Given our current political and economic climate, this is a question I’m getting a lot. Some people are looking for a temporary escape. Others are testing the waters for a permanent move.

The good news is it’s easier than you might think to pull off. 

When I first left my role as a venture-backed COO to start my consulting business, I was seven months pregnant. That meant I couldn’t fly all over the country to sit with clients in person every other week. 

So, back in 2017, I learned how to work remotely so I could show up for my ambitious clients, while also being a new mother. 

That was not an option for most back then. 

But that all changed in 2020

The pandemic kicked open the door to remote work. 

The stigma of people working from home, in coffee shops, or even from random places around the world totally collapsed. We were all just doing our best back then, with babies crashing interviews and MacGuyvered “office setups” in our dining rooms.

COVID-19 sucked. But it forced changes to when and how we work that many of us did like.

Today, we live in a fundamentally different work environment. Flexible work options are plentiful. We, and everyone we work with, knows how to use remote technology tools. 

The work infrastructure that exists now makes it much easier to be a digital nomad, whether it’s for a few days or forever. If you’re thinking about a trial run, here’s what you need to know.

Your passport and your travel options

If you have a valid U.S. passport that has at least a year before renewal, you’ve got options. Lots of ‘em. The Passport Index is a great resource for researching current visa requirements around the world.

For example, (as of writing this) you can stay up to 90 days in Belgium, Portugal, and Morocco. If that’s not long enough, you could go to Mexico for 180 days. Some places require a tourist visa first, but many will let you stay for the duration with just your passport and a round-trip plane ticket. 

If part way through, you decide, “I want to stay here longer,” many countries will let you apply for a visa, while you’re there. Once you fill out that paperwork, you get to stay in the country while your application is under review. 

Some countries now have a digital nomad visa, which allows you to do work for your U.S. employer (or your own firm) for a longer period while enjoying that country. 

Another option is a non-lucrative visa. This may require you to be in the country a minimum amount per year, and excludes you from employment with local companies. You’ll have to show you have enough money in your bank account to pay for yourself for the length of your stay. 

Generally though, as long as you’re not taking a local job from a citizen, most countries will say, “Come on over! Assert your buying power on our economy!”

Finally, don’t forget to factor time zone changes into your decision-making. I had no problem keeping up with standard U.S. working hours while we lived in Spain, but the entire country was set up for late-night activities. Other places, not so much.

Square away your snail mail situation

Even if you’re living it up in Antigua, the economic nexus of your business will remain stateside.

Not everything can be sent electronically -- e.g., some notices and letters from federal, state, and local governments must be received on paper to a mailing address. You also have taxes, registrations, and licenses you need to keep current. 

You need a way to get correspondence in a timely manner, so you can run your business. One option is to set up a virtual mailbox, which will receive your paper mail and deliver an electronic scan. You can also have your mail forwarded for up to six months to a trusted third party. 

Review your current banking relationship

You need to think about your financial ground game -- what do you need to be able to do without having to physically set foot inside a bank while you’re gone?

Do you have any banking relationships that are heavily reliant on physical proximity? Credit unions and local banks typically don’t offer robust digital services. They also aren’t always great with international transfers and ATM access.

If that’s what you’re working with currently, you may want to think about opening up a new account at a larger US bank. Or see if your existing bank can integrate with an international transfer specialist like Wise. Transfers of less than US$10,000 are not scrutinized.

Of course, we’ve got to talk about taxes

Uncle Sam doesn’t mind if you’re kicking it on the beach in Barbados for a few months, so long as you send those sweet, sweet tax dollars back home.

That’s right. You’re still a U.S. citizen who will owe federal and state taxes. 

But determining what counts as a legitimate business expense can get tricky. Is it appropriate to pay for your flights back and forth through the business? If it’s for a meeting, obviously. If you’re flying your family out, maybe not so much.

Meet with your accountant before you hop on a plane. Discuss a strategy of what you’re both cool with running through your business as an expense and what you’re not, before your fork is in the Sachertorte.

Communicate, communicate, communicate

We lived in Spain for about a year. 

I emailed all of my clients in advance, “Yes, we’re moving to Spain, but don’t worry, it’s all going to look and feel the same.”

Even so, there were people who never realized I left. One client during a call asked, “Why is it so dark where you are?”

I reminded her I was in Spain. Did she not remember the email?

“Oh yeah, I guess you did. I just never noticed. Everything is remote nowadays.”

Don’t scare your clients by overcommunicating, but you do need to let them know. If you’re planning on keeping the same hours relatively, it can be as simple as saying, “Hey, we’re going to be abroad this summer, and nothing is going to change for you!”

There’s another upside to going abroad

I cannot tell you how much of a break for your mental health it is to leave the U.S. 

Here, the news cycle and algorithmic content are unrelenting. The economy feels volatile. Threats to our safety are increasing. And the noise of a midterm election year has barely started.

Intellectually, we know this is a lot for us to hold as humans. That gets even harder when you’re also a parent who has to contextualize everything for your children. 

Outside the U.S., you will quickly realize how much you’re carrying when you’re finally able to set that all down. The reset effect this will have on your mental health cannot be overstated. And you will realize, you are not going crazy. This is not normal. These people see it’s messed up.

Yes, it will take intentional preparation to do this right. But if you’re thinking this might be what you need right now, and you have the resources, go for it. You can see the world, give yourself a break, and still make an impact with your business.

Ready to get started? Great, here’s what you do:

Have more questions? Book a free 20-minute strategy session.

It’s that time of year again when I remind you of Los Angeles’ messy gross receipts tax filing deadline. The blog post below has been updated with the latest information for 2026 renewals.

$5.56 Kirkland pinot grigio. Costco held the line at $4.99 through January, but the pre-tariff reserves have run out. Now that we’re through the holidays -- the point where many retailers were able to stock up pre-tariffs -- I’m watching price inflation. More companies are deciding it’s time to pass costs on to consumers.

$600 billion AI investment. In Q4 earnings calls, Amazon, NVIDIA, Google and Meta announced a combined $600 billion in planned 2026 AI investments. For reference, that’s the GDP of Norway. Will those investments pay off? How long will it take? What’s being traded off in the meantime?

Jobs recession and consumer sentiment. Last week’s jobs reports suggested that we’re moving from low hire, low fire to no hire, some fire. Consumer sentiment is significantly more negative than it was in February 2025.

Live events. In a world where bots do the online things, humans are becoming more engaged with offline things. Investors are competing to own the best live events, sports, and performances. Live events require human expertise -- like figuring out how to turn 378 people into clumps of grass. Roadies are in demand. 

ICYMI, here are resources you should know about:

What’s a productivity hack that high-performers actually use? We want to feel productive, not just busy. But LinkedIn has a way of making you feel like you’re failing if you’re not waking up at 4 a.m. for a run and eating a breakfast of goat milk yogurt you made from scratch (of course). Which is why you need to hear this reminder: “We’ve been conditioned to believe meaningful work requires perfect conditions. It doesn’t. It just needs to happen.”

Your customers are out there… but where? If your ideal customer is defined by a specific age range or stage of life, your challenge is quite literally to meet them where they are. New data from Statista helps with this. If you’re targeting Gen Z, you’ll see where they’re congregating online. If you’re wondering why TV is now all ads for addressing the maladies of aging, you’ll learn that, too. Or you can join my laughter as a 10-year-old asks, “Mom, why does this lady think I need Poise pads?” Ad targeting remains a work in progress.