Anyone who wants to lay on a beautiful beach, but also to feast upon historic gems on their days off sun-worshipping, should have their sights set firmly on Malta. Come to the capital of Valletta and be at the centre of the action in this stunning antique city; a very fitting place to stay is … Continue reading Review: Palazzo Consiglia Boutique Luxury In Valletta, Malta
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Following the utter devastation across the Caribbean, CNN has shared Billionaire Richard Branson’s footage of the damage to his home in the British Virgin Islands, which took a direct hit from Hurricane Irma. You can see the full video here on CNN.com. Above is a picture of what his home on Necker Island looked like … Continue reading Billionaire Richard Branson Reveals Devastation On His Private Island
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Malta can sometimes be overlooked by the luxury traveller but make no mistake, it’s a stunningly beautiful island with a rich and fascinating historic past, some lovely beaches and a laid-back vibe. It’s just about knowing where to stay, which of course, we can help with; check out the recently opened Saint John Boutique Hotel … Continue reading Review: The Saint John Boutique Hotel, Valletta, Malta
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We have put together a list of the best country retreats in Wales, places to enjoy the beauty of the Welsh countryside, including the Snowdonia National Park, the rugged Welsh coastline and Medieval castles. All our choices enable you to enjoy this glorious green and mountainous landscape from a warm and luxurious base. Our first … Continue reading Best Country Retreats In Wales
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I’m No Longer A Digital Nomad
Last week I spent all day packing up a small U-haul trailer with my belongings, preparing to move to Los Angeles, California. It felt a bit surreal after 7 years living as a digital nomad.
A bed. A couch. A TV. A desk. Cat toys. A cat (no, he’s not going in the U-haul). Pulling it all behind a new Jeep. I haven’t owned this much stuff in years!
What the hell happened? When did I stop being a full-time vagabond, traveling the world while living out of a backpack?
Well, it’s a long story. And it’s about time I shared it with you.
2010: My First Backpacking Trip in Mexico
So if you’ve been following my journey for a while, you’ll know that back in 2010 I decided to save some money, quit my job, sold most of my belongings, and started backpacking around the world, blogging about it as I went.
It was a super scary decision at the time, and I had no idea what the future would bring. My guess was that I’d travel for a year, run out of money, then move back to the US and get a “real” job again.
What actually happened? I managed to build a successful business from my travel blog, and continued to travel almost non-stop for the next 7 years.
Working as a digital nomad from my computer anywhere there was a wifi connection. It was a relatively new kind of lifestyle at the time, and everyone thought I was crazy for attempting it.
During those 7 years without a home, I visited over 50 countries. I lived for months at a time in places like Thailand, Mexico, Turkey, Spain, Nicaragua, and South Africa.
Everything I owned fit into a pair of backpacks — I was completely nomadic. Working for myself. An expert vagabond (hence the name).
I was living the digital nomad dream!
But then my dreams began to change. As they often do over time.
The Downsides of Nomadic Living
I started noticing a change after about 5 years into my fully nomadic lifestyle. Constantly moving from place to place came with it’s own set of problems that became increasingly annoying as the years went by.
Traveling around the world and making money online sounds incredible, I know. And it is in many ways! I’m not complaining. This lifestyle has been very good to me.
However there are also downsides to being a digital nomad.
Many digital nomads hang out in a country or city for a few weeks before moving on to the next. But you can’t earn money if you’re not working, so now you’re trying to cram work & vacation into a short period of time.
Just when you get into a comfortable routine, it’s time to move and start all over again. Packing up, navigating your way around a new city, a new culture, and all the challenges that go along with those things. It gets tiring!
Yes, you get to meet all kinds of cool people around the world when you’re constantly traveling. But because everyone is always coming or going, it’s tough to form a meaningful connection with anyone.
I missed having a regular group of friends to hang out with. I missed being so far away from family. And unless you plan to date fellow digital nomads, relationships are complicated when only one of you can travel freely.
