1/ Total freedom isn't always your friend. I always though…

2/ I've lived in 3 countries over 24 months (unintentional nomad). Currently looking for a place to get permanent residence and plant some long-term roots in LATAM.

3/ I've been on-the-ground in 7 LATAM countries, and tbh the more cities I visit, the harder it is for me to know where it is I should be.

4/ There's not a ton holding me to any one place now that my team works remotely, and every place on earth, no matter how perfect, has it's drawbacks.

5/ If I take an in-office job I really want in a place that's 70% optimal, it's easier IMO to commit to that place than if I'm working remotely in a place that's 90% optimal. Why? Because there's real consequences if I decide to leave (losing the job).

6/ As an expat especially, the grass always seems greener somewhere else. That constant allure of the next cool place can distract you from sticking with a place once the honeymoon phase is over.

7/ Comitting required developing strong personal relationships with locals very quickly.

8/ For example: First place outside of US I lived was KL Malaysia...Not optimal in many ways (weather, air quality, more urban than my family wanted) but we quickly built a group of friends, who introduced us to all the great things about the city

9/ We got out of the expat bubble fast, which meant those personal relationships were longer lasting (as expats are rarely permanent residents).

10/ We felt a strong connection to the city very fast, and that made it easier to overlook the things we didn't love and invest more in the area.

In Costa Rica it was slightly different. Beyond my cofounder, I didn't have as strong a friends group as in Malaysia.

11/ The startup scene is weaker here so fewer people to talk shop with than in SEA. I'm more familiar with the culture here and the language than in SEA, but the volume of meaningful relationships with locals matters a lot.

12/ Now as I make decisions on where to live permanently over the next decade, I'm not just looking at places where my wife and kids will be happy, but also places that tie me down.

13/ Freedom is awesome, but 100% freedom makes it difficult to committ, and committment to a place has a big affect on happiness when you're past the rush of moving around a ton.

1/ Total freedom isn't always your friend.

I always thought the goal was 100% location independence, where I can pick and choose anywhere to live. This has it's perks for sure, but it has more drawbacks than I'd like to admit.

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1/ Total freedom isn't always your friend.I always thought the goal was 100% location independence, where I can pick and choose anywhere to live. This has it's perks for sure, but it has more drawbacks than I'd like to admit.

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1/ Total freedom isn't always your friend.

I always thought the goal was 100% location independence, where I can pick and choose anywhere to live. This has it's perks for sure, but it has more drawbacks than I'd like to admit.