The survival guide of a digital nomad lifestyle.

Nguyen Thuy Trang (26 years old) is a travel blogger, content creator, and freelance writer. Known for her multitasking skills and passion for travel, Thuy Trang has taken many trips both domestically and internationally. Furthermore, she has stepped out of her comfort zone to pursue a digital nomad lifestyle – balancing travel and work.

Thùy Trang embarked on a 600-day journey across Southeast Asia, from March 2018 to March 2020. She traveled both domestically and internationally, breaking down her trips into smaller segments. By constantly moving like this, she has explored many countries in Southeast Asia to date.

A simple understanding of the digital nomad lifestyle.

Thùy Trang is a freedom-loving traveler. The Covid-19 pandemic was a challenge for everyone, but for her, it became a breakthrough in her future path. She decided to pursue a digital nomad lifestyle, traveling the world while working online regardless of time and place.

Digital nomad is an English term referring to people who don't work in one fixed location. Simply put, "digital" refers to anything related to technology, machines, equipment, and digital technology; "nomad" refers to people with a constantly mobile lifestyle, often staying in one place for a month, a year, or two before moving on to another.

Digital Nomadism isn't a job; it's a lifestyle. This concept has become popular worldwide, but it's still relatively new in Vietnam, and not many people know about it except those who have traveled abroad or settled overseas.

When asked about how she became a digital nomad, Thuy Trang said that before the age of 22, she only thought about working, getting married, having children, and settling down according to societal norms. Gradually, she discovered her passion for travel and exploration. Freelancing allowed her to travel more and understand her passion better. She learned that many people don't own homes or cars; they live and work in "mobile homes" like tents, wandering everywhere, living a nomadic life. And freelancing is also a part of the digital nomad lifestyle.

Thuy Trang said: “Even though I'm constantly traveling from province to province, city to city, I can still work online (still writing scripts, composing music, writing reviews...) and I feel very comfortable. Although I live within the client's framework, I have the flexibility of time, the choice of where to work, and coupled with my passion for exploration, I have 'accidentally' become a true digital nomad.”

Skills needed when embarking on a digital nomad lifestyle.

As someone who works online, Thùy Trang outlines three essential skills that are necessary to transition into a digital nomad lifestyle.

Firstly, she possesses the skill of working independently in a limited liability company where she works alone. Being the owner, treasurer, and sales representative all at once, she has to run the business smoothly. She also balances travel and leisure time with efficient time management to ensure client deadlines are met.

Secondly, she possesses multitasking skills to adapt well to constant travel in all circumstances. While traveling, she can write scripts, create parodies, write articles, generate content, and develop strategies for KOLs and brands…

Thirdly, financial management skills are crucial. Depending on the cost of living and exchange rate in a given place, you can calculate how long you should stay. Staying in one place for an extended period will be more economical than short stays or frequent travel. Once you've traveled enough, you'll understand the prices and find reasonable places to eat. At that point, you won't feel like a tourist anymore; you'll see the destinations as your second home, and you'll feel like a true local.

For someone who embraces a digital nomad lifestyle, no two days are ever the same.

"My day starts quite late. For example, during my 12-day trip to the Central Highlands in March 2022, I was traveling, attending meetings, working with partners, and spending my evenings tackling various other tasks. To ensure I managed all of this, I always have a daily to-do list, filtering out the most important things to prioritize," Thuy Trang shared.

Balancing hobbies and work

Thùy Trang's trips are usually short, lasting a maximum of about a month. Before each trip, she makes a note of her main responsibilities. For example, how much time this work takes up each day/week, plus other daily tasks such as writing parody songs, scripts, and articles…

She carefully manages her travel time, arranging her destinations accordingly. Her essentials include a phone for handling simple tasks, and for longer trips, she brings a laptop for work.

Thùy Trang hopes this lifestyle will become more widely known and, especially, a lifestyle for young Vietnamese people. It's not about quitting your job or quitting work, but about working remotely, still contributing, creating value for life, and still pursuing your passions. It's not about leaving the city for the countryside, but about leaving one job to have more jobs and more life experiences. With her digital nomad lifestyle, Nguyễn Thùy Trang has inspired young people to travel and work hard with their laptops all over the globe.

"Live life the way you want if you want to try this job and lifestyle. This is a promised land that has brought me so much value through my observations over the years. A golden land with so much to explore and discover," Thuy Trang shared.

Phuong Thao is an editor at Travellive magazine. She is passionate about traveling and enjoys capturing moments with her camera in every place she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are Phuong Thao's favorite writing topics.

Phuong Thao