Nomadtopia Radio: Digital Nomad and Expat Lifestyle
206 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 38 ratingsNomadtopia Radio features interviews with people all over the world who have created their ideal lifestyle through location independence, long-term travel, living abroad, and more. Guests run the gamut from serial expats to slow travelers, digital nomads, location-independent entrepreneurs escaping winter, families traveling overland (and homeschooling!), solo backpackers and road-trippers... you name it. Their stories highlight all the different ways to explore the world, live and work on your own terms, and have the freedom and flexibility to create the lifestyle that matters to YOU.
Join us to learn about the ins and outs of daily life on the road and back at home; nitty-gritty details of living and working anywhere in the world, like banking, technology, what to do with your stuff, and having a home base (or not); getting started and making it happen; and much, much more.
This podcast is hosted by veteran traveler, expat, digital nomad, and location-independent online entrepreneur Amy Scott, founder of Nomadtopia.com, where you can access resources, community, and inspiration for creating and savoring the life your nomadic soul craves.
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Episodes
Marc Freccero: Nomadic DJ
December 09, 2015 11:00 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBDJ/music producer and entrepreneur Marc Freccero spent 10 months visiting 10 major cities in the U.S. and produced a song about each city that was his personal reflection of that city's ambience, culture, musical influence, and vibe. Not only that, he did the whole journey on a lean budget and while living out of his van. Stay tuned to the end to hear a clip from “GPS,” the bonus track Marc created once the trip was over.
Mollie Conway: Remote Working for Flexibility and Stability
December 02, 2015 11:00 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBMollie negotiated with her employer to work remotely so she could continue furthering her own professional development while also supporting her husband as he does the same (he's a pro baseball player and spends six months a year on the road). They keep a home base in Nashville, Tennessee, and Mollie has found that no matter the city, the team, or the time zone, being a digital nomad has enabled her to thrive professionally and personally.
Danny Flood: Building an Open World
November 25, 2015 11:00 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBDanny has been a nomad since 2011 and has been based in Thailand for almost a year. He enjoys finding ways to hack everything from sleep to email, and while he travels he writes books, records podcasts, creates video courses, and is launching a digital magazine to help people live the life of their dreams.
Shawn Tuttle: The Natural Professional
November 18, 2015 11:00 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBIn 2013, Shawn rented out her house, got rid of most of her stuff, and shifted to an online business model. Ever since, she has been wandering the world while running her coaching business. She’s passionate about the work she does, and she’s passionate about exploring new places, so she takes an intuitive approach to deciding when to move and when to stop.
Curtiss and Ashley: Blissy living, anywhere
November 11, 2015 11:00 - 53 minutes - 48.9 MBAfter spending nearly a year in Southeast Asia, Curtiss and Ashley’s Nomadtopia is emerging as a nice blend of his web design business, her savvy with Airbnb, and their combined forces living in exotic locations for a few months at a time. At the tail end of a two-month stay back in the States, they joined me to talk about how they make the lifestyle work for them.
Annette Gartland: Charting a way forward
November 04, 2015 11:00 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MBAnnette is a freelance journalist from Ireland who lived in France for many years and has been living a nomadic lifestyle since January 2013. She spends most of her time in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia, staying in small hotels and homestays, with friends, or cat-sitting. She writes mainly about environmental and human rights issues, as well as health and well-being.
Katherine Wright: Making her way
October 28, 2015 10:00 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MBAfter spending time in the Peace Corps in Africa, and living a “regular” life back home for several years, Katherine set off to travel and do more volunteering in Europe, then taught herself the tech skills that now allow her to work online and be location independent. When we spoke she was wrapping up another extended stay in Europe while working as a contractor for a U.S. company.
Brittany Caumette: Super-slow travel by campervan
October 21, 2015 10:00 - 56 minutes - 51.5 MBWhen Brittany met her husband, Bruno, in Mozambique several years ago, they quickly found a way to weave together their different travel backgrounds and experiences to create their own version of Nomadtopia: (very) slow overland travel in a homemade campervan. I caught up with Brittany while they were taking a break in France after extended travels in Africa and the Middle East.
Betsy and Warren: Married with luggage
October 14, 2015 10:00 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MBBetsy and Warren left the US in 2010 at the age of 40 after saving and downsizing for two years to make their dream come true. These days, when they aren’t traveling the world you can find them writing their next book in a small, whitewashed village in Spain.
Laura Viviana: Southeast Asia and Beyond
October 07, 2015 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.4 MBSince she quit her job on Wall Street a few years ago, Laura’s been splitting her time between New York and Southeast Asia, and is also starting to scope out a third location to use as a base.
