How do you know if your nomadic life is on the right track? Here, the answer to that question is a sort of metric system -- one that lets us organize the chaos of this lifestyle. For any location you're in, these pillars help you thoughtfully assess whether this location is actually giving you what you need. And, to that point, these pillars are also a vehicle for self-reflection -- a chance to question the way you prioritize your nomadic values.

Become Nomad - Digital Nomad Lifestyle and Long Term Travel

BN 089: The Four Core Pillars of the Nomadic Lifestyle

When your environment keeps changing, it inevitably becomes more difficult to stay focused. The fluctuation and constant building of new routines is part of the digital nomad charm... But it's also one of our biggest challenges.   Here, Eli talks about his approach to building and keeping that focus in new locations -- including both practical tips & more general mindsets!

BN 088: How To Stay Productive While Traveling

How do you record your experiences? Is it even an important part of appreciating what's around you? Or does it take you out of the experience and cheapen it? In this episode, Eli & Dan discuss their approaches to remembering and looking back on their travels. We debate the importance of doing something now for your future self, the methods of memory capture that we find most meaningful, and the ways in which recording experiences can actually deepen their value. Also, really want to give a shoutout to StartupBlink -- their global startup ecosystem map & rankings have been updated for 2021. Really fascinating stuff; check it out at www.startupblink.com

BN 087: The Power of Memory -- Photos, Journals, & Other Forms of Nostalgia

There's something special about just getting in a car, shifting gears, and going... wherever. So in this episode, Eli & Dan talk a bit about the unique, psychological effects of cross-country road trips. We discuss the experience of shifting landscapes & cultures, the benefits of changing locations, the mentality of reexamining your life story, and a whole lot more. Are you a big cross-country road-tripper? We'd love to hear your story & where you've been! Give us a shout at dan@becomenomad.com & eli@becomenomad.com. 

BN 086: The Freedom of Cross-Country Road Trips

The actual tactics behinds saving money while traveling change month to month, year to year. But the necessary mindset underlying it all tends to stay consistent. In this mini-episode, Eli reflects on his decade-plus of travel to share some "mindset hacks" for living a low-cost lifestyle. Do you have any hacks that you've implemented into your lifestyle (travel or otherwise)? Let us know at support@becomenomad.com -- we'd love to hear from you!

BN 085: The Principles of Lower-Cost Living

We've talked before about the nomadic social life... But never like this. This episode won't give you tips for socializing while traveling or anything like that. You can find that elsewhere. But we will talk about social life from a bird's eye view: What are the big challenges and the mentality required. Join us here for a back-&-forth discussion about what it means to try to build friendships on the road. - - - - - - - - - Books mentioned: Tribes by Sebastian Junger Social Chemistry by Marissa King

BN 084: Nomadic Social Life -- The Ups, Downs, & in Between

We're too busy. We're all plugged in. And even for us nomads, it can be easy to lose sight of the greater goals.   In this episode, we're trying to recapture our spirituality. With all this talk of building startups and finances and practical elements, let's remember why we're doing all this in the first place.   How do we tap into that deeper fulfillment? Is it getting harder as the world gets more connected? And what does it mean to be a spiritual nomad, anyway?   - - - - - - - - - - - - - -   Plus, a huge thanks to our sponsor, Flexverk! They make awesome laptop accessories for travel (think: laptop stands & cases). Check it out at www.flexverk.com and use code "flexnomad" for 10% off (good thru end of April, contrary to what Eli says in the pod intro :) ).

