Welcome to Nomad Week, a ten part series revealing the adventures, knowledge and travel tips from experienced digital nomads located all across the globe. I recently reached out to some of the best in the industry to get their perspectives on world travel and the digital nomad life. This week we will share their stories with you. Real nomads. Real stories. Find all ten interviews here.
Dateline: Tbilisi, Georgia
Ryan Biddulph is originally from the United States. Now he is a digital nomad and perpetual traveler, constantly on the move. His business is dedicated to helping you retire to a life of island hopping through smart blogging.
Where are you living now?
Nicosia, Cyprus
How long have you been there?
Three weeks.
What’s your favorite thing about the city?
I enjoy the warm, sunny days. Being in hot weather is a biggie for me. I also like the culture and history of the Old City in Nicosia. How many places on earth can you see Venetian Walls during your evening walk?
What’s your LEAST favorite thing about the city?
I give my attention to what I love and nothing else because where your attention and energy goes, grows 🙂
Is there a little known fact about the city people might find interesting?
Nicosia is the last divided capital on earth, since the Berlin Wall fell.
Where is your favorite place you’ve ever lived and why?
This one is a tie between Bali and Thailand. Bali offers the richest culture of anywhere I’ve visited, while Thailand offers a similarly rich culture, but many first world conveniences which I definitely don’t mind. I’m stumped; can’t pick one or the other.
What is your LEAST favorite place you’ve ever lived and why?
Loved ’em all.
What was the EASIEST country you’ve ever visited (i.e. easiest immigration, easiest to open a local bank account, etc)?
Thailand ranks A1 here. So easy to travel in the Land of Smiles, immigration is a breeze in Phuket (and Chiang Mai was easy too) and overall, the place is built for tourism. In Bangkok it’s a wee bit like a cattle call when moving around on buses or smaller tour vans, but they got their system down cold.
Have you ever had any problems in a country? (i.e. immigration issues, getting robbed, etc.)
I almost died in India. Is that a problem? 😉 I suffered from giardia, lost 20 pounds in a week because I waited too long to go to the hospital and saw my fluids drop to dangerously low levels. After two days in the hospital and three IV bags, I beat the Death thing. But it took me three more weeks to get the proper antibiotics in my system to kill the giardia and to NOT look like I was trying out for the role of Gollum.
Do you prefer one region of the world over another, and why?
Southeast Asia for everything. I love the food, the culture, the climate, the beaches and pretty much everything about SE Asia. I do like Central America because I can speak Spanish, but SE Asia offers me the full package in terms of my preferences.
Is there anything that would make you settle down and stop traveling as much?
Nope. Not right now.
Who has been the most influential person on your travels (someone that encouraged you to start, or someone who has influenced you along the way)?
My wife Kelli by far. She inspired me to take my first vacay in 22 years. She also got me on a plane for the first time — at 36, when I flew 23 hours from NYC JFK to Bali — and to travel internationally. She showed me how fun, freeing and fulfilling this digital nomad lifestyle is.
If you were coaching a new nomad, what would you recommend they do to get started?
Don’t run from your problems at home; follow your fun abroad. You can’t outrun your problems; they’ll follow you. But if you choose to travel to some spot because it seems like it’ll be so freaking fun to you, then you have your energy/intent in the right place to be open to your travels and to enjoy them fully.
What country would you recommend a new nomad go to FIRST?
Thailand
What is one country that you have not been to but is high on your list, and why?
Turkey. The culture, the people and the meeting of East and West fascinates me. We are going there in 9 days so I’ll cross it off of the list. 🙂
What was the most unexpected surprise you ever encountered as a nomad?
I have about 50 of these. I *have* written 126 eBooks about blogging and my wild travel stories you know, 😉 but if I had to pick 1 out of 50 I’d say watching a wild man bite my arm in Kathmandu was #1, with facing a spitting cobra in Bali a close second. The man only left slobber, and thank God the cobra left none.
What was the biggest mistake you made that other nomads can learn from?
Not being present for some of my travels. Not being in the moment. It was my worst failure; being digital, and taking out the “nomad”. I’d be in some of the most stunning places on earth, thinking about my next blog post or email newsletter. Now I’m more present and in the moment so I can fully enjoy my travels.
How do you meet new people while living the nomad lifestyle? Do you ever get lonely?
Wifey is always with me so I always have her around, but other than that I smile like the Cheshire Cat when strolling about and remain open. Meaning, I chat with people. I ask questions. I share answers. Open your mouth. You’d be stunned how easy it is to meet folks when you smile and open your mouth regularly. People want to connect; locals, digital nomads, most everybody. So, connect with them.
