Is the digital nomad lifestyle sustainable for the planet, indigenous cultures, and nomads themselves?

Some people accuse digital nomads and the lifestyle they bring with them of gentrifying impacted nomad hubs, raising the local cost of living, pushing out local businesses, and being culturally insensitive.

But is it justified? What are the facts? What can digital nomads do to minimize their global footprint?

In this episode Jeff and Marisa use data and personal experiences to help answer these questions. You can interact with the Beach Commute team on this topic by sending an email to hello@beachcommute.com

There is a growing list of digital nomad hotspots all around the world! But, when you're traveling as a digital nomad, sometimes you want to venture off the beaten path and explore some less-commonly traveled places.

In some cases for better, and in other cases for worse.

In this episode, Jeff and Marisa talk about six destinations that they lived for a significant amount of time as digital nomads.

They review the highs and lows of each destination and rate them on how well they may stand up as a digital nomad location in the future.

Listen in if you want to hear about some interesting destinations off the tourist track.

Make sure to check out the Anywhere Atlas, a database of fully remote companies that let you work from anywhere in the world. Working for a fully remote company is the fastest way to become a digital nomad!

beachcommute.com/atlas

Most people assume that they can get a remote job by directly applying to job listings they find on job boards. 

It’s VERY rare that people actually get jobs this way. The majority of the time these job applications get lost in the abyss of hundreds of applications. 

As a matter of fact, if your application DOES get looked at, the average amount of time a recruiter will spend on it is 6 seconds. 6 seconds is all you get!

You need to completely reframe the way you think about getting a job to maximize your odds of getting a job. 

In this episode Jeff and Marisa walk you through a technique that will optimize the likelihood of getting hired. 

Hint: The best way to get hired at a fully remote company is by following companies rather than chasing individual job listings. 

And the best way to do that is finding companies that truly give you the freedom to travel anywhere while you work. 

Fortunately, Beach Commute has spent 3+ years tracking down the very best companies in the world to work from. Beach Commute has launched a fully filterable database (called the Anywhere Atlas) of 300+ awesome companies, rated by four important factors: 

1. Peer reviews - how people who actually work for the company feel about working with them. 
2. Remote work culture - how much the company embraces a fully-remote work style. 
3. Employee perks - the benefits the companies offer like 4 day weeks, laptops, medical coverage, etc. 
4. Company culture - the type of positive environment management fosters for employees. 

Get access to the Anywhere Atlas today!

Beachcommute.com/atlas 

Are megacities good places to live as a digital nomad? 

It's a really tough question, and the true answer is: "It depends on the city." 

So, in order to put together a halfway intelligent method, we created a set of 6 criteria points to determine how well a megacity qualifies. They are: 

1. Community - How easy it it to find and build community? 
2. Safety - Is the location physically safe to travel, or are there pockets that are safe to travel? 
3. Internet - Is the average internet speed strong enough to support working online? 
4. Cost of living - Is the cost of goods/accommodations sustainable to live for at least a month? 
5. Coworking - Are there cafes or coworking centers available, or will you be stuck in your accomodations? 
6. Transportation - Is it easy to get around by foot/transit, or is everything a hassle to get to? 

Based on these six criteria, we came up with a list of seven locations that fit the bill. Some better than others, but all were within what we considered acceptable levels. 

Without giving away all the details, we will give you just a little teaser into the countries we discuss: Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Portugal, Argentina, Spain and Brazil. 

Don't forget to join our newsletter so that you can get weekly digital nomad job listings!

Becoming a digital nomad will be one of the most impactful decisions you will ever make in your life. 

Without. A. Doubt.

We talk about the five most obvious reasons to us that you'll LOVE being a digital nomad. Mind you, there are many, many more, but we will leave some of the surprises to you and your experiences. 

1. You can't see as much on normal vacation: When the only time you can use to travel is your 2-4 weeks of vacation per year, you'll never accomplish 1/10th of your travel goals as you can as a digital nomad. Also, you'll be much more likely to end up in the tourist traps. 
2. Adventures: And more specifically, UNPLANNED and random adventures happen all the time as a digital nomad. Normal Saturdays as a digital nomad could be the types of adventures that most people talk about as life highlights that they talk about the rest of their lives. 
3. Culture: It's REALLY hard to get a true cultural experience on a quick 1-2 week vacation. As a digital nomad, there will be countless times you will even accidentally end up in a cultural experience. 
4. Food: Closely related to "culture", you'll likely taste the best, and sometimes strangest food you'll ever try in your life (like llama, ah!). 
5. Building community: As a digital nomad, you will meet some of the most interesting, intelligent, compassionate friends of your life. Digital nomads tends to be very like-minded in values, so it will feel like you're talking with a lifelong friend the very first time you meet. 

Which of these reasons do you want to become a digital nomad? Did we miss anything? Write us at hello@beachcommute.com. 

Interested in visiting Africa as a digital nomad? You're not alone!

While Latin America, Bali, and Thailand get the most press for top digital nomad destinations, Africa has quietly been turning into a digital nomad powerhouse. 

Without giving away the specific cities (you'll have to listen to find out!) we talk about: 

1. South Africa: Our destination boasts: A massive digital nomad community, amazing places to hike and take pictures, up-and-coming coworking spaces and laptop-friendly cafes. 
2. Mauritius: Looking for an island vibe FAR removed from civilization? Lush jungle-y feeling? Clear blue waters? It's not exactly an up-and-coming digital nomad community, but it's moving in that direction. 
3. Nigeria: For the brave adventurers and digital nomads out there, Nigeria is an incredibly raw cultural experience, albeit a difficult place to work remotely. It's not the easiest, but it's doable. 
4. Egypt: Another one (and our city in particular) that's definitely on the up-and-coming digital nomad destination list. And if you're into diving, this is one of the top places in the world. 
5. Namibia: The land of adventures on the Serengeti. Definitely not set up for the digital nomad life (yet!), it is one of the coolest countries in the world and worthy of the extra work to make the trip work. 

Have a topic you want to suggest for an upcoming podcast? Write us at hello@beachcommute.com

We've come up with a list of the 7 questions you're most likely going to be asked when applying for, or asking your boss to become a digital nomad. 

After interviewing and working with over 1,000 digital nomads, Diego exactly how to approach these questions. 

Hint: Yes, there is a right way and wrong way to approach these questions. 

Here are the seven questions: 

1. What does “working remotely” actually look like for you?
2. What do you need in your physical workspace to be successful in your job?
3. How do you handle your calendar and schedule? What apps/systems/communication do you use?
4. How do you prepare for meetings and facilitate meetings? What do you make sure to do during a meeting?
5. How would you handle lack of face-to-face contact when you work remotely?
6. How do you balance your work life and the rest of your life?
7. Why do you want to work remotely?

Listen in to get the exact blueprint on how to answer these questions so that you nail that interview, and become a digital nomad as soon as possible. 

We found 52,581 current remote job listings for 5 different types of jobs, currently accepting applications.

Are these US-based jobs? NOPE, anyone around the world can apply for these. 

