MY YEAR AS A DIGITAL NOMAD (2017) 

"Freedom" of choice is the new RICH... this is inspiring!! congrats!

You see this is why I'm building up my income through renting out real estate. Its more stable than freelancing, and gives you a base amount of money every month for barely doing anything. Property Management can be outsourced usually for 10% or so of the monthly income. For me though, I have a father who said he would maintain it for way way less. I'm about to buy my first 4plex. Each unit will pay 950 for rent ( this includes utilities) which is average where I live. So, that's about 3700 a month gross. My mortgage + taxes & insurance will likely only come out to about 1500-1700. My mortgage will be fairly cheap since the property I'm buying is only 300k. I should have roughly 1500-1700 left over after expenses. Later next year I'm going to hopefully buy one more 4plex and double that. Meaning, assuming full vacancy I should make about 3,400 monthly, 2800 at minimum. That's more than enough. I used to live in LA, one of the most expensive cities in the world with 1800 a month. This is nearly double that. I also plan on having about 20k in savings just in case there is an emergency that I need to repair, and theoretically if I go to cheaper countries I should be able to SAVE money every month to add to that 20k. This is all possible because I've worked my ass off for 2 years now and three years coming up next year. I work about 60-80 hours a week, and I live at home so I can save every penny. I want to set my journey up so that I can travel indefinitely, and really never have to work again if I don't want to. Though, I still will freelance here and there while I'm traveling. Hard work pays off.

Yes freedom, I hate my work I feel depressed, making small salary, be happy and do what you like and travel enjoy better than stuck on making more money and don’t live your life the way you want to

Man, you're making me even more sure about where I'm going. I'm definitely going nomad soon!

Hey Chris! You know what some people don’t understand about the Nomadic lifestyle? The one thing that separates those who succeed and fail is GRIT AND CONSISTENCY.

I love that you show the hard work and setbacks that come with this lifestyle. The focus on just glamour is all we see which is not realistic or true.

I understand where you are coming from and hear it so much form people worldwide.I am so glad you appeared to learn that being a digital nomad is not a destination , but a journey, and one where every day is special and different. The struggles are what makes you motivated to find solutions and keep you going. We share one major obsession, we both want are friends as nomads to have it easier than we did. Keep traveling and making friends along the way .

Chris, I ve found your channel like a week ago, never seen something as inspirational and helpful as your videos. Mark those words and keep doing your work. Greetings from Slovakia.

I've lived like that for over 10 yrs WITHOUT THE INTERNET. But thanks for the inspiration, always love to learn and expand.

Love that saying,"Survive as nomads versus thriving as nomads." There's definitely a huge difference and glad to see you use 2016 as motivation for 2017, congratulations!

Thanks so much for the honesty and realization Chris! I too have been hopping around the globe, having visited 9 locations, stepping foot on 6 continents, circumventing the globe in 2017. You’re videos have been an inspiration on the my journey but it’s been your truthfulness that makes things seem possible. Once again, thanks so much. To the journey!

11:07 OMG I have that book sitting on my night stand for a year now without the time to look at it. I almost got a shock when you mentioned it because I see it every day yet never read it. You definitely just encouraged me to get started!

Great video! Thanks! Really appreciate the honesty about difficulties and changing your mind on things.

Thank you so much Chris for being honest & sharing the ups but also the downs. It's good to have someone remembering that it's not about the number of countries but the freedom to move... or not! We are right now where you were one year ago. 2017 was the trying, 2018 is the fixing ahah. Best of success for your book to come :)

I love my job, could never go nomad since it requires me at the office. But cool to see this experience!

Really appreciate the introspection, my man. That's the type of content that really connects with people (apparent from the comments!) and it's also what's missing from much of RU-vid. Great vid and all the best for 2018!

I don't know how to say this without it coming across as strange. But this video was emotional for me. Like this has been my dream for a few years now, and I'm nearly at the stage of being able to make it happen. You're fantastic at editing and capturing a feeling from the viewer. You're naturally charismatic and genuine. I've never heard of this channel before, but I'll happily follow along now. I just can't describe how perfectly you've captured my dream, with hardships and all. Cheers

Love this, you are killing it. Well done, inspiring stuff. Glad to see I am not the only one who started well as a digital nomad, then ended up back at square one... am working my way up to leaving again... Can't wait.

This is so cool. It's always good to document your activities and give a story

been following your YT Channel for almost 1year and feel inspired to start my first journey as Digital Nomad in 2018 , hope can catch up with you this year Chris !