Emily Lewis: First steps into Nomadtopia
September 30, 2015 10:00 - 1 hour - 62.6 MBWhen a friend invited Emily to travel with her in Paris for a month, Emily decided to take it to the next level. A location-independent lifestyle had been on Emily’s mind for years, and she took this invitation as a sign to finally take the plunge. She joined me from Paris where her nomadic adventure is off to a magnifique start.
On hiatus
July 01, 2015 10:00 - 2 minutes - 2.29 MBNomadtopia Radio is going on hiatus! Find out why, when we'll be back, and what you can do in the meantime to stay inspired and keep moving toward your Nomadtopia.
Dan and Danielle Greason: Getting off the merry-go-round
June 24, 2015 10:00 - 1 hour - 64.8 MBCity life with two young kids left Dan and Danielle wondering when they’d be able to slow down and catch their breath. Eventually, they took matters into their own hands and intentionally chose to slow down by selling everything and leaving Australia in 2011. They have been enjoying a relaxed, fulfilling lifestyle in Costa Rica ever since, and have their sights set on new horizons for the future.
James Guzman: Borderless living
June 17, 2015 10:00 - 1 hour - 62.6 MBAfter growing up a third-culture kid, serving in the U.S. Navy, and living and studying abroad in Spain, James is now based in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and encourages others to live a “borderless” life, especially through PT Theory and Flag Theory. Tune in to find out what it means to live a borderless life!
Gillian Duffy: In transition
June 10, 2015 10:00 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBGillian and her husband, Jason, have had a wide range of experiences since they first set off on a round-the-world trip in 2009. On their most recent adventure, their goal was to make enough money to continue to support their lifestyle, and after trying everything to make it work and not seeing the results they hoped for, they decided to head back to Canada, where Jason is looking for consulting positions. Gillian joined me to share the reality behind the lifestyle that not everybody is w...
Ellen Bard: Accidental nomad
June 03, 2015 10:00 - 1 hour - 70.7 MBAfter leaving her corporate job to take a break and travel, Ellen discovered the possibilities of living and working from anywhere, and gradually went about creating her ideal lifestyle. She now keeps a base in Thailand while she pursues personal projects and travels internationally as a freelance management consultant.
Fabian Dittrich: Running a nomad company
May 27, 2015 10:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBFabian longed to travel and have more work/life balance, so when his employer wouldn’t give him the scaled-back hours he asked for, he started his own company. He and his team are just wrapping up seven months on the road in South America, where they’ve been running the business and gathering stories about people reinventing work and education for their project Startup Diaries.
Lorna Li: Entrepreneur for a change
May 20, 2015 10:00 - 53 minutes - 48.6 MBA life-changing experience in 2004 in the Brazilian Amazon inspired Lorna to create more freedom in her life. After years of teaching herself everything she needed to know to support herself online, she finally took the plunge into location independence in 2012 and has been traveling ever since.
Dustin Main: Tech, travel, and a tiny house
May 13, 2015 10:00 - 1 hour - 64.6 MBDustin didn’t let having a local business stop him from realizing his travel dreams. He took off on a one-year round-the-world trip and is still traveling five years later. Now he runs several businesses from the road (including that local one back home) and, after many years of nearly non-stop travel, he is planning to build a tiny house that will be his home base in Canada.
Mish and Rob: Making it anywhere
May 06, 2015 10:00 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBWhat started out as a six-month career break for Mish and Rob turned into a lifestyle. They typically spend a few months in each place they visit so they can live like locals, exploring the city while running their copywriting business and a location-dependent real estate business back in the UK.
Maya Frost: 10 years abroad and counting
April 29, 2015 10:00 - 1 hour - 55.6 MBMaya, her husband, and their teenage daughters left the U.S. ten years ago to spend a year in Mexico. They’ve been living and traveling abroad ever since; after stints in Argentina, Uruguay, Japan, and China, they have recently found themselves back in Mexico.
Louisa Rogers: The best of both worlds
April 22, 2015 10:00 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBIn addition to traveling to lots of other places, Louisa and her husband split their time between Eureka, California, and Guanajuato, Mexico. Their two homes allow them to be comfortable both together and apart, and enjoy the benefits of each place—more work, projects, and water in California, and hiking, hills, and Spanish in Mexico.
Leon Logothetis: Addicted to wanderlust
April 15, 2015 10:00 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBInspired by Che Guevara’s adventures in The Motorcycle Diaries, Leon quit his job in London and set off on his first big adventure: traveling across the U.S. on $5/day. Since then he’s traveled around the world combining his wanderlust with philanthropy, and he’s developed TV shows and written books about his travels.
