Before you pull up stakes, sell everything, and hit the road you'd best be pretty darn sure this is the life for you. The problem is you won't really know until you've spent at least a month living out of a backpack or a suitcase. Of course, not all nomads have to stay on the move every week or two. Many will prefer to stay in a place several months, or even a couple years, but if you hang around anywhere that long I wouldn't call you a nomad.

There are many possible levels of nomadic lifestyle, from simply frequent travel to the life of an itinerant, permanent vagabond without house or home. Frequent business travelers may not think of themselves as nomads, but they are at least semi-nomadic. Many young people in or just out of college travel the world, living out of a backpack for months or even years before tiring or running out of money. Then they have to return to the real world.

One organization, Global Nomads International, is made up of people who have been raised overseas by expatriates living a mobile lifestyle. Both the culture of their parents and the cultures in which they lived have influenced them. They are the products of a unique multicultural experience. I don't know if nomad is the best word to describe them, but it demonstrates how broadly the word nomad can be interpreted.

Deciding Where to Go

This is the aspiring nomad's biggest decision. If you are really cut out for a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle doing the research to make this decision will be as much fun as the journey. Where to go is a question I am often asked, and it is really one that can only be answered by the traveler. I usually respond by asking, "What do you want to do while you are traveling?" If the person is interested in outdoor activities and observing wildlife in its natural state, I might try to narrow it down by asking if they prefer a tropical jungle, a desert or the mountains.

If they are interested in a tropical environment, several countries in Southeast Asia or Latin America come to mind. If they speak Spanish, then I'd mention countries like Costa Rica or Honduras in Central America. These countries can offer some of the most unspoiled rainforest, teeming with exotic creatures. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines can offer numerous opportunities for nature-tripping. Of course, there are many other countries worth considering in both regions.

Maybe the person is an amateur chef interested in exploring exotic cuisines and different foods. Two countries that come to mind immediately are Peru and Thailand. The markets of both countries are teeming with food products, from fat insects for Thai curries to the versatile and little-used grain quinoa in Peru, which can be substituted for rice in almost any disk. Here in Thailand I recently discovered a new (for me) grain, Job's Tears, similar to two of my favorites, barley and hominy. It's a bit like a large barley or small hominy grain.

Another person might simply want to sit on a tropical beach and read or write while spending as little money as possible. She also might want to make friends with the locals, but only speaks English. Knowing that most people in the Philippines and Belize speak English, where a simple hut on the beach can be had for a couple dollars a day, would be useful information.

The point is to think out just what you plan to do and how much money you want to spend before you begin to research the countries that interest you. The information sources listed at the end of this page can be useful in doing your research and planning your journeys.

Planning the New Lifestyle

Before embarking on the computer nomad lifestyle it’s a good idea to do considerable self-searching. While you don’t have to sell or store everything except your clothes and computer before you leave, you will need to do some research and planning. You may not be sure if the life of a nomad is for you. It’s simple enough to try out the lifestyle before you part completely. A month is a good time period to get a feel for whether you enjoy the lifestyle. If are already a self-employed consultant or programmer, you will need to explain to your clients your plans. This can also be a good way for them to get used to not seeing you in person or being in daily contact with you. If you are employed, you can discuss the prospect of long-term telecommuting with your employer. See if they are flexible and try to determine if that kind of work relationship is feasible.

There are many practicalities to be considered before departure. Two that strike immediate concern are staying in touch with friends and family and what do with all the stuff you leave behind. Do you sell your house or rent? You can use email, fax and telephone for contact from nearly anywhere, but how do you get mail and keep a permanent address when gallivanting around the world?

Once you've got a feel for the kind of nomadic lifestyle that best suits you, you're ready to start planning. I'd plan out a year in advance to begin with. You can always change your plans later. Sit down and sketch out a one-year itinerary, keeping in mind that you're going to need to make money for your clients back in your home country or find work where you're going. The safest method is to line up some clients or establish your business before departure. Make sure you've got enough money in the bank to get you by if you make less money than you expect. Get your clients used to working with you by telecommuting. Once you feel comfortable that you can make money this way, you're ready to go.

Since you won't want to pay rent on an apartment you're not living in, you'll want to move out if you plan any extensive living on the road. If you're not sure you are ready for life as a nomad, you can try subletting your apartment and the furniture for three to six months. The same can be done if you own a house. After the sublet period is up you can return home from Bolivia and move out of your apartment, sell your house, or perhaps rent it. Don't try to rent your house and entrust your tenant to mail the rent to you in Tobago. Hire a real estate management firm or entrust it to a close friend or relative.

How to Sell or Store Your Stuff

As far as your belongings go, you will have little need for most of it. Resist the temptation to hang on to your favorite cookware or stereo. You can store it temporarily in a friend's garage or at a storage space rental company for US$50 to US$100 per month, but once you've made up your mind that you're a nomad at heart, just get rid of it.

If you decide you can't part with your color TV or easy chair you can always "loan" it to someone or put it in storage for US$50 a month or so. I'd just get rid of it once I've committed to become a PT, take whatever cash I can get, and hit the road. You can liquidate things through an auction if your stuff is valuable enough. There are firms that specialize in buying entire estates. You can put it up at an Internet auction such as Ebay. A yard or garage sale can always dump some of your unwanted stuff. You can run classified ads in one of your local free shopping rags or in the newspaper. Many retail stores pay cash used clothing, furniture, CDs, videos and books.

