Becoming a digital nomad in Albania in 2022
I’m moving to Albania in 2022. I want to become a digital nomad in Albania. For over two years, I have been learning the tools and platforms I need to become a digital nomad in Albania. Yes, there are many variations on the theme of “digital nomad” so I will describe what it means to me. In addition, you can get residence permits for Albania if you are a digital nomad.
For me, becoming a digital nomad will mean having two or three permanent locations that I move between, roughly like the Trifecta Plan that the Nomad Capitalist speaks about in his videos. So, I may have a location in the United States and a location or two in Albania. Maybe somewhere else in the Balkans or Eastern Europe. My initial focus will be on gathering information in Albania on subjects such as farming, gardening, agrotourism, small scale food production, and permaculture. I am adding posts on my blog, making videos for YouTube, and create and selling e-books.
Being a digital nomad implies that you will be working online with computers and digital devices to turn your activities into income. You could be an employee of a company that allows you to work anywhere in the world you want; You may be a traveling independent contractor who does gigs for companies and people; or you might create content under your own name and logo.
A digital nomad in Albania can create both goods and services
A digital nomad can create both goods and services. Do you make websites, e-books, or YouTube videos? Or do you write code or help people with their social media accounts? Maybe, you facilitate webinars, teach courses, or coach individuals? True, the territory of being a digital nomad is enormous. But, as you can imagine, becoming a digital nomad is a personal process that each person can tailor to their needs and desires.
I’m no expert on the subject. But, I want to become a digital nomad in Albania in 2022. At 56 years old, I’m an American GenXer. I’m a solid analog native that rejected the computer revolution in my youth! Now, as an older person, I embrace the labyrinth of the digital world. Persistence and willingness are as important as skills when your brain isn’t as sharp as it once was! Frequent repetition and continual immersion in the activities and tools of being a digital nomad are important to me. Below, I will describe the platforms, software, and equipment that I use so far in my journey to become a digital nomad in Albania!
There are so many things to learn and so many tasks associated with all of these platforms, software, and equipment. The pressure to keep up can be crushing and cause you to give up. For me, becoming a digital nomad is a long process. Basically, I’m an old (ish), non-digital native with decreasing brain power. I’m lucky that I don’t need to make money from it immediately. I wouldn’t recommend that for anyone who is trying to get up to speed quickly with so many tasks and processes. The cliche “Slow and steady wins the race” seems to apply here!
So far, these are the platforms, software, and equipment that I use in my quest to become a digital nomad. Obviously, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of choices. It’s a digital jungle out there! What platforms, software and equipment do you use? Why?
Platforms for becoming a digital nomad
YouTube: I created a YouTube account in 2020 and have posted less than ten videos. But, as you know, keeping a consistent posting schedule is important. In the future, I will attempt to post once a week to begin. I am also interested in live streaming. Making money from YouTube, or monetization, is a goal for many YouTubers. It is important to create a strategy and learn how to post with this goal in mind. I am still not close to monetization, but it is a goal, so I will pursue it the best I can.
Facebook: The best marketing tools are on Facebook. Yet, I have been reluctant to use Facebook though I have a page called Scotty Bones HQ https://www.facebook.com/scottyboneshq. I basically don’t like their boss or them. But, I could probably get lots of good, targeted exposure if I use their services. We’ll see.
Instagram: I have three Instagram accounts but I need to just focus on my account @scottyboneshq. I have studied and taken lots of notes about how to increase my following. It’s hard to stay on top of everything! That said, you can link your Instagram to Facebook so that your IG posts go to your Facebook page automatically. I might do that.
Showit: Showit is a website building platform that allows you to build custom websites, or use templates, without knowing any code. It isn’t simple to use, but it allows you to create a highly customized website. I’ve had my website scottybones.com on it for 3 years. They contract with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host Showit websites.
WordPress: I have a WordPress blog that is also hosted by by Showit. The theme is the same as my website so the look is consistent for both.
Flodesk: I use Flodesk for my email list. To be honest, I chose it because I got a lifetime $19/month subscription for subscribing while they were in their beta phase. Like all platforms with lots of functionality, the key for me is to learn the quirks of each one’s navigation and take notes to refer back to when I need them.