In this episode we talk through five different types of remote jobs along with: 

• Their average hourly pay
• The number of jobs listed on LinkedIn alone
• A specific job listing - who the company is, job requirements, and job responsibilities.

In this episode we lift up the hood on 4 of the more common digital nomad jobs (along with one awesome bonus listing!)

We discuss the average salary, total listings, and a hand-picked available job role for the following jobs:

1. Virtual Assistant
2. Data Entry
3. Typist
4. Accounts Receivable
5. Travel host with Wifi Tribe

If you're currently looking for a remote job, you should listen to this podcast and get onto our email list ASAP, because we send them out all the time. 

This episode is going to help you slingshot past years, and potentially hundreds of mistakes 

Using years of data and experience, we have outlined the fastest path possible to working and traveling. 

Marisa has worked with thousands of clients over the past ten years (professionally) to figure out exactly where people are going wrong when trying to become a digital nomad. 

She saw thousands of ways to NOT become a digital nomad. 

Unfortunately, sometimes it's seeing all the ways that don't work to figure out what does work.

With that information, Marisa has created the cheat code to becoming a digital nomad. 

It's like playing a video game, but Marisa knows where all the monsters are, and how to defeat them. 

Here's a few hints on what you're going to get a taste of: 

1. Job selection - most people are making a huge mistake when going through the selection process 
2. Failure insurance - there are lingering doubts that you will fail, what do you do with those thoughts and how do you safeguard against them?
3. Resume issues - believe it or not, people are terrified of having a gap in their resume. Hint: the answer is clear-cut and painfully easy to solve. 

If you're on the ledge, and have been for quite awhile, this episode may be the thing that pushes you over the edge. 

Links mentioned: 

Go Remote Employment course

91 top remote jobs

You may have heard many episodes of Marisa and Jeff talking about travel and remote careers, but you haven’t heard their full stories, failures and triumphs on their own journey to digital nomad life.

Until today…

In this episode, Marisa interviews Jeff on his story from college dropout to getting paid a remote salary as a marketer who got out of a deep depression by traveling the world.

Throughout this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Jeff managed to build a great, high paying remote career for himself after dropping out of college for several years, and finally graduating at age 27
• The one person who changed the course of his career
• How Jeff actually LOST money in his first corporate career
• Why Jeff still felt completely unfulfilled and  became depressed while working from home (before traveling), even though he had a great career and a great salary
• How Jeff got promoted 7 times at his company WHILE traveling the world (he reached CMO level while we were together in Bolivia)
• How travel and ayahuasca helped Jeff stop taking depression medication for the first time in 15 years
• The biggest challenge Jeff faced while traveling the world while working as a remote employee
• Jeff’s (incredibly surprising) FOUR WORDS OF WISDOM to anyone considering whether or not to get a remote career and start traveling the world

Links:

91 digital nomad jobs that people in our community are actually doing while traveling the world: www.beachcommute.com/91

Danny Burton had a plane ticket to Japan where he intended to live permanently with his then-girlfriend. 

His new life was literally DAYS away. 

Then Covid hit, and an alternate life path unfolded. 

He got stock (literally STUCK) in Lisbon where he was forced to lock down. 

Out of necessity, he found a few other digital nomads to room with while the early days of Covid raged on, and lockdowns remained in full effect. 

Despite the inconvenience of the situation, Danny came to found that he really REALLY enjoyed sharing space with like-minded people while living abroad.

It didn't take long before Danny realized that his life's calling was to travel the world and share memories with fellow travelers.  

Danny talks about: 

• The fulfillment you feel when traveling with likeminded people. 
• Specific destinations in Peru. 
• Living in Lisbon (partially through a lockdown).
• How ad targeting can influence your dreams to travel. 
• Some of the hardest moments you will run into as a digital nomad. 
• Danny's favorite places around the world.
• Why he dislikes Playa del Carmen.

Listen in to hear a truly authentic story about a person who took the plunge into the world of being a digital nomad. 

If you're on your way to becoming a digital nomad (or already are one!) take a look at Danny's latest app: Nomadago, a social travel planning calendar that helps you keep track of and sync up with your friends around the world. 

Visas, tourist stamps, tourist cards, oh my!

The very last thing you want to happen when you arrive in a new country is to get denied entry at the airport, and get stranded in a McDonalds. 

Especially if you're a first time digital nomad!

But how do you figure out what you need to do to get into a country? 

Unfortunately, there isn't a clear answer - it's truly the wild wild west out there. Every country has different requirements, paperwork, duration, etc. 

So we have come up with a list of the 7 critical things you need to watch out for to ensure that you won't get turned away. 

In this episode we will help you figure out: 

• Where to search for the latest information on what you need to do before arriving in a country. 
• How long you can stay in a country before you have to leave. 
• What happens if you stay too long in a country. 
• How long you have to wait before going back to a country. 
• If you need proof of a return flight or ongoing travel. 
• If you need a covid test or proof of vaccine. 
• If you need a digital nomad visa (Pro tip: you probably won't need one or will you likely use one.)

We also talk about exactly what you need to do to get into the some of the main digital nomad hot spots, including Bali, Mexico, Colombia, Europe (Shengen), Panama, Costa Rica, Vietnam. 

Do you wish you had a remote career that you could pursue while you travel the world to epic places….but you’re not sure which skills you have, what career you’d transition to, or who in the hell would hire you?

If so, this episode has an amazing solution that could be a great fit for you.

In Marisa’s interview, our guest, Bradley Rice, shares how he landed a job in the Salesforce niche making $70,000 right out of college (with no previous experience)...

And how, by age 30, he was earning $220,000 per year while only working 20 hours per week...

And living the digital nomad life around the US and Europe with his wife and toddler. 

At age 31, Bradley technically had enough money to retire from his job (which he did)…

But rather than “sitting around on his porch drinking tea,” he felt inspired to help others get hired to work in the Salesforce industry as well (Brad is truly awesome, kind, and super helpful, as you'll hear in this episode).

Bradley has helped thousands of people (with zero experience!) land a Salesforce job, with the incredible following salary statistics:

1. Year 1 average salary: $72,000
2. Year 2 average salary: $90,000
3. Year 3 average salary: $125,000
4. Year 5-7 average salary: $150,000

If you’d like to learn more about Brad’s path to success, his life as a digital nomad, and how you can get into this industry too making these kind of numbers (with absolutely no prior experience), give this episode a listen now!

If you’re interested in the 5 day challenge mentioned during the interview, click here to check it out now.

http://www.talentstacker.com/beachcommute

Most people assume that being a digital nomad will cost similar to what they spend on a typical vacation.

That CAN be the case, but typically it's not.

Counterintuitively, most digital nomads spend LESS money when they are traveling than when they were stationary.

In this episode Jeff and Marisa walk you through 7 surprising ways that they and other digital nomads manage to save more money while traveling than while being stationary.

Make sure you get on the email list to get access to hundreds of fully remote companies so that you can start traveling the world while working wherever you want today!

beachcommute.com/email

Most people seem to think, "I don't have the necessary skills to become a digital nomad", but here is Rob Bone, a professional chef who founded a web design company and started traveling South and Central America six months ago.

