I finally stopped lying to myself.
I’m not writing this as someone who’s been living out of a backpack for years. I’m writing this while I’m still surrounded by boxes, to-do lists, and open tabs about visas. I’m mid-jump, not looking back from the other side.
For five years, I told everyone I was “going nomad.”
I talked a big game, daydreamed, mapped out imaginary routes, sent links to friends… and then stayed exactly where I was. No flights. No moves. Just vibes.Nothing changed because I never did the first thing that actually counts.
I didn’t commit.
This year that shifted. The flight is booked.
Kuala Lumpur is officially my first stop, and this time it’s not a Pinterest board – it’s on my calendar.
I realised I didn’t need the perfect plan. I just needed something real I could follow on the days when the dream felt too big, too far away, or way too admin-heavy. A roadmap that worked even when I didn’t feel brave.
So this is it.
The actual framework I used to go from “one day I’ll be a digital nomad” to “I have a departure date and a one-way ticket.”
Nothing glossy. Nothing theoretical.
Just the messy, practical steps I’m taking behind the scenes to finally make “work from anywhere” my actual life.
1. Making sure my job really lets me work from anywhere
This is the bit I dodged for far too long: checking whether my “remote” job was actually remote enough for moving countries.
Because spoiler: some “remote” jobs still want you silently glued to one time zone or one country.
So I went through everything like a lawyer with trust issues:
Country rules – Are there places I’m not allowed to work from because of tax, payroll, or compliance?
Time zones – If I go to Asia, am I signing myself up for 2 a.m. calls?
Meetings – Is my week full of live calls or can I actually protect deep work time?
Async culture – Do people expect instant replies or are delayed responses normal?
This snapped me out of fantasy mode.
It also stopped me from waking up one day in Malaysia with perfect weather and a very angry HR department.
If you’re still job-hunting, I used FlexJobs to find companies that hire across multiple countries and actually support distributed teams:
Once I knew my current role could support this lifestyle, everything else stopped feeling like a wild gamble and started feeling like a logical extension of my work.
2. Understanding who hires people like me - and for how much
I’ve got 10+ years in marketing, but I still wanted to know how that plays in a global market, not just my home city.
So I zoomed out and checked:
which companies hire across countries
salaries for remote-first roles
which skills are growing in demand
how my experience carries across markets
which industries are expanding versus shrinking
I didn’t do this to freak myself out. I did it so I’m not blindsided later.
Seeing actual job listings that matched my skills – at decent pay – gave me calm I didn’t know I needed.
Suddenly this wasn’t “throw everything in a backpack and hope for the best.” It was a planned move with a safety net.
3. Picking 3-5 “Starter Countries” (not my forever home)
Trying to choose the perfect place kept me stuck for years.
So I changed the question. Instead of “Where should I live forever?” I asked, “Where feels like a good first experiment?”
My shortlist came from a very honest wish list:
warm climate
mix of nature and city
affordable cost of living
safety
coworking options
nomad + expat communities
decent infrastructure
Kuala Lumpur rose to the top.
It’s green, modern, easy to get around, full of unbelievable food, generally safe, reasonably priced, and friendly on visas.
Once I had 3-5 realistic options, the dream stopped feeling abstract. I could plan around real places, not vague fantasies.
4. Getting real about the hours I actually want to work
This question changed more for me than any productivity book:
What hours do I genuinely want my day to revolve around?
I sat with questions like:
Do I want slow mornings or slow evenings?
Can I live with late-night calls without turning into a gremlin?
Which time zones match both my job and my energy levels?
Do I work better in bright daylight or at night?
This is part of why KL made sense as a first base:
My evenings line up well with Europe.
I get mornings and afternoons free to explore, eat, wander, nap, whatever.
I’m not sacrificing sleep for 3am meetings.
Time zones don’t just affect your calendar.
They shape your whole lifestyle.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Get The Latest News On Digital Nomad Lifestyle, Remote Working Communities
And Much More.
100% spam free. We never share your email address. Unsubscribe anytime!
5. Designing my ideal day (because lifestyle won’t build itself)
This is where things stopped being “someday” and started feeling like “soon.”
I wrote out my ideal day in detail – not as a fantasy, but as a template:
where I work
when I train
what I do outside work
how I want to eat
how much social time I want
whether I want nature, culture, beaches, or cafés nearby
This wasn’t a vision board exercise.
It was me figuring out what actually helps my brain function, my mood stay decent, and my work stay solid.
It also gave me a filter for destinations.
If a place looked gorgeous on Instagram but didn’t support the life I want day-to-day, it went off the list.
6. Learning how long I can legally stay
Nothing kills the vibe faster than immigration panic.
