I had no clear goal in mind, but I knew that I wanted something more. The COVID-19 pandemic was still raging, and everyone was feeling down. I had a decent job that paid me enough to live comfortably in Germany, but I wasn’t hap
When I was younger, I thought that buying more stuff would make me happier. I bought expensive clothes and went on vacation, but I still wasn’t happy. The more I bought, the more unhappy I became. I realized that money can’t buy happiness.
Nearly two years ago, I decided to change my life.
I decided to leave Germany and become a digital nomad, freelancing in IT. I knew there were risks involved, but I was determined to make it work.
I read blogs, articles, and watched videos on YouTube about digital nomadism, including:
– Which destinations are good for digital nomads
– Digital nomad communities and coworking spaces
– Travel insurance
– Airbnb and Booking.com
– Cheap flight tickets (best time to buy, best websites)
– Freelancing
– Setting up a company
– Managing taxes
I couldn’t prepare for everything, but I did my best. I deregistered from Germany, sold all my stuff, quit my apartment, broke up with my girlfriend, and said goodbye to my friends. Then, I booked a one-way ticket to Cyprus.
Two years later, I’ve been around the world twice, found an amazing partner who is traveling with me, visited over 20 amazing countries, seen incredible places, met amazing people, learned about different cultures, and scaled my freelance business to six figures.
(I needed to take a moment to let that last sentence sink in, because we rarely take the time to honor ourselves for what we’ve accomplished in life.)
If someone had asked me if I would be where I am today two years ago, I would have said no way. But sometimes, even if you’re not sure if something will work out, you need to believe in yourself, take the risk, and work hard.
TL;DR
– Money doesn’t buy happiness.
– Sometimes, things need to get worse before they can get better.
– Don’t be afraid to take risks.