Rob has an insane story arc, starting over a decade ago as a professional chef in the United States. 

Over the past ten years Rob has made three huge life changes: 

1. Moved to Vienna with his girlfriend. 
2. Starting his own remote/online business in web design and SEO. 
3. Abandoned his safe & secure life to become a digital nomad, starting in Medellin, Colombia.

Rob walked us through the courage and ambition that fueled him to make the hard decisions he needed to make in order to take hold of the life he wanted. 

In this episode Rob talks also talks about: 

• Productivity hacks (with an emphasis on digital nomad lifestyle). 
• Time management skills. 
• Difficulties you will run into as a digital nomad, and how to overcome them. 
• How to instill healthy daily habits. 
• Life in Vienna, Colombia, and Mexico. 
• Understanding how visas work in Colombia and how to maximize your time in country. 
• His favorite moments over the past six months that made him think "This is exactly why I decided to become a digital nomad." 

If you have any questions/comments for Rob (or Beach Commute), send us a note to hello@beachcommute.com. 

Meet Jim Haff, a previous high school chemistry and physics teacher turned digital nomad. 

Six years ago Jim's lease was expiring and he decided, "I don't want to renew my lease, I want to travel." 

So he literally abandoned his life and did it. 

He let his lease expire, sold his all his stuff, bought a ticket to Lisbon (alone), and hoped for the best. 

Then, he started working remotely. He basically fell into the world of digital nomad-ism and rolled with it. 

Listen in to hear Jim's journey across the world where he talks about: 

• How to quickly make the digital nomad leap. 
• Experiences from his travel in Japan, Italy, Mexico, Amsterdam, and Lisbon. 
• The pros and cons of slow travel vs. fast travel. 
• How to maintain a sustainable routine as a digital nomad. 
• Tips for aspiring digital nomads, including how to pack and booking flights. 

If you want to hear an authentic full arc of becoming a digital nomad, the ups and downs of daily life, what life is like in specific cities across the world, and a few tips for new digital nomads, this episode is for you. 

If you have any questions about any episode, please write in at hello@beachcommute.com 

Sure, there are TONS of places you can live for under $1k per month…but the question is whether or not they are legitimate digital nomad destinations.

So we came up with a list of places we have actually lived in that are both under $1,000 per month AND are digital nomad-worthy.

In order to qualify for this list, each location had to satisfy the following criteria:

• Under $1,000/month in expenses (with modest spending habits).
• Is a digital nomad destination (you’ll find community there).
• Easy access to strong internet.
• Easy access to food/drink/restaurants and entertainment.
• Relatively safe.

And you would be shocked by the number of places we were able to come up with - as a matter of fact we had to substantially cut our list just to keep the podcast length manageable!

Expect many more suggestions in the future!

In this episode you’ll learn:

-First-had reviews and experiences in each of the 10 destinations.

-The exact cost of living comparison for various foods, restaurants, and apartment rental.

-Things to watch out for, and places to check out.

Links mentioned:

www.beachcommute.com/gre

www.beachcommute.com/91

Numbeo.com

The search topic "digital nomad" has 6x'ed in global monthly searches since the start of the pandemic. 

Searches have 3x'ed in just the last six months alone, reaching an all-time high!

The numbers are mind-blowing. And in looking at these numbers we thought, "instead of guessing what you're searching about the digital nomad lifestyle, we should use data to tell us exactly what you care about, and answer those questions. And with some quick keyword research, we were able to do exactly that. 

We found the top 7 questions you and other aspiring digital nomads ask Google every month, according to cold hard data.

Without giving away the whole podcast, here are a few of the topics we discussed: 

• Cost of living in amazing locations around the world. 
• How to make money while traveling. 
• Where to find a job that allows you to travel. 
• How visas work. 

In this episode you will learn what people just like you are searching, how often, and the answers to these questions that are searched thousands of times per month. 

Teaser: You'll also learn exact cost of living amounts for various locations around the world, down to the exact dollar it will cost you to rent an apartment. 

Links mentioned: 

91 jobs 

Go Remote Employment Course

Numbeo

Contact us with questions or comments at hello@beachcommute.com

Have you ever wondered which remote career you could possibly do while you travel the world, but you have no idea where to start? And once you figure that the right remote career, what next steps do you take?

If so, you'll love this episode.

Listen in as Marisa does a live coaching session with 57 year old Terri, who has worked in an office job for a wine and liquor distributor for the past 32 years. She and her 60 year old husband (who has some health issues) have had the desire to move to Costa Rica for the last 17 years, but haven't known how to do it (until now!).

Terri began listening to the podcast, just like you, and began to realize that she could find some way to make a remote income (to support their bills and cover the cost of her husband's medical bills). However, she didn't know where to begin or what job to do. So she came to us for help.

The goal if this coaching session was for Terri to find a job that she can not only do remotely from Costa Rica, but to find a job that she will enjoy as well.

Listen in on the process as Marisa helps Terri find (and get excited for) the PERFECT remote career that she never dreamed could be done remotely. 

Resources:

List of 91 jobs that can be done remotely: www.beachcommute.com/91

Want to apply to do a live coaching session with Marisa? Click here now to apply.

Having thoughts on becoming a digital nomad, but still have a few lingering unanswered questions?

Then this is the podcast for you!

Listeners like you send us their awesome questions all the time.

Jeff and Marisa read and answer these questions from the audience on-the-fly (with no preparation!), so you’re getting raw, unfiltered advice about how to become a digital nomad, and how to to maintain the lifestyle.

Here are the questions they covered in this episode:

1. Where do you see the digital nomad movement in 5 years? 10 years.
2. How do you make the initial leap from a 9-5 job to a digital nomad lifestyle?
3. How do you maintain income stability while being a digital nomad?
4. What do you do when your location-independent business is failing?
5. What helps you get back on track when you experience difficulties earning money?
6. Would you advise starting your digital nomad journey as a freelancer, passive business, or startup?
7. What digital nomad communities would you recommend to join?

Want your questions answered in another Q&A sessions? Send us a note at hello@beachcommute.com

Resources:

List of 91 actual jobs that real digital nomads in our community are doing (click here to download)

Nomadago app for tracking where your friends are traveling

So you’re ready to become a digital nomad and book your first trip. but…

You don’t know how or where to book your accommodations.

Which websites do you use? How much should you pay? How do you know which areas are safe? How do you know if you will have workable wifi?

Jeff and Marisa have booked hundreds of accommodations across the world. And with that experience, they have run into just about every issue you will encounter.

In other words, they know everything you should watch out for.

In this episode Jeff and Marisa will give you all the shortcuts you need to know to make your trip as smooth as possible.

You will learn:

• How to negotiate better terms and find the biggest discounts for your stay.
• The websites and services to use for booking accommodations.
• Techniques for finding the safest areas in any city.
• How to ensure you will have workable wifi throughout your trip.
• How to make sure you don’t get fooled by trick photography.
• What to look for in reviews to find honest feedback on your potential accommodations.
• What to expect of the property owners based the continent you are on.

We promise you, booking a long-term rental in an absolute dungeon can absolutely ruin your stay.

This episode WILL prevent a bad booking experience.

