Post: #1

I'll be making my final transition by December, meaning I will no longer have an apartment in the states, nor will I own any personal belongings, or have physical place to call my home. I will be traveling country to country, living out of a suitcase, for probably the future duration of my life. I've done the whole family thing, big home, fancy stuff, barbecues, and it's not a life that makes me happy. Quite the opposite.

I'm looking for others guys out who are also vagabonds, who are in the same situation as me. Meaning, they do not live in one place, but are rather nomadic and go country to country when their 30/60/90 day visa visa expires, but never return to the States/Canada/UK. I'm not talking about location independence guys living in one place like Manila, Bogota, Warsaw, leasing an apartment. I'm talking about guys who go to x country and when they are bored, go to another country without much planning at all.

So far I have met and know of these members:

Beyond Borders
Creepin
Fisto
Papa Rico
Rio Nomad
Pain Positive

I don't have the luxury of living with any of my family members when times get rough, like many guys I've met in the past, so I'm also looking for guys who are in the same position, who have been grinding it out year after year with no other place to go. It would be good to connect on whatsapp and talk about a few things and bounce some locations and ideas off of you. Especially on what countries you go to when money gets tight and how you handle mileage points, loyalty programs, etc.

Again, I'm not looking for guys who live in a foreign country; I'm looking for lone-wolf wanderers who don't live anywhere.

Anybody else out there from this forum? Let's talk.

Post: #2

I'm a few years out but I have a similar life-goal - just wander around for the foreseeable future. Probably through a few American cities I always wanted to live in for a few months at a time (NYC, ATL, Vegas) and then head out in the beginning of the new year to take advantage of the $100k tax exemption on expat earned income.

Are you going to have a nest-egg to draw off of or are you going to be self employed, Linux? I think 262 is the former and Cleanslate like most of the others you've mentioned are doing the latter.

Post: #3

@ Linux
I'll be making the jump myself in late October. Sold everything I own and donated the rest to charity. Plan on spending the rest of my life living out of a suitcase and bouncing around to different countries. Learning new languages and new cultures, meeting cool guys and make friends. And, of coarse the woman. I'm in my early fourties. Have had the big house, new car, marriage and everything that goes with it. That life is no longer for me.

The last six months I've done nothing but prepare for my new life. Almost to the point of being obsessed with this.

I'll be taking a three week vacation in September to recharge my batteries and party.

Wish you the best of luck on your journey my friend.

Post: #4

(07-06-2016 09:48 PM)Schlep Wrote:  @ Linux
I'll be making the jump myself in late October. Sold everything I own and donated the rest to charity. Plan on spending the rest of my life living out of a suitcase and bouncing around to different countries. Learning new languages and new cultures, meeting cool guys and make friends. And, of coarse the woman. I'm in my early fourties. Have had the big house, new car, marriage and everything that goes with it. That life is no longer for me.

The last six months I've done nothing but prepare for my new life. Almost to the point of being obsessed with this.

I'll be taking a three week vacation in September to recharge my batteries and party.

Wish you the best of luck on your journey my friend.

That's fucking awesome man. We should really try to meet up later this year so I can hear your story. I'm in the same boat. Last step is going to be selling my car, or maybe I'll just put it in reverse and let it go off a bridge. Not sure yet.

Tonight I had dinner with a friend in his early 80's. He owns about 12 different homes, so I'm sure he has about 7 million net worth. I asked him what kept him from cashing in all his chips, retiring, and traveling, instead of living in a city he hates around people he hates. And he told me, "I guess I didn't realize I was getting old."

Post: #5

(07-06-2016 05:33 PM)LINUX Wrote:  ll
I don't have the luxury of living with any of my family members when times get rough, like many guys I've met in the past, so I'm also looking for guys who are in the same position, who have been grinding it out year after year with no other place to go. It would be good to connect on whatsapp and talk about a few things and bounce some locations and ideas off of you. Especially on what countries you go to when money gets tight and how you handle mileage points, loyalty programs, etc.

Again, I'm not looking for guys who live in a foreign country; I'm looking for lone-wolf wanderers who don't live anywhere.

Anybody else out there from this forum? Let's talk.

Although I do have family to fall back on if a worst case scenario comes to pass, I don't have a permanent home anymore. It feels weird to not have a home or any possessions. So I would probably find value in what I learn from you guys in terms of mileage points, rewards programs, and what to do when money gets tight.