So I did the boring-but-essential research:
how long I can stay visa-free
whether extensions are possible
whether digital nomad visas are an option
how strict each country is with enforcement
whether border runs are tolerated or hated
Once I knew my legal “runway” for each place, my brain relaxed.
I could plan actual months instead of loose ideas.
For Kuala Lumpur, being able to stay 90 days with an option to extend gives me enough time to arrive, settle, and not feel like I’m sprinting out as soon as I’ve learned how to order coffee.
7. Clearing or pausing the stuff that keeps me glued to one place
This is where everything started to feel real. And honestly? Invigorated.
Here’s what I’ve been working through:
ending rental agreements
moving my things into storage
selling anything I don’t want to drag into my next chapter
cancelling random subscriptions I forgot existed
sorting online banking and international insurance
organising mail and boring admin
decluttering my digital life and my physical one
Each time I closed one tiny loop, I felt lighter.
You don’t realise how noisy your life is until you start turning things off.
8. Choosing accommodation that actually supports work
A cute apartment means nothing if the WiFi drops every time someone breathes.
So I made myself a list of non-negotiables:
reliable WiFi (with a speed test screenshot, always)
an actual workspace – at least a table and a decent chair
quiet enough surroundings to take calls
gym access or walkable options for movement
strong reviews from people who stayed more than three nights
My go-to platforms:
Airbnb
Booking.com
Doing this research upfront means I’m not landing in KL and praying the WiFi works while my laptop updates and my boss waits on Zoom.
9. Scoping out coworking spaces (because I need people)
I use coworking spaces as a security hack to secure reliable Wi-Fi and a dedicated workspace – my ‘just incase’ plan B.
So coworking isn’t a “maybe” for me. It’s built into the plan.
Here’s what I check in each city:
prices for day passes and monthly memberships
the general vibe – quiet, social, event-heavy, mixed
meeting room access
commute time from where I’m staying
opening hours (early, late, weekends)
My favourite tools so far – deskhop and Coworker.com
Just knowing where I’ll work in week one makes a new city feel ten times less overwhelming.
10. Building my “Office in a Backpack”
This part has been unexpectedly fun – like packing for school but with fewer textbooks and more chargers.
Here’s what’s going into my portable office:
lightweight laptop
noise-cancelling headphones
foldable laptop stand
wireless mouse and keyboard
universal adapter
travel router
portable SSD
cable organisers
a comfortable, anti-theft backpack
I compare everything on Amazon before I buy.
Once this kit is locked in, I know I can sit down in a café, coworking space, airport lounge, or random cabin in the jungle and still do a proper day of work.
Where I Am right now – and what’s next
Kuala Lumpur is officially my launch point.
The ticket is booked. The logistics are lining up. The life I’ve been talking about for half a decade is finally stepping out of the group chat and into real life.
After years of saying “I want this,” I’m finally doing it.
Not flawlessly. Not without nerves.
But with intention – one decision at a time, following the roadmap I wrote for myself.
If you’ve been saying “one day” on repeat, I hope this gives you something better than vague motivation: an actual starting point that feels honest, human, and doable.
Because here’s the simple part no one wants to hear:
The dream starts to exist the second you stop waiting to feel brave and start building a plan.
Let’s go!
If you want to become a digital nomad or find your crew, sign up for our free newsletter and get upcoming articles straight to your inbox!
We’ve got some great content on our Instagram and on our Facebook Group too where you can network with other nomads from all over the world.
Your Travel Resources Handy In One Place 🗺️
🧳 Travel Insurance
Enjoy peace of mind during traveling and don’t leave your country without good travel insurance. We recommend Insured Nomads or Genki for international travel insurance.
💰Travel Finances
Get your travel finances smart and straight with Wise or Revolut.
🏨 Accommodations
For a short stay check out Booking or Agoda. Staying longer? Take a look at the offers at Airbnb. Hostels are the cheapest option that you can explore at Hostelworld.
🏡 Recommended places for long-term stay
Wanna know the accommodations where we lived during our digital nomad journey? Check out the places we enjoyed the most!
🎫 Book tours
Are you up for taking part in epic guided tours? Book ones you like using GetYourGuide or Viator.
🚗 Rent a car
To find great rental car deals check out Rental Cars and get ready for your car trip!
✈️ Book a flight
For the hottest deals check out Skyscanner, Kayak, Google Flights or WayAway.
🛡️ VPN
To stay safely connected while traveling, don’t forget about a good VPN. We recommend Surfshark or NordVPN.
Other Articles
2 Comments
Comments are closed.
[…] From “I Wish” to Boarding the Plane: The Real Framework I’m Using to Finally Start My Digit… […]
[…] From “I Wish” to Boarding the Plane: The Real Framework I’m Using to Finally Start My Digit… […]