Links mentioned: 

91 top jobs as a digital nomad

Go Remote Employment course

Contact us at: hello@beachcommute.com

You might be shocked to hear that It’s rarely ever a “skillset problem” that keeps you from becoming a digital nomad.

Over the past 5 years Marisa has given career coaching advice to over a hundred people, just like you. In almost every instance it’s been a mindset problem, rather than a skillset problem that holds you back from traveling the world while working.

Sound familiar?

But that’s GOOD news for you!

Your biggest fear might be that you need to spend years and years of learning a new skill that enables you to travel. It seems insurmountable, right? 

But in reality, it’s likely your mental approach (and fear) to change that creates the biggest barrier.

Meet Fredria (Freddy), another Beach Commute podcast listener who joined us for our second live coaching session with Marisa. 

Fredria is a mother, a forensic toxicologist, a stock trading and financial literacy enthusiast, and otherwise genuinely interesting guest with dreams of creating community around the world. 

Marisa walks Fredria through the 4 critical questions she asks her clients to reframe their entire thought processes. 

In this podcast you will be able to “self-coach” yourself through the exact process Marisa would take you through in a one-to-one coaching session.

Marisa will walk you through the questions that will open your mind to approaching digital nomadism from a place of confidence and excitement rather than fear.

If you have any interest in doing a live coaching session like Fredria, write us in at hello@beachcommute.com.

Get some inspiration from our list of 91 jobs you can do while traveling.

Have you ever listened to a podcast, then become the featured guest on that podcast for a live coaching session? 

That's EXACTLY what happened in this episode. (When we say we love interacting with our community, we mean it!) 

Meet our guest Eric, an army veteran of 27 years, father of 3 children, and Beach Commute listener for the past six months. 

And we're going to talk about the "golden handcuffs "that are holding him back. 

What are "golden handcuffs", you ask? Good question. 

A golden handcuff is an income security blanket that prevents you from doing what you really want to do in life out of fear of losing your current income. 

Your work goes completely stale. You've lost you interest in learning. Your brain feels like it's on autopilot...But, your fear of reducing your income overrides that nagging feeling that you aren't doing what your heart really wants to do. 

You know you are wasting precious time, but you still can't take action. It's an awful feeling. 

Sound familiar? 

Join us as Marisa walks Eric through the exact steps he needs to take in order to mentally prepare himself to take the first steps to taking action. 

If you're interesting in becoming a digital nomad, this podcast is tailor-made for you. You will be witnessing the literal beginning of Eric's path to becoming a digital nomad and how he's going to do it.

Are you interested in being a guest on our podcast? Click here to submit your application now, and we'll follow up if you're a good fit.

We've got some spicy digital nomad jobs for you in part 2 of the most unusual remote jobs we have ever seen. 

We've said it time and time again, you don't need to be a programmer, graphic designer or content writer to become a digital nomad. And that point is constantly reinforced every time we meet new people while traveling. 

Check out some of the jobs featured in this podcast...

A traveling marriage counselor, because why not? Does it matter if you're in the same room or on a Zoom call? Nope. 

Or a civil rights analyst (some of these jobs we literally have to ask the person what they mean). 

How about a dominatrix? We are not kidding, this is actually the profession of a traveler we have met. 

What about a voiceover artist who used to wrap a towel around his head to eliminate background noise? 

You've got to join us on this podcast for inspiration, for entertainment, or even just a little shock value. 

For more information about remote jobs, check out our Ebook outlining the top 91 jobs for digital nomads. And as always, write us in if you have any episode requests or questions: hello@beachcommute.com 

This is a listener requested episode!

The dating world for digital nomads is very, very different than that of a "normal" life living in one location.

In some ways it's better, and in other ways it can be more logistically challenging.

Jeff and Marisa both have experience dating as digital nomads, and have hundreds of friends/acquaintances who have dated as digital nomads.

In this episode, they explore:

1. Do you need to wait to have a significant other before starting to travel?
2. What if you want to travel and your partner doesn’t?
3. Do you have to choose between having a life partner and living a nomad life?
4. How do people meet significant others while traveling? (Apps, meeting locals, meeting other digital nomads, etc.)
5. How do you date while being a digital nomad? (Logistics, long distance, etc.)
6. Can you travel and have kids?

If you have podcast topic requests, send them to hello@beachcommute.com!

Jeff and Marisa love getting correspondence from their thousands of subscribers, so don't be shy!

Do you want to know how to get into the top 1% of job applicants for a new remote job? 

This podcast is for you. 

Suddenly there are now TONS of people in the market for a new job that allows them to be a digital nomad. People want to travel and they want location-independent jobs. 

Unfortunately, that means resumes are getting blasted through LinkedIn en masse by the hundreds of thousands. 

And most of them are going straight into a black hole. (That's not good for you!)

Jeff and Marisa have over twenty years combined of hiring experience. Marisa was a top marketer for Pepsi, and Jeff was a CMO for the world's largest content marketing agency. 

Together, they've gone through thousands of resumes and interviewed hundreds of people. 

They know some very critical tips that will get you in the top 1% of applicants, guaranteed. And fortunately for you, the answer to getting on the top of the stack of resumes is much more simple than you think. 

Give this episode a listen if you want to quickly and easily land that job interview. 

What are some of the craziest digital nomad jobs you have heard of? 

Sure, you've got your usual bloggers, content writers, marketers, and of course, programmers. And don't get me wrong, these are definitely some of the most popular jobs for digital nomads (because you can do them anywhere), but trust me when I say that this list is hardly comprehensive. All together, Jeff, Marisa & Diego have worked and traveled for well over a decade, and over that time we have encountered some of the most unlikely professions that you would never have even considered...

Like a traveling forensic analyst? 

And a professional gambler? 

And even a successful traveling musician/DJ.

Seriously! And these aren't just theoretical jobs, these are people who we have actually met. 

Without giving away the entire episode, I will say that every one of these jobs in this two-part series is more unusual and unexpected than the last. 

We wanted to talk about this list because, well, it's fun. But also, because most people don't become digital nomads because they have a a pre-wired idea of the kind of job they need to have in order to work remote. They think, "Well, I don't know how to code or do programming, so I will never be able to be a remote worker." 

They couldn't be further from the truth. And this is becoming especially true as traditionally "office" businesses are increasingly moving their operations fully online.  

In this two-part episode we talk about: 

• Some of the strangest and unexpected jobs we have encountered while traveling. 
• How segments of traditionally on-location businesses are going remote. 
• Why you should challenge your thinking about not being able to work remote. 

For more job ideas, check out our list of 91 jobs. And of course if you ever have any questions, write us at hello@beachcommute.com

What's the top concern people have when thinking about becoming a digital nomad? 

Money? Language? Scoring accommodations? WiFi problems?

NOPE, all wrong. It's safety. 

Every. single. time. 

When we ask our audience of burgeoning digital nomads what they're most afraid of, it always comes down to safety. And that's not exclusive to new digital nomads, we get safety questions 

So finally, we decided to tackle the topic with two of the most knowledgeable digital nomads on the topic. 