But, honestly, I can imagine unpacking and repacking every 30-60-90 days can be a pain in the ass, plus getting an apartment lease longer than 3 months can potentlally save you tons of money as opposed to airbnb for shorter periods of time. Of course I haven't actually put the rubber on the road yet, so this is mostly conjecture -- but I'll share my experience as I go along -- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Post: #6

(07-06-2016 07:26 PM)booshala Wrote:  I'm a few years out but I have a similar life-goal - just wander around for the foreseeable future. Probably through a few American cities I always wanted to live in for a few months at a time (NYC, ATL, Vegas) and then head out in the beginning of the new year to take advantage of the $100k tax exemption on expat earned income.

Are you going to have a nest-egg to draw off of or are you going to be self employed, Linux? I think 262 is the former and Cleanslate like most of the others you've mentioned are doing the latter.

I started studying the stock market when I was in my 20's. I papertraded for a while and then I transferred over to real money when I finally knew what I was doing. I lost a lot of money, but now I make more enough to support myself and I don't see that changing.

Let's meet up when you start your travels. Enjoy NYC. It's one of my favorite cities.

Post: #7

(07-06-2016 10:52 PM)CleanSlate Wrote:  Although I do have family to fall back on if a worst case scenario comes to pass, I don't have a permanent home anymore. It feels weird to not have a home or any possessions. So I would probably find value in what I learn from you guys in terms of mileage points, rewards programs, and what to do when money gets tight.

But, honestly, I can imagine unpacking and repacking every 30-60-90 days can be a pain in the ass, plus getting an apartment lease longer than 3 months can potentlally save you tons of money as opposed to airbnb for shorter periods of time. Of course I haven't actually put the rubber on the road yet, so this is mostly conjecture -- but I'll share my experience as I go along -- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

One thing I do now, is always make friends with the landlords in the places you visit and rent the apartments off the books. I do that Colombia and I met a guy in Bali that agreed to it also, usually you can get the place for 1/3 of the Airbnb price, especially if you send other guys his way and give him some business now and again and he sees that you're not going to trash the place and disturb the neighbors. I'm not too worried about packing and unpacking since I will only have a suitcase. I practically take nothing on my travels now except a suit, gym clothes, some cigars, and Viagra.

Post: #8

Linux,best of luck. I look forward to hearing about your experiences.

Post: #9

Linux, not sure how much your vehicle is worth but, my last vehicle I donated it to charity. It wasn't worth much. Older Jeep Cherokee. I donated it to The wounded warrior charity organization. Just remember to save your receipt. You can use it as a tax write off. Just an idea for you.

Post: #10

Me reading this thread:

Post: #11

Yeah I am one of these nomad dudes. I've been living this life since September of last year (since 2014 if I include when I did this half time) when I got rid of my apartment and sold/throw away all my stuff. I now travel with just carry on luggage (suitcase + laptop backpack). It is possible I just showed how it's done to another member this past weekend :-). I try to stay 2 or 3 months in one place.

I have mostly spent my time in South East Asia but I am widening my horizon and will be spending a lot more time in South America and Eastern Europe from now on. There are still issues I run into from time to time so have a network of likeminded people would be great. Also happy to help out brothers in need.

In Kiev for the summer in case someone will be passing by.

Post: #12

Could easily see transitioning to this kind of thing permanently. So far its been 6 months on a trip that was supposed to last 2 weeks back in January. Made a last minute decision to attend my buddy's wedding in India at New Years and figured I should spend a couple weeks there touring around. That turned into 3 months in India, not such a bad place if you pick the right spots and so cheap its basically free. Did some really nice Himalayas trekking as well. Then to Bangkok and a circuit thru Cambodia and Malaysia ending up in Krabi for climbing then Phuket for a month hard boxing bjj and wrestling training. Then to Tokyo to track down some girl and make some slow progress on my Japanese, I'm writing this now from a backcountry lodge in the Japanese Alps near Nagano. My 35 liter backpack has been more than fine for 6 months and I dont miss NYC or my excess shit in the least.

Post: #13

Sold all my stuff 2 years ago. Been on the road ever since with a short trip back to Canada in between.

Sometimes I crave the normalcy, the routine, friends, and my native language but having access to adventure and women all over the world makes me more happy than being tied down grinding away at a 9-5.

