Is being a nomad possible? I'm 18, have no sort of debt,

you should do it. More kids should do this rather than going straight to university. I should've done this to be honest. Just go head first and you'll find what you want to do with your life.

>>1081252
>Is it possible for me to just be a nomad before/instead of going to college and inevitability ending up in debt?
It sounds to me like you're really looking for a gap year before you go back to school. Is it possible for you to travel for a while, maybe a long while, before going to college? Sure. Is it possible for you to be a nomad forever, never getting a degree, and never stopping moving? Probably not. But luckily, you probably don't really want that anyhow.

Ten grand seems like a lot of money, but realistically, that's a few plane tickets and, if you're frugal, a few months, perhaps even a year, living simply somewhere relatively cheap. Or an economical, medium length backpacking trip.

Eventually, probably sooner than you think, the money will run out and you'll need more if you want to keep moving. With no degree, and presumably few or no marketable skills, you're not likely to get real jobs anywhere outside the US. Along with no money, this also probably means no visas, so your time in any one place is going to be inherently limited (which makes it additionally hard to get even under-the-table work).

Being bilingual might be an advantage. Go somewhere in Latin America and interpret for visiting Anglos, or translate stuff into English for locals, and you can probably pick up some cash. But whatever country you wind up in isn't likely to let you stay forever, or work legally.

>>1081264
So realistically my best choice would be a gap year? I think my school lets you take one, I'll look into it. Thanks for the help.

>>1081264
>>1081265
I agree. You're too young and rich (or way to poor) to go permanent nomad. Still go into mexico and then keep going. Go down one coast to tierra del fuego then back up the other. I don't think $10k will be enough to make it all the way, but who knows what you will find. Although, do read about the typical scams and dangers. You could totally make it work. I know a girl who turned 18 and immediately flew to India and Nepal for 6 months. She had an amazing time. Then go back to your regular life and do what you have to do.

Also, here's my unsolicited college advice I tell all the kids:
#1 You need to look at the government site which has career outlook and wage data, then pick a major that will get a job you'd mostly like. Don't listen to anyone who talks about the magical college experience and pursuing what you love. Just find something you'll like that pays. Make sure your expected income is enough to make college worth it. $50k in debt for a $40k job will screw your life for a long time. Also, there are ways to avoid debt, do some research. (Don't let /biz/ tell you the answer is sucking dicks.)

#2 The big research universities/professors don't care about undergrads and screw them in lots of ways, avoid them if possible.

#3 Always make sure you are on schedule for your classes/major. Take summer classes to keep on schedule. It isn't that hard, just pay attention or screwy stuff may occur.

#4 Get an internship as soon as you can. Then get another one! I'm not sure I've ever seen a job listing for less than 3 years of experience. "Entry-level" seems to be imaginary.

>>1081252
The answer is yes, yes you can. im doing it, im also 18, and I only started with 7k. Look into workaway programs and shit like that, its easy to find work that will provide, maybe not money, but room and bored in exchange.

knowing multiple languages, you should be able to find payed work easy

>>1081264
this guy must be the worst budgeter in the world, 10k could last you a long ass time if you go Hobo mode like I have. 10k could get you 1.5-2 years in Europe (in extereme poverty mode) and could get you 3-4 years in SEA (in non-poverty mode)

>>1081252
>US passport

best of luck with that

>>1081379
>10k could get you 1.5-2 years in Europe (in extereme poverty mode) and could get you 3-4 years in SEA (in non-poverty mode)
I'm very interested to hear how many years you have been on the road so far with your 7K, and which countries you've been in. I lived in Southeast Asia for a lot of years, and didn't spend very much. But 10K for 3-4 years (let's call it 3.5) works out to less than $8/day, which I would argue is pretty extreme poverty mode.