First we have Marisa coming in with years of expertise from the female perspective (a significantly higher risk group). Marisa has traveled to 70+ countries, many times as a solo traveler, and has learned every trick in the book to navigate the world safely. 

Second, we have Diego has gone on 50+ trips with groups of 15+ people each, so he's seen nearly every safety/danger-related scenario possible. In other words, he's quite possibly one of the most knowledgeable people we've ever met with regards to digital nomad safety. 

Without giving away the whole list, a preview of what we talk about: 

• Safety getting from the airport to your destination. 
• Researching general ground transportation (many taxis are fake!)
• Unregistered taxis that can get you into trouble in a quick hurry. 
• Understanding the local "safety map" of an area. 
• The danger river in Medellin.
• When you absolutely need to take an Uber, regardless of how close to home you are. 
• Finding locals to give you tips. 
• Quick tips on how to not get your money stolen.
• Identifying ATM scams. 
• Currency exchange scams. 

And much much more! Whether you are an aspiring digital nomad, or a distinguished veteran, you'll get some GREAT tips from this podcast. 

Links mentioned: beachcommute.com/91

5 mistakes holding you back from getting a remote travel job

In this episode, Marisa and Jeff talk through the 5 most common mistakes that may be holding you back from getting a remote job that you can do WHILE traveling the world (aka living as a digital nomad).

Marisa has coached and spoken to thousands of digital nomads (and aspiring digital nomads), and goes in detail about the obstacles that she most commonly sees stand in the way between someone who says: "I wish that I could travel the world" and actually doing it.

Jeff also brings in his experience hiring candidates to his company while working as CMO of one of the largest content marketing agencies in the world.

So...if you've been wishing you had a remote job that you could do WHILE you travel the world (but don't have that job yet), then this episode is for you.

Q&A: Answers to 7 rapid fire questions you asked about digital nomad life 

If living as a digital nomad has been on your mind for a while (or maybe it’s a brand new idea!)...

Then you may love our latest podcast episode this week…

Where Jeff and Marisa hopped on the microphone to answer 7 of your questions about transitioning to digital nomad life, all in rapid fire, off the cusp style…so you know you’ll get the truth.

Here are the questions they covered in this episode:

1. Is the digital nomad lifestyle for everyone, or just a specific kind of person?
2. What is the mindset difference between someone who takes the leap to start their own business vs. someone stuck in their 9-5 job? And how can I start to make this change?
3. Is it crucial to keep a home-base to return to in case I change my mind about the digital nomad lifestyle? Should nomads own property before starting their journey?
4. Can digital nomads still save for retirement? What if they no longer have a residency in one place - are they still eligible for government pension plans?
5. Do digital nomads sometime go back to a stable contract job after living nomadically, even if it means to travel less?
6. What are your best financial tips for digital nomads?
7. What is the most mentally challenging part about being a digital nomad?

Resources:

List of 91 actual jobs that real digital nomads in our community are doing (click here to download)

11 of our craziest adventures as digital nomads

In addition to getting to see so many different countries that you would never otherwise get to in your lifetime...

Another main reason that most digital nomads choose this lifestyle is for the sense of ADVENTURE...to try new activities, and say ‘yes’ to opportunities you would likely NEVER experience in the familiarity of your home city, state or country. 

While our Beach Commute courses, and many of our podcasts, focus on helping you to find remote work and become a digital nomad…

In this episode today, Jeff and Marisa share some of their craziest adventures that they’ve had as digital nomads…

So you can get a feel for the types of adventures that await you in this lifestyle as well!

You’ll hear stories such as the time that Jeff and Marisa did ayahuasca together in Bolivia…

Or the time Marisa found herself in a cave in Nigeria with an oracle, speaking of the curses of witches nearby... 

Or the time Jeff found himself upside down, rappelling over a giant waterfall in Mexico.

(Note: these stories only scratch the surface of our experiences…😉)

Resources:

Download the list of 91 jobs that digital nomads in our community are doing: www.beachcommute.com/91

The 18 SAFEST destinations to live as a digital nomad

Once you’ve got a remote job that you can do while you travel the world, and you start thinking about which country you’d like to travel to first…

One of the most common questions you’ll ask yourself is:

WHICH COUNTRY IS GOING TO FEEL THE SAFEST FOR YOU?

If you google “list of safest countries,” you’ll likely see many lists filled with many developed European countries. And while these cities may feel super safe, they’re like NOT the same locations you want to spend time as a digital nomad.

Why?

Many nomads seek destinations with warm weather year around, that feel a bit more adventurous & off the beaten path than typical Western culture, and where it’s easy to meet other, fellow digital nomads…

The lists you’ll see online for “safest countries” WON’T give you the suggestions and the level of detail that Marisa, Jeff and Diego share with you in this episode.

Give it a full listen to find out which towns and cities feel safest as a digital nomad, while still offering great living, adventure, community, and more.

We also cover what safety concerns you’ll STILL need to look out for in each destinations (after all, no place is 100% safe…not even your home town!).

Enjoy this episode.

In today's episode, Jeff and Marisa talk about the 5 most common obstacles that are likely holding you back from becoming a digital nomad, and how to overcome each one.

Many people believe you must have a trust fund, thousands of social media followers, or passive cash flow from real estate as an income to sustain your travels. However, you only need to have a real job that can be done from anywhere in the world. In Marisa's experience coaching hundreds of current and aspiring digital nomads, as well as speaking at conferences with thousands of aspiring nomads, she's seen 5 common themes that stand between "wanting" to live as a digital nomad, and actually living the life of working remotely while traveling the world.

Jump into this episode with us to learn the 5 obstacles that might also be preventing YOU from making a remote income while traveling the world...so that you can actually become a digital nomad ASAP, and don't forever live as the person who keeps dreaming of traveling 'one' day.

Resources:

91 remote jobs that people in our community are doing (click here to download the list)

13 reasons why it's hard to be a digital nomad

Have you dreamt about becoming a digital nomad, but you think there are too many difficulties...like trying to figure out internet, phone, romantic relationships, or feeling alone? 

If so, this episode is for you.

While the digital nomad life looks like 100% glamour on Instagram, here at Beach Commute, we like to share the good, the bad, the hard and the ugly parts of living as a digital nomad. We share these obstacles so that you can go into this life with eyes wide open, knowing exactly what to expect. 

In this episode, Jeff and Marisa talk honestly about the 13 most common difficult parts of being a digital nomad, and why this lifestyle is absolutely still worth living in spite of it all. 

Do you know are the most popular jobs for people that are traveling the world?

In this episode, Diego and Marisa talk about the 7 most common job clusters in which travelers make money while living and visiting different countries all over the world. We also talk about some of the common digital nomad problems like having too many stamps in the passport.

🎧 In this episode, we talk about the 7 most common jobs for digital nomads:

1. Marketing

2. Writing

3. Design

4. Customer support

5. Project management

6. Programming

7. HR & Recruiting

We've also met a ton of people that have figured out how to do other jobs and earn a real income while traveling.

Resources:

91 remote jobs that people in our community are doing (click here to download the list)

For Beach Commute's anniversary, they are launching a new product called the Anywhere Atlas. It's an extensive database of the very best, full-remote companies that give you permission to work from anywhere.

