Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost (1874 - 1963), The Road Not Taken

Home on the Road

If you've ever been smitten with a touch of wanderlust, hankered for the life of a vagabond, or yearned to just take off for nowhere in particular, you've come to the right place. We are in a unique time and place in history. Maybe you've considered closing your eyes, spinning your globe, then pointing to a random place. That's your destination. The Computer Nomad will explain how to leave home and fulfill the dreams you read about in Jack Kerouac's On the Road and John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley. For many, the movie Easy Rider spurs restless souls toward wanderlust.

I’ve never felt comfortable living anywhere except in a hotel room or a beach bungalow. I never take more possessions than I can fit into the luggage rack airlines use for checking the size of carry-on baggage. It helps that my favorite destinations in Southeast Asia and Central America have tropical climates. This bag, along with a daypack for my laptop computer, is all I need. I can live for months, wandering from place to place, from hotel to hotel, without a thought of homesickness. I always feel a sense of regret when I board that flight home. I’m still not a permanent nomad, but some day…

I know I am different. Many people have trouble sleeping in a new bed. I sleep my best in strange hotel rooms. If you are one who has trouble sleeping in a new bed, maybe this book is not for you. If you, like me, feel a sense of adventure pulling into a Motel 6, then read on.

When I explore a new country, I yearn for places other travelers avoid. I seek out towns where I am likely to encounter other travelers or expats. I tend to avoid major tourist attractions. If I went to Paris, I’d skip the Eiffel tower. Paris is low on my list anyway since I’ve heard the locals are rude to tourists who don’t speak French. There are plenty of other places to visit.

The earliest humans lived a nomadic lifestyle, hunting and gathering as they roamed the world. Some cultures continue a nomadic existence, such as the Bedouins who roam the deserts of the Middle East and the much-maligned gypsies of Eastern Europe. Governments have discouraged nomads because they find them hard to track and control. Fortunately, things are changing. It's getting harder for many nomadic people to practice their traditional lifestyle, but technology is coming to the rescue.

Live Anywhere in the World

If you know something about computers – or are willing to learn - and love to travel, start packing. Would-be vagabonds who want to travel extensively often think they can’t afford it. That’s not true. Computer users can make money anywhere in the world.

Telecommunications technology makes it possible. Imagine living in a tropical paradise, paying US$100 a month for a beautiful cottage overlooking a palm-studded beach of pristine white sand while you plug in your computer and haul in US$100 an hour in consulting fees. Half a day's work can support you for a month.

Technology now makes it possible to live and work anywhere in the world. If a tropical beach paradise is your fantasy, this can be one of the easier things to achieve. Some of the most beautiful places in the world fit the bill. They also happen to be some of the cheapest, especially if you are being paid in one of the world’s major currencies. Pay US$100 a month to rent a beautiful cottage overlooking a palm-studded beach of pristine white sand. Do your systems programming on a Bali Beach instead of a cubicle. A few countries with ample, beautiful and cheap tropical beaches include Costa Rica, Thailand, Indonesia, Belize, the Philippines and the Dominican Republic. They offer beaches where you can sit on your hut’s porch while local vendors offer baskets brimming with fresh tropical fruit or seafood. You can have the seafood cooked to order, at your place or theirs, or cook it yourself. A day's work at US$50/hour can support you for a month.

Take off. Toss your dog, your kids, and your boyfriend (if you must) into a plane, car, RV or sea-worthy sloop. You might even want to take along your mate.

Ten Unique Lifestyles for Computer Nomads

Only you can decide if the nomadic lifestyle is for you. Once you make that big decision, the possibilities are infinite. There are over 6000 spoken languages and over six billion people in the world. The CIA World Factbook lists over 200 countries. There are at least as many possibilities as there are people, but here are a few ideas:

Get fat and lazy on a Bali beach eating tropical fruit and seafood.

Live on a houseboat exploring the waterways of America or Europe.

Cruise the Caribbean on a 30-foot sloop.

Get a tip from John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley and see America in a recreational vehicle.

Get a backpack, take a tip from college kids, and wander the world on the cheap.

Pull a modern-day Easy Rider, vagabonding through the backroads on a motorcycle with a laptop in your saddlebag.

Experience the intrigue of intimate liaisons with exotic people of different color, customs and language.

Shop the endless variety of colorful and cheap bazaars of third-world countries for fun and profit.

Explore the wilderness, wildlife and natural wonders of the world before they disappear.

Embark on the ultimate spiritual quest, seeking out great religious monuments from Jerusalem to Angkor Wat.

