141 Countries and Counting…
Author: Makenna Taylor-Gonzalez
Johnny Ward is traveling to every country in the world and making $1,000,000 in the process.
Traveling to every country in the world while becoming a millionaire, without ever working a 9–5. That’s Johnny Ward’s dream, and it’s a dream that’s becoming a reality. Johnny recently sat down with the FlyingYak team to chat a little bit about his background and how he funds his travels.
Johnny was born in Ireland and lived there until he was eighteen. From there he went to University in England, graduated with a degree in finance at the age of 22 and then left for Asia to teach English for a year. Only thing is, that was in 2006 — after that year was up, he never returned to Ireland and has been traveling the world ever since.
Where was the first place you traveled alone — What inspired you to keep traveling?
I worked at an American summer camp at eighteen — it was a really cool experience. I’m a very goal orientated person, so once I set my mind on traveling to every country in the world — that was it. I love the freedom of being able to go wherever I want.
What made you want to see every country in the world?
I make my money on the Internet, so I’m free to go wherever I want — it makes me ask the question why more people who work online don’t do it (become a digital nomad, that is).
I get to experience different cultures, cuisines, and have crazy experiences. It feels like I’m really living my life.
Why want to see every country in the world? It’s awesome.
How long do you usually spend in each location — how do you fund your travels?
The duration I spend in each location really depends — for example I was in South Africa for the World Cup, so that was almost six weeks. Vatican city was just a day. It really varies, but on average, about two weeks per country over my whole journey around the world. The funds come from my online biz step4wardmedia.com, onestep4ward.com and findatutor.com.hk.
In fact, Johnny’s dream of becoming a millionaire while traveling the world is coming true — over the past three years, he has cracked the $1,000,000 mark of making money through his online businesses and in the mean time, he’s on country 141.
On his blog, Johnny touches on something a lot of people come across — the romance of being broke and traveling. The concept can be exhilarating, and for a short period of time or a month here and there, it can be a lot of fun. It can be thrilling to not know where you’ll end up. But Johnny says –
“Forever? No chance. Being broke is fun when you’re young and in my experience, the novelty of a broke, nomadic existence didn’t last forever.”
If you’re traveling just to see the world, it can be fun. But at some point, just like many others, Johnny found himself dreaming of something a little more. He didn’t want to ditch the nomadic traveler lifestyle, but he did want to make a living. It was all about marrying the lifestyle of a traveler with the income of a businessperson.
“I might have been dreaming, but it was a dream I would strive for, every day — until I reached it. ‘Digital nomadism’ and lifestyle design were on the up. The rumors of people working from their laptops and traveling the world were being whispered about in hostel dorms. Tim Ferriss was getting famous. I wanted a slice. I had to do it.”
Just like that, Johnny set a goal for himself, to truly become a digital nomad. His journey to the location-independent lifestyle began while he was on the road. In fact, Johnny has never really worked a stereotypical 9–5 job. For him, digital nomadism was the only option in order to continue doing what he loved and maintain a nomadic lifestyle. Becoming a digital nomad was the solution that allowed him to travel and make a living.
What are your go-to tools to keep your blog/businesses up and running?
Just making sure I can be online every two or three days, I travel with my Macbook and iPhone — so as long as I have a connection and those two, I’m all set.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced (big or small)?
Initially it was financial issues, I was broke for the first five years of my travels. Now it’s more logistics, working out which countries I need visas for, can I cross borders or not. For example, West Africa is a nightmare for that.
Do you think your view of the world has changed — how so?
All my travels certainly make me realize how fortunate native English speakers with free education and health care are. If we don’t make the most of our opportunities, it’s almost criminal.
What are the key things you look for when choosing your next destination?
I work in regions. So last year was Mexico to Antarctica throughout Latin America. This year is Cape Town to Casablanca and everything in between.
Have you ever had moments where you worry that you don’t have a “home address”?
I do have one now. I bought a place in Thailand last year, it’s so nice having a place to come back to, best thing I ever did.
Do you see yourself settling down once you’ve hit every country, or do you want to continue to explore?
I’m kind of settled with my place in Bangkok, and I recently bought a place in London too. So that gives me the financial freedom to continue to be free. I’ll always travel for months on end, but perhaps not nine months a year, I’m getting too old for that.
What’s the favorite place you’ve lived so far?
Chiang Mai or Bangkok. Amazing prices, delicious food, great weather, quality international hub, and of course great value.
Where are you going next?
Off to Kuwait for the weekend, then London for a new passport next week, then Tunisia, Algeria, then Sub Saharan Africa until Christmas. Back to Asia in January.
Do you have any advice for the average Joe who wants to become location independent?
It’s all about money. So if you work out a way to make money on the Internet, then you’re free to do anything you want. Blogging is a great way to start.
If you enjoyed this story, make sure to hit the ❤ and share it with others!
Visit us online and begin your own Digital Nomad journey!