You can, in many but by no means all parts of Southeast Asia, sleep for $5/night, although it's not easy and rarely pleasant. That leaves you with a little less than $1 per meal. It's possible to eat starting around $1/meal in Thailand or Vietnam (although not in restaurants with walls), but it's the most basic stuff available--in Thailand, a bowl of noodles, a grilled chicken foot, maybe a papaya salad. In Vietnam, similar options plus an occasional banh mi baguette sandwich. But it's virtually impossible for a foreigner to eat that cheap in Cambodia.

And that doesn't count drinks (except in Vietnam, and some Cambodian happy hours, where $1 or less beers are common, alcohol is a lot more expensive than food in SEA) or transport or plane tickets.

I admit, I'm not the world's most economical traveler, but I am very experienced and I know how to budget, even if my budget isn't hobo mode.

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>>1081252
>>1081379
I'm thoroughly enjoying this thread.
I'm 19, USA, bout to move to Australia and live in poverty mode with housemates to save for Japan.

Thanks for the inspiration anons.
Pic is how I save my US currency.

I'm not sure if this qualifies as being a nomad: I'm 21, and I'll be 22 after I finish university. Afterwards I think I want to travel the world, staying at each place maybe 6 months each, getting jobs wherever I can. I speak very little Spanish, but I might learn some French, and I think I'll start off in English-speaking countries to get my feet in the water before I try anywhere with a different language.

How realistic is it to bounce around countries a few times a year while working and saving?

Monitoric this for interest
Currently 19, dropped Uni twice after barely a month (thankfully it's free here), now saving money for a gap year and think a while

I heard it's pretty easy to make a decent living as a freelance programmer/web designer etc. while traveling if you have the skill, since you don't need to be anywhere in specific to do your job, just have an internet connection

>>1081281

I'm 31 andstill haventt gone to college

>>1081990

I got 20 k how could I live decently in SEA?

>>1083798
Huh, never thought of that, that's a really good idea. I only know a small amount of code, but only because I didn't wanna lead a sedentary life.

>>1083798

I would love to be able to do that. I have graphic design skills (no degree though). A fairly meagre online income in Western terms could give you a comfortable life in somewhere like SE Asia.

Its a pipe dream of mine. I'm in my 30s now and don't have shit going for me back home. It'll never happen but its nice to think its possible

>>1083801
No worries senpai. I only gave OP my college advice because they were considering it. Often college doesn't even make sense for 18 year olds.

(I'm only talking about the USA.) If you understand how to save money and get an apprenticeship in a trade you'll make more money then the average debt ridden college student. Especially if you end up dropping out anyway (and at a lot of the big public universities a third to half of the students drop out.)

So don't go to college unless it is free (like your work is paying.) Or you have a dead end career and you are sure you can successfully graduate in something like engineering.


>>1083922
I did this from 2000-2002. I found it hard to get new clients. And those were bad tech years so my existing clients slowly went out of business. Now I just work in the US, save my money, then move somewhere cheap, and keep my resume looking reasonable by trying to build a startup while I'm out there. (So far without success, but it keeps my skills current.)

Oh and to relate this to the college talk. I don't have a degree, but I've been programming since I was 8. It is possible without, but you may find you need a degree to become a programmer.

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I find this thread very interesting.

I live in Portugal and I've been getting increasingly sicker of this country and living always in the same place.
I mean, I could move to another city, but it's always the same base of culture and language, it wouldn't change me. Don't get me wrong, this country is beautiful, but I just feel like I need a clean break.

I was thinking of moving to another country, alone. Preferably in Europe. I have a degree and a couple of years of experience in web development, so I think I could figure something out.

I wouldn't want to be always moving from one place to another, but maybe stay 2 years in one location, another 2 in another and then figure things out from there.

Thing is, I've never lived alone and I'm kind of an aspie. I'm afraid of going abroad and having zero social links for the time I'm there.

Do you think this is doable? Money wise, it probably is. I'm just afraid of the social consequences.
And what place in Europe do you find good to do such a thing?

