5 Things I Wish I Had Done Before Becoming a Full-Time Solo Nomad
When I decided to become a full-time nomad and start living around the world, I was running mostly off excitement, intuition, and a deep internal feeling that I needed a different life. I was tired of the routine, tired of feeling boxed in, and honestly just wanted to experience more of the world while I still had the energy and freedom to do it.
What I didn’t realize is that becoming a full-time nomad requires a different level of long-term thinking than regular travel. I handled a lot of the major things before leaving, but there were smaller administrative details and planning decisions I simply didn’t think about because I had never lived this way before. There are so many little things that can either make your life smoother… or quietly become ongoing stressors while you’re trying to build a life in another country.
Now, while I don’t regret leaving at all, there are definitely some things I wish I had handled before I embarked on this journey. So if you’re thinking about becoming a full-time solo traveler, especially long-term, hopefully this helps you avoid some of my mistakes.
1. I Wish I Had Researched At Least 6 Countries Before Leaving
When I first started my journey, I really only had about 2 countries in mind lol. I knew I wanted to go to Brazil eventually and had interest in a couple other places, like Guatemala and El Salvador, but I didn’t really sit down and strategically think through my options.
I wish I would’ve created a full list of at least 6 countries I was interested in visiting and why I wanted to visit them. Not just because they looked pretty online, but because they matched the lifestyle I actually wanted.
Things I wish I would’ve researched deeper:
Weather patterns throughout the year
Cost of living
Community/social life
Flight costs between nearby countries
Now I understand why so many nomads strategically move by region. A lot of people slowly move through Southeast Asia, South America, Europe, etc. because it makes transportation easier and cheaper. I was kinda just planning to spiritually floating into places and figuring it out as I went lol.
Which honestly has been beautiful in its own way… but a little expensive too.
2. I Wish I Had Renewed My Passport Before Leaving the U.S.
My passport expires next April 2027.
Now at first I was like, “Oh, that’s still far away.” But what I didn’t think about is the fact that when you’re traveling long-term, passport expiration dates matter WAY earlier than you think they do.
Many countries require 6 months validity remaining on your passport for entry. Some visas also become more annoying depending on expiration timelines.
So now instead of just casually renewing my passport comfortably in the United States before leaving in Fall 2025, I’ll likely have to deal with renewing it through a foreign embassy while abroad.
Doable? Yes.
Annoying to think about? Also yes lol.
I really wish I would’ve just handled it beforehand while everything was easy and familiar.
If your passport expires within the next 1-2 years and you’re thinking about long-term travel, just renew it before you leave. Trust me.
3. I Wish I Had Gotten a Copy of My Birth Certificate
Listen…
I have not had a copy of my birth certificate since I got my passport years ago because I never needed it. So in my mind, I just completely forgot birth certificates existed outside of elementary school registration and getting your first ID lol.
Very un-adultlike of me, I know I know lol
But this has actually come back to bite me because I currently can’t apply for Brazil’s Digital Nomad Visa since I don’t have my birth certificate with me.
And yes, I know I can probably order it online. I know... Before y’all start lecturing me in the comments lol.
I just genuinely have not had the mental energy to deal with another international administrative task right now. Sometimes when you’re constantly moving, navigating another language, planning finances, creating content, and figuring out daily life, even small paperwork tasks start feeling emotionally exhausting.
So now I’m sitting here like…
“Wow. A birth certificate really matters as an adult and i should keep it with me.”
That’s Growth and a lesson learned.
Please make sure you have:
Your birth certificate
Passport copies
ID copies
Extra passport photos
Digital backups of important documents
Printed backups too honestly
Vaccine paperwork, like Yellow Fever
Future you will thank you.
4. I Wish I Understood How Much Brazil Likes to Keep Things “In House”
Brazil has honestly been one of my favorite countries I’ve ever experienced. The community aspect here feels so much stronger than what I’m used to in the United States. People are outside together, eating together, existing together. I genuinely love that.
But one thing I did not fully understand before coming is how much Brazil prefers to operate within its own systems financially.
A major example is PIX.
PIX is basically Brazil’s instant payment system and almost everybody uses it. Some businesses prefer it over cards completely. Some smaller businesses ONLY use PIX. It’s deeply integrated into daily life here.
The issue is… getting access to PIX as a foreigner can be annoying.
Most traditional banks require a CPF (Brazilian tax ID number), Brazilian phone number and proof of local address…and many systems are designed assuming you’re already somewhat integrated into Brazil administratively. There are some online banking options people use to access PIX as foreigners, but you need to research carefully because you want to make sure you can actually transfer money from your home country banking systems into those accounts smoothly.
A few options travelers and expats commonly look into include:
Wise (This is who I signed up with… I just haven’t finished setting it up)
Inter&Co (Banco Inter)
Some people also eventually open Brazilian bank accounts after obtaining a CPF and something with a local address on it. This can be bypassed by getting a phone number, using your AirBnb for a couple of months to get a bill. But I don’t know how legal that is… so don’t quote me.
Personally? I eventually let the whole thing go because I’ll likely be leaving Brazil within the next month anyway and I just don’t have the energy to keep running around corners trying to force systems to work lol.
But if you plan to stay long-term in Brazil, understanding CPF, PIX, and banking access EARLY will make your life significantly easier. I have a blog post HERE sharing how to get a CPF as a foreigner.
5. I Wish I Had Researched Flight Prices Between Countries Better
This one has been humbling me BAD lol.
When people talk about full-time travel online, they’ll say things like:
“Oh, flights around the world are so cheap!”
And technically… most times they are.
But what they don’t explain enough is how seasons completely affect your movement strategy.
Right now, many of the cheaper countries to fly to from Brazil are entering colder seasons and I absolutely hate cold weather. And before somebody from neutral spaces starts laughing at me, please understand that anything below 70 degrees feels disrespectful to my spirit lol.
So now I’m having to make a choice:
either go somewhere cheaper and colder,
or spend more money to stay aligned with warm climates.
And because I prefer warm weather year-round, my next move is probably going to cost me more financially than I originally planned.
I really wish I would’ve mapped out:
regional flight paths,
seasonal weather patterns,
airline hubs,
and average monthly flight costs between countries beforehand.
Because once you start traveling full-time, you realize transportation becomes part of your living expenses/budget too, not just a vacation splurge.
In Conclusion…
Even with all of this, I still don’t regret becoming a full-time nomad at all.
This lifestyle has stretched me mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially, and honestly administratively too lol. It’s forced me to become more adaptable, more resourceful, and more aware of how differently countries operate outside of the United States.
But I do think social media romanticizes this lifestyle a lot without talking enough about the paperwork, the planning, the exhaustion, the banking systems, the visa research, the document organization, and the constant decision making involved. That’s why I’m sharing so much about my experiences
You don’t just travel.
You basically learn how to rebuild life over and over again in different places.
And weirdly enough… I think that’s part of why I love it so much… what can I say… I’m an Aries at heart lol