Nomadtopia Radio: Digital Nomad and Expat Lifestyle – Details, episodes & analysis

There have been some big changes in my life since Jill Sessa interviewed me for Episode 200 at the end of 2022, so I'm back with some updates!

Tune in to learn what's been going on, why I'm feeling the need for more space in my life and work, and how I'm creating that space.

I share:

The big trip we're gearing up for

A major decision I've made about Nomadtopia(R)

A life-changing diagnosis I recently received (don't worry, I'm okay!)

And more

Download your free guide, ​​10 Things You Need to Do before Becoming a Nomad: https://www.nomadtopia.com/guide

Ready to get more ideas, inspiration, and strategies for location-independent living? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platforms so you’ll get updated anytime a new episode is released! 

Let’s connect! Get to know me better over on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nomadamy or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Nomadtopia/.

Investing in real estate as a nomad might sound impossible. When you’re traveling all the time, how can you buy a property, fix it up, find renters, and manage it? As it turns out, there is a way, and it doesn’t involve renovations or interviewing potential tenants—or require you to be local to the property.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Matt Bowles, longtime nomad and cofounder of Maverick Investor Group, which helps people purchase turnkey properties that already have tenants and property managers in place. He shares why these types of properties are such great investments especially if you’re living the nomad lifestyle as well as the benefits of working with a nontraditional brokerage like his and how such an investment can give you consistent passive residual income for  years to come.

In this episode:

Why Matt wanted to build his own business and how he created more autonomy in his life to travel the world

How joining Remote Year brought him community as a nomad, and what influences the pace at which he travels from country to country

Why he loves visiting Africa and his recommendations for nomads interested in exploring the continent

Everything you need to know about turnkey properties, from what they are to why they’re advantageous

How Matt’s nontraditional brokerage approach works for buyers, and the income and tax benefits that come with owning rental property

How this type of real estate investing plays into housing injustice, and how to be a responsible landlord who provides value and a safe space to tenants and the community

For full show notes, resources, and links go to www.nomadtopia.com/203.

Download your free guide, ​​10 Things You Need to Do before Becoming a Nomad: https://www.nomadtopia.com/guide

Ready to get more ideas, inspiration, and strategies for location-independent living? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platforms so you’ll get updated anytime a new episode is released! 

Let’s connect! Get to know me better over on Instagram https:www.instagram.com/nomadamy or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Nomadtopia/.

Nomads can experience grief in many forms: grief for the places we’ve loved and left, grief for saying goodbye to the friends we meet during our travels, and of course grief for those we lose to death. Losing a loved one is always life changing, but it can be especially difficult for those of us living and traveling oceans away from home.

In this episode, I’m joined by Charlene Lam, grief coach and founder of The Grief Gallery Charlene Lam, who came into this work after losing her mom while she was abroad. She explains how grief can be a unique experience for nomads, but also how grief feels different for everyone. Charlene also shares her advice for creating a plan in case a family member dies or has a medical emergency while you’re away.

In this episode:

• Why Charlene loves the unique combination of stability and flexibility in her nomad life
• How she created a career in grief work after losing her mother suddenly
• Navigating the emotional challenges that come with living far from your loved ones
• Why it’s important to have conversations about loss before it happens
• How to create a plan in case a loved one dies or needs medical care while you’re away
• How to stay connected with family from anywhere
• Creating a support network of people back home to help in case of emergencies
• How different people process grief, and respecting how you process grief 
• Where to find help and resources if you’re experiencing grief

For full show notes, resources, and links go to www.nomadtopia.com/194

Download your free guide, ​​10 Things You Need to Do before Becoming a Nomad: https://www.nomadtopia.com/guide

Ready to get more ideas, inspiration, and strategies for location-independent living? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platforms so you’ll get updated anytime a new episode is released! 

Let’s connect! Get to know me better over on Instagram https:www.instagram.com/nomadamy or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Nomadtopia/.

After starting and running numerous businesses, KeeKee built her consulting business to cater to a location-independent lifestyle. She’s based in San Diego but travels frequently and chooses to live on vacation no matter where she finds herself on the map.

