Introduction
What’s your name, how old are you, and where are you from? Where do you live currently, and how do you make a living?
My name is Martin Dupont. I’m 32 years old, originally from Australia, and right now I’m living in Brazil. I work full-time as a software developer.
Life Before Becoming Nomadic
What were you doing before becoming a digital nomad?
Before this lifestyle, I was living in Munich, Germany, for about seven years. I originally moved there to study physics, and after that I transitioned into software development. I was working in-person at a tech consultancy and, while I appreciated the experience, I wasn’t really happy.
Munich started to feel a bit too small, too slow, and a little stuffy for me. I had this desire for something different, but I wasn’t sure how to balance adventure with building a stable career. One of my friends gave me a piece of advice that stuck with me—he said, “You’re never going to find a job that offers both unlimited freedom and unlimited financial security.” That line really resonated.
So at that point, I was stuck. I had a decent job and a solid career path, but I didn’t know how to make it more flexible or exciting. I hadn’t yet discovered that something like being a digital nomad was even a real option.
What made you want to make a change?
It was actually the pandemic that pushed everything forward. When COVID hit, our whole office in Munich shifted to remote work, even though we were all still in the same city. After being locked in my apartment for over a year with almost no social contact, I started to feel really isolated and depressed.
Then one day I went on a socially distanced Tinder date in the middle of winter. The girl I met told me she had just come back from Playa del Carmen, Mexico. She said there were no lockdowns there and that tons of young people who were tired of restrictions had relocated there to live freely.
Two weeks later, I told my boss I was quitting. I sold all my stuff, bought a one-way ticket to Mexico, and left my job. At first I wasn’t working, but once I got to Mexico I started meeting all these cool, interesting people who called themselves digital nomads. That was the first time I’d heard the term and actually met people living that lifestyle.
Up until that point, I knew remote work existed, but I didn’t realize you could just get a normal job and do it from anywhere. It completely changed my perspective.
What was your first step into remote income or travel?
At first, I was just on a long holiday. I traveled for about a year after leaving my job in Munich. I wasn’t working during that time—I just wanted to enjoy myself and figure things out. But eventually, I ran out of money and had to think about what was next.
Luckily, before all of that, I had already spent a year working remotely during the pandemic, so I knew I could do it. I also realized, kind of by accident, that my job as a software developer was something that could be done entirely online. I didn’t plan for it, but it turned out to be the perfect fit for remote work.
Once I needed income again, I moved back in with my parents and started applying for jobs from their basement. I was determined to find something remote that wouldn’t feel like a step down professionally. Eventually, I landed a solid remote position that aligned with my long-term career goals.
I also tried Upwork once, but quickly realized it wasn’t for me. Competing on price against developers from lower-cost countries didn’t make sense for my skill set or income expectations. So I focused on finding a proper job rather than freelancing.
Did you hit any early roadblocks? How did you overcome them?
Definitely. My original plan was to stay at my parents’ house for three months while I searched for a job, then hit the road again. But those three months turned into seven.
It wasn’t easy landing the right job. I think someone with my background could have found a remote job fairly quickly, but I wasn’t looking for just any remote job. I wanted something high-performing and well-paying, ideally with a U.S. tech startup. That narrowed the field a lot.
The hardest part was both finding the right companies and breaking through the application noise. A lot of the companies I liked weren’t offering remote roles. And the ones that did were very competitive. I sent out a lot of applications and barely heard back.
In the end, it came down to persistence. I kept applying, and after months of effort, I found a company that fit what I was looking for. I applied online, got called for an interview, and it worked out.
That being said, this was all before ChatGPT and AI job search tools. If I were doing it again today, I’d definitely use AI to help with things like resume tailoring and sending out applications faster. It would’ve saved me a lot of time.
What You Do For Work Now
What do you do for income today, and how does it work?
Right now, I’m a full-time software developer working for a high-performing U.S. startup. It’s just like a typical office job, except everything is done online. I work regular hours, usually nine to five, spend most of my time coding, attend meetings, and handle my day-to-day tasks remotely.
They pay me as an overseas contractor, so I’m not legally employed in the U.S. but rather contracted from abroad. It’s a standard full-time role with a stable salary—I just happen to do it from wherever I want.
Aside from that, I also have a passive income stream. With the money I saved from earning in U.S. dollars and living in lower-cost countries like those in Latin America, I was able to buy a property in Medellín. I rent it out on Airbnb, which helps supplement my income, but my main source is still my day job.