What you don't sell you can donate to the Salvation Army or Goodwill and get a tax write-off.

What to Bring

Bring as little as possible. Telecommuters generally don't need suits or ties. Bring comfortable, functional clothing. Don't plan on buying a lot of clothes during your travels, and remember things like if you are a big person traveling in rural Malaysia you won't be finding clothes in your size. You'll have to have things tailor-made.

After all, the true computer nomad really just needs is her computer, cell phone, clothes, medicine and toiletries. If you're heading for the tropics — where 90% of the developing world is located — all you need are shorts, T-shirts, underwear, shades and shoes. Bring one pair of thongs or sandals. When I travel to the tropics I bring one pair of pants I wear on the flight. The rest are shorts and T-shirts. I don't even check any luggage. I fit everything into a regulation size carry on bag.

Anything else you bring along is non-essential. If you are traveling to places that are cold in the winter and hot in the summer, you will need another suitcase or backpack. Coats, jackets and sweaters take up a lot of space in luggage. I also bring a portable battery operated reading light (many hotels have 25-watt bulbs to save energy and are impossibly dark for reading). Books are heavy. Limit the number you bring to one or two essential travel guides and as few other titles as possible.

If I am going to the tropics I am able to fit everything into one carry-on size pack designed exactly for the bins airlines use to measure the maximum size. Many travel bags come with a detachable day-pack. It is just the right size for a laptop computer and fits nicely under an airline seat. Always hand-carry your computer when traveling. With the right luggage you can avoid having to check your bags thus speeding your way through customs. You'll avoid the risk and hassle of having your airlines send your bags to the wrong hemisphere. Companies that manufacture this type of versatile luggage include Eagle Creek and Timberland.

Of course, if you need coats and sweaters, or insist on lugging your golf clubs or diving equipment around, you will have to check your bags.

Going it Alone or With a Partner

Many people who would otherwise make the big decision to go on a long, extended trip hesitate because they don’t have a travel partner. They are afraid to travel alone. Not only is this a lousy reason to hesitate, it’s actually the best reason to take off now. Many travelers who take on a traveling companion because they are afraid to travel alone will end up traveling alone anyway. After they see what international travel is really like, they realize that their companion is more of a hindrance than help.

I much prefer to travel alone. I can do what I want, go where I want, when I want. I find it much easier to meet like-minded travelers on the road than back home.

English-speaking travelers have a way of gravitating towards each other. This is especially true in the most remote, out of the way destinations where you would be least likely to venture alone. Most towns of any significant size, with any travel attractions at all, have at least one bar or restaurant where expatriates and world travelers mingle. You will find that the people you meet are much more open to friendship than in your home town. If I were looking for a traveling companion, and was anything less than 100% sure about the person I knew back home, I'd choose to find one on the road.

If you do have a like-minded person you are considering as a traveling companion, be careful. No matter how close you are to a person, traveling together can bring out aspects of someone’s personality you have never encountered before. Just because you enjoy tennis together and both want to visit Greece and Turkey doesn’t mean you have the same traveling style. One of you may want to frequent nightclubs and chase women while the other likes museums and shopping. Living together in a home doesn't even mean you will be compatible long-term while on the road. Travel and life in a different culture can change a person. A man who has spent his life with one woman and goes to the Philippines or Russia and suddenly discovers he can pick and choose from hundreds of women half his age can have his outlook on marriage change in a hurry.

Before you commit to even a semi-nomadic lifestyle with someone, even if you are in love, I suggest you try a test run. Travel together for at least a week or two. Make sure you are travel-compatible before making the commitment to a new lifestyle.

Planning Your Finances

Maybe the most important aspect of your planning is money. You must make sure you have enough money to support yourself during your travels. How much you need can vary widely, from less than US$5 per day if you live like the locals in many third-world countries, to several hundred if you plan to say in world class hotels in Paris or London. If you are planning on living on the minimum, remember that it is likely that you will have to do without most or all of the amenities you take for granted at home. Since you will be using your computer to support yourself during your travels, it's important to line up an employer or clients before you leave on your trip. How to do this is discussed in detail elsewhere in this book.

Proceed with a reasonable degree of caution. Make sure you have a solid arrangement with your clients or employer, and get in writing what is expected of each other before your departure. Consider starting on a smaller scale, even telecommuting from home for a few weeks. It's not that different whether you telecommute from across the street or from Latvia as long as you avoid personal contact. Even if you have an agreement with your client or employer, and have tested the arrangement by telecommuting exclusively for several weeks, don't always count things to continue as before. Situations change. Always have at least enough money to get home on, no matter where in the world you are.

Staying in Touch

If you want to continue to communicate with home and get mail there are many mail forwarding services that cater to nomads. They will provide you with a permanent address, then hold your mail until they from you with instructions on where and how to send it. Even local mail box rental services will take care of this for you. I suggest using a local service if you will be spending several months at one location. For real nomads try one of the international mail-forwarding specialists listed below. When choosing a mail forwarder, make sure you understand their rates and that they don't charge two or three times what UPS or the U.S. Postal Service charges for shipping your mail.

Some forwarders offer a "toss the junk mail" to save you money on shipping. Some even set up an Internet account where you can see a list of your mail. Then you can decide what to throw away or forward to you in Iceland. Also, make sure you're going to be at the place when you expect your mail to arrive. When moving around frequently you may need to use an express method while overseas. The cheapest overseas express method from the States is Global Priority shipping from the U.S. Postal Service.