Well, I should say less productive than it could be. Sure I managed to build a business while traveling, but it wasn’t easy, and I think I could have grown faster if I worked from a home-base instead of hostels & coffee shops.
Trying to juggle a normal work routine when you’re also trying to figure out where to sleep next week just isn’t ideal. Often, I never wrote much about the places I was living because I was too busy catching up with work after months of traveling.
Basically, there is no perfect way to live. By becoming a digital nomad, you simply trade one set of problems for a completely different kind.
Maybe, like me, you won’t be bothered by these things for a few years — it was still far more exciting than my previous life in the rat race! But eventually the problems amplify over time… and you’ll have a choice to make.
View of Los Angeles, California
As the negatives piled up, I began renting apartments for 3 months at a time. Eventually I signed a year-long lease in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. I was slowing down, taking trips that lasted 1-3 weeks, and enjoying them more.
It was nice having a base, a place to call “home” for a while.
However as much as I loved living in Mexico, I soon felt an urge to return to the United States. To spend more time with family & friends. To pursue more lucrative business opportunities there.
And, to participate more fully in my own country’s democratic process, no longer content watching from the sidelines as the United States seemed to spiral into a depressing (dangerous?) abyss of ignorance & hate.
But where to go? Moving from Mexico with my girlfriend Anna, we decided to try Boulder, Colorado for the summer. We’ve been living there with our new cat Poofy (yes, he’s on Instagram!) for the past 5 months.
Boulder was pretty, but not exactly what we were looking for. It was kinda small, very homogeneous, and full of families & students. With our unconventional lifestyles, we felt a bit out of place there.
So now we’re off to California to give Los Angeles a try.
Marriage: Our Next Adventure!
Surprise! It’s been a busy year. I first met Anna in 2015 at a travel blogging conference called TBEX in Florida, where travel personalities and companies come together to network.
She’s in the same line of work as I am, running a popular travel/fashion blog and Instagram account.
We hit it off right away, with a common love of travel, cats, and working online. The city girl and the adventure guy, both taking risks & working hard to pursue our dreams.
Anna is a remarkable woman. Originally from Poland, she’s been traveling the world for longer than I have. She holds degrees in International Law, Journalism, and Fashion Marketing from multiple universities (including Harvard). She’s fluent in 5 languages, and has lived in places like Mexico City, Cape Town, London, Miami, and LA.
Soon after we met in Florida, Anna came down to Mexico, where we began dating. Eventually we moved in together, using Mexico as a base to travel from. It was one of the happiest periods of my life, and I fell in love.
After a year and a half of dating, living, working, and traveling together, I proposed early one morning at a remote mountain cabin in Colorado. We eloped in Las Vegas a few weeks later at the famous Graceland Chapel!
It was spontaneous, non-traditional, and fun, just like our lives up to this point.
Hiking in Afghanistan
Yes and no. Yes, I’m giving up on the pipe-dream of constantly moving from place to place, living out of a bag for the rest of my life. What initially sounded romantic, adventurous, and free has become a burden over time.
My goal for this wild experiment has always been to experience as much of our large & diverse world as possible NOW, while I’m relatively young. Not stuck behind a desk working to make someone else rich.
Sharing my travel experiences to help and inspire others, while earning a living on my own terms.
The freedom to do as I please. No approval needed. No bosses to report to. Following my passion and making a living through adventure travel & photography.
Well, I’ve achieved these goals. I am completely location independent. I work for myself, setting my own hours, traveling when and where I want to. I’ve also been fortunate to make a great living doing what I love.
Am I just getting older and feeling a need to slow down? I’m 36 now. Have I simply become financially independent enough that I’m no longer forced to live in cheap backpacker destinations in order to get by?
I think these may have been factors in my decision too.
Chilling In Morocco
I wouldn’t trade the last 7 years of my life working as a traveling digital nomad for anything else. It’s been a wild ride, and the experience has taught me so much about myself and the world in general.
However I now realize that I prefer location independence over fully nomadic living. Because there’s a difference.
Location independence simply means you are free to choose where you live, not stuck living somewhere you hate because of a particular job. Being a digital nomad means you’re always traveling, with no real home.
