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.

02.12.2024 - 12:59 / insider.com

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 continentsand 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 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.

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.

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