Yep, I'm 100% location independent. I have been in 6-7 countries this year all over the world and the work travels with me not the other way around

I have both worked full time in my home city and travelled remotely. In order to do so I use Upwork as my primary source of income on the road - followed by networking as I travel. In many cases when I meet new people, I ask them if they need help or know anyone who needs help with their website/web app. The majority of the time, they know someone, or need help themselves.

Most of the freelance work I do revolves around WordPress sites - that is simply because there is so much demand for it - I wouldn't have learnt it otherwise. Definitely familiarise yourself with WordPress and theme building using PHP. There is a ton of demand for Front End Developers who can take an existing PDF/PSD mockup and turn it into a WordPress website.

These days, I prefer looking for jobs using Vue.js on a Node backend as it's a bit more exciting to work on web apps. I have dabbled in Laravel too - but I primarily want to be a front end developer and therefore like to dedicate my learning and job searches to Vue.js / React.js roles.

Upwork has by far been the best and most reliable way to find work for me. Once you get a few 5 start reviews they really start to take care of you. They send me special job requests and clients can see my profile up in the top when they search for developers.

In order to get a good ranking on Upwork you just need to be consistent and get good reviews. My best advice would be to start small and just get your foot in the door so you can get that first review! My first few jobs were just data entry, blogging and copy writing. Finally then I got the confidence to start working on websites.

Best of all, as I have increased my hourly rate, the quality of clients and jobs has also increased too. It's tough with so many cheap freelancers, but if you can find your niche (I like to find Australian clients who have small businesses / online shops) then you can start to set yourself apart.

For me, to really become location independent I think you gotta start small and build up a portfolio that will : a.) give you confidence, b.) help potential clients see who you are and what you can do for them. It doesn't have to be fancy (my free code camp portolfio got me started! and i did my sisters cafe website for free).

Don't be afraid to work for something else in return for money too - maybe you can score some accommodation at a hostel for helping on their site, or food/coffee at a cafe! In the beginning just try to focus on building your skills and portfolio.

Also be sure to jump on Meetup.com or Nomadlist to connect with other developers and like minds. Its always fun to meet new people and hear their stories. I've worked in coworking spaces all around the world too, and overall it's a really great experience. You meet nice people and it's nice to have a place to work rather than the kitchen table or in bed!

It took me a solid 12 - 18 months to go from zero coding experience to finally travelling and working remotely. It definitely was a bumpy first trip (I went to USA, Europe, Asia over six months) but I made it work and best of all, I came home with some spare cash 😊

I'm now planning another world trip at the end of this year with no end date in mind (Bali, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Europe & USA). After 12 months of working full-time I definitely cannot wait to get back out there and travel and just work as I go!

Hope this helps!