The database was curated over three years of manually investigating tens of thousands of companies' employee feedback, company culture, fully-remote hiring status, and employee perks. Each company is scored based on Beach Commute's proprietary weighting scale and stored in the database.

It's the 1 list that’s worth more than 10,000 remote job postings

It truly is a database of the very best companies in the world for employees.

To get on the waitlist for the beta version of this database, send an email to hello@beachcommute.com with the subject line "Anywhere Atlas."

Get in quick because prices will be going up after the launch!

In this episode Jeff and Marisa celebrate three years of podcasting by answering 21 questions created by a combination of Marisa's brain and ChatGPT.

Like always, they don't pre-plan their answers to these questions. They give raw, unfiltered responses while recording "live."

You will definitely learn something in this episode, and most importantly, you'll have a few laughs.

Orest Zub is a true digital nomad; he's traveled to over 128 countries, and became a Digital Nomad in 2011 long before the term digital nomad was even mainstream. Since starting a simple remote job back in 2011, Orest paved his way through the travel and digital nomad evolution from a low budget backpacker to an established online entrepreneur with an audience of over 100k people.

At this moment, Orest has returned home to Ukraine with his wife and the males in his family to participate and support his country during the attacks from Russia, while most of the women in his family have fled the country.

In this episode, you'll have the opportunity to hear Orest's amazing story on how he became a digital nomad back in times when the technology was not up to par with the nomadic lifestyle, and you'll also hear his personal experiences and perspective on what's going on with the war inside of Ukraine right now. 

In this episode, we cover:

• How Orest became a digital nomad and how he discovered what he could work to sustain his travels
• What led Orest to return home as the war began escalating, and the horrors that he's experienced firsthand that no movie or explanation could prepare him for 
• The history of the war, and the moment Orest believed it began almost a decade ago
• What the past 3 weeks have felt like inside of Ukraine since the war began
• The uncertainty of 40 mill people expecting to get hit by a projectile any single moment of the day.
• Different ways that you can support Ukraine right now if you'd like

Orest is passionate about documenting everything that happens during the war so that he'll leave a written trail of truth that is not influenced by any mass media. He constantly shares updates on what it looks like on the ground and if you'd like to support, connect and contribute to him and his team's work you can check out the links below.

1) Orest's channels with daily updates in English: 

https://youtube.com/c/orestzub2 

https://www.facebook.com/ZubOrest/ 

https://www.instagram.com/orestzub/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/orest-zub-87845b11/ 

2) How foreigners can help Ukraine 

https://how-to-help-ukraine-now.super.site/    

3) Support Orest and his team directly 

https://openmind.com.ua/support/

Services like AirBnb and Uber have disrupted the age old hospitality and transportation industries and vastly improved the experience for nomads. The insurance remained largely in the stone ages in terms of usability, accessibility and alignment of incentives until SafetyWing. 

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Sondre Rasch is a co-founder and CEO of SafetyWing - building a global social safety net. SafetyWing’s mission is to remove the role of geographical borders as a barrier to equal opportunities and freedom for everyone with a global home country on the internet. Sondre first founded SuperSide (YC W16), a platform for freelance designers. It was here he discovered the lack of a safety net for online remote workers. He encouraged colleagues to take up the torch and address the deficiency but when nobody did, he took it on himself and started SafetyWing.

In this conversation, Sondre shares his story on how the moment he fell in love with the magic of Tuscany inspired him to explore digital nomadism. Sondre explains how SafetyWing deals with one of the biggest hurdles which is finding THE place to go. In case of emergency, you cannot really think stuff through and do research, communicate with medical staff in a foreign language, and be aware of the medical bill.

In this episode, you’ll learn

• How Sondre scaled from being a Political Advisor to the Government to become a Digital Nomad.
• How Sondre operates his business with fully remote and distributed teamwork.
• The scenarios you can do when/if you get injured abroad. 
• What is the typical scenario of having to deal with a health concern in a foreign country VS What would that journey be like if you had SafetyWing?
• Solving most of pay out of pocket or die concerns in foreign private healthcare systems.
• How does the Safety Wing Insurance work in real life.
• The story when Safety Wing flew a person with a heart attack in a low altitude flight from Ghana to South Africa because there wasn’t a hospital that can take care of this medical condition in Ghana.
• What’s on the roadmap for Safety Wing

Spend 36 mins with Jeff and Sondre to learn a ton on how to have insurance regardless of your passport and current country. Health related accidents can happen to anyone and anywhere so it's always nice to travel with a true international health insurance plan.

You can connect with Sondre via Twitter and don't forget to check out SafetyWing.

Wrapping up her very first month as a digital nomad (Interview with Kristi Jacobsen)

In this episode, Marisa interviews Kristi Jacobsen, who just completed her first-ever month abroad a digital nomad to discuss what her experience has been like, the catalyst that pushed her to take the leap into living abroad for a month, and her journey along the way.

Kristi previously worked as a customer service manager at a music publishing company. Even though she wanted to travel while working remotely, her company wouldn't let her. After taking the Go Remote Employment course, Kristi learned the methods to find remote work, and negotiate a remote role that she can now down while she travels the world (spoiler alert: she's wrapping up her first month in Cape Town now, and loved it so much, she's extended her time there).

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How the death of a family member ultimately led her to book her first trip as a digital nomad, and how this journey has been an unexpected part of her healing process
• What Kristi finds most appealing about being fully remote
• How the Go Remote Employment course helped her to negotiate a remote position that she can get paid to do while living anywhere in the world
• Kristi's first impressions of life as a digital nomad (what's been great, and what have been the biggest challenges)
• The biggest shifts she's experienced personally since going to Cape Town
• How she's managed the 10 hour time zone difference while working, and the biggest shift with her work productivity that she never expected while living abroad
• How her weekends are filled with epic activities rather than sitting on the couch at home all weekend watching Netflix
• How she's made friends instantly abroad, and feels way less lonely as a digital nomad than she did back home (and how you can too)

Resources mentioned:

Wifitribe

List of 91 jobs that digital nomads in our community do

Where to find Kristi:

You can check out Kristi's business or get in touch with her via Instagram.

In this episode, Marisa interviews Matt Bowles from Maverick Investor Group.

Matt has been a full-time digital nomad with no permanent base since 2013. From Macedonia to Japan to Argentina to Ghana, Matt has visited an impressive 80+ countries while working remotely…and shares his story in our latest podcast episode.

