How to Nomad and Not Go Mad: A Pre-Flight Guide for the First Time Nomad
Taking your first steps as a digital nomad can seem daunting. Here we'll go over some do's and don'ts for your first trip.
Even if you’re a seasoned traveller, setting off for the first time as a digital nomad can be stressful. In this post we’ll cover some tips to help ease the transition into nomad life.
Where to go?
Naturally, once you’ve decided to take the plunge as a digital nomad, the first question is where to go? This is obviously a very personal and subjective decision but there are a few things you might want to consider.
On your first trip, go easy. Unless you’re a very seasoned traveller, you’re going to want to start out with somewhere relatively gentle on the soul. Culture shock is a real thing and can come on strongly than you might be used to as you embed yourself more deeply in the local culture and have to deal with more of the “frustrations” that can come up as you figure out how to live and work in a new place.
Choose somewhere new and exciting but not too exciting. If you really want to start with baby steps, try nomading somewhere close to home (or even in your own country).
Don’t obsess too much about your exact location or itinerary. If your budget allows, perhaps leave your travel flexible so you can move somewhere else if you get itchy feet. You’ll get a better feel for the kind of places you like to be as you travel more.
Pay attention to the kind of setting you’re looking for. If you like being near amenities, make sure these are within range. If you want to be somewhere remote, then scope out the area to check this is going to fit your aspirations. For me, I like to have plenty of places to go drink beer within walking or public transport distance (check out our digital nomad beer guide for more on that).
As a first time nomad, I’d recommend going somewhere not too secluded. This will make a lot of the logistics simpler and ensure you can get hold of any necessaries when you need them.
Scope out internet access in the place you’re visiting. In fairly developed places, WIFI can be spotty. You’ll want to figure out local mobile internet as a backup plan.
Getting ready to leave
If you’re planning a long initial trip, you may have various administrative stuff to take care of before you head out. If you are keeping your house/home, give a friend or family member a set of keys in case you need anything attended to while you’re away. This’ll help take off the stress when it comes time to leave.
If you’re going away for more than a month, don’t forget to pause any gym memberships or subscriptions you aren’t going to need while you’re away. I forgot to cancel my Amazon Subscribe & Save and ended up with a six-month supply of moisturiser by the time I returned.
Work is obviously a big part of most nomad life. Assuming you aren’t going under the radar, make sure everything is squared away with your employers, customers and/or colleagues before you leave.
What to take
Luggage is an almost religious subject in the digital nomad world. If like me, you prefer to travel light, this is a good opportunity to whittle down your possessions to exactly what you need to be comfortable. If you’re someone who likes to take a lot with you (no judgement!), I’d still suggest reviewing carefully. This is less about lightening your physical load (though that is a big advantage), and more about lessening the mental burden possessions can bring.
DON’T obsess over optimising your work setup on the first trip. Reddit’s digital nomad forum is chock full of posts showing off various contortions of laptop stands and keyboards and whatnot.
Unless you have very strong opinions here, start small. Take your a laptop, some decent headphones and perhaps a stand and see how you get on. I love my home office standing desk, dual screens and mechanical keyboard at home, but I have honestly never missed it on the road. You’re going to be in some very cool places, you almost certainly won’t miss these things*.
* Of course, if you have RSI or are a creature of exceptionally strong habits, you may want to ignore my advice here.
DO take plenty of universal power adapters (at least 2). If you can drop the cash, I’d strongly recommend picking up the OneWorld 65. It’s a constant headache having to juggle these around and losing one (as I very nearly did in a bar in Budapest) is stressful. Take two and leave one in your airbnb or hotel room.
USB-C is king. If you can get all of your gear charging off of one cable, you won’t have to cart around a rats nest of wires. Alternatively, consider grabbing some mini adapters like these.
Be sure to take several redundant payment methods. If you don’t have one already, open a bank account with a card that has low fees for foreign transactions (I use Wise). Amex cards are nice for earning points but they aren’t accepted everywhere and (at least in the UK) foreign exchange fees can get expensive. Apple/Android pay is good to have but don’t rely on it exclusively.
Get a sensible phone with some solid battery life and ideally multiple (e-)sim cards. I probably spent upwards of 50% of my working time using 4 or 5g via my phone’s hotspot so being able to get through most of a day is very useful. You can pick up a dedicated personal hotspot but I personally wouldn’t bother. A portable battery is, however, a good idea.
Airalo is great if you have a phone that supports e-SIM. You can buy a local data package before you go and you’ll be ready and setup as soon as you land. Failing that, local data SIMs are generally cheap and easy to find. Do it as soon as you land.
Keep your gear organised. Even if you’re travelling slow and heavy, it’s nice to be able to stuff things in a backpack and go out for the day. I’d recommend at least a tech organiser (Bellroy’s one is nice if you can drop the cash) and some packing cubes if you’re travelling light.
A stuffable bag for carrying shopping is also very useful. Peak design make a nice one. As do sea-to-summit.
Take a good selection of clothes and footwear that’s going to keep you comfortable while travelling. If you aren’t staying somewhere with clothes washing facilities, laundry is going to be a royal pain so don’t over-optimise here until you’ve got some experience.
For more gear recommendations, checkout my post on the subject.
Arrival
I like to arrive in a new place on Friday or Saturday if I can. It means I don’t have to worry about working the next day (particularly after a red-eye flight) and you’ve got time to get settled and explore the place you’re in.
First things first, grab some currency in the airport. I’d recommend this even if you’re sure debit cards are widely accepted. It never hurts. If you are going to pick up a local sim, you’ll often find a place in the airport offering tourist packages. These are often a reasonable deal and will save having to hunt around later.
A lot of countries are going to have various scams going on around airport taxis. If you can, Uber, Lyft or Grab is likely to be a good call (though be careful as even with Uber’s I’ve occasionally had trouble). Some airports attempt to block the ride-hailing apps so try turning using a VPN if this is happening.
If the local taxi services seem above board then consider them. However aim for the official taxi stand and try to avoid the crowds of shadier characters that may well approach you. Pretending someone is on the way to pick you up is a good way to get them to leave you alone.
You’re finally there
Once I’m settled in at wherever I’m staying, I like to hit up a local supermarket. This is a good opportunity to start exploring some of the novelties of the country you’re in and pick up any supplies you might need.
If you’re somewhere a bit more exotic, be sure to get out as much as possible in the first few days to wash off that culture shock and get your bearings wherever you are.
Have fun nomadding! Be sure to read our follow-up post on how to get settled in a new place.