You don’t need a new year to reset

Hey Freaking Nomads,

It's that moment of the year.

Every end of December, the internet turns into one big self-help seminar.

New goals. New habits. New routines. “This year will be different.”....“New year, new me.”

And honestly? I don’t buy it.

I’ve spent enough time on the road to learn that real change rarely waits for a calendar reset. It usually shows up on a random Tuesday. Or after a quiet walk. Or during a moment you didn’t plan for at all.

Some of the biggest shifts in my life didn’t happen in January.

They happened in the middle of the year.

In unfamiliar places.

When things felt messy, uncertain, or slightly uncomfortable.

Travel taught me that resets don’t come with fireworks. They come when you finally admit something isn’t working anymore. When you stop forcing momentum and start listening instead.

That’s why I’m not setting big goals for next year.

Not because I don’t care.

But because I care too much to rush clarity.

I don’t need a list of resolutions to know what I want less of.

I don’t need a vision board to feel what’s draining me.

And I don’t need January 1st to give myself permission to slow down, change direction, or let something go.

As nomads, we already live outside the usual rhythms. Our years don’t start and end neatly. They blur. They evolve. They surprise us.

Sometimes the most honest reset looks like this:

• Doing less.
• Saying no more often.
• Choosing depth over speed.
• Letting things unfold instead of forcing outcomes.

So if you’re feeling pressure to have everything figured out by next week, here’s your reminder: you’re allowed to enter the new year unfinished.

You don’t need a new year to reset.

You just need a moment of honesty.

Happy New Year 💪✌

Irene

🔥 The news you clicked, shared and talked about the most in 2025

• Remote Year’s end was a shocker for the community. One of the earliest and most iconic work-and-travel programs, Remote Year officially shut its doors this year after nearly a decade of taking nomads around the world, leaving many travellers scrambling and sparking a lot of questions about the future of organised nomad trips.

RIP Remote Year—Shutting down after nearly 10 years

Remote Year, a pioneer in work-and-travel programs for digital nomads, closes after 9 years, leaving the remote work community shocked.

Freaking NomadsIrene Wang

• Costa Rica dialled up the tension on long-term tourism. New regulations aimed at stopping perpetual border hopping on tourist visas rocked the region, pushing authorities to enforce stricter rules around visa renewals and how often people can re-enter the country, a reminder that “travel freedom” still runs up against immigration laws.

Costa Rica plans to curbs via runs with new rules

Costa Rica plans to curb visa runs with a new bill increasing overstay fines and re-entry restrictions. Here’s what travelers need to know.

Freaking NomadsLuca Mussari

• China’s tropical beach city quietly became a nomad magnet. Haikou, on sunny Hainan island, started building real spaces for remote workers — art studios, hangout spots, community events, hinting that some destinations are betting on nomads as part of their longer-term cultural and economic vision.

China’s tropical capital is turning into a digital nomad hub

Haikou in tropical Hainan, China, launches its first digital nomad hub with coworking spaces, art studios, events, and global skill training.

Freaking NomadsLuca Mussari

• Dubai doubled down on creators. The UAE expanded its Golden Visa program to include digital content creators and influencers, anchoring long-term residency opportunities in a place that’s increasingly courting creative nomads with infrastructure, funding, and decade-long pathways to stay.

Dubai launches visa for influencers and content creators

Dubai launches a 10-year Golden Visa for influencers and content creators, offering tax-free income, business ownership, and residency benefits.

Freaking NomadsIrene Wang

• A Japanese beach town put out the welcome mat. A laid-back seaside destination in Japan launched initiatives to lure nomads with visas and local integration efforts, a sign that not all nations see digital nomads as a threat, but rather as partners in revitalising their communities.

This Japanese Beach Town Wants Digital Nomads to Call It Home

Discover how Shimoda, a picturesque Japanese beach town, wants to invite digital nomads to become part of its community.

Freaking NomadsLuca Mussari

🧑‍💻 The Last Nomad Resource of the Year

If you’re heading into the new year still nomading (or planning to), there’s one boring but important thing worth sorting out: mail.

Traveling Mailbox is one of those unsexy tools that quietly makes life easier. It gives you a real U.S. mailing address, scans your mail, and lets you open, forward, or shred it from anywhere in the world.

At Freaking Nomads, we like these things because they remove mental clutter. No more worrying about bank letters, tax documents, or random “important-looking” envelopes piling up back home while you’re on the other side of the planet.

Why it’s worth considering for 2026:

• You get a permanent address without being tied to a place
• You can read your mail online, wherever you are
• It works well for taxes, banks, and official paperwork
• One less thing to stress about while traveling

It’s not exciting. It’s not glamorous. But it’s one of those small systems that gives you more freedom by taking something off your plate. Sometimes that’s the real upgrade.

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📚 Want more digital nomad guides? Read our articles on all things nomad, including travel tips, budgeting & finance, legal and taxes, community, productivity and more.

If you haven't already, you can also follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Threads for more no-BS digital nomad content (and plenty of memes!)

We'll see you there, Freaking Nomads 👋

Written by Irene Wang

Digital nomad and co-founder of Freaking Nomads. She shares raw, unfiltered stories and helps nomads find resources to thrive while traveling and working remotely.

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