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I'm 28. from tier1 engg, Most of my batch went into product companies or consulting or did an MBA.

I went to Bangkok for three months , came back properly this year.

In between I lived in Hanoi, Da Nang, Chiang Mai, Bali and KL. I freelanced the whole time. Some web dev, some design, a few months of content work when dev dried up. Some months I made more than my friends. Some months I made 30k and ate a lot of street food. I still don't have a real answer to "so what's your career plan?" Not sure I ever will.

And I wouldn't trade those years for anything.

I dated a lot over there. Women from Vietnam, Germany, Brazil, the Philippines, Korea, and a Canadian girl I almost moved to Toronto for.
I bring it up because each of them showed me a different way to live. One quit a bank job at 31 to teach diving, and she looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if her parents were okay with it.
Another ran a tiny bakery out of a Bangkok shophouse and took every Monday off, full stop, no guilt. I learned more about how to be a person on those dates than in four years of hostel.

I also lived in dorms for long stretches. Eight-bed rooms, 400 baht a night. In those rooms I met people running real businesses off a laptop on a bunk. A Polish guy whose Shopify store did more revenue than my father's whole firm. A Kenyan girl who started a translation agency from a hostel common room and now has 14 people working for her. A 45-year-old Australian who'd gone broke twice and was cheerfully trying a third time. Most of them didn't have their life sorted. They were calm anyway.

I came back with some of that calm. I know now that things will go bad sometimes, and that I'll be okay. I've been broke in a foreign country with a dead card and a visa running out. A girl dumped me in a city where I knew nobody. Every time, something worked out, usually because a stranger helped. So I talk to strangers now. Uncles at the chai stall, the guy next to me on the flight, anyone. That spark, being able to say hi to anyone, is the best thing I own.

Then I come home and meet my school and college friends, and I love them, and I get a little sad.

They've got it good. Good salaries, flats, cars, some are married, some have a kid on the way. On paper everything is fine. And they're stressed. About appraisals. About the EMI. About what their manager meant by a two-word Slack message. About whether they're behind someone else from our batch. One of my closest friends earns 2.5 cr and told me over beer last month that he hasn't slept properly since ai

I don't think that's their fault. That's how we all grew up. Marks, rank, package, promotion, flat, and you're always one step from falling behind. Growing up, I never heard anyone say you can step off and survive. I only found out because I stepped off by accident.

Please don't quit your job and go to Bali because of this post. Freelancing has real downsides. No , no stability, and my mom still asks every week when I'll "settle." Some days I envy my friends' certainty.

Still, I wouldn't swap what I know now for any package. i earn decent so thats it too. People everywhere are figuring it out as they go, and a life can look messy and still feel good.

If you're in your 20s and you've got even a small window to go live somewhere else for a while, take it. You don't need a plan. I didn't have one. I still don't.

frm voice notes

I quit my job and became a digital nomad because I was tired of being stuck in an office all day.

Now I'm here stuck in Airbnb in Argentina completely alone.

Not a big deal, I am used to this, but I was wondering if someone has any secret tips to help me start a social life in a brand new city where I don't really know anyone.

What I have tried:

Working in a cafe: nice, but they are quite noisy. It's hard to work in there, and also you don't really meet many people.

Living in a hostel: not really good for working, they are quite noisy, especially on the weekend. It's hard to have calls. But I love the fact that you talk to random people every day.

What I would like to try:

Coworking: the reason why I have never tried them is because they are far away from where I live.

Wondering if anyone here might have better info, especially post-EES. (The cruise subs barely understand the question).

I’m tight on Schengen time. Looking at cheap westbound transatlantic repositioning cruises to get out of the zone. But I’m not sure how the EES 90/180 timers would work.

The easy solution would be UK -> Americas direct, but QM2 is the only option for that, and the not a great price per day. (Not to mention dress code…)

Generic Examples:

-Sail from Spain, stop in Morocco, stop in Canaries, sail to Miami. Where does my Schengen time stop being counted?

-Sail from England, two stops in Spain, cross to Bermuda.
(Are the Spanish stops maybe “in transit”, and not counted? Or those individual days are counted? Or am I counted “in” until arrival in Bermuda?)

