On May 30, 2018, digital nomad travel blogger Jazzie Màs was celebrating her birthday while staying in Bali. She gifted herself a two-hour massage treatment (which cost the equivalent of $50). After the blissful rubdown, it’s now evening time. Màs finds herself reflecting on her past year around the sun amidst the vibrant greens, blues, pinks and oranges of the Indonesian province’s world-renowned oceans and foliage.
The colors still glow under the dark evening shine. She then notices the moon rising to take center stage in the night sky. Looking significantly larger than usual, Màs realizes she’s watching the full moon rise and in this moment of simplicity, she finds herself in ultimate tranquility.
Her peace is reassured by the fact that no matter where she is in the world, she can watch the moon rise and be reminded of this simple beauty of living.
“It’s one of those moments where I had this slice of experiencing something I didn’t recognize before, and it transformed me in a way,” she said. “I get to take that moment that I experienced in Bali everywhere with me. I’ve been in South Central [LA for the holidays] at my mom’s house, and I watched the full moon rise from the hood. So it’s like everywhere you go, you take all these pieces with you, and I think that’s the most rewarding part of this experience.”
Depending on where one is or what they’re facing in the United States, life may not feel as serendipitous as a trip to Bali. In New York City, for instance, the brightness of billboards and skyscrapers overpower the night sky to the point where one can’t see the stars- that is if they’re even trying to look up. Stopping to look up at the sky isn’t a normal activity for locals fixated on reaching their destination without stepping into some unwarranted substance. This, in turn, could ruin their new pair of Rick Owens, and that would be a shame as the shoes cost more than their $2000 rent for their closet apartment-which they’re now behind on. In the “land of the free,” where a central ideology is the American dream of climbing the capitalist ladder to power and success, it isn’t uncommon for people to get lost in materialism.
Corruption, especially now with the influence of social media and life, may feel like more of a rat race where the less fortunate are quite literally left with rats.
While some thrive in the hustle and competition of America, and the range of opportunity in this nation is undeniable, others can go their whole lives without being able to enjoy the fruits of their labor. It can be the deep-rooted sense of racism, classism, sexism or the intersectionalities of discrimination in society that inhibit someone from reaching their full potential. One could also fall victim to corporate or political exploitation. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) notes that the U.S.A., a ‘first-world’ country and leading global power, is in the midst of a mental health crisis. According to NAMI, one in five Americans experience a mental health illness in their lifetime, and those most affected by this are young people.
This showcases that the pursuit of happiness for young people in the U.S. may not be the traditional American dream.
The last five years have sent this nation through a whirlwind of change. This country faced a pandemic, crooked politics, media manipulation, inflation, spikes in mental health crises and more. In the midst of all this chaos, it’s no wonder why there’s a rising interest in leaving this country. One of the latest trending opportunities for the free spirits or those looking to get out of America on a budget is a digital nomad visa. Digital nomad visas are available in a range of countries and provide extended stay permits for people who can work remotely from their computers.
This leaves the question: could the latest American dream be to get out of the U.S.?
Màs wasn’t always living a life of simplistic bliss. The global comedian and founder of the Black Digital Nomad platform notes a tough upbringing in South Central, Los Angeles. She shared with the Flourish in the Foreign podcast that in her 20s, she experienced an incident that led her to serve probation. Màs highlights the difficulties formerly incarcerated people face trying to get back to ordinary life and how her past mistakes almost defined the rest of her life until she learned of living a nomadic lifestyle.
When Donald Trump first became president back in 2016, travel blogger Màs and her then-husband decided it was time for them to at least try to move abroad. After researching travel visas, they set their sightson Mexico and worked multiple side jobs to afford their trip. Within 63 days, in September of 2017, the pair was able to move from Texas to Playa Del Carmen for about six months before returning to embark on a whole new journey.
