{"id":1200,"date":"2024-02-02T20:42:04","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T20:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alltripsstore.com\/most-comprehensive-guide-to-living-as-a-digital-nomad-in-the-usa\/"},"modified":"2024-02-02T20:42:04","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T20:42:04","slug":"most-comprehensive-guide-to-living-as-a-digital-nomad-in-the-usa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alltripsstore.com\/ar\/most-comprehensive-guide-to-living-as-a-digital-nomad-in-the-usa\/","title":{"rendered":"Most comprehensive Guide to Living As a Digital Nomad in the USA"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Many digital nomads live abroad for their remote work. However, we were intrigued when Cody Slingerland approached us with his comprehensive guide about how he lived as a digital nomad while still living in his home country \u2013 the USA. Most remote workers head to popular digital nomad destinations like Southeast Asia or Mexico, but you don\u2019t need to leave the country to enjoy the digital nomad lifestyle. All you need is a reliable internet connection to work from anywhere. In this guide, Cody breaks down his costs, inspiration and lessons learned from being a digital nomad for the past two years. <\/p>\n

I Spent The Past Two Years Living As A Digital Nomad <\/h2>\n
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In 2022, I decided to move out of my place, sell as much as possible, and travel around the U.S. to become a digital nomad \u2014 all without a converted cargo van or RV (like many travelers do).\u00a0I wasn\u2019t sure how it would work \u2014 or if I\u2019d even like it. Two years later, I can confidently say that I\u2019m happy with my decision. I\u2019m not locked into a 30-year mortgage or tied down to a long-term rental agreement. I can go anywhere I want, when I want, and that is an incredibly freeing feeling.<\/p>\n

How To Become a Digital Nomad<\/h2>\n
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After living in North Carolina for over five years, I hit a breaking point. I always wanted to travel, but I always seemed to put it off. So, I decided to make a change and go without a permanent home. I decided to become a digital nomad.<\/p>\n

Yet, as amazing as the past two years have been, they haven\u2019t been without their challenges and drawbacks. That said, I wrote this blog post to summarize my journey and serve as a guide for anyone wondering how to live the digital nomad lifestyle or considering working remotely.<\/p>\n

I am going to share how I made the switch, how I got rid of all my stuff, where I stayed, how I got around, and everything else that makes up the past two years of my life spent living in a constant state of motion. <\/p>\n

Why Did I Decide To Live A Traveling Lifestyle?<\/h2>\n
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For years, I fantasized about traveling around the country and living a nomadic lifestyle. I considered buying a teardrop trailer and living in it for extended periods. I considered buying a pickup truck and a travel trailer and driving around the country. I even considered building a tiny home on wheels and using that as my location-independent home.<\/p>\n

But these were all daydreams. Part of me wanted to wait until I met someone to travel with \u2014 and to experience this lifestyle together (which has yet to happen, #datingfail). Part of me was concerned about the cost, and how I would pay for travel, where I\u2019d stay, and so on. And part of me was, I think, just scared to take the plunge.<\/p>\n

Whatever the reason was, I put it off, and it never happened. It was always something \u201cI\u2019d get to.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Not Now, When?<\/h2>\n

But life is fleeting \u2014 and you never know what might happen, when you\u2019ll be in good health, and what opportunities will arise \u2014 or come to an end.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the age of 31, after living with a friend in Mexico for six weeks in the Spring of 2022, I got a taste of what this nomadic lifestyle could be like. It was an exciting and refreshing feeling after five years of living in the same city.<\/p>\n

I was in good health, had a well-paying, stable, remote-friendly job, and I wasn\u2019t locked into a mortgage or long-term lease. So when I got back from that trip, I finally decided to take that plunge \u2014 get rid of my stuff, move out of my place, embrace the digital nomad lifestyle, and travel around the country.<\/p>\n

Digital Nomadism \u2013 Embrace Minimalism<\/h2>\n
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I gave myself just one month to get rid of my place and sell all of my worldly possessions.\u00a0Conveniently, moving out of the townhouse I lived in wasn\u2019t much of a challenge. I was renting month-to-month (at no added cost compared to my previous lease agreement!), so I just needed to give my landlord a 30-day notice that I was leaving.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, getting rid of all the crap I accumulated after living in that rental for over four years proved to be \u2026 a bit more complicated. I listed everything on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and OfferUp \u2014 and then proceeded to sell as much as possible in 30 days.<\/p>\n

Even still, I couldn\u2019t sell everything and was running out of time\u00a0 \u2014 and I wasn\u2019t going to extend my one-month deadline no matter how much others tried to convince me. I was leaving after one month, and that was that.<\/p>\n

So I shopped around for storage units and found a 10\u2019x10\u2019 unit to store all my stuff. This storage unit started at $100\/month and increased to $116\/month midway through the year. I spent over $1,200 for the year to keep my stuff there.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

In hindsight, I wish I had gotten rid of more, so I didn\u2019t need this storage unit. But I ran out of time, and there were a few things I wanted to keep, anyway, that couldn\u2019t be replaced <\/p>\n

Setting up Residency to Work Remotely<\/h2>\n
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With all my stuff sold or stored, it was time to move on! There was just one problem with my decision to sell everything and run an online business. What would I do about residency? And where would I get my mail?!<\/p>\n

Fortunately, South Dakota makes it easy for travelers to set up their residency and is a great option for remote workers to make it their home base \u2014 all while having no state income tax.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I won\u2019t dive deep into the details, but this blog post explains the process if you want to learn more. Here are the highlights of how setting up a residency in South Dakota Works. It takes less than 24 hours!<\/p>\n