1. Why did you decide to begin a nomadic life and what does it mean to you?

I didn’t really decide to become a nomad. It came to me somehow, naturally. Don’t get me wrong though, with what I just said. I don’t mean that I didn’t have anything to do to attain it and it just appeared. I had to put effort into it. Even though I did it kinda subconsciously.

I always loved traveling, since a very young age. I even enjoyed the nights spent sleeping on luggage in a crowded, night train or not-so-clean train stations, while traveling to see my family in another country as a kid. That’s actually how my passion for traveling begun, oddly enough.

As a young adult, right after getting out of the school, I had a little to no idea of what I wanted do with my life. I only knew one thing – I wanted to be happy. As cheesy as it sounds, that’s what gave the directions to the choices I’ve made ever since. And you know what? I love my life.

2. How do you earn an income now?

I’m freelancing for a company that provides services to the online gaming industry. I see it as a mixture of a “stable office job” and the thrill of pure freelancing, which really suits me right now. What does it mean in practice? We cover many projects for various clients, including AAA game publishers as well as cooperating with / outsourcing for various online service providers.

There are many languages and markets that we work on, therefore, each project assigned to me can be very different. Sometimes it can even be that I have to handle multiple projects at once, which is challenging, but also fun. As cons, I would say that because many projects do require certain coverage, there might (and most likely, will be) given hours/days that I have to be online and working.

3. What is your approximate travel budget for a year? Any tips on how to lower it?

I have no idea to be honest. The way I live now could be described as long-term stays at different places, countries, cultures. That’s obviously different from moving around on a weekly basis, as many digital nomads do. I don’t stay in hotels. Typically, I would rent a room or a flat, depending on the cost. A small room in Barcelona might easily be more pricey than a whole flat in the suburbs of Lisbon.

As for cutting the costs – it appears to me that to talk about what you want with people of a similar state of mind and interests is the best you can do. Chit-chat with your coworkers when possible, browse on-topic forums, meet people at coworking spaces. Contacts is what you need. You won’t believe how much insight small talk with even a stranger can bring to you. Be able to share and listen. Great things might be just a word away.

In my free time, I also use Couchsurfing quite frequently. I’m a huge fan of it. Not just because you can stay at a place of your choice free of charge, but mostly because the community around it is great and you get to know wonderful and interesting people, as well as hidden gems around their cities.

4. What would you consider to be one of the best tools for becoming a digital nomad?

Would you blame me if I say “an open mind”? Of course, there are various practical tools which you can use. I cannot go anywhere without a decent laptop and some kind of stable internet connection. Usually a local SIM card with internet connection is the first thing I search for upon arrival to a new destination. Those are rather obvious.

But look around – how many people do have laptops, high speed connections and still they are sitting on their behinds, all unhappy and stressed about their lives? What you really need is the will to make the first step and a hint of craziness to be able to chase your dreams.

Don’t give up when you meet the first obstacle. What if there is something even better just behind it?

5. Do you have any advice for those starting a digital nomad life?

Keep your eyes open. No matter how insane some opportunity you stumble on might seem at a first glance, as long as you like the idea behind it, go for it.