It’s not always that BecomeNomad celebrates such an important milestone, so first and foremost we would like to thank each and every one of you! This project wouldn’t exist without you, and we hope that through our podcast and our blog, we are helping people, whether in a big or small way, to live their best nomadic life.

At the time of the celebration of the 100th episode a few months ago, Eli was traveling through the Balkans, a region he defined as one of his favorites in the world. Dan, for his part, was spending a great time in Berlin while planning a few escapades to the United Kingdom and Croatia. But this is one of the few instances in which actual traveling will take the backseat. The celebration of the 100th Become Nomad episode is a great occasion to reflect on our incredible journey (no pun intended) as nomadic people. We’re all in this together, after all.

Listen to the full pod below!

Keeping a nomadic journal helps celebrate the journey

There are many reasons why Eli and Dan decide every day to keep Become Nomad alive, each of them important, but after 100 episodes, it’s impossible not to think of it as some form of a logbook. Most people reading this will relate to not having a lot of consistency in their lives. No matter how disciplined and organized you are, the fact remains that a life of moving around doesn’t leave a lot of room for it. And that’s how we like it, right? No one gets into this lifestyle to find a restricting routine. But we all need it in some way, no matter how small.

This podcast certainly serves as a kind of journal, not just for the people involved in it but for everyone listening. Coming back to it and knowing that, on the other side, there are people who are going through similar experiences and have either advice on it or understand the situation is comforting, and brings a sense of normalcy in an otherwise unconventional life.

Eli opened up about the importance of the podcast in his life in this episode, and his insight could be enlightening to a nomad looking for somewhere to belong. In his day-to-day life, Eli has his own job. A job that’s different than most, of course, since it allows him to move around almost freely, but at the end of the day what you do for a living defines you. And that might be fine for some people, everybody is different, but being a nomad a lot of the time means being multiple things at the same time. Eli spoke on this and said that he surprised himself by being so consistent with this podcast (which we all appreciate) and reflected on how much it actually helps him.

He also said that Become Nomad is an essential part of who he is, that what we read and hear from him is a true facet of his personality, and that cultivating it comforts him greatly. Because he knows that if someday his work, the one project that defines a big chunk of his life, falls through, he doesn’t have to start from scratch. Because in the many dozens of episodes here, he has documented his nomadic life, he has given it shape, and he has discovered himself. So he will know where to start rebuilding himself.

Whatever shape your “logbook” takes (an actual journal, an audible logbook, another great podcast on nomad life, etc), keeping it will almost definitely help keep you grounded. It will be a compass to guide you through this sometimes convoluted life. You will have an actual place to return to and remind yourself who you are and who you were, and through that, figuring out who you want to be will be so much easier.

Even all these years in, digital nomading is a learning experience

Eli has been a digital nomad since 2010, so one would think that he’s now an expert on this lifestyle that has everything figured out. Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but after over a decade, he said he’s still pretty much learning as he goes along.

This should not discourage beginners, though. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. He warned us in this episode that being a nomad is not a skill that you can master. In fact, he said he felt he knew more when he first started, while now he’s more comfortable embracing the uncertainty and getting a little bit lost from time to time. If you’ve been with us for a long time then you will have noticed that the type of content of this blog, and the podcast, has changed a lot over the years. This is due to two things.

First of all: what Eli was learning at the time. When he was just starting he was still trying to work out the best logistical aspects of nomadic life. The best way to travel, the best places to settle, the most efficient way of working… The pods at the time were a lot more technical.

That’s because second of all: the information we needed in 2012 wasn’t out there for us to find. So Eli had to learn through experience, and once he did he would put it out there for other nomads to hear. We don’t really need that anymore. There are enough blogs with tips out there. And that’s also not what has proven more useful for digital nomads, at least from Become Nomad’s perspective. Talking through experiences not with the purpose of writing down a list of bullet points but as a way to connect with a community enriches nomadic life more than anything else.

That’s also why the idea of massive success was not the goal behind this project. We’ve been very lucky over the years, but that was never the point. Our hosts just want to be companions to other digital nomads, entertain them, and if they get something out of it, then that’s a reward in itself.

100 more to go: Let’s look to our nomadic future

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or you’ve just started on this lifestyle, we’re here for you. As our host Eli said, “as long as it’s fun, we’ll continue.” That’s the simple yet lofty goal for the next 100 episodes. As long as this pod continues to be entertaining and helpful for our friends, you can be sure that Become Nomad will have your back. Nomadic life is a constant learning experience, as this podcast has been for our dear hosts, and we hope to continue sharing the growth and progress with you.

Lastly, you should know that Become Nomad is always open to feedback. You can leave reviews on Apple Podcasts and tell us what you would like to hear about. What you think would be useful to have more insight on or what kind of anecdotes you’d like to hear from our hosts. There are many that will crack you up, so just let us know!