This post marks a momentous achievement for me. It is something I would never have thought I would achieve when I was still living in England. As I sit here on a ferry from Argentina to Uruguay, I have been reflecting on the last 15 or so years of my life.
The Early Days
In my final year of university, everything could be handed in online. Being me, I found a developer job in Belgium and submitted all my work remotely. Ultimately, the job was a bit of a disaster, but it gave me confidence.
After that, I found myself in Chiang Mai. I was inspired by meeting people working remotely, long before the digital nomad label became mainstream. I distinctly remember sitting in a £1.50 a night hostel, figuring out how to live there and work online. With no real work experience, it was a tall order to convince anyone to pay me to live on the other side of the world to build websites. It felt like a pipe dream, but the seed was planted.
Back in Oxfordshire, I found a developer role where the owners were incredibly supportive. I started working from home regularly, and before I knew it, I was having a serious discussion about working remotely from Thailand.
Suddenly, a 22-year-old version of me was working online from Thailand. I was not earning much, but I had a job I enjoyed in a city I loved. I was in the position I had only dreamed of a year prior. I am so grateful for that opportunity and without meeting the right people back in the UK, it would never have happened.
As the years went on, I travelled to so many new places. I hopped from one co-working space to another, meeting like-minded people. In the early days, there were not many spaces, but most destinations had at least one. I would spend a month or two in one spot, then move on, working my regular hours before exploring all weekend.
The Realisation
It was during those early days that I realised I never wanted a normal life. My whole existence fits into a single carry-on suitcase. I have never owned many things, so this never felt like a restriction.
There is a Buddhist principle about detachment from possessions: "This is not mine, this is not I, this is not my self." While I am not religious, I feel like that's how I choose to live. I have no psychological ownership of anything. I have a laptop, camera, and phone, but these are just tools. I have no burden of ownership. Nothing.
I have now spent 13 years on the road, living a transient life, and I am so grateful for every moment. It has not been easy, and it has been very tough at times, but I would not change it for the world. I could have got a comfortable job in London, worked my way up the ladder, bought a house, and had a traditional life, but I wanted something different. I wanted to experience how other people live. I wanted to live my life now before I got old and comfortable.
What's Next?
This ferry to Uruguay is special because I am about to enter country number 100.
This was always my long term dream. I am not rich, so I know I will never visit every country, nor do I have the energy for it. But I figured that 100 countries is a good milestone for seeing a significant portion of the world.
In recent years, I have shifted my travels towards niche, interesting, or lesser-known places, such as Chernobyl, Syria, North Korea, and Transnistria. Places outside of what people consider normal travel destinations. It is travelling to places like these where I have met the most interesting people and received the warmest welcomes.
Going forward, I think I will travel less and focus on experience-based trips. I have a dream to visit the North Pole, Easter Island, the Falklands, Timbuktu, and many other destinations.
Recently, I'e been thinking about my future and what it holds. I am finally warming to the idea of a permanent home base. While I have loved my travels, 13 years of living out of a suitcase is starting to feel like a a burden. Suddenly, the idea of having a base and travelling for only two or three months a year seems like a much more enjoyable experience.
I am immensely grateful for everybody I have met on my journey because it's shaped who I am today. I hope that one day I can give back, contribute and help the next generation on their journey. Perhaps it is opening a co-working space, mentoring people, teaching to code or just giving people advice.
For now, I will continue to travel until something just feels right. Maybe it is next year, maybe it is in the next decade. Who knows.