After spending 6 months interviewing digital nomads across 12 countries (from beach freelancers in Bali to remote techies in Portugal), I noticed patterns that nobody seems to talk about on Instagram.
Quick background: I’m an IT professional and a blogger who became fascinated with the “quit your job to travel” movement. I wanted to go beyond the surface-level advice and understand what it’s REALLY like. So I conducted in-depth interviews with 50 people who’ve been traveling full-time for 1-5 years.
Here’s what they wish someone had told them:
1. The first 3 months aren’t actually about travelling
Almost everyone spent their first quarter dealing with unexpected logistics: fixing visa issues, finding reliable WiFi setups, setting up international banking, and learning how to maintain client relationships across time zones. As one interviewee put it: “I thought I’d be exploring Rome. Instead, I spent two weeks in my Airbnb trying to figure out why my bank kept blocking transactions.”
2. You’ll miss the boring stuff the most
Not family events or holidays – those you can plan for. It’s the mundane things: your morning coffee shop routine, the local grocery store layout, casual meetups with friends. 92% of interviewees mentioned missing “normal life” moments they never thought would matter.
3. Decision fatigue is the hidden enemy
When everything is a choice – where to sleep, eat, work, explore – your mental energy gets drained fast. “Some days I miss having a boring Tuesday where all decisions are made by routine,” said a 3-year nomad. Many developed strict personal routines to combat this.
4. Income usually drops for the first year
Even with savings, 76% reported earning 30-50% less in their first year compared to their previous jobs. The good news? Those who stuck it out for 2+ years eventually matched or exceeded their previous income. But that first year is tough.
5. You become really good at 2-week friendships
The social dynamic is weird: you form intense friendships knowing they’ll end soon. Several interviewees described getting surprisingly good at “temporary intimacy” – deep connections with clear expiration dates.
6. Your relationship with “home” gets complicated
Interesting finding: after about 18 months, most people stop calling their origin country “home” but don’t fully feel at home anywhere else either. It creates a unique kind of emotional limbo that takes time to accept.
7. The “living like a local” dream rarely happens
Despite best intentions, most people admitted they mainly hang out with other nomads or expats. Those who successfully integrated into local communities said it took at least 3-4 months in one place – which goes against the typical “new country every month” approach.
The Surprising Upside Nobody Mentions:
While these challenges sound heavy, there was an unexpected common thread: 48 out of 50 interviewees said they developed a kind of “emotional resilience” they never knew they had. As one person put it: “When you’ve figured out how to rebuild your life in a new country every few months, regular life problems stop feeling so scary.”
Who Actually Succeeds Long-Term?
The people who made it past 2 years weren’t the ones with the biggest savings or best remote jobs. They were the ones who:
- Travelled slowly (3+ months per location)
- Maintained some form of routine
- Built location-independent income streams
- Stayed in regular contact with family/friends back home
- Weren’t trying to “find themselves” but rather expand themselves.
Edit: Since many are asking about methodology – interviews were conducted via Zoom, local nomad meetups, and co-working spaces between January-June. Ages ranged from 24-51, with the average being 31. Occupations included software developers, content creators, online teachers, freelancers, and small business owners.
What’s been your experience with long-term travel? Did any of these surprise you?
