DIGITAL NOMAD

After completing my Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2012 I knew I didn’t want to go back a ‘normal’ life but I also didn’t know how to break out of the rat race. I took a couple of internship jobs, landed at a tech startup, moved into my car, was saving a bunch of money and having lots of adventures but still wanted the freedom of location independence. Over 3 years I taught myself website design and photo and video editing via Google searches and YouTube videos and finally in 2015 I made a call, got my first freelance marketing client, left the tech startup and started traveling and working on the road full-time. Now my office looks different each day from coffee shops, public libraries, breweries, airports, hostels and coworking spaces. All I need is a bit of wifi so I can bill a few hours and keep the adventures going!


Digital Nomad Videos

Ball State University Entrepreneurship Interview

Interview With Kyle Armstrong

Digital Nomad Packing List


Digital Nomad Highlights

Explore Dream Discover

Becoming A Digital Nomad

Published: June 12, 2015

Chris on Koh Lanta, Thailand

Getting Stuck In Thailand

Published: March 31, 2021

Rolling A Die For Ecuador

Rolling For Ecuador

Published: January 15, 2016

Chris with a kangaroo

A Summer Down Under

Published: November 24, 2018


All Digital Nomad Posts

A Year Domestic - 2022

A Year Domestic

Published:
After getting “stuck” on Koh Lanta during the pandemic and spending more than a year and a half abroad it felt good to be finally home in the United States….
Read More A Year Domestic
Life On Koh Lanta

Life On Lanta

Published:
After riding my bicycle to Chiang Mai and pushing the Mae Hong Son Loop I was ready to return to Koh Lanta and settle back into island life. While Hilux…
Read More Life On Lanta
Long Term On Lanta

Long Term On Lanta

Published:
After going 5 days without wifi in my island bungalow, I begrudgingly headed to the coworking space on Koh Lanta. In 5 years traveling the world as a “digital nomad”…
Read More Long Term On Lanta

Winter In Bali

Published:
The summer Alaskan adventure was in the rear-view… actually, the rear-view was in the rear-view… I met Lisa at Born To Run in May and somehow talked her into heading…
Read More Winter In Bali
Summer Down Under

Summer Down Under

Published:
With winter blanketing North America I coped with the cold the best way I could, by flying to the Southern Hemisphere. After shivering through most of my trip to Vietnam…
Read More Summer Down Under
Western Ramblin'

Western Ramblin’

Published:
The summer kicked off with Born To Run and was quickly followed by Race Across America. I enjoyed both, but was looking forward to hitting the open road with less…
Read More Western Ramblin’
AntiComfortable

AntiComfortable

Published:
AntiComfortable is the art of living life to the fullest by seeking discomfort and embracing the chaos. Nothing epic ever comes from being comfortable. By challenging myself and repeatedly stepping…
Read More AntiComfortable
Sedona VanLife

Winter Ramblings

Published:
The best way to ring in the New Year is to run a beer mile with your closest friends at midnight! Well, I’m not sure if that’s actually the best…
Read More Winter Ramblings
Westward Westy

Westward Westy

Published:
I thoroughly enjoyed exploring Canada and driving through New England, but my heart, and Tantor’s motor, were both yearning for the place we feel most at home, the Southwest. Before…
Read More Westward Westy
Nuevo England

Nuevo England

Published:
I approached a federal border crossing one last time to bring an end to my Great Canadian Road Trip. I’d enjoyed bouncing between the United States and Canada all summer,…
Read More Nuevo England
The Rotarian Magazine

The Rotarian Magazine

Published:
The Rotarian magazine is the official publication of Rotary International that is sent to 420,000+ subscribers each month, and for some reason the editors thought that at least a few…
Read More The Rotarian Magazine
Lima, Peru

Lima, Peru

Published:
After hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu I was looking forward to heading to the coast, slowing down, enjoying the beach, and catching up on work. Brandy and I…
Read More Lima, Peru
Northern Peru

Northern Peru

Published:
I climbed in a Volkswagen van, pulled the door shut, and settled in for the 6 hour ride to Peru. After backpacking South America for 2 months and I finally…
Read More Northern Peru
Vilcabamba

Vilcabamba

Published:
I checked into Hostería Izhcayluma and another traveler greeted me with “Hi, how long are you staying?” “Just two nights”, I said. She replied, “Oh, good luck with that, you’ll…
Read More Vilcabamba
Cuenca

