PILGRMR - Around The World

A few weeks back, at PILGRMR, we announced we will reveal stories of digital nomads, expose some of their secrets and demystify the idea that you need to be an IT guru in order to work remotely and travel around the world.

Thus we put together a small questionnaire and we launched an open invitation to digital nomads to fill it in. As it is an on going process, we will feature a nomad each second week.

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Today we will showcase, a fellow Canadian, Stephen Parcalidis aka world.trippin, a digital nomad and content creator who embodies the Pilgrmr concept. Please find below his answers to our questionnaire.

Image source: @WorldTrippin

For how long have you been a full-time nomad? How many countries have you visited so far?

I have been a full-time nomad for 6 months now. The countries I visited so far are Nepal, Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam.

What is your background?

I left my Corporate Finance job in Toronto to travel the world, learn about videography and build a vlog. As I continue to develop my content-creation skills, my objective is to grow an audience online and eventually work with major brands (ie. sponsorships, partnerships, affiliate marketing) to fund further travelling and adventure.

I graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Commerce, Marketing Management Degree. I have also been singing/ songwriting/ rapping since age 13. Have a look at this 1 min clip!

What determined you to start your adventure and become a globe-trotter?

I decided that experience is more valuable than possessions. After attending a 10-day Silent Vipassana Meditation Retreat in 2018, I gained some perspective on what is important in my life. Since I am creative person (singer/ songwriter), I wanted to chase something more aligned with my creative passions and build something of my own instead of working for someone else. Also, I don’t want to wake up one day when I’m 60 and think, “@#^…I really wish I saw the world.

What type of wanderluster are you? Are you travelling solo, with friends or family members?

I`m a solo traveller, meeting up with friends along the way.

What is your monthly budget?

My budget is country-dependent. You can live off $800 USD per month in Thailand, even less in Vietnam. I like to aim for $25 per day in Asia.

What was the biggest challenge you faced while being on the road?

I left home with the intention to build a vlog, create incredible content and grow a project that will eventually support my lifestyle across this adventure. I had never been away from home for longer than two weeks – let alone travelling solo, becoming a backpacker, staying in hostels, and living in Asia.

I struggled with productivity for the first two months while experiencing an adjustment to this new backpacker lifestyle. It takes a lot more work to consistently produce engaging content every day than I anticipated. Now, I have found a work-life balance on the road and I am happy with the direction my project is going.

Image source: @WorldTrippin

What is the number one lesson you learnt so far?

Embrace uncertainty. There were a lot of unknowns after quitting my job to travel – and there still are… However, the more I focus on my goals, grind, learn, improve, fail and repeat, the more optimistic I become, and the less I care about failure.

Once money is no longer a priority, I think consistent happiness is much easier to achieve. I want to grow, be useful in society, make a positive impact in the world, and inspire others to do the same.

It’s very easy to get comfortable and stay in within your comfort zone. Nothing great was ever achieved this way. The more I force myself to do uncomfortable things and push my personal boundaries, the more fearless I become. This mindset has lead to an unstoppable confidence that allows me to keep chasing my dreams.

What hidden gems you discovered so far? From all the places you have been, what is your favorite location?

The Ha Giang Loop in Northern Vietnam. I can’t believe I didn’t hear about this until coming to Vietnam. I suspect this will explode as a tourist destination in the next 5 years.

What tip of advice you have for those considering the idea of taking this path?

Just do the damn thing. Stop waiting, take the leap. Think how much you will regret not trying when you look back in 30 years… If you try and fail, that’s a million times better than not even trying.

Dream big, start small, make lists (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly objectives) and make sure to cross things off those lists every day. The more productive you become, the less you allow stress to affect you. It’s an incredible feeling when you finally start to see results and your hard work begins paying off. Only drives you to keep going further.

What you wish to have known at the beginning of this journey?

Why didn’t I do this earlier?

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If you`d like to know more about his adventures, you can find him on YouTube or Instagram.

If this short post enticed you to travel or learn more about the nomadic lifestyle, subscribe to our newsletter to get our future posts in your inbox!

Please note that this post was previosuly posted on PILGRMR's Best Travel Tips and Tricks blog.