Kylie Bevan: Happy and healthy wherever she is
April 08, 2015 10:00 - 56 minutes - 51.7 MBLongtime traveler and expat Kylie has relocated more than 15 times. Wanting to build more international experiences into their lives, her family jumped at the opportunity to move to Tonga in the South Pacific. Kylie, her husband, and their two school-age daughters have been enjoying life there for nearly a year, and are excited to see where their next adventure will take them.
Paul and Becky Kortman: Searching for a new home
April 01, 2015 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MBPaul and Becky have made choices over the years that just happened to make their family of six location-independent, and eventually they realized they had the freedom to live and work anywhere in the world. They’ve already toured parts of Southeast Asia, Europe, and Africa looking for a new home base, and are preparing to head overland through Central and South America as the search continues.
Nora Dunn: Financially sustainable full-time travel
March 25, 2015 10:00 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MBIn 2006, Nora sold everything she owned in Canada (including a busy financial planning practice) to embrace her dreams of traveling and living around the world. She’s been on the road ever since, having lived in and traveled through over 50 countries and counting.
Victoria Yershova: Location independence as a remote worker
March 18, 2015 10:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBVictoria knew from an early age that she wanted to leave her native Russia and live and travel abroad. In 2013 she made that dream a reality, first by working as an au pair in France and Italy, and ending up as a remote worker for an Italian company.
Chris Taylor: Deliberately creating his ideal life
March 11, 2015 10:00 - 1 hour - 56.7 MBChris and his wife split their time between Spain, Panama, and Canada while running a global company with no physical office. He didn’t end up with this life because he’s “lucky”; it’s all about the deliberate choices he’s made.
Caroline Cain: Seeking freedom in all aspects of life
March 04, 2015 11:00 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBCaroline has been traveling since she was three weeks old and has lived in 11 countries. Her daughter, who is just two, has already lived in four countries! Caroline’s location-independent business has allowed her to be a hands-on mom while she and her family follow their travel dreams.
Valerie Conners: International living close to home
February 18, 2015 11:00 - 1 hour - 65 MBAn around-the-world trip in 2010 sparked a whole new way of living for Valerie Conners. She and her fiancé, Ayaz, have been location independent since early 2013, and have spent most of that time exploring their own backyard in the United States, as well as taking several jaunts abroad.
Ryan Mitchell: A Tiny Location-Independent Life
February 11, 2015 11:00 - 58 minutes - 53.8 MBGetting laid off from his job led Ryan to reevaluate the way he lived and the way he worked. Eventually he created a location-independent livelihood and a pared-back, debt-free lifestyle in a tiny house, giving him the time and flexibility to travel and focus on what matters most to him.
Carina Lyall: Finding freedom in stillness
February 04, 2015 11:00 - 57 minutes - 53 MBCarina spent most of her life moving around but now lives in Denmark. Because she’s location independent, she and her family have the freedom to live life as they choose, with fewer rules and more time to spend together.
Vincenzo Villamena: Nomad accountant
January 28, 2015 11:00 - 1 hour - 56.7 MBAfter seeing expats’ tax challenges first-hand when he moved abroad in 2010, Vincenzo started a new business helping expats with their taxes. He’s been an expat and nomad ever since, and in this episode we talk about his favorite festivals around the world, tax tips for American nomads, expats, and travelers, and much more.
Monika and John Mundell: Cruising through location independence
January 21, 2015 11:00 - 1 hour - 61 MBMonika and John have had their share of adventures over the years, but eventually ended up feeling a little stuck living abroad in Australia. They decided to revamp their lives and have been on the road, traveling mostly by cruise ship, since March 2014.
Ian Robinson: Starting anew
January 14, 2015 11:00 - 57 minutes - 52.5 MBAfter US immigration wouldn’t let his Australian wife back into the country, Ian Robinson had a big decision to make. He ended up leaving his growing biofuel business in Hawaii to join his wife in New Zealand, and they’ve been traveling and working online ever since.
James Clark: Long-term wanderer
January 07, 2015 11:00 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBJames Clark started working for himself while living abroad in Europe, and he’s been location independent since 2003. His lifestyle has shifted over the years, but he’s still happy to be a nomad and has no intention of “settling down” anytime soon.
Jill Sessa: Vespa-riding, RV-living nomad
December 31, 2014 11:00 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBIn 2013, Jill Sessa took off on what has turned into a 20,000-mile-plus road trip, first by bicycle, then cross country on a Vespa, and then moving into a tiny RV. A serial entrepreneur with a number of prior businesses, Jill now manages her website maintenance service while enjoying an ever-changing view from the “office” window.
Jay Malone: Studying (and staying) abroad
December 24, 2014 11:00 - 52 minutes - 47.8 MBJay Malone decided to get his Master’s degree in Germany instead of at home in the US, and it led to a whole new business and lifestyle. He now splits his time between the two countries and helps others study abroad in Germany.