>>1083803
>I got 20 k how could I live decently in SEA?
You could live simply but comfortably in a non-tourist spot for more than a year without trying very hard. Beaches and big cities would be less comfortable.

I think the biggest problem is that the cheapest long-term accommodations (and food, to a lesser extent) aren't really accessible to foreigners. Of course there are rooms for rent for a hundred a month in some Bangkok tenements. But no random farang who doesn't speak Thai and doesn't have local friends will be able to find them, and even if he does and can stand them [real poverty mode housing in urban SEA is a lot grimmer than most can tolerate], the price would go up when the landlord saw his face. Anywhere there is not a fixed price, foreigners pay more. The discrepancy is especially huge for rent.

>>1083966
Oh, but the obvious issue I didn't mention is that in most of Southeast Asia, you can't stay legally for more than six months at a time without a local, real job, or a lot of money. After 180 days you officially have to be away for 180 (lots of exceptions and theoretical wiggle room, but counting on loopholes is an expensive mistake).


Easiest place to fudge your way around that remains Cambodia at the moment, where a near-infinitely renewable year long 'business' visa can be obtained on flimsy pretexts for a couple hundred dollars.

Personally, I would probably divide my year between Phnom Penh and a smaller Thai city. I love Laos and Vietnam, too (particularly LPDR), but they're authoritarian bureaucrats, making long term-residency a hassle.

The prospect of becoming a digital nomad seemed amazing. How they actually make money is beyond me though and lets face it, most of the ones you see are blatant Redpill autists who only left the West because they couldn't get a girlfriend

it's doable, it just depends on if you're able to do it socially

you should try a short-ish trip and go for longer if you're able

>>1084921
Yeah. I did a computer science degree but I can't program and code isn't for me. It's too much. I also think it would get old, committing to such a long time in another country

>>1085354
Ha, you know how many CS grads I've had to work with that can't program! Good for you for realizing that. You could still maybe be a manager of programmers, get paid more anyway. As a hiring manager with two resumes, probably safest to choose the one without the CS degree for that coder job...

It does get lonely as a digital nomad. I never stayed in the same country for more than a couple months. It was fun for a while but eventually I tire of having the same introductory conversation over and over.

>>1082024
Please don't go to Japan as an hobo. There are lots of gaijin hobo's already in Japan making abad name for all.

>>1081252
Don't touch your savings, kiddo. Rent a condo for a month somewhere you might enjoy, Miami Beach or something like that. Enjoy your summer. Then go to school like you've worked to do all your life. The no skills kids isn't going to last very long. Being a nomad is like being someone on vacation without the roof over their head, but dining out 3x a day, without the storage to buy your 6 pack of soda and somewhere to store it. It's convenience store prices all the time. Stop dreaming. If you don't want to go to college right now, then get a decent job, but dont dip into savings with no plan. It's really not much money.

Can't you find another 5k ? Maybe some family can lend without interest ?

A gap year is by far your best option if you can't wait to be older before you go but 10k is a bit short if you don't want to be restricted constantly.


I've always been traveling for short times, but now I have 30k and plan to leave for around 2 years. I'm 27 though but I also feel it's better to be a bit older, especially when it comes to meet people.

>>1085683
>You could still maybe be a manager of programmers

I dunno about that, I literally don't know anything. I couldn't do a hello world right now and all I've worked at home is some admin temp jobs at a bank.

It sounds great to be a nomad but I would do the same if I were to try it, I'd do it a couple of months at a time and do a few countries instead of longer term in one place.

>>1085721
do you know what a nomad is? it's someone who moves often. presumably you'd have a house and a job you cvck

>>1085721
OP here, I've decided to WWOOF (volunteer program) across Japan for 3 months before college. I won't blow all my savings and I will enjoy it more than having a condo for a month, it will also be cheaper than having a condo for a month.

>>1081252
You can't just choose to be a nomad, you have to become one accidentally.
It takes a varied skill set, being comfortable with eating cheap as fuck food and sleeping in the dirt most of the time.