts of time analyzing topics critically. So the months leading up to departure were spent doing just that. I educated myself on the countries and territories I planned to visit, along with the systems needed to thrive wherever I went.
That being said, no matter how much you research something or devise a plan of action, it’s never actually proven to work for yourself until you test the theory.
As an American, I can admit there are biases taught about developing countries and differing cultures that can carry into adulthood. Some may be useful, while others create limitations through narrow-mindedness.
My professional and personal experiences helped get me this far successfully. There was still trial and error, just not nearly as much as I expected when initially mapping out the exit plan.
Expectations vs Reality
My travel experiences to date have actually gone a lot smoother than I originally presumed. At times, it felt like certain aspects of being a nomad were overplanned. But it’s much better to be safe rather than sorry.
From the start, there was always a plan to slow travel. Resort hopping or visiting destinations where the mass majority of American tourists spend their few weeks of PTO never really appealed to me.
The intention was to spend a sufficient amount of time in each location, get a grasp of what everyday life felt like as an inhabitant of that respective country, and avoid falling into tourist traps during that time.
What that meant at the time:
Staying in barrios outside of price-inflated districts.
Shopping at establishments and corner stores within walking distance.
Using the country’s ecommerce platforms and adjusting to new ways of obtaining everyday needs, whether that meant Western Union over ATM transactions or creating accounts with platforms such as Mercado Libre.
Choosing cities that offered the lifestyle I enjoy, such as coastal or culturally rich environments, while being mindful of airfare and lodging costs.
Following these guidelines created a foundation for building a life no matter the country. The remaining challenge was learning the interactions with locals and adjusting to new surroundings and political environments.
Some things still surprised me. Infrastructure throughout Latin America was far more developed than the picture often portrayed in the United States.
Locals were also more welcoming than expected, and the accessibility of everyday services, from healthcare and delivery to transportation and shopping, made settling in considerably easier.
Building Stability Without Staying Still
That being said, with the logistics possessing similarities despite location differences, building a routine was something that could only be developed while actually living through the journey.
There are a few things I’ve prioritized throughout life that foster productivity and allow me to accomplish tasks and goals no matter what I’m encountering.
The first is daily workouts, whether that comes from a gym membership or, when the environment allows, street running and calisthenics.
The second is having a minimum of two days a week for solo time and reflection without distraction. If friends were met in a destination, time together was balanced so it wouldn’t interfere with that personal space. In destinations traveled completely solo, that reflection time came naturally.
The third is good quality meals. I’ve never been a strict diet individual and usually eat what I crave. But a balanced day for me includes protein, grains, fruit, vegetables, and dairy at some point. It doesn’t have to come from an expensive restaurant or specialty market.
Maintaining those three things throughout my travels allowed me to feel like my best self no matter where I was.
Professionally, organization became just as important. I keep separate notepads for personal, travel, and business thoughts across my phone and laptop. These three tiers help manage the moving parts without losing sight of the long-term vision.
This journaling system has been in place since college and continues to be one of the most reliable ways I keep myself on track, even when everything around me changes.
Alone, But Rarely Isolated
I’ve traveled to all of my destinations solo. The thought can be a scary one for many individuals, and there’s also a lot of online content surrounding traveling alone currently, especially internationally in territories that are unfamiliar to yourself.
Some would say that solo traveling is best suited for a particular type of individual or ones who possess a certain personality trait. I’d agree, but only to an extent.
I don’t consider myself extraverted. I can be if I’m around people who bring that side out. I also wouldn’t consider myself particularly approachable when out alone. I actually have an anxious style of interacting in social settings, which I think is ironic being that I travel through the world alone.
A few things have worked for me and made experiencing places solo feel more natural.
Mindset: You may start your day alone in a city, but oftentimes you find yourself connecting with other individuals by chance. It depends on your openness to connecting, of course. Stay open to those moments.
Take small steps: You don’t need to plan an eight-hour excursion on a Saturday just because a friend or social media tells you that’s what travel should look like. Sometimes sitting at a coffee shop or taking a long walk through a neighborhood is a win. Some days you’ll feel more motivated than others. Do what feels natural.
It takes practice and patience with yourself to gain confidence experiencing the world alone, but the internal growth that comes with it is unmatched.
Over these six months, I’ve met some of the most beautiful individuals who I can speak with and visit whenever I’d like. They’ve taught me about their cultures and the places they call home. All of those connections started from scratch, without knowing anyone in that particular country.
It goes to show what putting yourself out there, while still moving at your own pace, can bring forth.
Redefining What Success Looks Like
Beginning life as a digital nomad, or one that travels frequently, comes with many benefits. But it can also put your mentality to the test in the sense of identity and how you’re perceived.
Before my first long-term travel out of the country, I had a pretty defined identity.
On paper, I was an accomplished young individual. I completed respected degree programs, built a solid career in analytics, established a comfortable life for myself, and had a strong social circle.
All of that shifted when I made the decision to detour off of this path and pursue more autonomy over my life.
Once those traditional markers were removed, there were moments where I questioned how success should even be measured. There was no office to report to, no permanent residence tying me to one city, and no routine that had been predetermined by an employer or environment.
That forces you to get more comfortable with your own definition of progress.
Over these six months, success became less about what could be visibly displayed and more about whether I had control over my time, maintained financial stability, continued progressing professionally, and actually enjoyed the life being built.
Full-time travel has also made me more adaptable. Every few weeks brings a different environment, culture, routine, and set of systems to learn. Things that once felt disruptive now feel more manageable.
The biggest change may be the confidence that comes from knowing a comfortable life can be rebuilt repeatedly. Home became less connected to one property or city and more connected to the routines, relationships, and systems that travel with me.
That shift in perspective is something I don’t think could have been learned without leaving the life that originally felt so established.
Where the Journey Goes From Here
If you read to the end of this publishing, thank you. Hopefully something mentioned here resonated with you, and made it a reason to continue following the journey.
I try not to highlight only the good aspects of these travel experiences. The original purpose was for this newsletter to be a practical resource for ones interested in travel life as well as ones already in the weeds of one.
What comes next after these initial 6 months will be covered in our next dispatches. Latin America was a fantastic starting point for myself and allowed me to adjust to this new identity, while also remaining somewhat nearby what I had originally considered home.
That being said, the travels are inevitably going to expand outside of this region. Whether that happens sooner rather than later… only time will tell. But no matter the destination, the newsletter will remain useful and bring to light insights that add value to the nomad discussion.
Until next dispatch,
Structured Nomad