Ryan Biddulph: Blogging from paradise
December 17, 2014 11:00 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBRyan Biddulph quickly recognized that getting laid off from his job as a security guard had given him an opportunity to truly set himself free. First, he researched and got started making money online, and after a couple years he realized he could easily take his work on the road. Tune in to find out how Ryan, who’d never traveled outside the US until he and his fiancée took off to Bali, became a long-term traveler and successful online entrepreneur.
Audrey Scott and Dan Noll: Seeing the world for themselves
December 10, 2014 11:00 - 1 hour - 63 MBIn 2006, Audrey and Dan left their traditional jobs and expat life in Prague for what was meant to be a 12-to-18-month creative and travel sabbatical. Through their blog, freelance work, sponsorship, speaking, consulting, and more they have turned their journey into a lifestyle and a business. After 6 years of being nomadic, they now have a base in Berlin, Germany, and continue to explore the world.
Lydia Lee: Screw the cubicle and live on purpose
December 03, 2014 11:00 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBAfter Lydia Lee left a well-paying but unfulfilling cubicle job in Canada to launch small business startups, her itchy feet led her abroad. Now based in Bali, every day feels like an adventure, and she's cut her living expenses to 1/3 of what they were in Vancouver. In this episode we talked about riding scooters in Asia, why island life isn't boring, and so much more.
Heather Thorkelson: Building her republic of freedom
November 26, 2014 11:00 - 1 hour - 57 MBBusiness strategist Heather Thorkelson has built a location-independent business that gives her the freedom to stay in one place or to move on, and to switch things up based on what she needs at the time, whether it’s adventure or connection or time to unplug. Tune in to hear more about her inspiring approach to life, work, and building a business.
Carlton Taylor: Transitioning to a new lifestyle
November 19, 2014 11:00 - 1 hour - 57 MBWhen I talked to Carlton Taylor, he and his wife, Varsha, were just wrapping up a three-month adventure in Ecuador. But it’s not something that came about overnight. It took planning, determination, and intentional action (not to mention a strategy to show his wife it was possible and bring her on board). Tune in to find out the steps they took to make it happen, what they’ve experienced in Ecuador, and what’s next.
Michelle Fetsch: Taking the shortest route
November 12, 2014 11:00 - 1 hour - 55.9 MBIn January 2014, Michelle Fetsch was feeling fed up and decided she needed a change. Two weeks later, she’d quit her job, packed up her apartment, and was on a plane to Bali. In this episode, we talk about how she made it happen so quickly, the rewards of taking big risks, her work with Women Enough, and more.
Lainie Liberti: Global education through world travel
November 05, 2014 11:00 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBLainie Liberti and her nine-year-old son, Miro, left the U.S. in 2009 for what was going to be a one-year adventure—and they’re still going! Continuing their slow travel through Central and South America, they allow inspiration to be their compass. Along the way they’ve taken a global approach to education, using the world as their classroom.
Betsy Wuebker: Deliberately homeless
October 29, 2014 10:00 - 1 hour - 57.7 MBBetsy Wuebker says she and her husband, Pete, are “just your garden variety baby boomer pre-retirees”—but there are at least a few things that make them unique. They’ve been location independent since 2011, and two years ago, they sold everything and moved to Hawaii. In September 2014, they took off again, this time for a two-year round-the-world trip.
Gustav Andersson: Creating a life well-lived
October 22, 2014 10:00 - 1 hour - 62.1 MBGustav Andersson's wanderings began in 2011 as an experiment to explore how a modern nomadic life can best be geo-independent, sustainable, and eudaemonic (you'll have to listen to find out what that means!). Now, he's working full-time as a remote worker as he continues to travel the world.
Sasha Cagen: A turned-on life at home and abroad
October 15, 2014 10:00 - 49 minutes - 45.5 MBWriter and coach Sasha Cagen’s life looks very different than it did five years ago. Tune in to find out how she went from co-founder of a Silicon Valley tech startup (and creator of the Quirkyalone movement) to leading tango adventures in Buenos Aires and writing a memoir called Wet.
Liz Scully: The thrills and challenges of not living anywhere
October 08, 2014 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBLiz Scully has been location independent for several years, but she recently gave up having a central base. This has led to a different set of challenges, as she continues to discover all the ways the world isn't really set up for someone who has no permanent home, not to mention someone who doesn’t actually legally live anywhere! Tune in as Liz and I talk about everything from avoiding holiday madness to losing your luggage.
Pernille Norregaard: The life she always wanted
October 01, 2014 10:00 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBAfter years of taking trial runs and working to move her business completely online, writer Pernille Norregaard sold her apartment in Copenhagen, Denmark, and became a full-time nomad in January 2014. Tune in to find out where this dream started, what she’s learned along the way, and much more.