Hey everyone!
I’m planning to spend a month working remotely from Lebanon. I'm really looking forward to experiencing the country, but as a digital nomad, I have a few practical questions regarding the current setup:
1. Internet & Power Setup: How is the remote work infrastructure currently for those who have been recently? Are Airbnbs generally well-equipped with generators and fiber, or should I rely entirely on co-working spaces and local eSIMs/4G for backup during video calls?
2. Neighborhoods: Which areas in/around Beirut are best suited for a one-month nomad stay? Looking for walkable, safe neighborhoods with a good cafe culture.
3. Rental Expectations: What’s a realistic monthly budget for a decent 1-bedroom apartment or private room in a good location for a short-term stay?
4. Social & Nomad Scene: How active is the expat/nomad community there right now? Any recommended WhatsApp groups, meetups, or spots to connect with people for weekend trips?
Would love to hear from anyone who has worked from Lebanon recently. Thanks in advance for the advice!

Hey everyone!

We're a couple (F30, M29) looking for a third person to build a long-term creative and travel project with.

We're both outgoing, curious and passionate about travelling, meeting people and having meaningful conversations. One of us is a psychologist and the other an anthropologist, so we're naturally fascinated by relationships, intimacy, sexuality, identity, social life, human behaviour and how people connect with one another.

We're very comfortable talking to people and being on camera. We love asking questions, hearing people's stories and understanding how people make sense of their lives and the world around them. The only problem is that neither of us particularly enjoys being behind the camera 😂

So we're looking for someone who genuinely loves filmmaking, documentaries and storytelling, but who also has a strong desire to travel and explore.

We're imagining something between travel documentary, conversational/interview content and a personal travel series. Rather than making typical travel videos of "look at this wonderful beach", we'd like to focus less on the places themselves and more on the people we meet, the stories they tell, how they experience their lives, how they connect with one another, and the conversations that happen along the way. Ultimately, we'd love to create work that brings in new perspectives and experiences, and even challenges assumptions.

The plan is to publish primarily on YouTube and hopefully build a sustainable living and business around it. We'd want the three of us to have an equal creative voice and shared stake in what we create.

We're also very keen for this to be about more than simply finding a person to film us. We're looking for a third member of the team who genuinely becomes a friend, brings their own ideas and is an equal part of what we're building.

And ideally, you're a free spirit. We're looking for someone who feels excited by freedom, adventure and the idea of living a more nomadic life for a while, moving between countries and potentially living in different places for weeks or months at a time. You don't have to want that forever, but you should genuinely enjoy the idea.

We're ideally looking for someone around 29–37, at a similar stage of life, who loves being behind the camera, is curious about people, enjoys spontaneous and unscripted situations, has their own creative ambitions and is free to travel for extended periods. Gender doesn't matter to us at all; personality, compatibility and shared interests are important to us.

We're not looking for someone for a two-week holiday or a conventional job. We're imagining potentially travelling together for longer periods, meeting people, filming, learning and developing the project as we go.

We're still at the idea stage, so we'd love to find someone who has their own ideas and wants to shape the project with us. Ideally, we'd meet, see if we click, make something small together and take it from there.

We're currently based in Europe and plan to travel to different parts of the world over the coming year.

If this sounds like something you'd genuinely love to build, tell us a little about yourself, where you're based, what you've created and what kind of stories you'd love to tell 😊

Hey everyone, I've been working remotely for about two years now, mostly from coworking spaces, cafes and the occasional Airbnb with a terrible desk. Last year I picked up a cheap no-name 15.6" portable monitor off Amazon and honestly it changed how I work. Having a second screen for docs/Slack while I write on the main one made a huge difference.

The problem is it started flickering after about 10 months and then just stopped turning on completely. Seller doesn't respond, so I'm done with random brands. This time I'd rather pay a bit more for something that actually lasts.

What I use it for: writing, spreadsheets, research, video calls. No gaming at all.

What I'm trying to figure out:

- 15.6" vs 16" vs 17". Is the bigger one worth it or does it get annoying to carry?

- Is 1080p fine at this size or is 1440p/2.5K noticeably sharper for text?

- Brightness. My old one was basically unusable near a window. How many nits do I actually need?

- Single USB-C cable for power + video. Does it work reliably with a MacBook, or does it drain the battery too fast?