So true! Place independence is about the freedom to have a choice! Me and my family started our journey 2016 and have met so many digital nomads and freelancers on our way. It is so interesting and inspiring to see how we as a movement fail and learn together, I believe that we shape the future. Failing forward! :)

Richard: "...and me, I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know it's not some place you can look for, 'cause it's not where you go. It's how you feel for a moment in your life when you're a part of something, and if you find that moment... it lasts forever." - from 'The Beach' movie

Chris, thank you for all your content and sharing your experiences with us. I've been learning about traveling and what to expect as I move my life forward as a digital nomad. Thank you again, bro!

Hi Chris, What more can i say other thank you as always for the excellent quality videos we have all enjoyed so much in 2017. I wish you continued success and look forward to seeing many more interesting presentations in 2018 and beyond.

I love the transparency and honesty of this video. Thank you Chris for sharing this. learned a ton of lessons

Great video Chris, I have enjoyed the journey and the high quality! Look forward to the next chapter!

Awesome video, Chris. Your videos keep getting better and better. Well done!

I’m 16 and I’ve been researching this lifestyle for a while. I’m staring my journey soon and I can’t wait till I’m able to travel! Thanks for the inspiration dude! I love your content.

So incredible... Bet you had TONS of haters and naysayers telling you you couldn't do it. They're probably still stuck in the same location, going to the same office, living the same life, and missing out.

Thank you RU-vid for suggesting this video. Chris, I've been watching a lot of Chiang Mai video and YT was smart enough to suggest your video and now I'm subscribed. Thanks for making awesome content!

You are a lovable inspiration, I am starting my DN journey 25th instant. Hoping for a incredible year(2018) traveling ASIA.

Awesome, Chris! I struggled with believing that software was my only way to become a digital nomad. Slowly, it's great to see that there are other paths. Looks like 2018 will be a year for some of us to explore these other "roads less traveled." Here's to a new year of adventure and freedom!

Great update, Chris. I provided what I needed to ask my work to go remote

So inspiring Chris, thanks so much. Your spirit and attitude towards freedom and travelling are so relatable. I'm about to pursue my freelancing dreams - wish me luck, and thanks for creating such great content.

Just wonderful. I loved this part 1:40, it really resonated with me. Personally, I felt 2017 I survived, and now looking forward to 2018 I want to thrive. I'll catch up soon!

Congrats on a really successful year! I like what you said about Budapest and the grass is always greer analogy. I've been travelling/living in different countries for the past 6 years doing, lots of different jobs along the way. I got my dream job in March and thought that it was everything that I had been working towards over the past few years. I jumped at the chance to work for the company, despite the fact that the job was in Egypt and I would have to sign a 2 year contract. It wasn't really all I hyped it up to be and as of yesterday I officially no longer work for that company. I spent 9 months working for that company and I have no regrets as I feel that I learnt a lot from what was mostly a disappointing experience. Sometimes you just need to take a step back to realise how good things were in the past and consider what you want to do in the future. I am now working remotely again and I have changed the focus of my masters to something more-in-line with my current goals. All the best with your future goals and aspirations!

Inspiring video Chris! Well put together and great storytelling! So interesting to hear about your nomad year of 2017 and the lessons you've learnt. Thanks for sharing! :)

I pursue a similar lifestyle long term and am currently getting some regular industry experience as a systems developer. Some stuff my colleges try to show me on a daily basis go over my head for sure, but most of it stick, especially after some repetition. But I notice your apps look really good, so you should probably focus on front-end development and get help with the more technical parts if needed, good luck :)

Thanks for that video, finally a honest story. I really dislike the tons of vids telling us how quickly you can become rich just by being a DN.

This is my ultimate goal! Been wanting to start my own channel but I am just too afraid to even try. But having seen so many people succeed as a digital nomad, I guess I'd give it a try. I have been a freelancer for quite a while now, but this time I want to take it to the next level. So, thanks for the inspiration! I wish you more success!

Thank you so much Chris , You Videos really changed my life , Wish you all the best.

I really enjoyed this behind the scenes perspective of your 2017 experience. It was really interesting to hear your struggles because i didn't see that in your content the first time around.

Thanks for your Vids Chris - i am definitely not a nomad just a dude that likes finding awesome and interesting clips to watch on youtube and your vids always deliver. Rock on in 18.

I bought Pieter Levels book and I am thinking of buying/reading more books.. from either Digital Nomads, Developers and Entrepreneurs. I can get their experience and knowledge by reading their books, so I buy them if I feel it is an educational experience, done through travel, studying, working etc.. Lately I started listening music on Spotify and I was impressed on how Spotify could adapt to my musical taste. My advice to you is to adapt to the taste of your readers, by doing like Pieter Levels did and opening to the public before publication. Allow users to discuss on themes together and share their ideas, maybe directly on the book or in a dedicated community. Also It needs to be educational or motivational, so interact with the users/readers to better know them on a personal level.