How much do you typically earn per month (USD)?
I make around $10,000 per month from my full-time job as a software developer. On top of that, I earn about $1,400 per month from my Airbnb property in Medellín.
I also set up tax residency in Paraguay, which means I’m not paying any income tax on my remote job. That’s made a huge difference in how much I actually keep from what I earn.
How did you learn the skills you use now?
It took me a while to build the skill set I have today, but that’s also why I’ve been able to land a good job and command a strong salary.
I studied physics and later completed a master’s in theoretical physics in Germany. That gave me a solid mathematical foundation, which translates really well to software development. Computers do math, and physics involves a lot of programming for simulations and data analysis, so I had already been exposed to some coding.
While it’s not the same as a computer science degree, it gave me enough of a head start. The rest I learned on the job. I was lucky to find a software consultancy in Munich that liked hiring theoretical physicists from my program. They recognized that we made strong developers. I got an internship there, and that’s where I really learned how to code professionally. I had the theory from my studies, and then I learned how to apply it in the real world working directly with clients.
Do you work alone or have a team?
I work in a small team at an early-stage startup. It’s very collaborative. Right now, we have five developers, including me, plus the CEO, CTO, and a small sales team. So it’s a tight-knit group where everyone wears a few hats.
I do full-stack development—front end, back end, security, and operations. The company also works in the AI space, so I’ve been building some artificial intelligence models as well.
What tools, platforms, or services do you rely on most?
A few tools have made my digital nomad life a lot easier.
First, I use PangiaPass for eSIMs. It works flawlessly. Every time I land in a new country, I can instantly connect to mobile data without needing a local SIM card.
For managing money, Wise is essential. I use their debit card for almost everything. The exchange rates are great, and they support tons of currencies. In countries like Brazil, where local systems like Pix can be tricky to access, Wise has been the most reliable option.
To split expenses while traveling with friends, I use Splitwise. Whether it’s rent, groceries, or group dinners, it handles everything—plus it supports multiple currencies and automatically converts amounts. We usually settle up outside the app, but it keeps everything organized.
Life As A Nomad
Where have you lived or traveled in the past 6–12 months?
It’s been a pretty amazing year. I spent the first six months in Medellín, Colombia, and then took two months off work to travel around Peru and Chile. That trip was more of a proper holiday—I wasn’t working during that time.
In Peru, I lived in Lima with my parents and sister for a couple of months, and we did the full tour of must-see spots. Machu Picchu, the Andes, and pretty much everything that showed up on the map. It was epic.
After that, I headed to Brazil and have been living in Florianópolis for almost six months now. Compared to previous years, I’ve been more stationary, but it’s been a great balance between travel and deeper living.
What are your favorite memories from the road so far?
There are honestly too many to list, but a few stand out.
One was a road trip from Rio de Janeiro down to São Paulo, with stops at some incredible islands along the way. I also had a blast at Tomorrowland in Brazil, which was a huge highlight.
Visiting the Atacama Desert in Chile was unforgettable. So was watching a total eclipse in Monterrey, Mexico. That’s one of those memories that really sticks with you.
I also really enjoyed my time in Playa del Carmen and Tulum. The parties, the atmosphere, everything just clicked. And exploring Patagonia in Argentina, especially hiking near the glaciers around El Chaltén, was an incredible experience.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My days are pretty straightforward and not too different from a normal work routine.
I usually wake up and get into work mode. I’m working full-time, so I put in around 40 hours a week. It’s a startup, so there’s nowhere to hide. I actually have to be on top of things. That said, I do have a lot of flexibility with my schedule. As long as I’m present for meetings, I can shift my hours around. Sometimes I go to the gym in the morning or afternoon, or take a break to go out for lunch and recharge.
Exercise is a big part of my day. These days, I’m doing pole dancing, but I’ve also done Muay Thai and weightlifting. I always try to stay active.
In the evenings, I make time to be social. I might go out with friends, have dinner, join a language exchange, or go on a date. If I’m living with friends, there’s usually something going on most nights, even if it’s just a casual hangout or party at home.
What’s the hardest part of this lifestyle? What’s the best?
The hardest part is that eventually, being without a home base starts to wear on you. It’s kind of like eating chocolate—amazing at first, but if you eat it all day, every day, it loses its magic and starts to make you feel sick. That’s what permanent travel can feel like after a while.
The constant cycle of making new friends every few months gets exhausting. In some places, it’s easy to build a social circle, but in others, like when I spent six months in Buenos Aires, I only made two real friends the entire time. If you don’t get that first social foothold in a new place, it can be lonely.