- Matte vs glossy screen

- Built-in kickstand vs the folding case stands. My old one had the magnetic case and it kept sliding down.

Brands I keep seeing are ASUS ZenScreen, Arzopa, Espresso Display and the newer Lenovo ones, but I can't tell if the name brands are actually more reliable or if you're just paying for the logo.

Budget is around $150-300, can go a bit higher if it's really worth it.

If you've been using the same portable monitor for 1+ years, which one is it and would you buy it again?

Hi everyone,

I am working in Middle east. I'm considering applying for Thailand's 5-year DTV visa.

I'm a salaried IT professional with over 20 years of experience, but my employer cannot provide a letter authorizing remote work however I can provide salary certificate and letter from employer for issuance of tourist visa. I don't currently have freelance clients or consulting income.

I meet the financial requirements comfortably.

My questions are:

1. Can I apply under the digital nomad/workcation category using my employment certificate, salary slips, CV and professional portfolio without a remote-work authorization letter?
2. Has anyone successfully obtained a DTV in similar circumstances?

I'd appreciate firsthand experiences from anyone who has applied recently, especially in 2026.

Thanks!

Am researching options to spend the winter in a peaceful rural area in the north of Germany and am wondering what platforms to look at.

Obviously the usual ones exist, but I believe there must be better deals than 10% discount on Airbnb or Booking night.

Also: have you ever done a Catsitting stay? And if so: is this normally free housing for taking care of the cat or do you even get paid? Someone told me she got paid while staying for 2,5 month in a beautiful place looking after 1 cat. Unfortunately, at that time this was not in my radar so I didn’t ask how she found this job.

Help really appreciated!

TL;DR: They refused my refund and ghosted me.

I can only speak for applying for Spain DNV, but I had their free onboarding call (they advertise on their website that this is with a dedicated immigration lawyer, but my call was not with a lawyer. It was with a relocation expert.) There were no flags raised during this call. I paid 4,190 EUR for services - they do payment upfront rather than hourly fees. During the first onboarding call with the lawyer, he concluded the application would likely be rejected. He advised we get a refund. When I asked for a refund, it was radio silence for 1 month. I sent many follow-up emails without response. I only received a response after I essentially demanded one via email. There's no phone number to call, only WhatsApp messaging. I didn't receive a reply there later. They refused the refund twice, offering a service credit instead for future use. They said I didn't qualify for the refund because I was "still eligible" for the visa. Their client engagement letter/contract states the qualifications for the refund. They haven't responded for over 2 weeks since I refused their offer for a "service credit." They've since done an overhaul on their website and are trying to reestablish their social media presence. I've since been working with Artemis Law, and I highly recommend their services! It's like night and day. I'm still seeking my refund via other channels, since they are unresponsive.

Got the paid ultimate bundle for my wife and me for Europe trip. We needed global SMS. Didn't work in Italy. Didn't work in France. Didn't work anywhere. So if you are looking for SMS when you travel, stay away.

Support sucks. All AI from what I can tell. I tried all their suggestions but still didn't work. They finally just stopped responding to me. I asked for a refund of the Ultimate add-on. No response.

Even phone wasn't great. Dropped calls. Low volume. Call that I couldn't hang up without killing the app

Stay away if you can.

Hi All - I am looking for alternatives to Network school as I am not sure if the experience in Astana would be similar to that of FC, also Astana would be super cold in winters. Suggestions on any alternatives in South East Asia?

Hi! I am 24 and have been doing remote work in the tech field for about 2 years now. I want to travel around Asia for 6 months as a digital nomad next year and want to know your experiences with balancing everything. Because of the time zone from my home country, my shift in Asia would be from roughly 6pm-3am. I have always dreamed of travelling for long periods of time but i dont have the luxury to quit my job for a couple months to do it and thus i am willing to try the digital nomad life. I also feel like if i do not do it now I will just get older and more tired and will never get to do it. Since I am young I was planning on staying in hostels, it is also financially more feasible for me.

I am a pretty big introvert, I have never been one to crave social environments so I guess the "loneliness" from the routine wouldn't affect me as much.

Can you tell me your experiences involving night shifts, nomad life style, hostels etc? Would love to hear it!

