Not the Instagram version. The real version with deadlines, time zones and slow WiFi.
The realistic options are narrower than the internet suggests. You can keep your current job if it can be done remotely. You can freelance in a skill you already have. You can work for a company that hires remotely. What you cannot do is arrive somewhere with no income and hope to figure it out. The people who make work and travel work have sorted the income before they leave. Start building your remote income stream six months before you go. Test it while you still have a salary. If it does not work, you have not lost anything.
Working for a UK employer from Southeast Asia means your day starts at 2pm local time. Working for an Australian employer means your day starts at 6am. This sounds manageable until you are living it. You end up working when everyone else is socialising and socialising when everyone else is sleeping. Be honest about whether you can handle this. Some people thrive on the shifted schedule. Some people get isolated and depressed. Test it for two weeks before you commit to three months of it.
You need less than travel YouTubers tell you. A laptop, a phone, noise-cancelling headphones and a portable battery. That is it. You do not need a standing desk, a ring light or a second monitor. What you do need is reliable WiFi. Test it before you book accommodation. Ask for a speed test. Have a backup plan for when it drops, because it will. A co-working space, a cafe with good connection, a SIM card with enough data to tether. Your workspace is not about gear. It is about having a reliable connection and a quiet place to take a call.
Tax is the boring part that ruins nomads. If you are a UK resident working abroad, your tax situation depends on how long you are away, where your clients are and whether you are employed or self-employed. Get professional advice before you leave, not after. Have contracts in writing. Get paid in a currency you understand. Have an emergency fund. If your income stops, you need a way home that does not depend on having money in the bank. A credit card with available credit is your safety net.
The reason you went travelling was not to sit in a co-working space all day. But if you do not build some structure, work bleeds into everything and you never actually see the place you are in. Set working hours and stick to them. Take full days off. Explore in the mornings before work, or in the evenings after. The balance is the whole point. If you are working more than you were at home, you have missed the point of leaving. If you are working so little that your income suffers, you will not be able to stay. Find the line and hold it.
The realistic options are: keep your current job if it can be done remotely, freelance in a skill you already have, or work for a company that hires remotely. What you cannot do is arrive somewhere with no income and hope to figure it out. Start building your remote income stream six months before you leave and test it while you still have a salary.
Working for a UK employer from Southeast Asia means your day starts at 2pm local time. Be honest about whether you can handle a shifted schedule. Some people thrive on it. Some people get isolated and depressed. Test it for two weeks before you commit to three months of it. Your social life will be out of sync with the people around you.
Less than travel YouTubers tell you. A laptop, a phone, noise-cancelling headphones and a portable battery. What you actually need is reliable WiFi. Test it before you book accommodation. Have a backup plan for when it drops: a co-working space, a cafe with good connection, a SIM card with enough data to tether. Your workspace is about connection and quiet, not gear.
Get professional tax advice before you leave, not after. Your situation depends on how long you are away, where your clients are and whether you are employed or self-employed. Have contracts in writing. Get paid in a currency you understand. Have an emergency fund and a credit card with available credit as your safety net if your income stops.
Set working hours and stick to them. Take full days off. Explore in the mornings before work or in the evenings after. If you are working more than you were at home, you have missed the point of leaving. If you are working so little that your income suffers, you will not be able to stay. Find the line and hold it. The balance is the whole point.
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