How to Become a Nomad: The 3 Proven Paths to Location Independence

Three proven paths to becoming a nomad: Part-Time Nomad (maximize vacation days while keeping stable employment), Maniac Saver (work multiple jobs aggressively for 6 months to fund 12+ months of travel), or Full-Time Nomad (build location-independent income through remote work, freelancing, or overseas employment). Each path suits different life stages, risk tolerance levels, and career circumstances, choose based on your current financial obligations and long-term goals.

After years of living abroad and meeting countless travelers, from backpackers on Southeast Asian beaches to security contractors in Middle Eastern compounds to digital nomads in Vietnamese coffee shops, I've identified three distinct paths to the nomadic lifestyle. Each one works for different circumstances, personalities, and life stages. The path that sounds most exciting might not be the one that fits your current situation, but understanding all three helps you make informed choices about your own journey.

Path 1: The Part-Time Nomad

This is for people who love their careers but crave adventure. You keep your stable job, the health insurance, the retirement contributions, the professional growth, and maximize every vacation day, long weekend, and holiday for international exploration.

Part-time nomads are masters of efficiency. They know exactly how to squeeze maximum adventure from limited time. A Friday red-eye flight, three packed days exploring a new city, and back at the desk Monday morning. It sounds exhausting, and sometimes it is. But for people who've built something valuable in their careers and aren't ready to abandon it, this path offers the best of both worlds.

I know a software engineer in Minneapolis who's visited forty countries without ever leaving his job. He stacks public holidays strategically, negotiates extra unpaid leave when possible, and has become an expert in maximizing frequent flyer miles. His Instagram looks like a full-time traveler's; his LinkedIn looks like a stable professional's. Both are accurate.

Tips for this path:

• Stack public holidays with vacation days for longer trips, a well-planned calendar can turn five PTO days into ten days abroad
• Choose destinations with short flight times from your home base to minimize travel day losses
• Take advantage of red-eye flights to maximize time at your destination
• Consider work-travel hybrid trips when your job allows remote work
• Build relationships with colleagues who can cover for you during absences
• Invest in travel rewards credit cards and learn to optimize points

This path is perfect if you're testing the nomadic lifestyle before committing fully, if you have financial obligations that require stable income, or if your career genuinely fulfills you in ways travel alone cannot.

Path 2: The Maniac Saver

This is the intense path, and it's not for everyone. You work every gig you can find, save aggressively while living as cheaply as possible, then travel until the money runs out. Repeat the cycle as many times as necessary.

I've met people who lived in their cars for months, working multiple jobs seven days a week, all with one goal: fund their next extended trip abroad. There's something almost obsessive about this approach, a willingness to sacrifice comfort and status now for freedom later. It requires suppressing your ego, accepting work that might feel beneath you, and watching friends enjoy normal lives while you grind.

But it works. I've watched people save $20,000 in six months living this way, then travel through Asia for a year on that money. The math works when you're ruthless about both earning and spending.

Tips for this path:

• Diversify income through gig economy work, Uber, DoorDash, TaskRabbit, whatever pays in your area
• Suppress your ego and take any work that pays; seasonal jobs, manual labor, whatever generates cash
• Set specific savings milestones and celebrate hitting them to maintain motivation
• Minimize living costs ruthlessly, roommates, meal prep, cutting subscriptions, selling possessions
• Take strategic breaks to avoid burnout; the cycle only works if you can maintain it
• Track every dollar; knowing exactly where you stand financially keeps the goal tangible
• Build relationships with other maniac savers for mutual support and tips

This path often appeals to people seeking a dramatic life reset, those rebuilding after personal setbacks, or young people without obligations who can tolerate temporary hardship. It's not sustainable forever, but it doesn't need to be, it's a sprint, not a marathon.

Path 3: The Full-Time Nomad

This requires building a reliable income stream that works from anywhere in the world. Remote employment, overseas jobs, freelancing, or building a location-independent business. The goal is decoupling income from geography entirely.

Full-time nomads need serious adaptability. You have to be quick to adjust to new environments, skilled at learning new tools and technologies, comfortable with constant change, and disciplined enough to work without office structure. Not everyone thrives in this uncertainty; some people discover they need more stability than the nomadic lifestyle provides.

I transitioned to this path through security contracting, overseas positions that paid well and included housing, allowing me to save while living internationally. Others build it through remote tech jobs, online businesses, freelance writing or design, or teaching credentials that work globally. The specific vehicle matters less than the outcome: money coming in regardless of where you physically are.

Income options for this path:

• Remote jobs aligned with your existing skills: Many companies now hire fully remote employees. Your current expertise might be more portable than you realize.
• Overseas employment: Defense contractors, NGOs, international schools, and multinational corporations hire for positions based abroad.
• Gig work that travels: Data annotation, virtual assistance, online tutoring, tasks that require only internet connection.
• Teaching certifications: ESL and TEFL credentials open doors in countries worldwide. The pay varies enormously by location.
• Freelancing: Writing, design, programming, consulting, building a client base takes time but offers ultimate flexibility.
• Entrepreneurship: Online businesses, dropshipping, content creation, higher risk but potentially higher reward.

This path requires the most planning and typically the longest runway to establish. But once your income is truly location-independent, freedom expands dramatically. You're not counting vacation days or grinding toward a savings goal, you're simply living and working wherever suits you.

Which Path Is Right For You?

Be honest about your current situation. What are your financial obligations? What skills do you have that might generate remote income? How much risk can you tolerate? What does your support system look like?

The path that sounds most exciting might not fit your life right now, and that's okay. The good news is you can always transition between paths as circumstances change. Part-time nomads sometimes become maniac savers when they decide to make a bigger leap. Maniac savers often graduate to full-time nomad status once they've built skills and savings. Full-time nomads occasionally return to part-time status when life circumstances shift.

There's a path to fit your life at Expatslist. The question is whether you're willing to take the first step, whatever that step looks like for you.