So far we’ve talked a lot about travel preparation and what it takes to be gone from home for extended periods of time. However, there are a ton of books on the market that can tell you about world travel. You chose this book for a specific reason. If you’re like a lot of people the reason is because you’re interested in how you can keep your funds coming in while you take this (probably first) incredible journey. Let’s face it– most of us aren’t trust fund babies and have a hard time saving enough to stay gone more than a couple of months at a time. So, that said, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how people like you and me can make this happen.

GETTING OUR DEFINITIONS STRAIGHT

First, it’s important that we’re on the same page about who we are. Let’s talk about what distinguishes us laptop hobos from a lot of fellow travelers you’ll meet out in the world.

Laptop Hobo vs. Backpacker

Lots of people choose backpacking as a way to see the world. It has its obvious upsides. Backpacks are light weight and afford the freedom to move independently through a variety of travel scenarios. If you’re going to move frequently backpacking is the best choice. You may carry a backpack as a laptop hobo. What makes you unique, however, is that you are actively earning an income while you make your way around the world. The typical backpacker is not.

Laptop Hobo vs. Expat

An expat (expatriate) is a person who is living in a foreign country, usually employed by a foreign employer (such as English teachers do), or may be working for a home country company in a foreign land. For instance, if you worked for Microsoft but were stationed in Bombay you would be considered to be an expat. Expats often stay in one country for long periods, live in expat communities, and mingle with people from their own society who are living in the same country working for the same company. As a laptop hobo you will not be moving across the world to show up to work for a foreign employer or your company in a new location. You will be traveling to where you want to go and connecting with your profession or clientele back home probably using technology.

Laptop Hobo vs. Nu Nomad

As we define it, a laptop hobo tends to be a bit more mobile and perhaps a bit younger and less attached than a nu nomad. While the two share much in common, the nu nomad is more likely to base him/herself in a rented or traded home or apartment, to travel with a spouse and/or family and to be leaving heavier responsibilities on the home-front such as a mortgage. The laptop hobo tends to be a bit more mobile. While the laptop hobo is probably a backpacker, you’d more likely find the nu nomad with a piece of wheeled luggage. However, both are maintaining their professional income from home in order to see the world.