We spent the summer in Colorado. We’re planning to spend 2018 in Los Angeles. Maybe after that, we’ll decide to move somewhere else. Italy? Spain? Iceland? Kansas?
With location independence, all our options are open!
The important part, is the freedom to choose my location, and the ability to update that choice at any time.
For those of you who are interested in becoming digital nomads, I don’t want to completely discourage you. The lifestyle does have plenty of benefits, and I’m not saying you shouldn’t give it a shot.
However after 7 years living as a homeless digital nomad, I personally no longer think it’s sustainable (or healthy) on a long-term basis.
I’m not the only one who thinks this way either — it seems to be a common choice for many after a few years on the road:
Life Is A Highway, And I Wanna Ride It
Honestly, not much is changing. I’m still planning to travel a ton, about 6 months every year. The only difference is now I have a wife, a home, and a cat to come back to once my trips are over!
Sometimes Anna & I will travel together, sometimes I’ll be on my own. I’ll continue sharing my wild travel adventures with you from around the world through blog posts, YouTube videos, and travel photography.
Having a home-base simply means I’ll be more productive, creating useful travel guides, sharing fun travel stories, and teaching tips & tricks I’ve learned after 7 years working as a professional travel blogger & photographer.
After moving to Los Angeles this week, Anna & I are researching the possibility of TV and media appearances while continuing to build our businesses here in the United States.
Having LAX airport as our travel hub will keep flight costs low, allowing us both to travel often. We have friends here, and more pass through all the time.
There is a wide variety of epic coastline, mountains, deserts, canyons, and forests within a day’s driving distance from the city if I want to get outside into nature for a while.
I know some of you may be disappointed in this change. Those who romanticize living on the road out of a backpack. It’s one of the reasons I’ve been putting off publishing this blog post for so long… I was scared.
Unfortunately there’s not much I can do about what other people think. I’ve lived as a vagabond for years, and don’t regret my choice, but my passion for constantly moving began to fade.
When you stop loving something, it’s time for a change.
I don’t spend my life trying to make everyone else happy with my choices, if I did that, I’d never be where I am now.
So onwards! To the next chapter of my life — I hope you’ll continue to follow along on my travel adventures, wherever they may lead. ★
Have any questions about the digital nomad lifestyle? Could you live this way? Drop me a message in the comments below!
If I told you I had just spent the last week on a self-catering escape and ‘Glamping’ (Glamorous Camping’) in the pretty countryside and woodland of Dorset in England, you’d probably envision a damp canvas tent, Calor gas cooker, tinned food and a shared shower block, but for anyone that knows me, they’d know I … Continue reading Luxury Self-Catering Escapes Amidst Nature In Dorset
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Small Luxury Hotels has just launched a new loyalty scheme called INVITED and in this article, we review the benefits of booking through slh.com. Small Luxury Hotels has over 520 luxury hotels in more than 80 countries. These tend to be unique boutique hotels. The premise of SLH INVITED is much like the LHW Leaders … Continue reading Review: Small Luxury Hotels Invited Loyalty Programme
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The Novotel Phuket Karon Beach Resort and Spa offers fabulous facilities and is perfectly placed to explore Phuket, the largest island in Thailand; located in Karon with its laid back, relaxed vibe you get the best of both worlds; a relaxing base but you’re near enough to the action too. Location The hotel is very … Continue reading Review: Novotel Phuket Karon Beach Resort and Spa
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This article outlines the hotels in Chicago which offer club or executive lounges to guests. By reviewing each of these club or executive lounges, in turn, I conclude which hotel has the best club lounge in Chicago. Why Choose A Chicago Hotel With A Club Lounge? When deciding which hotel to choose for your stay … Continue reading Best Executive Or Club Lounges In Chicago Hotels
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Helicopter Flight Over the Grand Canyon
The helicopter’s rotor fired up, whirring above our heads. Our pilot took the controls and we suddenly began to hover off the ground, rising into the sky above Las Vegas.
