Digital Nomads

bruh,

you tell people you work online.

period. end of discussion.

next.

Can I ask you one thing? How do you find places to live in? I assume you're not living in hostels?

I don’t get asked this. But I also don’t brag about traveling all the time. So maybe just cut down on the bragging. Usually I just say I’m a nomad and what my job is and that’s about the end of discussion.

And if I weren’t a nomad people would probably ask me what my job is so it feels the same

Well, when you settle down in Japan for 4 to 6 months, things look a lot different than if I were visiting.. Tokyo for example, for a week or 2.

My brother went to HND and stayed in the Tokyo area (very general I'm aware) for a week. Spent nearly 1800 not including the plane ticket.

When I live in Japan with my girlfriend, our monthly expenses are only 1400 total per month including our apartment. As others have said, a long term stay will differ than a holiday abroad.

THANK YOU.

I feel so bad sometimes because of everyone's comments. And also because everyone everywhere I go assume I'm a rich mofo who is living as a tiktok poser. No I'm not rich, yes it's an expensive lifestyle, no I'm not working everyday on a beach drinking a cocktail in a coconut, actually I've never done that and it does not attract me in the slightest (not that I could afford it anyway).

I just stop sharing my life with these people

have fun! people who never did it will just never understand. try not to let them get to you, just do whatever you want and feels good for you, not for them. enjoy this lifestyle as much as you can as it’s very unique and you can do anything you want, quite literally. what i loved first when starting was the simple fact that people think you’re on a continuous vacation spending money like them, whereas you’re actually just living your life in different countries and most probably doing a better job with finances than most of them :) enjoy life and don’t worry too much!

Easiest way: don't tell them what you do.

People don't understand that traveling is not holiday. And that long term travel is not a 7 week stay in a hotel.

I suspect that it has to do with two things:

- You not having kids

- Your 'refusal' to settle down and develop ties to a specific place

People who don't procreate and who wander around rather than staying put solely identifying with one group identity are always going to be shamed. Wrongfully so, but still, it happens. It's a sad fact of life

Sounds more like an issue with the people in your social circle than anything else.

Yeah but like, how do you make money?

I don't have an answer, I just wanted to say that I can empathize, since I had the exact same experience when I talk about my bike touring.

"Hey, I'm cycling a year across Africa, wild camping" (spending ~$10 a day) - Me, on a bike.

"wow, must be nice to be rich, love I could live like that" - grumbling person with more comfort and money than I'd ever have on tour.

If you don't know their birthday, they probably don't know yours. And you can safely ignore the opinions of people who don't know you well enough to know your birthday.

ie, their words carry no weight. You can ignore the question altogether if you like; it will have no impact.

The “problem” with other people questioning this experience isn’t with them. It’s with your reaction to them.

Who cares what anyone thinks? I sure the fuck don’t..

Let it go. Be kind. Explain how it has worked for you.

Look at this from different perspective, Who cares what they say, you are living Your life, while they are too narrow minded to understand that they are wasting their time... You will not save the world...

I don't have kids

That line right there seems to explain it most of the time for me.

People don't understand what they don't know. My friends go away for two weeks in the summer and blow 5-6,000 dollars in a couple of weeks. They extrapolate that to the whole year and think you must spend the same. They forget that many countries are way cheaper, that when they are at home they don't eat out three times a day and get hammered every night and that I don't do that when traveling. The main thing is that people are jealous and they try to create a reason why it's not possible for them, or why they are not doing it. The real reason is they are too lazy or scared or something else but it's easier to put a very high financial obstacle to show that it's not their fault and use this to explain it away. Honestly anyone I care about doesn't ask the question

It's the jealousy ...

• They are stuck in 9-5 while you are not
• They have 10,20 year loans which you don't
• They have to compromise their partner's lifestyle which you don't
• They want what you have but they can't have it even though they followed all the "rules" in life ---- married, job, kids,mortgage

and it makes them mad, they can't comprehend it

basically entitlement.

In the end, it's your life, right? If you want to continue travelling, just do so. If you end up wanting to settle down, do so.

People are gonna talk and be jealous no matter what, the only difference being the degree to which they do that.

Simply try working on your mechanism to "swallow" what they say, you're probably not going to change their opinion as we as humans have a tendency to tell others what they should do in life.

Live long and prosper!

You're probably giving too much information. I always just say I have an agency and work with clients around the world online.

I have gotten zero negativity with this story.

You don't get extra points for telling more than you need to. Less is definitely more.

Plus it has the added benefit of giving people zero information about how much you make.

Just tell people you’re independently wealthy.

I did the digital nomad thing last year and now settling down to rent a place for a year I immediately regret how much more expensive it is compared to travel.

Tell them you're a software engineer making a good living. That explains all the little questions

I identify myself as an entrepreneur first and nomad/traveler second. Nobody has ever asked me how I can afford any of it. They know I can afford it

Weirdly no one has ever asked me about it before. Not joking. I can see why people would be curious.

People don’t understand that travelling is often cheaper than living full time in a HCOL country.

Best solution… give them a short nice answer .. If they start questioning your choices then ignore their question and change the topic or stop talking or interacting with them. If they still bother you then cut them off. That’s what I’ve been doing recently. I’ve lost my patience and tolerance for such people. It’s none if their business. I’m childfree and live in other country than my home country. This has made it worse. Started seeing true colours of people now, and how they try to push their opinions and choices on me.

I get your point. So, what country were you from, what country are you moving to, and why?

"they are so jealous"

I get that from everyone, but it's just bullshit. Anybody can do it after me, but they don't even try. They keep grinding 9to5 from home and live their life on insta scrolling.

Most people think that travel involves spending a large amount of money in a short period of time. They work all year to spend a large sume in a week. Hence, they can't imagine how someone can afford two weeks, or three, let alone 52 weeks traveling.

I spend a month what many people spend in a weekend getaway. And in 6 months in Europe what they spend on a 10 day Europe vacation.

That's why they can't understand someone traveling a nomad way. Spending the same or less or maybe just a tiny bit more than loving in the same place.

With an equivalent salary, my observation is that people tend to spend less in some things so they can spend more in others. From no mortgage/no car to less physical possessions.

Even the big spender nomads, making the same in a single place, would have a larger house or a more expensive car or more clothes, etc.