Matt runs a remote real estate agency, which specializes in helping digital nomads invest in turnkey US residential real estate opportunities - so that you can receive passive income while you travel the world. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Matt began traveling the world after getting fired from his job, and how his education and work experience until the age of 30 have absolutely NOTHING to do with the work he does today (it’s never too late for you to pivot careers!)
• The importance of thinking creatively about potential remote careers (especially outside the realm of options that you think may be available to you)
• The one book that changed his life trajectory entirely, leading to life as a digital nomad (hint: it was the same book that changed my life as well)
• How he unexpectedly ended up moving to Cairo, Egypt for a year with his (then) girlfriend...and what happened when they broke up 3 years later while living on a remote island halfway across the world from home
• The most important piece of advice he has for couples who are traveling as digital nomads together…and how to avoid THE biggest obstacle that can happen when you travel with your significant other
• How to invest in turnkey residential real estate properties in the US (even if you’re not a US citizen or don’t live in that rental market), and how to use this as passive income while you travel the world
• The travel program he participated in, which led to, in his words, “THE BEST YEAR OF HIS LIFE”...and what it was like to travel for 12 months across 4 continents with 40 of the same people for an entire year
• How Matt balances meeting up with other travelers vs. experiencing more of the local communities, and why he makes it a point to connect with digital nomads from backgrounds other than his own
• How to be a more socially and consciously mindful traveler when visiting and living in foreign countries
• Matt’s top 3 favorite countries that he’s ever been (out of 80+ countries), as well as the top 3 countries he’d love to get to next
• His one piece of advice for you if you’re thinking about whether or not to start traveling the world while working full-time

This episode is a must for any people that consider giving the digital nomad lifestyle a try as it is packed with a ton of advice for aspiring nomads.

Programs that Matt Recommends:

Remote Year

Nomad Cruise

Hackers Paradise

WiFI Tribe

Books Recommended:

The 4-Hour Workweek

The E-Myth Revisited

The best way to get in touch with him is on Instagram.

Do you know the 5 different ways that you can make an income while traveling the world?

In this episode, Jeff, Diego and Marisa talk through the 5 different ways that travelers make money while living in and visiting different countries all over the world…

So you’ll never have to sit in your office again, wishing that you were visiting those destinations you’ve been dreaming about for years.

And instead, you can have your job (and a real income) while traveling.

🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The 5 different ways that you can make money while living in and traveling to other countries, as well as the pros and cons for each method
• Which of these 5 types of income give you the most freedom, the most flexibility, and the most integration into the local cultures that you visit
• How living as a digital nomad can allow you work in countries where you don’t speak the local language
• Which of these 5 ways we recommend first if you’re just getting started or wanting to try out the travel life
• The one type of income to make while you travel that gives you the most flexibility for travel
• Our #1 piece of advice for you to get started, and how you can find a remote job quicker than you may ever think!

Resources:

91 remote jobs that people in our community are doing (click here to download the list)

Meet Mike Dane, a programmer who became a digital nomad three years ago in Medellin, Colombia. Since then, he has lived in Africa, most of Latin America, Eastern Europe, and many places in between. 

What's special about Mike Dane, you ask? Why would you listen to this podcast, you ask? 

Let me tell you why... this guy made the decision to be a digital nomad and turned his whole life upside down to make it happen. I guarantee this is a guy you can relate to, especially if you haven't yet made the jump. 

Mike explain how he prepared, made some very hard decisions, then made the jump. Learn about how you have to mentally prepare, professionally prepare, and finally pull the trigger.  He explains all the pros and cons of what he went through all along the way. 

He was in search of a life of travel: experiencing the exotic new locations and cultures. 

He was in search of community: finding like-minded people who would turn into family. 

He was in search of meaning, and continually is. 

Spend 45 minutes with Jeff and Mike Dane to learn about Bolivia, Africa, Medellin, Romania, and many other places. Pro tip: if you have skills as a computer programmer, you are in the best position possible to become a digital nomad.  

One of the most appealing aspects of being a digital nomad is the variety of food and drink that you'll run into while traveling (for better and worse!). Jeff and Diego are certified food and drink snobs, traveling the world in search of the best coffee, food and alcohol they can find. 

As qualified snobs, they walk you through the very best and worst places you could seek out as a digital nomad. Some of the places they discuss: 

Coffee:

• Phillz Coffee: one of the best pour-over coffee shops/trucks that won Jeff's heart over to Third Wave coffee in its San Francisco location. 
• Tekafe: Brasov in Romania is a shockingly good place to find coffee, with a special tip of the cap to Tekafe, offering dozens of pour-over varietals. 
• Two Minutes: Another strong showing from Romania, Two Minutes serves both a top-notch pour-over, and amazing food. 

Food: 

• Zanooba: Egypt won over Diego within just weeks, topping his list with a local slow-cook favorite. 
• OCI: Both Jeff and Diego agree that OCI in Medellin is on a completely different level with its incredible slow-cooked pork and specialty cocktails. 
• Shiro: Representing Seattle, Shiro may be the best sushi you'll be able to find in the world. It's a destination restaurant. 

Alcohol: 

• Gin Gin: Mexico City does A LOT of things right, including stellar gin cocktails. Gin Gin won over Jeff with its fancy, smoked rosemary concoctions. 

Jeff and Diego talk about more best (and worst) locations for each. Join us to find out where you need to travel next to satisfy the foodie in you!

Part II of Jeff's experience of getting Covid while traveling in Mexico. 

In the previous episode we described a nightmare scenario for a digital nomad: catching Covid while traveling, with a large group, with an expiring Airbnb, and with travel plans upcoming. 

So far, Jeff made it to a new Airbnb where he was going to spend the duration of his isolation before returning home. 

In this episode, Jeff discusses the recovery process, symptoms to watch out for, and a few tips on how to manage isolation. 

If you have any questions about what it's like to have Covid while traveling, or want tips on how to manage travel plans and isolation, shoot us a note at hello@beachcommute.com 

I'm stuck in Mexico with COVID, pt.I 

What's one of the worst situations you can think of getting yourself into as a digital nomad? 

How about catching Covid while traveling, having to find a place to isolate, find food, not get anyone else sick, and recover at the same time? 

That's exactly what happened to Jeff while traveling for New Years Eve in Mexico. 

Listen in to hear our most raw podcast as Jeff tries to navigate the world of traveling with Covid, as it happened. 

How to avoid income tax & ensure your cyber security while living as a digital nomad (with Dallas the Privacy Postmaster)

Have you ever wondered how you’ll get your mail or important documents while you’re traveling the world for months at a time?

Or how you can pay less (or no) income tax back home while you’re traveling to foreign countries?

Or how you can make sure your private banking and computer information is safe from cyber attacks while traveling?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then this episode is for you.

In this episode, Marisa interviews Dallas the Privacy Postmaster, a longtime digital nomad who is a resident of both South Dakota AND Lisbon, Portugal, in order to creatively (and legally!) avoid income taxes while he lives abroad and travels the world.

Through this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why Dallas chose to get residency in South Dakota (even though he’s never lived there) in order to legally avoid state income taxes, what the process was like, the pros and cons of different states in the US that offer tax free benefits, and how you can do it too
• How he got his residency in Lisbon, Portugal (in addition to his US citizenship), the reasons he (and so many other digital nomads) choose this particular destination, and how you can do it too
• How he ended up living in Japan for 3 years teaching English in the 80’s, even though he “barely graduated high school” himself
• The 3 most popular states in the US where you don’t have to pay income tax (and the caveats to each)
• How living as a digital nomad can actually save you so much money, even if you’re living in amazing destinations or paying for flights around the world
• How his mid-life crisis at age of 50 led him to run away to Europe for a 7 week “eat, pray, love” jaunt, including showing up at airports with no tickets booked
• The benefit of having multiple passports from different countries, and how you can do this too
• Why VPNs are an absolute must as a digital nomad, and how a private VPN may save your life in a bind while traveling
• His best tip for you to figure out which country or destination you’d like to explore or live in longer term

Links:

• 7 most popular jobs that digital nomads in our community do: www.beachcommute.com/7jobs
• 91 remote job titles of digital nomads in our community: www.beachcommute.com/91

The most significant questions about becoming a digital nomad revolve around whether or not you need to make significant career-related changes.