That said, there are ways around it. Friendships grow exponentially. Once you meet one person, it leads to more. So when I arrive in a new city, I try to be really proactive. I go to language exchanges, free salsa classes, meetups—anything that gets me around people. Once you find a few good people, the rest falls into place.
The best part of this lifestyle is that it’s a constant adventure. If you love new experiences, it’s perfect. There’s always something happening, always a new culture to explore, a new event, or a party, or just something you’ve never seen before. It keeps life fresh and exciting every single day.
How has this lifestyle changed you?
The biggest thing I’ve learned is that hedonic adaptation is very real. When your life improves, you quickly get used to it. I used to dream about the idea of traveling full-time, but once I made that my reality, it became normal. Over time, I found myself needing new experiences just to feel engaged. If nothing new is happening, I start to feel bored, even if the lifestyle is objectively great.
That realization has changed me a lot. I’ve learned that this kind of lifestyle might be best enjoyed in chapters rather than forever. After a few years on the move, I’ve started to value stability again. I’m still enjoying everything, but I’ve slowed down intentionally. I’ve also met someone recently who might be worth shifting gears for, which has made me think more about staying in one place for a while.
Being a digital nomad doesn’t mean you have to keep moving. It just means you have the freedom to choose. And that’s what I’m learning to value the most—the ability to choose what season of life I want to be in.
Advice, Vision, and Resources
What would you tell someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
People often tell me, “I wish I had your life,” or “I wish I was as brave as you.” The truth is, it’s not about bravery. Becoming a digital nomad is much easier than most people think. You really only need a few key things: a remote job, a good international bank account, and health insurance. Once you have those, the rest is just logistics.
Give up your rental contract, put your stuff at your parents’ place or in storage, and book a ticket. That’s it. It feels overwhelming the first time because of all the unknowns—visa rules, paperwork, application steps—but once you’ve done it once or twice, it all becomes second nature.
If I had to start over, I wouldn’t really do anything differently, but I’d definitely tell myself not to overthink it. Most people psych themselves out before they even try. Just take action. You’ll be ahead of 99 percent of people simply by doing that.
If you had to start over, what would you do differently?
These days, I’d be much smarter about my job search. The job market isn’t great right now, especially in my field. A lot of roles are being replaced or reduced because of AI, and competition for remote jobs is higher than ever. That was already the case three years ago when I was applying for my current position, and it’s only gotten tougher.
The biggest mistake I see people make is applying through open job boards or hitting the “Easy Apply” button on LinkedIn. If you’re doing that, you’re already behind. You’re up against everyone on the internet, and the odds aren’t good.
So if I had to do it again, I’d avoid job portals entirely and get creative. I’d find ways to provide value up front, reach out directly to companies, interact with them on social media, or build a public profile that gets attention. Make yourself visible so that people come to you.
There’s also so much you can do now with AI agents. For example, I’m building a bot that scrapes startup funding news, finds promising companies, pulls their websites and CEO emails, and sends personalized outreach. That’s the level of creativity and automation you need today to land a great remote role.
What resources (books, tools, people, websites) helped you most?
Nobody really gave me a guide. For me, it was all a slow process of figuring things out on my own. I always had the desire to travel, but I didn’t know what was possible until I tried. When I did an exchange semester in Norway at 21, I realized it wasn’t as intimidating as I thought. Then I moved to Germany for my degrees and figured that out too. Every step made the next one feel more doable.
Most of what I’ve learned came from talking to other travelers. You meet someone who gives you a great tip, and that gets added to your toolkit. Like, I met someone in Mexico who told me about a site called Best Onward Ticket. If a country requires proof of exit, they’ll book you a real flight that gets canceled after 48 hours, just so you can get through immigration. That kind of thing was huge for me early on.
Beyond that, a lot of it has just been Googling things when I run into problems and learning by doing. You hit a wall, you search it, and you figure it out. That’s been the pattern since the beginning.
What does the future look like for you? Any new projects or goals?
I do want to start my own company one day. That’s the long-term goal. Ideally, it would be something in person, probably based in the United States. Right now, most of my mental energy is going toward making that happen while still working full-time.
What kind of people should connect with you, and where can they reach you?
I’m always down to meet people who are smart and extroverted — the kind of people who enjoy deep conversations and also know how to have a good time. If that’s you, you can find me on Instagram. Just don’t reach out on LinkedIn. If you’re active on there, we probably won’t vibe.