Cuenca

Published:
After spending a week exploring the Galápagos Islands with my brother I was back to rolling solo. Tyler caught an early flight out of Guayaquil and I hopped on the…
Read More Cuenca
Galápagos Islands

Galápagos Islands

Published:
It was a picture perfect day when we landed on San Cristóbal in the Galápagos Islands. Translucent blue water, sea lions lounging in the shade, marine iguanas swimming through the…
Read More Galápagos Islands
Montañita

Montañita

Published:
After spending several weeks exploring the Andes and the Amazon, it was time to hit the beach. I took a bus to Guayaquil, stayed one night in the metropolis, and…
Read More Montañita
The Amazon

The Amazon

Published:
I spent my first 10 days in Ecuador living near 10,000 feet above sea level. I enjoyed the mountains, but it was time to get lower. I made my way…
Read More The Amazon
Quito Ecuador

Quito, Ecuador

Published:
The sun set over Miami, and when it rose again, I was in Ecuador. Modern travel is fast, efficient, and…unromantic. I would have preferred to earn my entry into South…
Read More Quito, Ecuador
2015 Around America

20,000 Miles

Published:
24,901 Miles – The distance around the earth 20,000 Miles – The distance I traveled in my van around the United States in 2015 In March of 2015 I bought…
Read More 20,000 Miles
Arizona Vans

Arizona

Published:
I could almost hear a sigh of relief from Tantor as we slowed to a park in front of Grandpa’s townhouse. 20,000 miles in 5 months was a lot to…
Read More Arizona
Go Westy Young Man

Go Westy Young Man

Published:
Leaving Florida I had 10 days until I needed to be in Arizona for Thanksgiving. It wasn’t a lot of time, considering that I wanted to see new cities, visit…
Read More Go Westy Young Man
Florida

Florida

Published:
I woke up sweating in a truck stop gas station just a mile north of the state line. The overnight temperatures hovered near 80, meaning I had a warm balmy…
Read More Florida
Georgia

Georgia

Published:
My first stop in Georgia was Hiawassee to see Jim and Maggie, our first “Trail Angels” on the Appalachian Trail in 2012. They had met us the day that we…
Read More Georgia
Appalachia

Appalachia

Published:
The day that I left Indiana I woke up on a couch in my buddy’s basement, which was good because it was below freezing inside my van in his driveway….
Read More Appalachia
The Great Plains

The Great Plains

Published:
With Tantor back in running condition we were ready to cover some miles. I had a few more places I wanted to see in Wyoming and South Dakota, but then…
Read More The Great Plains
Broken in Bighorn

Broken in Bighorn

Published:
Sunday morning I woke up at 3:00 AM in a Walmart parking lot in Cody, Wyoming. “Am I moving too fast?” I pondered. “Should I slow down and enjoy this…
Read More Broken in Bighorn
Yellowstone Take 2

Yellowstone Take 2

Published:
On a crisp autumn morning I drove toward Yellowstone National Park through patchy clouds below snow capped peaks. My first visit to Yellowstone had been just one month ago, but…
Read More Yellowstone Take 2
Washington

Washington

Published:
I was looking forward to my visit to Seattle, partly because I had never been to the city, but mostly because my cousin Brad had just arrived in town for…
Read More Washington
Oregon Coast

Oregon Coast

Published:
It was late August and I’d been FunEmployed and living on the road for just over 2 months. Most of that time I’d been staying with family, sleeping indoors, with…
Read More Oregon Coast
Ashland Oregon

Ashland, Oregon

Published:
I drove east along the Oregon Trail and got lost in the nostalgia of sitting in the middle school computer lab, shooting pixilated deer, and praying that I wouldn’t drown…
Read More Ashland, Oregon
Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Published:
I left Breckenridge and drove north through Colorado and into Wyoming, covering 500 miles in a single day. It was more driving than I like to do in one stretch,…
Read More Yellowstone
Colorado

Colorado

Published:
My first month of FunEmployment was spent based in Arizona, as well as traveling to Michigan and the Appalachian Trail in New England. I had not slept in the van…
Read More Colorado
Explore Dream Discover

I Quit…Again.

Published:
Well, I’ve done it again. I quit a perfectly good job with fantastic career opportunities.For what?Last time it was to hike the Appalachian Trail.This time?To hit the road and live…
Read More I Quit…Again.