After getting married and working for a few years, Michelle and her husband joined the Peace Corps and served together for two years in rural Jamaica. They then tested out location independence while slowly building a freelance web services business, keeping expenses low through house sitting, work exchanges, and other unconventional accommodations. This budget-friendly approach continues to sustain and enrich their long-term travel lifestyle.   In This Episode  Living intentionally Learning empathy through travel What to look for in a work exchange Creating local experiences And so much more    See www.nomadtopia.com/138 for show notes plus other interviews, resources, and more. Join the Nomadtopia Collective—an online community making location independence easier, less lonely, and more sustainable—at www.nomadtopia.com/collective.

Ep 138 Michelle Chang: Unconventional Budget Accommodations

Nomadtopia Radio features interviews with people all over the world who have created their ideal lifestyle through location independence, long-term travel, living abroad, and more. Guests run the gamut from serial expats to slow travelers, digital nomads, location-independent entrepreneurs escaping winter, families traveling overland (and homeschooling!), solo backpackers and road-trippers... you name it. Their stories highlight all the different ways to explore the world, live and work on your own terms, and have the freedom and flexibility to create the lifestyle that matters to YOU. 

Join us to learn about the ins and outs of daily life on the road and back at home; nitty-gritty details of living and working anywhere in the world, like banking, technology, what to do with your stuff, and having a home base (or not); getting started and making it happen; and much, much more. 

This podcast is hosted by veteran traveler, expat, digital nomad, and location-independent online entrepreneur Amy Scott, founder of Nomadtopia.com, where you can access resources, community, and inspiration for creating and savoring the life your nomadic soul craves.

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There have been some big changes in my life since Jill Sessa interviewed me for Episode 200 at the end of 2022, so I'm back with some updates! Tune in to learn what's been going on, why I'm feeling the need for more space in my life and work, and how I'm creating that space. I share: The big trip we're gearing up for A major decision I've made about Nomadtopia(R) A life-changing diagnosis I recently received (don't worry, I'm okay!) And more   Download your free guide, ​​10 Things You Need to Do before Becoming a Nomad: https://www.nomadtopia.com/guide Ready to get more ideas, inspiration, and strategies for location-independent living? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platforms so you’ll get updated anytime a new episode is released!  Let’s connect! Get to know me better over on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nomadamy or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Nomadtopia/.  

Ep 204: The Latest from Nomadtopia

Investing in real estate as a nomad might sound impossible. When you’re traveling all the time, how can you buy a property, fix it up, find renters, and manage it? As it turns out, there is a way, and it doesn’t involve renovations or interviewing potential tenants—or require you to be local to the property. In today’s episode I’m chatting with Matt Bowles, longtime nomad and cofounder of Maverick Investor Group, which helps people purchase turnkey properties that already have tenants and property managers in place. He shares why these types of properties are such great investments especially if you’re living the nomad lifestyle as well as the benefits of working with a nontraditional brokerage like his and how such an investment can give you consistent passive residual income for  years to come. In this episode: Why Matt wanted to build his own business and how he created more autonomy in his life to travel the world How joining Remote Year brought him community as a nomad, and what influences the pace at which he travels from country to country Why he loves visiting Africa and his recommendations for nomads interested in exploring the continent Everything you need to know about turnkey properties, from what they are to why they’re advantageous How Matt’s nontraditional brokerage approach works for buyers, and the income and tax benefits that come with owning rental property How this type of real estate investing plays into housing injustice, and how to be a responsible landlord who provides value and a safe space to tenants and the community For full show notes, resources, and links go to www.nomadtopia.com/203. Download your free guide, ​​10 Things You Need to Do before Becoming a Nomad: https://www.nomadtopia.com/guide Ready to get more ideas, inspiration, and strategies for location-independent living? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platforms so you’ll get updated anytime a new episode is released!   Let’s connect! Get to know me better over on Instagram https:www.instagram.com/nomadamy or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Nomadtopia/.

