Nomad Mac Travels · A personal journey

Retired Army.
A road ahead.

I'm Nomad Mac. After twenty years in the Army, I'm figuring out what I want this chapter to look like. Right now, I'm exploring van life: comparing vehicles, sketching out possible builds, and testing the numbers before I buy anything.

I still have my apartment. If I get a van, I'll begin with short trips. Further down the road, I hope to retire in Southeast Asia. I'm sharing the research, decisions, and lessons as I go.

Explore my van life research See the longer-term plan

A hobby worth sharing. Plans in progress.

Editorial inspiration image of a quiet desert road at sunrise, with no van or traveler shown
INSPIRATION IMAGECurious about the road.No van purchased yet.

Where I am now

Research first. Real experiences when they happen.

I'm treating van life as a hobby and an experiment. The build budgets here are concepts, not money I've spent or a van I own. I share what I learn because it may save someone else time or money. If this site earns something someday, that's a welcome bonus.

01 · NOWBefore I buy a vanVehicle questions, simple build ideas, and experimental budgets.Explore the research →02 · LONG TERMSoutheast Asia plansCountry research and free tools, with the Philippines in focus.Explore the plan →03 · ALONG THE WAYNotes from Nomad MacWhat I'm considering, learning, and deciding.Read the journal →

The longer-term chapter

Planning for Southeast Asia

My retirement research started here. These free tools and country guides can help you explore your own options, too.

You can change direction anytime. Every tool also works on its own.

Illustration of travel documents prepared on a tropical veranda01Which visa path fits?Match your purpose, age, income, funds, and support to realistic routes.Open Visa FinderEditorial destination illustration02Which country fits?Get a top three using budget, healthcare, daily life, and legal-stay readiness.Open Country MatchIllustration of fresh groceries and an everyday spending notebook03What can I afford?Enter one monthly number and see where it works, where it is tight, and why.Open Cost PlannerEditorial travel-planning illustration04What do I do next?Turn a country and move date into a dated, step-by-step relocation plan.Open Move Planner

Editorial illustrations · Planning tools use your own destinations and numbers.

Optional quick startNot sure which country fits? Get a 60-second shortlist.

Answer three practical questions.

Get a quick shortlist, then open the full seven-country comparison only if you need more detail.

Run the full seven-country match

Member knowledge

Tools give you the plan. People add the lived experience.

Ask about neighborhoods, long-stay planning, costs, healthcare, visas, and everyday life. Read real experiences, compare notes, and help other members make better decisions.

Join the conversationCreate a free member profile
Illustration of travelers exploring a tropical neighborhood together
Editorial illustration, not a photograph of website members.

The complete expat desk

Everything stays connected.

Visa research, country comparisons, budgets, healthcare, documents, roadmaps, saved plans, and member tools live under one roof.

Open the full toolkit

Need the supporting detail?

Open the evidence, not filler.