Post: #14

I'm not as far along as you are, but getting closer. I work OCONUS as a contractor for 2-3 months at a time then travel for 2-3 months until the next work rotation. I have no apartment, just a small secure storage unit and pickup truck to transport my range equipment when I want to go shooting (I have to maintain firearms proficiency for work). I have a few generous friends in the US who let me stay at their place for a few days here and there. So far my pattern has been:

-come home from work rotation
-spend 3-5 days refitting/catching up on admin stuff like taxes, vehicle registration, medical appointments, shooting practice, etc.
-take off to another country with a very loose plan and a network of contacts for 2-3 months
-arrive home 3-5 days before the next rotation to prep/pack, shoot some more

I have very little in the way of possessions. Several firearms, a shitload of ammunition, steel and cardboard targetry. Tactical gear. Skis (which I'm going to sell), skydiving equipment and BASE jumping equipment. No furniture. All my clothes will fit in a medium-sized rolling duffle bag.

All my travel is centered around skydiving and BASE jumping activities. Primarily in Europe, but I've been to South America and Asia as well. I'm in the process of adjusting my work schedule so I will work less and have April-September off of each year. I don't factor pussy into my travel decision making process as much as I used to.

I've flirted with the idea of getting a small room in a shared house in the US just to keep my stuff and have a place to crash, but I've tried that in the past but it's a money sink and is too tempting just to stay on the couch and drink beer.

I sometimes get a bit melancholy before leaving to travel solo, but man as soon as I enter the airport my mood improves, there is a spring in my step, I start talking to strangers, and I get excited about what adventures may be ahead! For me, there is nothing like an airport to open your mind to the possibilities that the world holds.

To be completely honest, sometimes I do question my lifestyle and get a bit depressed when I compare myself to the people with whom I went to university, my brothers, and childhood friends, all of whom are doing the house/wife/kids thing. For me, the social programming has been very hard to shrug off but I still manage to drive on. I've been feeling the pressure from friends and family more and more as I approach 40.

I'm lucky that the BASE jumping community is out of the ordinary to begin with and many of my fellow jumpers deal with the same thoughts.

I will be in jumping in Europe from September 11-November 1 this year (probably Italy, Switzerland, and who knows where else). If anyone wants to hang out and chat over beers, hit me up. It really helps me to talk with other like-minded people about this; it motivates me to to continue to take action and realize that it's ok to do your own thing in the little time we have on this big blue ball.

Post: #15

Linux, you're an inspiration. I have 9 years until I can do this. Write about it as much as you can. I just came off of two weeks in Europe, and I know I could easily live this lifestyle. I would just have plenty of insurance and enough cash to cover any unexpected legal expenses. Definitely drop data sheets on each country/city. I'd be interested in how you manage the day to day, what you do with your time, and if you have a final destination in mind.

Post: #16

I guess I've been living the vagabond lifestyle since November 1, 2013. My rent on the beach in South Beach was getting out of control with the economy coming back after the recession, and even though I liked my lifestyle I asked myself "Why should I keep living in one place when I can use Airbnb and live anywhere in the world for less than what I'm paying now?" I sold all my furniture on Craigslist, threw away a ton of shit I didn't care about anymore, and moved the few remaining things I valued into a small storage unit that I pay ~$40/month for in South Beach. Been living out of a single suitcase since that day.

My situation is definitely somewhat unique though, as I have a serious job in the US, so I go back and forth to my office every couple months. This is how I constantly fund the lifestyle. So I'll book like 2 months in SE Asia or Latin America, then fly back to NY to work in my office for a week or so, then fly off to somewhere else after that.

It would be so fucking weird to not do this anymore and to go back to a normal life again. So I guess just be warned that it'll mentally be hard to go back once you've become accustomed to this lifestyle.

Edit: Oh and credit cards/churning/mileage programs are definitely your friend with this lifestyle where pretty much everything can be put on a credit card earning miles. I pay for very few flights these days and mostly use miles to bounce around wherever I want with a lot more flexibility than paid flights.

Post: #17

(07-07-2016 04:58 AM)joelf Wrote:  Could easily see transitioning to this kind of thing permanently. So far its been 6 months on a trip that was supposed to last 2 weeks back in January. Made a last minute decision to attend my buddy's wedding in India at New Years and figured I should spend a couple weeks there touring around. That turned into 3 months in India, not such a bad place if you pick the right spots and so cheap its basically free. Did some really nice Himalayas trekking as well. Then to Bangkok and a circuit thru Cambodia and Malaysia ending up in Krabi for climbing then Phuket for a month hard boxing bjj and wrestling training. Then to Tokyo to track down some girl and make some slow progress on my Japanese, I'm writing this now from a backcountry lodge in the Japanese Alps near Nagano. My 35 liter backpack has been more than fine for 6 months and I dont miss NYC or my excess shit in the least.

Do you have any plans to return to the States?

