I sat down with Andy Whisney, a digital nomad, marketer, writer, photographer and dog lover to get to know more about him and his unique lifestyle. Andy has travelled to over half the country on a path that many young entrepreneurs, freelancers, and remote workers have decided to take since 2020: digital nomadism.
Since 2022, Andy has documented his journey which he now shares with his thousands of followers on social media. Check out Andy's Instagram here for a closer look into his travels.
Digital nomads are remote workers who typically move between different locations, working from coffee shops, co-working spaces, or public libraries. They don't have a "permanent" home and instead choose to travel at their own discretion, working from wherever they choose. This flexibility allows them to see the world, explore, and adventure without the constraints of an office space or 9-5 schedule.
According to multiple online sources, there has been an increase in digital nomadism of approximately 131% since 2019, with about 45% of the 40 million nomads worldwide coming from the United States.
This lifestyle has clearly gained popularity worldwide and, while it sounds very interesting, I can't help but wonder what the reality of this lifestyle entails. Is it really that easy to jump around month to month and travel non-stop? Does it get lonely? And most importantly, what does a nomadic lifestyle teach out about the world and how you view it?
Life as a Digital Nomad with Andy Whisney
Tell us a bit about yourself!
My name is Andy Whisney! I am originally from Wayzata, Minnesota - a smaller suburb about 20 minutes outside of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul.
How and why did you decide to become a digital nomad?
Even since I started freelancing in 2017, I always had the itch to become a digital nomad. From 2017 until 2022, I was always tied up in rental agreements or didn't feel entirely ready to leap. It wasn't until some life events in 2022 that I realize it was the perfect time to leave.
What led you to this path?
In 2021 my brother and I got a text from our dad saying he had a doctors appointment and that he wanted us to go with him. You can imagine the weight of that text message. The night before his appointment, I told him I would take his dog - Pepper - as soon as he needed me to. At the time she was an almost 3-year-old Silver Lab, so she had some energy. She was a lot to handle for anyone, let alone someone with a life-changing diagnosis looming.
Fast-forward to January 2022, and I realized it was time to take Pepper with me. My dad's health had deteriorated to the point where she wasn't being taken care of as well as she could be. So I adopted her from my dad that weekend, and we drove to my 710 square foot, one-bedroom apartment in downtown Minneapolis. I then knew my living situation wouldn't work well for us.
Pictured: Best friends Andy & Pepper
My father ended up passing away in May of 2022 and, after a few weeks of getting his affairs in order, I started to chew on the idea of leaving MN for a while. Plus, my apartment lease was up in November - so I decided that would be when we'd hit the road.
I packed all of my stuff into a storage unit in Minneapolis and on November 1st we drove to Austin, TX where we'd stay for six months. Once that was up, we'd head to Colorado for a month, then back to MN for the summer.
And since then we haven't looked back.
What has this lifestyle taught you and how do these learnings reflect in other areas of your life?
That nothing changes if nothing changes. I had always considered doing this but never felt completely ready. Once I felt ready and went for it, then I started diving head first into other things. I needed residency in a different state because I no longer had a mailing address in MN. So I looked into doing that, and I'm now a resident of South Dakota (it's insanely easy to become a resident of South Dakota, btw). I then needed to register my car there - that took forever, but it got done. I then created a new business in the state of South Dakota and turned my LLC into an S-Corp, all while traveling.
I don't recommend doing these things while traveling because they add so many new stressors to an already stressful lifestyle, but I mention them as examples of just jumping in and doing something. Most of mine were out of necessity, but the jumping in aspect stands out to me as something that I've gotten better at while being a digital nomad.
Pictured: Pepper enjoying views of the Pacific Ocean
How has this lifestyle impacted how you view others and the world around you?
That everyone is the same and has the same goals - people just want to be happy. They want to be heard and seen and listened to. Everyone is incredibly nice - in fact, the only bad experiences I've had with people since being on the road are when I go back to Minnesota. "Minnesota nice" is only real if you're from Minnesota. It's very cliquey.
How do you deal with uncertainty, loneliness, or any other difficulties that pertain to living this lifestyle or working as a solo entrepreneur?
I'm a very independent person at heart, so countless hours on the road or living by myself has never been an issue. Plus, I've got my dog with me everywhere I go. I'll work from WeWork occasionally or at fun coffee shops just to feel the buzz of people around me, but typically, I work very well alone.
The uncertainty is real, for sure, but I've become a much better planner throughout the process - I need to be so I can find a place to live for an extended period.
Pictured: On the edge in Sedona, AZ
Pictured: Sunrise at Joshua Tree, CA
Do you have any mistakes or learning experiences that could be helpful to share with the audience?
If you plan on going on a road trip, always check the weather. A 16-hour drive from Denver to Phoenix in December taught me that lesson. The drive should've only been 11 hours. Also - pack less than you think you need. You'll learn to get by with whatever you pack.
What’s your biggest takeaway from this experience that you would like to share?
Just do it. Try it. Try something you've always wanted to try but has never felt quite right. And go on more road trips! It's the BEST way to see the country. I can't tell you how many cute towns or ghost towns I've driven through that I never would've known existed unless I had driven through them.
More quick questions:
- How many states have you visited? What about countries? 27 states total! And never been out of the country, aside from Puerto Rico!
- Where is your favorite place that you’ve traveled to and why? Joshua Tree was magical. Mariposa, CA was pretty and right near Yosemite. Reno, NV was actually an awesome little town and an incredibly scenic drive from there to Las Vegas.
- Favorite food? Or which place that you visited had the best food? New Mexico had the best food by far. Minneapolis, of course, is great but if I had to pick a place during my travels it'd be New Mexico.
- How does the nomad lifestyle work? How often do you move around? I typically stay in one place per month, but that gets pretty exhausting so I'm looking to spend longer in different places. Currently I'm in Denver until at least the end of January!
- What’s the next step for you? Or do you have no idea yet? Not super sure yet! Denver for now, back to Minneapolis for a bit in the Summer I'm sure. We'll see where the wind blows us!
A huge thank you to Andy for participating in this interview and sharing his experiences with us! Interested in digital nomadism? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