The Top Ten Excuses for Not Going

Americans who yearn to see the world often think it is an impossible dream. They will cite family, friends, employment and school. All reasons to limit travel to business and a two-week vacation every year. The two-month vacations Germans get, along with a propensity to travel to exotic destinations, are reasons I meet many Germans in places like Honduras and Thailand, but relatively few Americans. Many don’t even make it to Mexico or Canada, considering Hawaii or California exotic enough. Get going. Don’t let any of these 10 biggest excuses keep you down:

I can’t afford it.

I’ve got a family.

It’s a dangerous world out there.

I don’t speak the language.

I’d ruin my career.

I’d be lonely.

My kids are in school.

I’ve got a mortgage.

What would I do with all my stuff?

I’d miss the Survivor Series.

Travel on the Cheap

You can’t afford it? Maybe, but probably not.

You don’t have to be a computer expert to finance your journeys. If you’re willing to travel on the cheap, and think you can make US$20 or more an hour, you can wander through places like Central America or Southeast Asia for a day for what you can make in an hour. You don’t even need a lot of money to get going. If you’ve lined up the work before you leave – and you should – then all you need is a US$500 one-way ticket to your destination. Just make sure you are disciplined enough to work alone, and you’re on your way to freedom. Nor do you have to be a youthful backpacker to travel cheaply. I have met near-retirement age “backpackers” funding their world travels on social security disability checks. The government says they can’t work, but they sure can travel.

Despite the impression you get that most dollars come from high-rolling tourists staying in upscale hotels on guided tours, the truth is most countries get more tourist dollars from budget backpackers. The reason? They stay a lot longer. They are the true travelers, spending months or years rather than days or weeks. They stay in inexpensive accommodation. They eat what the locals eat, and can spend as little as US$1 per day on food. How do you save so much money on food? You avoid air-conditioned restaurants, or even indoor establishments. The cheapest and often tastiest, and certainly the most authentic, are the countless open-air food stalls throughout most of the world. You don't have to make much money with your computer to fund this kind of lifestyle.

Even a rookie computer operator can find work easily through temporary agencies like Kelley or Volt. Every major city in the U.S. has these agencies. You drop in, take a test, and typically find work in a few days. Roam the U.S. from city to city. If you’re really tight on money, and have no car, take Greyhound or Amtrak. Better still, go the Easy Rider route and motorcycle your way across America. People have been known to bicycle or even walk across this great country.

You may just be interested in staying in the United States, moving from city to city and picking up work through temporary employment agencies. This is an easy to break into the nomadic lifestyle. You don't even need to have your own computer to start off on this lifestyle, but you will need solid computer skills to quickly gain assignments from temporary employment agencies.

Perhaps the biggest problem is finding a good temporary place to stay without spending a fortune. Large cities have apartment hotel suites that can be had for less than US$1000 per month. Las Vegas, a city with a huge population of transients, has a big selection of weekly apartment rentals at reasonable rates. Most other cities will offer much less to choose from. If you want cooking facilities some motels offer kitchenettes for weekly or monthly rates. If you don't need cooking facilities your choices will include motels and resident hotels, which are common in many downtown areas. With the guaranteed freedom of travel between states in the U.S., this is an easy way for prospective nomads to get started on the lifestyle.

Consider the tax advantages of permanent travel. If you don't establish a permanent residence anywhere, you don't have to pay taxes anywhere. While tax laws vary from country to country, American citizens residing abroad are required to file income tax returns but the first US$77,000 is generally tax exempt. There are numerous rules to qualify for the exemption. If you establish a residence somewhere overseas you should qualify for the exemption. An employer in the U.S. can even pay you as long as you have a bank account overseas. Many countries will not tax expatriate income from overseas. You may be able to avoid taxes entirely. Always consult a tax professional to determine exactly how to qualify. Many major cities overseas will have accountants specializing in U.S. tax laws for expatriates.

Travel Safety

The world is NOT a dangerous place. There are a few dangerous places - like Afghanistan and the Bronx - but most places are safe, especially for travelers. Traveling the world is safer than commuting back and forth to work in America. The biggest danger you are likely to face is from non-violent petty thieves such as pickpockets or scam artists picking on naïve tourists. To frustrate pickpockets, always carry cash in your front pocket or in pouch hanging around you neck inside your shirt or blouse. Always carry no more than you need for a day of shopping or sightseeing. The risk of violent crime to travelers is negligible overseas. The United States has one of the highest violent crime rates in the world. You are much safer overseas. If you are afraid of terrorism you best stay in your house all the time, because the risk of death by a lightning bolt is much greater than death from a terrorist. It amazes me how Americans can be so misled by sensational media coverage of rare but sensational events.