BN 083: Finding Spirituality in a Lifestyle of Change

Apologies to all! We had a mix-up with the audio yesterday, but are back on track. Full, correct episode is here -- thanks for bearing with us :) The Camino de Santiago -- it's one of the most famous treks in the world. In this episode, Victor Prince joins us to share the practical & spiritual realities behind such a journey.   Victor Prince is the author of The Camino Way: Lessons in Leadership from a Walk Across Spain. The book shares stories and lessons that he (& dozens of other hikers) learned by walking the 1,000-year-old Camino de Santiago trail across Spain.   See photos and videos from Victor's 5 hikes on the Camino at victorprince.com and #TheCaminoWayBook on Facebook.   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Also want to give a huge shoutout to our sponsor, FlexVerk!   Their laptop products make the transition from work life to personal life seamless -- perfect for anyone who's on the move. Get 10% off with code "flexnomad" (good thru end of April).  

BN 082: The Magic of Long-Term Trekking with Victor Prince

When business commitments start increasing, can you still live a nomadic lifestyle? And if yes, how does it differ from a freelance or purely nomadic lifestyle? In this episode, we continue the conversation from episode 078... But instead of focusing on "what it's like to build a startup while nomading," Eli explains "what it's like to nomad -- while building a startup." By the end, we surprise ourselves with some candidly open reflections on the nomadic pursuit and what it means for a fulfilling life. What else would you expect from a BN pod?? Our conversation mentions startup ecosystems and StartupBlink's work in tracking them. Check out the map & ranking system here to see what we're talking about!

BN 081: How Travel Changes When You Build a Startup (Part 2 of ep 078)

On this episode, travel guru Derek Baron pops in to shed insights on his 20+ years of continuous travel. From the state of travel blogging to digital nomads' evolution to his social mindset, Earl brings his uniquely honest attitude to everything we discuss. He's one of our favorite travel bloggers -- check out his website to see why!

BN 080: 20 Years of Travel with Wandering Earl's Derek Baron

Let's look beyond the basic psychology of habits to explore the nomadic idea that "Discipline is Freedom." In this episode, Eli covers the value of routines in an uncertain lifestyle, offers recommendations for building them effectively, and shares what he's learned about himself through his ups and downs of habit-forming. Have some thoughts about building routines while on the road? Shoot us your thoughts at info@becomenomad.com -- we'll give you a shout in our next episode!

BN 079: Forming Habits & Routines - The Key to Nomadic Freedom

To sustain his nomadic lifestyle, Eli chose the path of building startups. But what inspired him to go this route? Was it worth ditching the freelance game? And what would he do differently if he had the chance? In this episode, we discuss the lifestyle behind the lifestyle. How the type of work you choose will define the mindset you acquire and the sacrifices you make.

BN 078: What It's Like To Build a Startup while Nomading

How do you approach money?   It's a simple yet essential question of our non-standard, nomadic lifestyle. And in this episode, we look for the answer -- covering topics like minimalism, material ownership, and ego.   One more quick shoutout to our friends at Bluehost web services for (a) supporting the pod, (b) hosting our BecomeNomad blog, & (c) giving our listeners a neat discount. Thanks!

BN 077: The Nomadic Philosophy of Personal Finance

In this episode, we're chatting with Dean Kucho, the creator of one of the most active DN Facebook groups we've seen: Digital Nomads Israel. He'll share some wisdom about building online communities and improving your social life while traveling in-person. Also want to give a shoutout to our friends at Bluehost web hosting services. It's what we use for our blog and it's what we recommend for yours - BecomeNomad listeners get a discount of $2.95/mo through that link^!

BN 076: Building Tribes & Communities - A Conversation with Dean Kucho

 Let's examine the term "Digital Nomad" - the flaws it carries and the confusion it may have actually brought about. And then, let's see why a new term might actually bring us closer to what this lifestyle is really all about. Plus: Today's pod is sponsored by the mail gurus at Earth Class Mail. Check out their service here: earthclassmail.com 

BN075: Introducing "Meta Nomad" - A More Fitting Name for Digital Nomads

BecomeNomad is a podcast explaining the nomadic lifestyle. Whether you are a digital nomad on the road, or thinking about changing your current life to becoming a nomad, we aim to supply you with insights and resources to make you a better and more balanced long term traveler and nomad.