Post: #18

I did this for a while. True freedom. The world is your oyster. Wake up in rome and randomly go to Egypt. My 2 cents, don't underestimate camping. I camped in Amsterdam for 2 months and had a blast and met a bunch of cool people at the camp site. I also used whatever cities I was in public library for a sense of normalcy and as a "homebase." A nice, free place to go to chill out.

Post: #19

Quote:To be completely honest, sometimes I do question my lifestyle and get a bit depressed when I compare myself to the people with whom I went to university, my brothers, and childhood friends, all of whom are doing the house/wife/kids thing. For me, the social programming has been very hard to shrug off but I still manage to drive on. I've been feeling the pressure from friends and family more and more as I approach 40.

I'm at a fork with this, though only mid-20's. Well off enough to start vagabonding, but also in a LTR with someone that I think could be a good mom. Not sure which lifestyle would be more fullfilling in the long run.

Each has various attractions/concerns/opportunities/risks.

Answer is probably as LINUX did and try the first and see if it works.

Post: #20

I don't know how you guys do it. I like to move around a lot but prefer a consistent set of laws to operate under.

It would be interesting to keep/operate a business that is like a safehouse for US nomads. Not like an apartment type of thing but more like a self storage/mailing address/return to base station in America. When nomads returned for a few days (don't make it more than 30 for taxes) they would be able to pick up the US bound stuff they couldn't take with them, collect mail and papers before "re-deploying" themselves out of the country again. Essentially keeping your US presence on life support until you need it.

Post: #21

I work in the maritime industry, so it's rather easy for me to do this lifestyle, although I'm not sure many realize what opportunity they have as most of them just go home during their time off.

I'm required to work at a minimum 3 months per year, this is the only time I return to the States as I can pretty easily support myself the rest of the year off the money I make in this time. "Returning" to the states is actually just returning for a week or so, as the job itself is usually somewhere overseas although I don't consider this traveling as the majority of the time is spent working or sleeping.

No home though, I'm either sleeping on ship while at work or hostels, airbnb, etc. Kind of starting to want to settle down again and get an actual place, an actual relationship, a normal life - but then I read something like this and it reminds me, fuck that life.

Post: #22

(07-07-2016 01:13 PM)Jnx Wrote:  I work in the maritime industry, so it's rather easy for me to do this lifestyle, although I'm not sure many realize what opportunity they have as most of them just go home during their time off.

I'm required to work at a minimum 3 months per year, this is the only time I return to the States as I can pretty easily support myself the rest of the year off the money I make in this time. "Returning" to the states is actually just returning for a week or so, as the job itself is usually somewhere overseas although I don't consider this traveling as the majority of the time is spent working or sleeping.

No home though, I'm either sleeping on ship while at work or hostels, airbnb, etc. Kind of starting to want to settle down again and get an actual place, an actual relationship, a normal life - but then I read something like this and it reminds me, fuck that life.

Can you drop a datasheet on how you got into this? This seems like a very interesting lifestyle.

Post: #23

(07-07-2016 01:08 PM)Dr. Howard Wrote:  It would be interesting to keep/operate a business that is like a safehouse for US nomads. Not like an apartment type of thing but more like a self storage/mailing address/return to base station in America. When nomads returned for a few days (don't make it more than 30 for taxes) they would be able to pick up the US bound stuff they couldn't take with them, collect mail and papers before "re-deploying" themselves out of the country again. Essentially keeping your US presence on life support until you need it.

The UPS Store mailbox does most of this for me. I've cultivated a relationship with the guys that work there (ski passes here and there, telling them to drop my name at a few bars for a free round or two) and they go the extra mile for me. Hold my packages a bit longer, will keep and eye out for and forward specific bits of mail that I need right away, sign for stuff for me, etc.

Plus the way that the UPS store mailbox address is formatted makes it looks like a residential/apartment address and doesn't give me any problems when I need to list a "physical" address.

The only thing that would make it easier is if I could do vehicle registration/emissions renewal online.

There are a few websites geared for retired people who live in RVs and travel full time. These services scan all your pieces of mail, forward mail, and take care of vehicle registration for you. This varies state by state, one that comes to mind is escapees.com, which is out of Texas.

Post: #24

Sure man, might as well contribute and drop my first data sheet. Will start working on it

Post: #25

This lifestyle sounds great but I can't help but feel any chance I had to do it has passed me by, it would take a quantum shift in my thinking to consider it these days. I would have to give up things I enjoy like fishing and hunting - you can't have it all I suppose.

Where do you guys who live this lifestyle see yourselves in 10 and 20 years time?

What provisions do you make for your future?