In 1984, while reading a travel guide on Thailand on a subway in Berkeley, California a man approached me and warned me that the Communists where going to invade Thailand any day. I should have told him to go home and watch TV. Thailand is and has been one of the world's great travel destinations. I've been there over 20 times since then, and now I live there.

You Speak the International Language

You don’t speak the language? Hardly. The imagined difficulty of meeting and making friends with people speaking a foreign language can seem daunting and frightening to some, but it’s easier than back home. English speakers have a huge advantage for world travel, since English is the second language for millions of people. Many are eager to practice their English-speaking skills on native speakers. Nomadic families may need to learn how to teach their own children. Frequent school changing is not conducive to learning, but it may provide an education in adapting to new cultures.

English is the language of international business. If you spoke only Malay and visited Brazil imagine how you would struggle with Portuguese. There aren’t many Malay-Portuguese dictionaries out there. Educated people in much of the world also speak capable English. In tourist businesses like hotels and restaurants, from Panama to New Guinea, the staff will speak English. Locals have approached me on the street from Cuba to Cambodia. They are curious to learn about American culture and practice their English on a native speaker. Sometimes they invite me to join them for lunch or invite me to their home for dinner. Take advantage of this while you can. Travel alone, with a friend or lover, or the whole family. Use your computer to make friends, money and roam the world.

Become a White-Collar Vagabond

You’d ruin your career? Not necessarily.

The Internet can free you to work and travel anywhere in the world. Most types of white-collar work no longer require the physical presence of the employee — at least in theory. Internet technologies such as email, teleconferencing and on-line chat make it hard to think of reasons you need to have your body in an office. Filing comes to mind. Even legal documents don't have to be on paper anymore.

Today it’s not so much the physical requirement for being in the office, but the need for social interaction and for being able to touch tactile objects. That’s why most people still prefer to read a paper magazine or newspaper instead of pulling up the publication’s web page and reading it on the Internet. Creative people such as artists will tell you the computer is still no substitute for paper, paint and brush. Book publishers still need the physical presence of people to print and distribute their paper products (at least until ebooks really catch on), but writers and editors can often be anywhere in the world.

We are still in a transition phase, where only a relatively small percentage of the world’s population is on-line. Even in the most advanced countries, many people still won't have anything to do with the Internet. Communications are still developing, but it’s possible to have access to a phone anywhere on the surface of the planet. You can log onto the Internet from just about anywhere on the globe. Within a few years things will get smaller and cheaper. Even cheap hotels and guest houses can get you online in seconds. A few years ago you had to deal with myriad types of telephone cable plugs and even different dial tones that made getting on-line a nightmare. Nowadays even many US$5 a day places have computers in the lobby or even Wi-Fi in your room.

If you manage your telecommutes properly, you can keep your career and at least become a semi-nomadic computer nomad.

Travel Alone and Never Be Lonely

You don’t have anyone to travel with? Then you are most fortunate.

I have traveled with family, with friends and alone. My preference, by far, is alone. It’s a lot easier to make friends and acquaintances when traveling. It is especially true when traveling overseas. Despite what you hear from the United States media, Americans are more than welcome in most of the world. They even find us culturally interesting (probably a sense of morbid curiosity). We are easy to recognize, though we can be confused for Australians, English or Canadians. If traveling alone to Turkmenistan is a bit adventurous, choose a place like Costa Rica or Hong Kong where there are plenty of foreigners. Bars where expatriates and travelers hang out are great places to meet other travelers.

If you still feel squeamish about taking off by yourself, make friends at your destination before you leave. That’s why you have the Internet. There are scads of correspondence clubs, social networking, dating services, chat rooms, forums, message boards - the resources are endless. You can meet people from Ecuador to Iceland. Your new friend can meet you at the airport if you want.

Take the Kids

Kids still in school? Pull them out and give them home schooling. Or just take off for the summer - and continue to make money while on the road.

Few families take to the road for more than a vacation. An important reason often cited is school for the kids. Besides the obvious opportunity for extensive travel during the summer vacation, there is an option for unlimited travel: home schooling. With the problems many public schools are having, more and more parents are opting for home schooling. Estimates indicate that as many as two million students are being taught at home in the United States. Studies indicate that students with a home schooling background perform better on college placement exams than students from traditional classrooms. If you plan to spend some time at a destination in a major city overseas, most will have English language schools catering to the children of expatriates. Traveling with children can be a rewarding and educational experience for both parent and child, offering a perspective on the world few, if any, will ever have.

