I quit my job 5 years ago and got a one-way ticket to Bali. I've been to 24 countries, and I'm not returning to the US anytime soon.
I left the US to travel the world. What started as an experiment became a beloved lifestyle.
I have visited 24 countries across four continents in the last five years.
To support my lifestyle, I started my own business where I can work from anywhere in the world.
In 2019, I had a great life on paper: a stable job, boyfriend, and a basement apartment in DC. But I wanted more.
At age 30, I quit, sold everything, and bought a one-way ticket to Bali.
The boyfriend and I had already broken up. It was for the best: he had no desire to travel, and I couldn't imagine my future without it.
I wanted to try the digital nomad lifestyle for one to two years.
Five years later, I've visited 24 countries across four continents and plan to keep traveling indefinitely.
Here's how I started my business, so I'm free to work from anywhere and my top traveling tips in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Europe.
I make 6 figures and am able to work from anywhere
I started my business, Duraca Strategic, as a branding and marketing strategy consultant and business coach for freelancers. It was a rocky beginning.
When I got to Bali, I planned to work with the entrepreneurs there. They seemed so successful on Instagram, but the reality was quite different. I struggled to sell $300 coaching packages and was burning through my $30,000 in savings.
Eventually, I figured out how to market to premium clients from all over the world and have been making six figures a year for the past five years.
While that sometimes means a 5 a.m. or 10 p.m. call with a client in a different time zone, it's a price I'm happy to pay for the freedom and flexibility of working with who I want, on what I want, from where I want. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Traveling through Southeast Asia
After Bali, I made my way through Java, then Singapore.
I met my mom in Malaysia and went with her to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Then I continued solo to Thailand and Vietnam.
I visited a top-50 bar in Singapore, learned to scuba dive in Koh Lanta, saw the largest Buddhist temple in the world at sunrise in central Java, and did a six-day motorcycle trip through Ha Giang.
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While it's easy enough to get by with English in Southeast Asia, I always learn "hello" and "thank you" in the local language and do Duolingo. For every country I go to, I try to read a book about it, listen to their Top 100, and take up a regular activity popular with residents like soccer or volleyball.
After Vietnam, I had to spend the next couple of years back and forth to the US.
I realized that the nomadic lifestyle, and entrepreneurship, were no longer an experiment for me. I was committed for the long haul.
So, I doubled down on my business, investing in more systems and support. I also joined nomad communities like WiFi Tribe and stayed at co-livings so I could build digital nomad friendships and relationships.
I even started a digital nomad site, Duraca Travels, to help people navigate this lifestyle, including how to handle working abroad, balance fulfilling work and adventure, and practical advice on finances, taxes, medical insurance, and more.
Traveling through Latin America
In 2022 came my Latin America stint: Puerto Rico, Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, and Guatemala.
I went paragliding in Bogota, hiked Guatemala's Acatenango to watch the erupting Fuego volcano, and celebrated Día de los Muertos in Oaxaca.
Being a bilingual Latina, I felt at home and easily connected with locals. My best advice for traveling in Latin America is to venture beyond the top tourist destinations. Residents will be more excited to meet you and genuinely engage.
Take Peru, for example. Most people will only visit Lima, Macchu Picchu, and maybe Cusco and Arequipa. I highly recommend checking out the Amazonian rainforest in Iquitos, the Kuelap ruins in Chachapoyas that rival Macchu Picchu, and hiking in Huaraz with fewer crowds.
Traveling through Europe
I was never eager to get to Europe: I felt like it would always be there, and would only get better as I got older and had more money to enjoy it.
I wish I hadn't waited so long.
I found a cheap flight from Mexico City to Rome. I finally get why everyone loves the food, people, and lifestyle in Italy.
In addition to Italy, I went to Greece, Spain, France, Albania, and Romania.
I scootered up the Amalfi Coast, spoke at a travel conference in San Sebastian, learned via Ferrata in Briançon, and celebrated my 35th birthday with friends who flew from all over the world to sail with me in Paros.
One of the best things about traveling in Europe is how close everything is to each other and how easy it is to take public transportation.
Some people feel it's difficult to befriend Europeans as an outsider. But I largely found people who were warm, kind, happy to help, and patient with me practicing their language.
In a way, being a digital nomad is my extreme solution to work-life balance. I've had more once-in-a-lifetime experiences in the last five years than I would have in a lifetime if I'd stayed at my 9 to 5 in DC.
Next is my Africa chapter. I can't wait to see who I'll meet and what I'll learn.
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