Pinterest- I am trying to go from just collecting and making pins of Nicolas Cage to using my Pinterest account
to engage with people looking for what I have to offer. I took a free Pinterest Boot Camp (link) to learn the basics. Apparently, the optimum posting schedule is 2 to five times a day. As I learn how to create and post Pins, I might strive for one a week!
Canva: I created my second e-book on Canva https://www.canva.com/. I hired someone to create my first one. It was not difficult though I took a long break in the middle of production. So I had to basically re-learn all of the little tricks I had figured out.
Shopify- I have the Shopify Lite account for $9/month. It gives the subscriber an admin page (but NOT an online store) and allows the user to create “Buy Buttons” to embed on their website or blog. When someone clicks on the Buy Button, the Shopify Cart opens and the transaction is completed through Shopify. I only have digital products, so the customer gets a download link after they pay.
Ko-fi: I started a Ko-fi page to start building support for my work. It’s similar to the more well known Patreon, a way to allow people to support you through one time donations or a monthly subscriptions.
Software for becoming a digital nomad in Albania
Capture One: This is an advanced image editing software that competes with Adobe Lightroom. I watched a lot of videos comparing the two and I chose Capture One, though now I don’t remember why. I bought a one time download for $300, rather than a monthly subscription. In retrospect, I might have chosen a subscription to receive new versions as they arrive. Though the $300 was cheaper per month vs a year of monthly payments, upgrades for new versions for me are much more expensive to add vs monthly payments.
GarageBand: It comes free on my computer https://www.apple.com/mac/garageband/. And it’s pretty good. I know that there are better sound editing softwares out there. But until my skills become so good that GarageBand is holding back my genius, I’ll stick with it.
iMovie: The same goes for iMovie as for GarageBand.
Yoast SEO– I use the free Yoast SEO plugin on WordPress to help optimize my blog posts for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It is very thorough. They also have tools that are available to buy. I’m considering a paid subscription because I do believe that ranking high in search results for your subject matter is very important. If people don’t see your work online, you don’t exist!
Tools for becoming a digital nomad in Albania
Fujifilm X-E3 camera: I love the mirrorless camera! It’s smaller than my previous Canon camera. It also has an old rangefinder look, which is quite a conversation starter. I watched a lot of videos on cameras. I wanted a high entry level camera with a good reputation and good looks. It shoots 4K video and the controls can be customized to the extreme. With a pancake lens, it fits in the hoodie pocket and is perfect for street photography as well as video.
iPhone SE: I stick with the SE because it’s small. My eyes tell me I should get a bigger phone. But my pocket says no! My desire for shiny new objects says I need a new iPhone. But my wallet doesn’t think it’s worth it. Either you can tell a good story or you can’t. I’m sticking with SE! (Update Feb 2022: My SE is crashing and battery is weak, so I’m caving in and getting a new iPhone 13 with 256 GB of memory. I keep my phones for a minimum of two years, so it should serve my emerging vlogging needs for quite awhile.
Apple iMac 2015 model: I have a 6 year old Mac that still has plenty of life in it. I prefer my 27 inch screen over my iPhone for working on image files and putting together videos.
Apple MacBook Air 2020 model: I use my Macbook for research and writing. I make sure I have ebooks and research articles here for when I have some spare time and want to do constructive reading.
DJI OM5 Gimbal: I’m debating whether or not to get the gimbal. I’m not huge on selfies but I really like the stabilizing functions. My Fujifilm camera is not so good for walking. Between still shots and more stationary videos with the X-E3, and walking footage with the iPhone on the DJI gimbal, I may have a nice solution that’s not terrible expensive.
LaCie External Hard Drive: For backing up all of my files, I have a LaCie external hard drive with 2 Tb of storage.
Becoming a digital nomad is a process
The amount of skills you have to learn to become a digital nomad can seem overwhelming. But don’t let discouragement or setbacks stop your momentum. I built and erased three websites on Showit before I published my current one and it’s still not that great. I accidentally linked my website domain to a Shopify store that automatically changed all of my Domain Name Server (DNS) settings. It took me two hours to fix it! With every single one of the platforms, softwares, and tools above, I dive it, learn, fail, and move forward slowly. Only now, after three years of working at it do I feel capable enough to feed my website and social media accounts with consistent, high-quality images and writings. Remember, “A master has failed more times than a beginner has tried.” Keep trying, never give up!
[…] Becoming A Digital Nomad in Albania in 2022 […]