They Sold Everything to Travel the World: Inside a Childfree Digital Nomad Life
For most people, the idea of living abroad long-term sits somewhere between a dream and a "maybe one day."
It's something you talk about over dinner. Something you imagine while on vacation. Something you promise yourself you'll do later, when the timing feels right.
For Steven and Kristin, it started the same way.
A trip to Florence. A slower pace of life. A feeling they couldn't quite shake once they returned home.
But instead of letting it become a memory, they asked a different question:
What if we didn't have to leave?
That question didn't just change their next trip. It changed their entire life.
Key Takeaways
The digital nomad lifestyle is increasingly accessible for childfree couples. According to MBO Partners, there are now 18.5 million digital nomads in the United States, a 147% increase since 2019. For DINK couples without school schedules or childcare obligations, the barriers to working remotely while traveling are significantly lower. Steven and Kristin's story shows what it looks like when a childfree couple goes all in - selling their home, their business, and nearly everything they own to build a life around experiences rather than obligations.
What Is the Digital Nomad Lifestyle?
The digital nomad lifestyle is a way of living where individuals or couples work remotely while traveling or living in different locations around the world. Instead of being tied to a single city, digital nomads use technology to earn an income while maintaining geographic flexibility.
For some, it means working from beachside cafes. For others, it looks like slow travel - spending months at a time in one place before moving to the next.
According to MBO Partners' 2025 Digital Nomads Trends Report, there are now 18.5 million digital nomads in the United States, up 147% since 2019. The trend has moved from niche to mainstream, with 75% of digital nomads belonging to Gen Z or millennial generations.
For Steven and Kristin, it became a long-term way of life, one that reflects this broader shift toward more intentional, flexible living.
Why More Couples Are Becoming Digital Nomads
The digital nomad lifestyle has shifted from a fringe movement to an increasingly common choice, driven by several converging trends.
Remote work has become more widely accepted across industries. Travel and experiences are being prioritized over traditional milestones. Couples are seeking more flexibility in how and where they live. And technology has made it easier than ever to work from anywhere.
According to MBO Partners, 57% of digital nomads are married or living with a partner, and the median age is 37. That demographic profile overlaps heavily with the childfree couple population.
At the same time, broader cultural shifts are happening. More adults are intentionally choosing lifestyles that prioritize autonomy, experiences, and connection over traditional timelines - something we explore further in our breakdown of The DINK Economy Explained.
Steven and Kristin didn't set out to follow a trend. But in many ways, they are part of one.
Why the Digital Nomad Lifestyle Is More Accessible for Childfree Couples
For childfree couples, the barriers to becoming digital nomads are significantly lower than they might be for families with children.
According to Pew Research Center, 47% of U.S. adults under 50 without children say they are unlikely to ever have them - and for those who have chosen the childfree path, decisions about where to live and how to spend time can be far more flexible. This often means no need to coordinate around school schedules, greater financial flexibility in how income is allocated, easier decision-making when it comes to relocation, and more freedom to plan long-term international travel.
This flexibility is one of the reasons the childfree population is growing and why so many are seeking out like-minded community. If you've ever felt that shift in your own life, you might relate to what we explored in How to Make Friends as a Childfree Couple.
For Steven and Kristin, this freedom created the space to make a bold decision.
How One Couple Decided to Leave Everything Behind
Steven and Kristin sold their home, their business, and nearly everything they owned to become full-time digital nomads. Their decision didn't happen overnight.
It was built gradually, shaped by both inspiration and observation. On one hand, they had experienced a version of life abroad that felt deeply appealing. On the other hand, they were watching people around them delay their dreams in favor of a future that wasn't guaranteed.
They didn't want to wait.
In late 2019, Steven listed his business for sale. By early 2020, they had sold their home (fully furnished) and began letting go of nearly everything they owned. What remained fit into a single closet stored at his parents' house.
The timing, of course, added complexity. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted travel plans and introduced uncertainty into nearly every aspect of daily life. But rather than abandoning the idea, they adjusted.
Looking back, there are small things they occasionally miss - kitchen tools, familiar routines, the ease of having everything in one place.
But those moments are fleeting.
What replaced them was something far more meaningful: the ability to design their lives around experience rather than obligation.
How Do Digital Nomad Couples Make Money While Traveling?
Most digital nomads sustain their lifestyle through a combination of income streams rather than a single paycheck.
According to MBO Partners, the most common income sources for digital nomads include remote or part-time employment, freelancing or consulting, investing and trading, rental property income, and online or location-independent businesses. About 46% of digital nomads report household income of $75,000 or more.
For Steven and Kristin, their approach combines several of these. Kristin continues to work part-time for the same company she was with before moving abroad, providing a steady income stream. Steven manages their finances and is actively involved in trading and investing.
Before leaving the United States, they also made a strategic decision to purchase a duplex outright. That property now generates rental income while also serving as a long-term investment.
This diversified approach is increasingly common among digital nomad couples and reflects the broader financial flexibility that DINK households tend to have.
How Do Digital Nomad Couples Choose Where to Live?
Digital nomad couples typically choose locations based on cost of living, climate, food culture, travel access, and internet reliability. From the outside, the lifestyle can appear spontaneous, but in practice it often requires significant planning.