Which types of careers will let me travel?

Do I need to switch careers to travel?

How much money do I need to earn in my career?

One of the most significant life changes you can possibly make is changing jobs. Even more significant is changing careers.

The idea of "starting over" is a terrifying idea to most people.

In this episode, Marisa explains her decision tree that you can use to help determine which scenarios warrant a career change, and which do not.

Curious about which types of jobs are best for being a digital nomad? Check out our ⁠91 jobs⁠ downloadable to get inspiration!

Join our email list below for regular tips and updates!

beachcommute.com/email

The pros and cons of living in Italy as a digital nomad 

Have you dreamt about moving to Italy for a month, living in the romantic town of Florence, enjoying the beautiful hillsides of Tuscany on the weekends, and eating the best pasta of your life?

If so, this episode is for you…but it has a surprising twist.

Jeff recorded this solo episode after spending 1 month living in Florence with four other digital nomad friends. However, his experience wasn’t so magical, due to the wifi conditions and inability to get work done. This episode serves as a great reminder that the best vacation destinations are NOT always the same as the best digital nomad locations.

If working remotely from Italy is on your bucket list, make sure to give this episode a listen ASAP to make sure it goes off without a hitch.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why Jeff didn’t have a great experience living in Florence, even though it’s on the top of almost everyone’s bucket list destinations
• The 4 criteria he uses to judge any digital nomad location, and his rankings for each as they relate to Florence, Italy
• The 5 internet backups you MUST HAVE in each location while traveling as a digital nomad, and how even these precautions almost didn’t work Jeff (even though he’s an expert)
• The amazingly weird “Macgyver move” that Jeff and his buddies did in Florence, resulting in “the most digital nomad thing you could ever do”
• Why Jeff almost through his mifi device out the window and onto a rooftop
• The 3 food and drink staples that Jeff lived off of during his month in Italy (hint: two of them were beverages, and the 3rd may surprise you)
• Why Italy has the potential to bring out your insecurities, and what to expect if you live in this country
• The top 3 activities Jeff recommends doing while living in Florence
• And lastly, if you love great food, you’ll appreciate this episode (Jeff’s rule of thumb for food in Italy - “The food is going to be good. It’s just a matter of HOW good.”)

Resources:

• 7 most common jobs that digital nomads in our community do: www.beachcommute.com/7jobs
• List of 91 real job titles from digital nomads in our community: www.beachcommute.com/91

How to manage healthcare, insurance coverage, & medical emergencies when traveling abroad as a digital nomad

Do you have a desire to travel the world as a digital nomad, but haven’t done so yet due to a fear of health issues or medical emergencies happening while you’re abroad?

If so, this episode is for you.

While you could read a million blog posts about how healthcare works in foreign countries, nothing beats the tales of real health scares and stories from people who have been there and done that when it comes to medical care abroad.

In this episode, Jeff and Marisa share countless examples of how they've personally handled healthcare emergencies in foreign countries throughout their 10+ years combined of living as digital nomads. From brain scans to unknown rashes to rabies scares to dental work and everything in between.

You’ll also hear…

• The ONE APP you MUST have on your phone to navigate healthcare and medical emergencies in foreign countries
• The difference between travel insurance and travel health insurance (you DON’T want to confuse these two)
• The 3 travel companies we buy travel insurance through (this can save you hours of research!)
• Whether or not you need to buy travel health insurance in addition to your health insurance policy in your home country (you may or may not need to depending on how long you’re out of the country)
• What to do if you’re in a super remote location and something goes wrong
• The 7 medications to bring with you ahead of time in case you’re in a bind
• Why this past year was the year of health problems abroad fo Jeff

Join us as we share the times we’ve had an unidentified growing rash in a tropical destination, got bit by a monkey, walked off a wall and had to get x-rays of a foot, had a bulge in our stomach and had to go the hospital, get a root canal, and experience a hernia…all while abroad in destinations where we didn’t speak the language.

Through hearing these stories, we hope that it gives you the courage to know that you can manage any health scare abroad too (hopefully you’ll have none).

[Note: This episode does not provide legal or medical advice…these are simply our experiences].

Links mentioned:

• World Nomad health insurance
• SafetyWing
• Allianz
• Doctoralia (find a doctor in latin america)

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Join us as we take a look back at the best and worst moments of our 2021 travels

On Instagram, life as a digital nomad looks perfect…the epic destinations, the freedom, the adventures. However, while digital nomad life is filled with some of the most amazing “pinch me” moments, it doesn’t come without its drawbacks.

On the Digital Nomad Experts podcast, we like to share both the highs AND the true lows with you…so that you have real expectations of what your life will be like when you begin living as a digital nomad.

As 2021 comes to an end, Jeff, Diego and Marisa take a look back at 2021, and share some of their favorite moments, destinations and experiences…as well as some of their least favorite experiences and travel fuckups. You'll get a lot of laughs as these 3 goofballs recap the good, the bad, and the ugly of their travels this year. 

By the end of the episode, you’ll learn:

• The favorite & least favorite places that they each lived this year (find out which place Jeff loved so much that he went back for a THIRD time, and which place most people LOVE, but left him with “unadulterated anger and frustration”)
• The most underrated places they each lived (Diego said he thinks this place will explode soon, as it’s “the Bali of Latin America”)
• The weirdest foods they each ate (we’ve all tried this insect in Mexico…)
• The most thrilling adventures they each experienced (Diego’s was the coolest thing he’ll NEVER do again)
• Their favorite accommodations that they lived in (find out in which destination Diego stayed in a villa that Shakira has also stayed in multiple times)
• The WORST accommodations they accidentally found themselves in (learn about the “Airbnb fuckery" that led Jeff to a terribly dark apartment in Barcelona, and the dark basement I accidentally found myself staying at in Latvia)
• Their very favorite moments as digital nomads this year (Diego’s favorite moment was the same moment he genuinely asked his guide - “Are we going to die?”)
• Their LOWEST travel moments (some rock bottom health moments for Marisa and Jeff)
• The most memorable people they each met this year (miraculously, of all the people in the WHOLE entire world, Jeff and Diego chose the SAME person as the most memorable in all of their travels!)
• Their biggest travel fuckups of the year (Jeff had two missed flights, Diego almost got deported back home, and I almost ended up on a train to the wrong country)
• What they've got in store for travel plans in 2022 (Egypt, Mauritius and Bali may or may not be on the agenda)
• And so much more...

Links mentioned:

• Sign up for our email list (www.beachcommute.com)

Get our list of 91 job titles of real digital nomads in our community (www.beachcommute.com/91)