It was early in the morning, about 7am, just after sunrise at Henderson Executive Airport in Las Vegas.
Anna and I were flying out to the Grand Canyon with Maverick Helicopters after they’d picked us up from the Venetian Hotel.
I love helicopters. When I was a kid, I wanted to become a pilot (ok, I still do).
Scenic helicopter flights like this are one of the things I sometimes splurge on when I travel. Not only is it a super cool experience just flying in them, but the aerial photography opportunities are excellent too!
I was especially looking forward to flying over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter. After traveling the world for years, this was actually going to be my very first trip to the Grand Canyon!
The Las Vegas Strip
We’re Not Excited at All…
Impressive View of the Hoover Dam
The journey started as we flew above the Las Vegas strip in Maverick’s 8 person ECO Star EC-130 helicopter. It was fun looking down on the casinos and landmarks of Vegas from the aircraft’s large windows.
Iconic hotels like the the Venetian, the MGM Grand, and even the golden (and gaudy) Trump Tower.
Flying away from Vegas, we entered the desolate and beautiful Nevada desert. A vast dry mountain landscape stretching on for miles. We passed over Fortification Hill, an extinct volcano that was formed about 13 million years ago as the crust around Lake Mead stretched thin.
Next it was on to the impressive Hoover Dam, where we circled a few times to admire this marvel of engineering and labor built during the Great Depression that employed 21,000 workers.
A massive 60-story wall of concrete and steel, the Hoover Dam provides electricity to cities nearby using the power of the Colorado River. When it was built, it was the largest concrete structure in the world.
The Vast Nevada Desert
Lake Mead in the Distance
The Valley Of Fire
The Hoover Dam holds back the bright blue waters of Lake Mead, the largest fresh-water reservoir in the United States. It’s difficult to get a sense of just how large this lake is until you fly over it.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area provides many opportunities for boating, hiking, cycling, and camping within its boundaries.
Another landmark we passed on our helicopter journey to the Grand Canyon is the Valley Of Fire, a stunning & colorful valley in the Mojave Desert full of strange Aztec sandstone outcrops.
This magnificent red sandstone landscape was formed by great shifting sand dunes during the age of the dinosaurs more than 150 million years ago.
While flying over it was awesome, driving through the Valley Of Fire is a wonderful day trip or weekend getaway from Las Vegas if you want to get away from the city!
Flying Through the Grand Canyon!
Landing for Snacks & Photos
West Rim of the Grand Canyon
Finally, the West Rim of the Grand Canyon itself came into view. I knew it was going to be epic, and wasn’t disappointed.
The canyon was formed by the Colorado River cutting channels through layers of rock over millions of years, exposing colorful bands of rock that reveal a rich geological history of the Earth.
But we didn’t just fly over the Grand Canyon, oh no. We descended and flew THROUGH it, cruising past steep canyon walls on each side of the helicopter. So much fun!
Then, as if that wasn’t enough excitement, we landed inside the Grand Canyon itself. A special remote area of Hualapai Indian Territory, perched on a cliff 300 feet above the Colorado River.
Here we watched the morning sun crest over the walls of the canyon with champagne and snacks. Hiking around to admire the natural scenery and taking photos before taking off again for Las Vegas.
Maverick Helicopter Flights
This was the Wind Dancer Grand Canyon Tour from Las Vegas. It includes a Grand Canyon landing with champagne and snacks.
While there are many different time-slots, we choose the early morning one to avoid crowds and for the pleasant morning light, which is usually better for photography.
The Grand Canyon helicopter flights are popular, and the landing zone can accommodate multiple helicopters. Because we chose the first flight of the morning, we had the whole place to ourselves!
Maverick offers other types of helicopter flights too, like a shorter Las Vegas Strip Tour (available both during the day or at night) plus a HeliYoga Tour. ★
Hitchhiking Across The United States
My Helicopter Flight Over Manhattan
Road Tripping From Miami To Key West
Have any questions about my helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon? Have you ever been before? Drop me a message in the comments below!
This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.