MBO Partners data shows that digital nomads in 2025 visited an average of 6.2 locations per year, spending 6.4 weeks per stop, a trend known as "slomading" (slow nomading). This shift toward fewer, longer stays reflects a preference for deeper experiences over rapid travel.
Steven and Kristin take this a step further by planning their movements in a logical sequence. Rather than jumping between distant locations, they typically move in one direction across a region, using trains or short flights to reduce complexity. They also prioritize longer stays, often booking accommodations through platforms like Airbnb to take advantage of monthly discounts.
What appears flexible is, in reality, carefully structured.
The Hard Part: Loneliness and Connection on the Road
Social isolation is the biggest challenge for digital nomad couples, even more so than logistics or finances.
This is something we've explored in depth in our post on the loneliness that can come with the childfree lifestyle. For digital nomads, the challenge is amplified. You're not just navigating the shift of friends entering different life stages - you're doing it from a different country, often in a different time zone.
Research on digital nomad communities shows that 19% of digital nomads say missing friends and family is the hardest part emotionally. And the U.S. Surgeon General's 2023 advisory on loneliness as a public health epidemic applies doubly to people who are constantly moving.
For Steven and Kristin, maintaining connection has been the most intentional part of their lifestyle. Meeting new people requires effort: joining local groups, attending events, and consistently putting themselves into unfamiliar environments. Even maintaining friendships back home requires real intention.
Their experience reflects a broader truth: connection doesn't happen automatically. It has to be built - whether you're living in your hometown or halfway around the world.
What Should You Know Before Becoming a Digital Nomad Couple?
For couples considering this lifestyle, preparation is what separates a gap year from a sustainable way of living.
Based on Steven and Kristin's experience, a few key principles stand out.
Plan further ahead than you think necessary. Logistics compound when you're moving across countries. Visas, accommodations, time zones, and travel routes all require advance thinking.
Be intentional about maintaining relationships. Distance makes friendship harder. Schedule calls, plan visits, and make connection a priority rather than an afterthought.
Create a stable financial foundation before leaving. Having multiple income streams, savings, and a clear plan for healthcare and taxes makes the difference between adventure and anxiety.
Understand how your relationship functions in close proximity. You and your partner will spend more time together than ever before. Make sure that's something you both genuinely want.
This level of planning is often what separates short-term travel from a sustainable long-term lifestyle.
Where Should You Travel First?
Japan is the top recommendation from Steven and Kristin for first-time long-term travelers.
For Steven, Italy remains deeply meaningful. But when asked where they would recommend someone go if they had only one opportunity to travel, both arrived at the same answer: Japan. Not for any single reason, but for the combination of culture, cuisine, and perspective it offers.
For couples looking for more destination inspiration, check out our guides to the best cities for childfree couples and adults-only travel.
Is the Digital Nomad Lifestyle Right for You?
The digital nomad lifestyle is right for couples who are willing to plan ahead, intentional about maintaining relationships, and genuinely enjoy extended time together. For those seriously considering it, a few questions are worth asking:
Are you willing to plan more than you think you need to? Are you intentional about maintaining relationships across distance? Do you genuinely enjoy spending extended time with your partner?
If so, this lifestyle may be more achievable than it first appears.
Why This Story Matters
Steven and Kristin's story isn't just about travel. It's about intention.
It's about choosing not to delay the life you want to live and recognizing that while freedom is powerful, it's even more meaningful when shared.
For many childfree couples, this becomes increasingly relevant over time. As social circles evolve, finding people who understand your lifestyle can become more challenging.
That's part of what led us to build DINK Social.
Not as a replacement for existing relationships, but as a way to create new ones - whether you're rooted in one city or moving between many.
Because no matter how you choose to live your life, connection is what makes it meaningful.
Join DINK Social Connect with other childfree couples, wherever you are in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can couples be digital nomads?
Yes. According to MBO Partners, 57% of digital nomads are married or living with a partner. Childfree couples are especially well-suited because they have more flexibility without school schedules or childcare obligations.
How do digital nomad couples make money?
Most digital nomad couples rely on multiple income streams including remote employment, freelancing, investing, rental income, and online businesses. About 46% of digital nomads report household income of $75,000 or more.
How many digital nomads are there in the U.S.?
According to MBO Partners' 2025 report, there are 18.5 million digital nomads in the United States, up 147% since 2019.
What is slomading?
Slomading (slow nomading) is a trend where digital nomads visit fewer locations but stay longer at each one. In 2025, the average digital nomad spent 6.4 weeks per location, up from 5.4 weeks in 2023.
Sources
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MBO Partners - "2025 Digital Nomads Trends Report." 18.5 million Americans are digital nomads, up 147% since 2019. 57% are married or living with a partner. https://www.mbopartners.com/state-of-independence/digital-nomads/
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Pew Research Center - "The Experiences of U.S. Adults Who Don't Have Children" (July 2024). 47% of adults under 50 without children are unlikely to ever have them. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/07/25/the-experiences-of-u-s-adults-who-dont-have-children/
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U.S. Surgeon General - "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation" (2023). Approximately half of U.S. adults report experiencing measurable levels of loneliness. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