• Building relationships online and off
• What it means to “live on vacation”
• What she wishes she’d known before she started
• The essential mind-set that prepares you for this lifestyle
• How to create a business you love
• And so much more

See www.nomadtopia.com/105 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, community, and more. Support Nomadtopia Radio by becoming a patron! More info at www.nomadtopia.com/patron.

Gabriella and Vernon sold it all and moved their family to Mazatlán, Mexico, in October 2016. They have spent the last ten months growing closer as a family, raising three third-culture kids who are now 4, 5, and 6 years old, building their location-independent businesses, and simply living life on their own terms.

• Why they decided to move to Mazatlán
• Doing a reconnaissance trip to scope things out
• Preparing to move abroad as a family
• Challenges of living in Mexico
• Safety in Mexico (and the rest of the world!)
• Must-have tools for a location-independent life
• And so much more

See www.nomadtopia.com/104 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, community, and more. Support Nomadtopia Radio by becoming a patron! More info at www.nomadtopia.com/patron.

Kit and Nick have been working while traveling the world for nine years. They don’t have a home base, and they move around a lot more than some other long-term nomads (like me!). They also co-founded the 7in7 conference for nomads, and joined me to talk about everything from how much we spend each month to travel hacking and other insights from nine years on the road.

• How they came up with the idea for the 7in7 conference for nomads
• Finding the “secret nomads”
• How much we spend on our lifestyle
• Travel planning and travel hacking as a nomad
• Why Kit and Nick don’t have a home base
• Living intentionally
• And so much more

See www.nomadtopia.com/103 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, community, and more. Support Nomadtopia Radio by becoming a patron! More info at www.nomadtopia.com/patron.

With freedom as her core value, Emily has made intentional choices to create a location-independent life that works for her (and her partner who chooses not to be location independent). We talked about budgeting for the lifestyle, exploring a city via Airbnb, and lots more.

• How she created location-independent income streams
• Choosing to go freelance
• Making intentional choices to create freedom in our lives
• Managing money as a freelancer/nomad (and why we’re both huge fans of YNAB)
• Using Airbnb to explore neighborhoods in a new city
• Tips for having a relationship with someone who doesn’t want to be location independent
• And so much more

See www.nomadtopia.com/102 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, community, and more. Support Nomadtopia Radio by becoming a patron! More info at www.nomadtopia.com/patron.

After several years abroad, Naomi and her family moved back to the States, where she wasn’t at all prepared for the challenges of repatriation. Learning about the idea that her experience had shaped her into a “triangle” helped her make sense of it all, and it led Naomi to create what is now a thriving community of people living global lives. Tune in as we talk about what it means to be a triangle, differing experiences of being an expat (and why she’d like to remove that word from our vocabulary completely), and so much more.

• Setting up a location-independent real estate business
• What it means to be a “triangle”
• Challenge and privilege of the word “expat”
• Why a sense of belonging is important (and how to find it)
• How to handle the challenges of repatriation
• And so much more

See www.nomadtopia.com/101 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, community, and more. Support Nomadtopia Radio by becoming a patron! More info at www.nomadtopia.com/patron.

I never thought I’d end up doing 100 episodes of Nomadtopia Radio! To celebrate this milestone, I asked a few nomad friends to join me, and we recorded this episode live on video on August 7, 2017. Tune in as we talk about our nomad lives, our favorite tools, and so much more. You can check out the video replay at www.nomadtopia.com/100live.

• How we find good internet access (and manage if we don’t)
• How we make money/support our lifestyle
• Our favorite tools
• The “best” places to go
• Some of our favorite books
• Tips for borrowing and highlighting Kindle books
• And so much more

See www.nomadtopia.com/100 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, community, and more. Support Nomadtopia Radio by becoming a patron! More info at www.nomadtopia.com/patron.

After falling in love with overland travel on the Pan-American Highway, Dan went home to save money for his next adventure: two years overland through 30 countries in Africa. He’s about halfway through his trip and joined me from Cameroon to talk money, logistics, and more.

• Cultivating the mind-set to save money for travel
• Costs of overland travel vs backpacking
• Deciding where to go and getting visas
• Tools and community for overland travel
• Do you need a lot of driving experience to travel overland?
• Biggest misconceptions about overland travel
• And so much more

See www.nomadtopia.com/99 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, community, and more. Support Nomadtopia Radio by becoming a patron! More info at www.nomadtopia.com/patron.