Ep 203: Investing in Turnkey Rental Properties from Anywhere in the World with Matt Bowles

Simply deciding where to travel as a nomad can be tricky. Every country has different entry and visa laws, and it’s easier to travel with some passports than others. Unfortunately, people who have to apply for a visa to go almost anywhere face an unnecessary and unfair barrier to seeing the world. In today’s episode, my guest is Vangile Makwakwa, a South African, a nomad, and a money coach. We talk about discriminatory visa processes, her personal nomad style, her favorite countries she’s visited, and how to navigate money trauma when moving abroad. In this episode: The different home bases Vangile has had around the world depending on where she is in lifeWhy her podcast focuses primarily on helping Black women invest in real estate in African countries How her South African passport influences where she goes and why she primarily goes to countries that are more welcoming to Black people The discrimination of some Western countries’ visa processes, making it difficult for Black and Brown people to explore the world Vangile’s work as a money coach, her focus on ancestral money trauma, and how our relationship with money connects to our nervous system  How moving to another country affects your finances For full show notes, resources, and links go to www.nomadtopia.com/202. Download your free guide, ​​10 Things You Need to Do before Becoming a Nomad: https://www.nomadtopia.com/guide Ready to get more ideas, inspiration, and strategies for location-independent living? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platforms so you’ll get updated anytime a new episode is released!   Let’s connect! Get to know me better over on Instagram https:www.instagram.com/nomadamy or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Nomadtopia/.

Ep 202: Navigating Visa Discrimination and Money Trauma as a Nomad with Vangile Makwakwa

Finding a forever home certainly isn’t a priority for all nomads. While some are on an intentional search, others actively spurn the idea of home—or they end up finding it when they least expect it and a location they visit just suddenly clicks. As I always say, there’s no one way to approach the nomad journey. In this episode, I’m chatting with Vanessa Jacquemin, an online business strategist who left her original home in the United States more than 20 years ago and recently found her forever home in Mexico. She shares her process for finding the right home for her, how becoming a mother shifted her point of view, and her advice for others wanting to embark on a nomadic journey.  In this episode:  Vanessa’s history of traveling and living nomadically from age 21, and how she has now found her forever home in Mexico What Vanessa considered when looking for a forever home and how living multiple places helped influence her decision Her experience as a Black person living in Mexico Vanessa’s thoughts on the best way to set yourself up to be able to move abroad How becoming a mother shifted her perspective on what to look for in a place to call home The importance of making a change, even a small one, towards living your happiness  For full show notes, resources, and links go to www.nomadtopia.com/201. Download your free guide, ​​10 Things You Need to Do before Becoming a Nomad: https://www.nomadtopia.com/guide Ready to get more ideas, inspiration, and strategies for location-independent living? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platforms so you’ll get updated anytime a new episode is released!  Let’s connect! Get to know me better over on Instagram https:www.instagram.com/nomadamy or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Nomadtopia/.

Ep 201: Finding a Forever Home Abroad with Vanessa Jacquemin

As we enter a new year and the podcast hits 200 episodes, I’m reflecting on my own Nomadtopia journey. I invited my friend Jill Sessa back to interview me on my experiences as a nomad. In this episode, we talk about how my Nomadtopia has changed since Jill last interviewed me in 2018. I share what’s new and upcoming in my work as well as how my lifestyle and my perspective on location independence has evolved over the years, especially since our twins were born in 2019. We also discuss some of the more challenging aspects of navigating life and family as a nomad.  In this episode:  What location independence means to me How having kids makes being a nomad and planning adventures a different experience The effects of the pandemic on nomadic life (for me personally and in general) What my local community is like and how I’m approaching schooling for my kids How the future plans we’re considering are different from the way we’ve approached traveling and living abroad in the past How we settled into a groove of working and spending time with our kids, and how things shifted when they started school What’s new and exciting in the Nomadtopia Collective, and the importance of non-judgmental community for nomads What I’m learning about how to navigate being a nomad with aging parents Upcoming workshops I’ll be offering about handling important aspects of location independence  For full show notes, resources, and links go to www.nomadtopia.com/200 Download your free guide, ​​10 Things You Need to Do before Becoming a Nomad: https://www.nomadtopia.com/guide Ready to get more ideas, inspiration, and strategies for location-independent living? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platforms so you’ll get updated anytime a new episode is released!  Let’s connect! Get to know me better over on Instagram https:www.instagram.com/nomadamy or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Nomadtopia/.

Ep 138 Michelle Chang: Unconventional Budget Accommodations

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