Hit 30 countries as a digital nomad last week and it felt totally different than I expected

I thought it'd be some big milestone but mostly I just realized how much time I've spent in airports and coffee shops instead of actually seeing places, anyone else feel the numbers stop mattering after a while?

3 comments

3 Comments

kai_burns7314h ago

The numbers game actually keeps things fresh for me. Hitting 30 countries means you're collecting experiences most people only dream about. Those airports and coffee shops you mention are part of the lifestyle, not a downside. Each flight is a chance to reset and see something new. Without the count, you'd probably just end up sitting in the same coffee shop at home instead of one in Bangkok or Lisbon.

alice92813h ago

I've been in that exact spot where you're justifying the count to yourself. What worked for me was setting a hard rule of staying at least 3 nights in each new country, not just passing through for a stamp. You end up remembering the actual neighborhood you stayed in, not just the airport terminal. The coffee shop in Bangkok becomes the one where the owner remembered your name after two visits, not just a generic stop. Have you tried slowing down like that, even just a little, to see if it changes how you feel about the numbers?

corah7513h ago

That 3 night rule hit me hard because I spent a whole summer doing 48 hours max in like 15 countries and I barely remember half of them lol. I started doing the same thing but with hostels instead of countries - staying at least 4 nights in one spot so you actually learn the local bus routes and which 7/11 has the freshest sandwiches. It doesn't fix everything but it definitely made my travel memories less blurry.