Great video!! Thanks a lot!! Keep sharing this is really inspiring many of us

love seeing your journey progress!

Nice video Chris, you are very inspiring! I wish you the best and hope to see more videos. Have a great 2018!

Awesome!! Thanks for sharing! I pray more people start taking the "road less traveled" in 2018. HAVE A GREAT YEAR! Go harder in 2018!

Great message at the end of the video to emphasise what's important about Nomad life

amazing video! I wish you a wonderful 2018 Chris

Thank you for documenting your efforts; I enjoyed viewing your experience in a well shown series of your travels. Lots of inspiration. Best for 2018 as I will keep tuned-in.

Great video. Definitely a unique video in a sea of videos out there that try to hide any adversity whatsoever.

Definitely inspiring! We've been on the road now for 4 months and I've been trying to iron out what's important going forward. What you said about the freedom to pursue what inspires you really called out to me. I'm looking forward to a year of pushing the fold and challenging myself in new and unexpected ways. All the best in 2018 Chris!

Interesting stuff Chris, I had the same experience with coding after working professionally for over a decade in cold Sweden and then finally letting go and moving to Sydney Australia. At that point it was like a chrysalis becoming a butterfly and so a new journey begun. Always in life for the awaken people around the world there will be a fight between who we are now and who we are becoming in life. Struggles are inevitable but that's also part of what makes up a great and memorable life.

Great video mate, had been a while since I had seen your videos and cool to see your evolution. Keep going!

There's so much authenticity in your videos! I hope 2018 is going just as well for you 😊

Great video Chris! It's great to hear a really honest representation of your year, all of the ups and downs but ultimately very inspiring. It was good to meet you during your time in London and I'm excited to see what content you create in 2018.

Just came across this video. I can rely on what you say perfectly. The idea of quantity of destinations, the sometimes against your intuition movements you make. It's not exactly living the dream what you describe and after my 15 months as a digital nomad, it's actually the first time I see someone sharing the more balanced vision of the lifestyle. So thanks for your video and of course, all the best!

Hi, thank you for this! Subbed. I'm only two minutes into it, and can already tell this will be valuable. But I have a question that I don't think you are going to answer, and that I'm afraid I'll forget by the end. At around 2"00 you say that your goal in 2016 is to "Survive" as a Digital Nomad, and in 2017 it is to "Thrive" as a digital nomad. I loved this! It's very powerful, but getting into the nitty gritty. My question(s) is this. How do you define the difference ? How do you know/measure that you have survived/ and same for thrived? Thank you so much for your time.

Been following your journey from the beginning. This was done masterfully. I have a feeling your 2018 will be amazing!

Great video, Chris! Been following you for a while...really inspiring! Keep up the great work!

I respect your honesty, vulnerability is true strength

I love your honesty and sharing of your vulnerability! and your video work is awesome 🙂 Wonderful that you found the gift of feeling free 👍

Hey man! Just wanted to say great stuff and you've really improved as a RU-vidr and videographer. Great video with some beautiful shots and very inspirational. It was a nice change of pace in this vid, especially for you to talk about some of the struggles you had. So many people just talk about the ups but life and being an entrepreneur is FULL of struggles and trying to blast past them. Cheers from Chiang Mai and keep up the great work.

Congrats on the successful year...your dedication and persistence paid off.

Awesome Chris! So glad to see things are becoming a little clearer. Memories of Chiang Mai and Koh Lanta coming back to me :) ...but in 2010 (couple of years after Tims 4hww) there was zero co-working activity...how things change! Have you read Mark Mansons, "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***" ? He touches on a similar point about travelling and "chasing" the grass is greener idea. He came to the conclusion that focusing and choosing the critical few important things, and going deep on them, that was what became deeply fulfilling. Not travelling to the next country, the next experience, (although there is so much to gain from travel and experience too), but deciding on what few things are most important in life and doubling down on them without regretting the 50 other things that Pinterest and RU-vid aspirations hypnotise you into searching for. Ultimately, we all want happiness, thats the point. But it's never beyond the next trip or once you reach xyz goal. Like you said, which I think is the ultimate lesson to learn here....it's not the physical 'freedom' to do everything, anywhere, all the time, endlessly. It's the conscious mental freedom to choose what is most important at any one time, and be able to do it. Even if that is to travel the world permanently. Slightly different perspective on freedom, but an important one I think. Anyways, awesome video and I wish you all the best for 2018 man!

Keep your great work going and thanks for inspiration!

Your channel was such an inspiration for me to drop out everything and learn how to code and become a digital nomad. Looking forward to your 2018 videos! Thank you and Happy New Year!!