“I didn’t want to have to spend 90% of my time worrying about the color of my skin,” Màs highlights in a 2020 blog post, “Fight or Flight: Why I Left the USA Rather than Fighting for Equality. I didn’t want to live in fear that my husband or I would end up as a hashtag. For me, this is no way to live so I left.”
Back in 2017, digital nomad visas weren’t very popular, so Màs was initially pursuing travel visas. However, it’s illegal to work with a travel visa, and they usually offer shorter stays than digital nomad visas. Still, Màs dove into her nomadic lifestyle, going from Mexico to Bali, then Thailand, Vietnam, Columbia, Peru and more. Throughout these ventures, she documented her journeys on her blog/social media platform, Black Digital Nomad (@blackdigitalnomad), which is a pioneering advisory page for digital nomads of color.
Màs uses tips and tricks from her own experience as a Black female traveler and also those of people she connected with to provide those interested in the nomadic lifestyle with valuable and relatable information that can aid them in their expeditions.
While the COVID-19 pandemic was detrimental to life as we knew it before 2020, the emergence of remote work ultimately led to new travel opportunities. More people could now work virtually anywhere as long as they had a computer and access to wifi. The spike in remote work created a greater interest in working abroad, and this popularized the digital nomad visa.
Màs, who is currently stationed in Columbia, noted that the country didn’t even have digital nomad visas available until January of 2023. Italy also just recently unveiled a digital nomad visa program, and the Black digital nomad has set her sights on the country as one of her next destinations. Other popular countries that offer digital nomad visas are Spain, Costa Rica, Mauritius, Portugal, Greece and more. Citizen Remote offers a list of 66 countries that offer digital nomad visas, which can be accessed here.
In addition to the culturally diverse island of Mauritius, a range of African nations have also entered the conversation. In May 2024, South Africa launched their digital nomad visa program. 2024 also welcomed a digital nomad visa program from Kenya, which is looking to grow its digital work and global citizen population. Namibia, Seychelles and Cape Verde all have digital nomad visa programs that started before 2024.
Digital nomad visa applications are different for each country. The length of stays usually ranges from six months to a year before renewal, which can also be a strenuous process. Income is the main focus of these applications. For instance, to obtain a digital nomad visa in Kenya, the applicant needs to make an annual income of at least $55,000. In order to be a digital nomad in Spain, one needs about a $30,000 annual income. Visa applicants also have to pay an application fee which varies depending on the country and they must show proof of remote work.
When a digital nomad visa expires, the traveler needs to leave the country unless they already applied for renewal and were approved before the expiration date. Jazzie Màs offers one-on-one phone consultation calls to help prepare those looking to obtain digital nomad visas.
According to a study done by Howdy.com, which surveyed about 1,000 Americans under 43 years of age, more younger Americans are projected to pursue digital nomad visas in 2025. 76% of participants said that being able to travel and live/work wherever they desire is “the new American dream.” The organization forecasts 39% of Gen Zers and Millennials to be digital nomads in 2025. The top reasons for the surveyed participants’ plans for travel include the desire to explore the world, a lower cost of living, a more intentional lifestyle, and better weather. In contrast, 20% of participants said they felt unsafe in the country.
Almost eight years after Màs started her Black Digital Nomad journey and on the heels of yet another Trump presidency, digital nomad visas seem to have a greater potential than ever. It’s an opportunity for those who may feel stuck in their circumstances to embark on a journey of self-exploration and world exploration. Maybe the next step for the global majority is global citizenship. A global citizen herself, Màs has been able to share her comedy, experience, language exchange events, workshops, and more with people all over the world, and her page is especially valuable for other Black women who may want to travel but are scared to take that first step.
“You know it’s such a rewarding experience,” Màs adds. “Whether you’re solo, a couple or a family, it’s very doable. I’ve met so many amazing people from all walks of life doing this lifestyle and I would say just try it. There’s so much content out now about [digital nomad visas] as well, compared when [I started] doing it, so act like Nike and ‘just do it!’”
