Nomad Numbers Blog

Luye International Hot Balloon Festival

If you’re looking for a unique summer experience in Taiwan, a visit to Luye for the International Hot Air Balloon Festival is a must. This one-of-a-kind event runs – in the summer – for a few weeks each year, bringing together hot air balloons from dozens of countries, showcasing their vibrant designs. As a visitor you will be able to enjoy the show and sign up for a balloon ride and take in the stunning landscapes of this beautiful region. In this 3-day itinerary, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know—what to do, when to visit, how to get there, and tips to make the most of your time at the festival.

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By Mr. Nomad Numbers, ago

Nomad Checklist: 9 Things to Prepare for Nomadic Life

Embarking on a nomadic lifestyle is an exciting adventure that requires careful planning and preparation. When we first took the leap and started our nomadic life in 2018, it was very thrilling but also very stressful and overwhelming. We’ve put together a comprehensive nomad checklist of 9 things to prepare for nomadic life to ensure you have a smooth journey. Some of these things take time so make sure you plan well in advance to avoid a last-minute crunch.

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By Mrs. Nomad Numbers, ago

Visit Ogimi Village, Okinawa: Half-Day Itinerary in Japan’s Blue Zone

Prioritizing health and wellness is a cornerstone of our lives, with a fitness goal of staying active well into our 80s and 90s. We draw immense inspiration from the blue zones—regions of the world where residents often live past 100 years, thanks to their healthy lifestyles. If you’re not familiar with blue zones, they are areas known for their exceptionally long-lived populations, including Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Loma Linda, California. There was also recently a great Netflix series on this topic “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zone.”  During our visit to Okinawa, Japan, we couldn’t miss exploring the blue zone area of Ogimi Village. In this half-day itinerary guide, you’ll discover what to do, where to eat, where to stay, how to get there, and other tips for experiencing this remarkable blue zone.

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By Mrs. Nomad Numbers, ago

Nomad Packing Essentials: 16 Must-Have Items for Long-Term Travel

We’ve been nomadic and traveling full-time for 6 years and we have gone through a lot of iterations of our packing list. We have swapped a lot of items for better and more travel-friendly items. We have also added items that we didn’t think we needed initially but added more comfort. When you have limited space to carry your life’s belongings around the world with you, you become very selective on those items. In this nomad packing essentials list, we cover 16 must-have items for long-term travel – including tech, toiletries and compact essentials. Many of these items aren’t obvious for a travel packing list but are especially handy for long-term travel. We focused on items that you may not have known existed or may not have known you needed but you will be very glad to have it for your long-term travel!

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By Mrs. Nomad Numbers, ago

Lessons from ‘Die with Zero’ By Bill Perkins – A Book Review and Summary

Die with Zero by Bill Perkins is one of the top few books that recently has had a profound effect on how we approach our lives (which we added to our life changing book recommendations). This book offers a different perspective on personal finance and life optimization that really made us rethink our retirement planning and approach to spending. In this book review, we will break down the key ideas of the book, provide some practical advice as well as share our personal takeaways.

Like many others in the financial independence community, we have been ingrained to save and invest as much as possible to maximize our return. From our cost to travel the world reports we are currently spending between $30,000 and $40,000 per year to support our nomadic lifestyle which is actually well below the return of our portoflio. The concepts introduced in this book has adjusted our mindset on how we make decisions to spend. Let’s get into the Die with Zero book review!

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By Mr. Nomad Numbers, ago

3 Day Itinerary: Kerama Islands, Okinawa

Experience the tropical paradise side of Japan by visiting the Kerama Islands in Okinawa. The Kerama Islands are a chain of islands that are the perfect place to experience the gorgeous ‘Okinawa blue’ waters that this area is famous for. The mainland of Okinawa is actually quite developed and not where you will find the idyllic paradise island images seen on postcards. To experience pristine beaches, crystal clear waters and amazing snorkeling/scuba diving, you must visit the Kerama Islands. In this 3 day itinerary, discover things to do, how to get there, where to eat, where to stay and other tips to enjoy your getaway to paradise!

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By Mrs. Nomad Numbers, ago

Women’s packing list for nomadic long-term travel

We mentioned this already for Mr. NN’s Men’s packing list but it’s worth reiterating. As aspiring minimalists, we made the conscientious decision to live with less as it turns out that less is more. So when it came to packing our stuff, we decided that we would travel the world with carry-on only.

Lets face it, women have different and more challenges packing than men do. We have more toiletries, makeup, products, bags and outfits than men do. And where are we supposed to put all of our shoes?

By Mrs. Nomad Numbers, ago