Such a great and inspirational video! Loved following your journey of 2017. You've got a new subscriber :)

This reminds me of Bojack Horseman. It's not where you are or what you're doing that's the problem. It's who you are. Because in the end, wherever you are, you are still you and if you've always been a person who was unhappy with everything, you will always be that person unless you change yourself.

Thank you so much .

Great video - it's helping me to carve out what I'd like to do in the near future

that's an inspirational video dude !! thanks for sharing it . wishing you a happy new year 2018 and wishing you all the best :)

Hey Chris, Happy New Year, always such a candid and nice video coming from you man. I am waiting for your next video and what are the plans for you and Denise for 2018. Chhers mate!

so inspiring... traveling the world has always been my dream but had no idea how to start. thanks to your videos i now have an idea.

Happy new year Chris thanks for the great videos

wow! Great video, felt like a short documentary I would find on TV/Netflix, actually forgot I was on RU-vid once I put it fullscreen haha. I had the same feeling about programming after my last Android contract. This year has taught me the same lesson about Location Independence being about choice to travel, planning to slow things down a bit next year as well. Looking forward to more videos like this in 2018.

Thank you being in my country and showing Belgrade to the world. I am trying to learn to code, but somehow my day job makes feel tired all the time, and I am stuck in the middle. I really like your videos, they are really inspirational, I remember when I first saw your video "How to learn to code?", and I just started to learn. I must say it was really interesting and it still is, maybe one day is going to pay out maybe I will never become a developer, at least I tryed. Once more I wish to thank you. Best wishes to you and Denise.

Awesome video Chris, big fan of your videos. Chris would love to know your 2018 travel plan, also would awesome if you did few travel templates with list of countries to travel one after the other, it can be confusing for new No Mads to where to go first, second and third. Finally, thank you for your work, you recorded some awesome videos...!

NEEDS MORE VIEWS! Good job, and dope idea for nomadwifi! *fist bump*

Honesty and transparency....

This is nice documenting all the ups and downs of your journey as a digital nomad. This gives us a lot more to look into as aspiring digital nomads as well. Cool video! Thanks for creating this. Hope to see more as you go along :)

You did achieve visiting 15 different countries across 5 continents in 2017! That's very inspirational and awesome. There're more than 360 days to enjoy for this new year, may health & wealth be with you! Happy New Year _/\_

Do you see yourself continuing on this digital nomadic life forever, as long as you're able to? Or is there something about it that makes you think about quitting?

Thank you for sharing your life in real beautiful way

I love this lifestyle rather than 9 to 5 environment. I hope one day can be like you

Hey Chris, nice channel mate! I am a 36 year old guy from Holland and just started working in digital marketing last year. To become a digital nomad feels like a dream to me. What where you're biggest challenges or fears mentally in taking the step to work offshore and leaving 'everything' behind?

So inspirational! Thank you for sharing

Your video editing skills and ability to tell a story are one of a kind! Seriously. Keep them coming. Happy New Years!

very encouraging video. i wish you best of luck for your future endeavors

That is awesome Chris! How did you get your Living Under $600 video go viral? Did you do any advertising, promoting, or did you have a good following by that time that it just started to gain momentum. We loved Morocco! So cool that you got to visit a lot of different places while working as a digital nomad! Good luck in this year!!

It's funny how we can get so consumed by work that we forget possibilities, and the ability to have a freedom of choice. I really liked the video, thanks for sharing! :)

Good effort mate, as always your words resonate with my own experience of 2017 where I managed 17 countries on 3 continents. Now in a bit of a lull myself just waiting to see what happens next. I think you are right about the quality of destination not quantity so I'd say 2018 will be a little quieter on the travel front.

I always believe in being realist and this is what realistic nomad life look like!

I want to do this. This is literally my dream! I'm a comp sci major in college right now. I feel like I have more of an interest in videography and travel but I just don't know how I can make a living off of doing that stuff.

omggg Thanks for the Inspo!!

Wow old video but thanks. I'm trying as hard as possible to start my journey but stupid things keep pushing me back! Trying to get a few clients freight brokering whilst trying to also get a remote job in customer service or inbound sales but no freaking luck. Only those two things can launch my journey and i won't stop until I'm ready to go! Nice video.

Well done Chis, my favorite video of yours yet! If you can combine that cinematography with some good useful content you will be unstoppable . Would love to see you do some deep dives into specific travelling difficulties and intro to coding. From a kiwi who is 50% of the way to the dream happy new year!!!

I always fucking hated feeling locked into work. Only when I went to Chiang Mai did I realise what I wanted, more than anything. I got back and immediately, for a few months, grinding it out on every freelance platform and job site until I found the perfect remote job. I am due to move to Chiang Mai with my girlfriend in September and I couldn't possibly be more excited

Well done. Lovely filmed and edited!