Leave Your House Behind

Sell or rent that house. Unless you can rent it at least the cost of your mortgage payment, get rid of it. Try a house exchange program with tourists from the country you plan to visit. Most Americans are homebound people. The “American dream” is home ownership. Culturally we are, for some odd reason, tired down to that building. Free yourself of your house-bound shackles and use it to fund your travels.

If you feel you must keep a house, try one that moves.

The recreational vehicle (RV) business is thriving in the United States. I don't know why they call them that, since what they are actually mobile homes. Many retired people are selling their houses, buying a Winnebago, and hitting the road — permanently. Used RVs can be incredibly cheap. Functioning vehicles can be had for as little as US$2,000. If you are handy at mechanical things this can be a cheap way to see America.

If life on the road isn’t your style, try cruising the world on a sailboat. Another fantasy lifestyle for many smitten with wanderlust is to sail the world, or at least go island hoping in the South Pacific or Caribbean. If this is your dream, make sure you know what you're doing before you plunk down a couple hundred thousand dollars and head out into the open sea. If you think a yacht costs too much, a 30-foot seaworthy sloop can be had for under US$20,000. The most difficult part of making money with a computer at sea is the cost of getting online. If all you need is email, you’re OK. Internet browsing, however, could be too pricey or you could wait until you’re in port. Phone calls at sea can encounter some serious roaming charges. Some companies specialize in providing cell phone service for boaters. There are satellite services for sailors cruising the blue seas.

Sell or Store Your Stuff

Get rid of all that stuff. You sure don’t need a car, unless you’re into some serious overland adventuring. One guy drove his Mercedes from Vladivostok, on the East Coast of Russia, to Amsterdam. Outback adventurers may need to rent a Land Rover. Most of us have no need for a car if we’re traveling outside the U.S. or maybe Canada. Sell as much stuff you can part with. For keepsakes you can’t, leave them with a friend or rent some storage space. Part of the joy of vagabonding is living on the fly, with your most prized possession being a travel guide and the freedom to go anywhere anytime. I pride myself on being able to pack my bag within 10 minutes.

Live the Survivor Series

If you’re addicted to this TV show maybe you’re more than just an armchair adventurer. Put yourself ahead of the “quiet desperation” of most men and women Thoreau wrote about. At least get off the couch and try the new lifestyle. Maybe you’ve already tried it without thinking about. Maybe you’re accustomed to working on your computer from hotels. All you have to do is convince the boss that you can work from the hotel of your choosing, not hers. Get out and go.

Become a Computer Nomad without a Computer

Your tool for this venture into a nomadic lifestyle is simple: a laptop computer. Don’t think you need to lug around more than a five pound computer. Actually, you can get by without a computer. There are thousands of cybercafes around the world, from tiny provincial capitals to busy cities. The famous backpacker hangout in Bangkok, Khao San Road, has numerous cybercafes with countless cheap and plentiful computers with Internet connections. I’ve used cybercafes worldwide from Phnom Penh to Rio de Janeiro with good results. A portable printer is not necessary since you’ll be sending your work over the Internet. Many third-world countries have poor telephone systems, but cell phones are ubiquitous even in poor, remote parts of the world.

Become a Permanent Traveler

Imagine the thrill of becoming a permanent traveler, without ties to a home, a nation or a routine. Often referred to as a “PT” – a permanent tourists, previous taxpayer, perfectly together – or whatever. A PT arranges her paperwork and lifestyle so that she resides either nowhere or in a country deemed advantageous to her tax situation or style of vagabonding. If you are one of those freedom-loving individuals who loathe ever-sprawling big government, the constant infringement on personal life, feel current levels of taxation to be repressive, then maybe the life of a permanent traveler is for you.

Hopefully you will learn how to use a computer and the Internet to achieve the ultimate personal freedom.

What is the best time in the world to travel? Many will advise you that the only time to go is when you are young, typically right out of college. The truth is you can go anywhere, anytime, even with a minimum of cash. You can take a sabbatical from that career now. Rent that house and crank up that computer, then hit the road. Don’t wait for retirement. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re too old, too successful or have too many kids. Don’t be afraid to tell the boss you want to telecommute part-time from a sleazy oil boom town in Ecuador for the next year or two.

Still not convinced? Try it out with a semi-nomadic lifestyle. If you’re a schoolteacher, spend the summer on the road and see if you can finance your travels with your computer. A professional? Use the techniques described later in this book to persuade your employer to take an extended sabbatical while you telecommute part time from Estonia or Morocco.

The Computer Nomad is written for men and women who love freedom and travel.