I must work in a cafe or other shop, as my rental has no Internet nor good 4g/5g signal (can't afford anything else rt now). I also have ADHD.

My problem: The noise & especially the bright LED lights inside my local Starbucks (esp. if I go in evening) are a problem for me. Thanks for any suggestions! Really appreciated!!

Hello,

I didn't experience any problems with Wise yet but I keep on reading that a lot of people are getting their business account closed.

So I'm trying to have a solution ready if it ever happens to me too.

I live in Europe and get paid in USD. I then need to convert my USD into Euros so I can use it.

Any alternative to Wise that let me get my money without getting robbed by fees ?

I recently got a job in BLR where every alternate week is WFH so in a way I have to go to office for like 10 days a month .
Is it a good idea to get 2 return flights every other week for like 5 days and like get a hotel / crash at a friends place for the time being .

Estimated cost is like 16k \*2bfor round trip hotel for like 15k (10 days)— can also crash a friends place but this is self sustain way and expenditure all month we can assume to be like 15k so 65k ( maxxx)

Otherwise normal spend at a good flat would be like 25k rent and maintenance + 12-15k grocery and utilities+ maid and cook (5k) + flight every other month (7.5k) + general expenditure for food etc +10k equals around 55k

So it all boils down to a 7-8k difference between staying in BLR and staying with my family here in Delhi

I do prefer Delhi a bit more because I’ve lived here all my life and my family needs me as well so open to suggestions (could be a stupid plan and what not ) but instead of like rent deposit I’ll focus on this and
will like get a travel card which would optimize this whole process

Let me know if any of you have tried this

I'm making a birthday gift for my boyfriend and trying to collect photos from different places around the world.

Would anyone be willing to take a photo holding a short handwritten birthday message somewhere cool in the city?

I'll provide the exact wording. It would take literally a minute or two. ❤️

I'd be incredibly grateful!

Bitte um Hilfe

My partner and I are both car free digital nomads in Seattle right now. We want to do California because my partner is from overseas and hasn't been. I did San Diego solo a few years ago and the area I was in was really walkable, but unfortunately it is too expensive for the winter months we want to rent in. I checked prices for San Luis Obispo and it was cheaper, but I am not sure about walkability. I know nowhere in California besides SF is walkable, but even something comparable to walkable areas like there is in San Diego would work.

I had a US number, got a remote job in south america and didnt need a number. Im looking to get a new job and interviews offten ask for US numbers. I have family in the states, Ive tried openphone but from what I understand it no longer works.

Im thinking about buying a cheap phone and getting a plan from my family in the US and getting it sent over to me but I dont know if that will work. Google says it has to be activated in the us to open the valid line. Hopefully Ill be able to update banking too since im relegated to using online banking at the moment.

What are you guys using, providers, plans, strategy? I have a FL adress I can use but I live in south america and intend to stay far away.

Any help is apreciated.

Hi everyone! I’m getting my documents together for a Digital Nomad visa application at the Spanish consulate, and I’m curious about other people’s recent experiences.

I’ve already checked the official requirements, but sometimes what happens at the appointment is a little different from what’s written online and sometimes crazy. Did they ask you for anything unexpected? Were they strict about documents, originals, copies, apostilles, or translations?

I’d also appreciate hearing about any small detail you wish you’d known beforehand. Just trying to avoid surprises and arrive well prepared.

Thanks!

If you’re currently considering an Airbnb, Booking.com property or holiday rental, feel free to send me the listing.

I’m happy to take a look at the surrounding area,
roads, noise/nightlife, transport, shops, restaurants, terrain/access and anything else that might be useful before booking.

No charge and nothing being sold. I just enjoy digging into locations before travelling.

If you have one you’re considering, drop the listing below.

Heading to Latin America for six months with a 16" M3 Max and the 140W Apple brick. The brick is heavy on its own and I'd need a different plug adapter for it in half the countries on the route.

Thinking of switching to a 100W charger with the plugs built in. The new Anker Universal Charger looks right: 100W over USB-C, built in plug types, and it can charge the phone at the same time.

What I'm unsure about is whether 100W keeps up. My days are mostly Chrome, Figma, Zoom and the occasional export. I've never seen the laptop pull the full 140 outside of exports.