I have been a runway model in Malaysia since 2008 and was honored as the Stylo Model of the Year in 2012. Alongside my modeling career, I maintained a full-time job to keep myself busy. Before quitting my job a few months ago, I managed to travel only a few times a year for modeling gigs in countries like China, Korea, Indonesia, and Australia.

One rare and unforgettable night, I met Dan of VagabondBuddha, my partner in crime. Dan has lived a life most people only dream of, being a digital nomad for over 17 years and traveling to more than 70 countries. His adventures fascinated me, and since we met in 2016, we have traveled together to Bali, Langkawi, Hanoi, and Shanghai. I watched him seamlessly work online while we traveled, which impressed me greatly.

After observing Dan for a year and a half, I decided to quit my job and join him on his adventures. I sold my car, and now we explore the world together. Some of my friends were initially skeptical, as they didn’t see the digital nomad lifestyle as a viable option. In Asian culture, there’s often an expectation to have a stable job, a place to live, and to stay close to family. They wanted me to live a conventional life, but that wasn’t for me. I disliked the constraints, such as my employer not approving my holiday requests. The traditional Asian lifestyle felt too limiting.

However, after a few months of traveling, my friends noticed how much happier I was. Now, many of them support my choice to live my dreams, although a few have supported me from the start. You might wonder about my parents, given our Asian background. Fortunately, my family is open-minded and happy with my decisions as long as I am happy.

Hobo Ventures will share stories about how to save money while traveling the world. We will provide tips on finding cheap flights, affordable accommodations, and how to work or make money online to live the digital nomad lifestyle. I hope our insights will help you achieve your travel dreams too.

Thanks for reading this post. All the best, Qiang Hui.